Nadácia Pontis
Social Innovations
Martina Kolesárová
Co-CEOMartina is a Co-CEO of Pontis Foundation. She is responsible for the strategic management of teams focusing on social innovations, strategic philanthropy. Pontis Foundation has been operating in Slovakia since 1997 and our vision is to develop and foster civil society and support cooperation between the private, public and non-profit sector.
The foundation is mainly dedicated to social innovations in education, philanthropy and corporate social responsibility. We bring together businesses, non-governmental organizations, state institutions, communities, and individuals to make positive changes in education, responsible entrepreneurship and the fight against corruption and poverty.
Martina has worked for the Pontis Foundation since 2017. She was in charge of fundraising, strategic partnerships and coordinated programs for social innovators. In 2019 she became a co-CEO of the Foundation. She is responsible for the Foundation´s vision and strategic development and specializes in social innovation and impact philanthropy. Martina has strategically led the only social innovation accelerator in Slovakia called Generation 3.0, now Impact LAB, which has expanded to include nearly 70 alumni organizations. She also established Foundation´s programs focused on improving entrepreneurial skills of younger generation: Open Future and This is 21.
Martina started her professional career after completing her studies of History and English Language at the University of Prešov and Political Science studies at the Central European University in Budapest. Before joining the Pontis team, she worked for the British Council and the Slovak Renewable Energy Agency. While living abroad with her family, she worked for a corporate social responsibility consulting firm in Tel Aviv and as a senior volunteer for Ashoka Foundation in Washington,D.C. In 2023, Obama Foundation selected her as an Obama Leader Europe.
PROJECTS
Generation 3.0
The Generation 3.0 is an annual acceleration program during which the Pontis Foundation seeks innovative learning approaches, links them with the education community, helps them with an effective setup, and supports their dissemination to schools across Slovakia.
Budúcnosť inak
OPEN FUTURE is a unique 3-year extra-curricular program for young people between 11 and 15 years. Its aim is to promote their digital skills, creativity and entrepreneurship, and help them increase the probability of better educational opportunities. Participants work in teams on a mini-social start up for their communities. Mentors help them increase their educational and employment prospects.