Anida Hana
Anida Hana is a political science professional with a strong background in political studies, public administration, and international cooperation. She holds a Master of Science in Regional Political Studies and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Tirana. With over six years of professional experience, she has contributed to policy implementation, project coordination, and institutional support across national and international organizations.
During her last experience, Anida worked at the OSCE Presence in Albania, where she supported parliamentary-related projects, contributed to unified budget implementation planning, monitored political developments, and integrated gender mainstreaming into project design and reporting. Her role also involved coordinating outreach activities across Albania and preparing analytical reports on implementation progress and institutional developments.
Previously, Anida worked at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, first as a Minister’s Assistant and later as a Specialist in the Directorate of Priorities, Delivery, and Statistics, where she followed the implementation of EU IPA, World Bank, and donor-funded projects, coordinated public communication activities, and supported institutional reporting and visibility. As part of the National Program for Work Practices of the Albanian Government, she held a specialist position at the Ministry of Education and Sports, contributing to project feasibility, digital education platforms, and the monitoring of national state examinations.
Anida’s early professional experience includes an internship with the National Democratic Institute, where she supported programmatic activities, research, and stakeholder coordination.
Alongside her professional roles, she has actively participated in international trainings, youth programs, and conferences focused on democracy, media viability, peacebuilding, and European values. She has been involved in OSCE mentoring and advisory initiatives and has volunteered in civic and environmental programs.
Host Institution: Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA)
Bylyre Serjanaj
Bylyre Serjanaj holds a Master of Science in Clinical Psychology from the University of Tirana and is a licensed Clinical Psychologist accredited by the Order of Psychologists in Albania. She is undergoing specialization in Schema Therapy at the Schema Therapy Center Belgrade.
Her professional background combines clinical practice, academia, and research. She has worked as an assistant lecturer, contributing to teaching and mentoring students in psychology while promoting a supportive and engaging learning environment. Alongside her clinical and teaching experience, her primary interest lies in psychological research, particularly in understanding the mechanisms underlying mental health disorders.
Currently, Bylyre is completing a professional fellowship at the Laboratory for Brain, Body, and Behavior within the Behavioral & Cognitive Neuroscience Program at the University of Florida, USA. Her work focuses on research examining neural markers of psychopathology through electrophysiological (EEG) data, statistical modeling, and behavioral measures, aiming to better understand symptom severity, chronicity, and treatment outcomes in anxiety and obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders.
Her broader goal is to contribute to evidence-based psychology by integrating clinical knowledge with empirical research, supporting more precise assessment and effective psychological interventions.
Host Institution: Laboratory for Brain, Body, and Behavior, University of Florida, USA
Emanuel Cotaj
Emanuel is a strategic and analytical cybersecurity professional, passionate about protecting critical systems and exploring the evolving frontier of offensive security. Currently, he is gaining hands-on experience as a Cybersecurity Analyst intern at Guident Corp in Florida, contributing to the protection of connected and autonomous vehicle systems through cybersecurity monitoring, threat detection, and secure software operations.
Previously, he served as a Red Team Penetration Tester and SOC Analyst at the National Cybersecurity Authority, where he developed deep technical skills in SIEM management, threat hunting, incident detection, and offensive security operations. During this time, he also mentored aspiring cybersecurity professionals and organized workshops with universities, fostering the next generation of ethical hackers. He holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Information and Communication Technology from the University of Tirana, Faculty of Natural Science, and is an Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP).
Calm under pressure, resilient, and forward-thinking, Emanuel approaches every challenge with curiosity, precision, and a commitment to lifelong learning. Looking ahead, he aspires to lead national and corporate cybersecurity initiatives and develop advanced Red Team programs that set new standards for resilience, innovation, and security excellence.
Host Institution: Guident Court, Boca Raton, FL
Jonida Lama
Jonida is a career advisor who helps students reach their full potential and get ready for the job market. She is also a PhD candidate in Human Resource Management at the Faculty of Economy, University of Tirana. She does research on HRM and employability skills, with a focus on coming up with useful ways to make the workforce more ready.
As a career advisor at the Faculty of Economy, University of Tirana, she helped students with their resumes, finding internships, and planning their careers. She also put together big career development events like job fairs, workshops, and open lectures. Her method makes sure that students' academic learning matches what employers want, so that graduates are both confident and ready to work.
Jonida just moved forward as MIP alumn at the University of Central Oklahoma by working with the Career Development Center, the Office of Global Affairs, and the Human Resource Department. She focused on making students more ready for careers and coming up with new ways to do HR work. Her creativity and determination to improve services show that she is committed to both career development and managing people.
Jonida is a lifelong learner who is interested in people and organizations outside of her job. She enjoys reading, drawing, mentoring, and coming up with new ways to make learning more interesting and effective.
Host Institution: University of Central Oklahoma, OK
Keida Ormënaj
Keida Ormënaj is a specialist in entrepreneurial ecosystem development at Startup Albania Agency where she works on national initiatives to strengthen the startup and innovation ecosystem. She works across stakeholder engagement, ecosystem mapping, grant scheme administration, and collaboration with universities, investors, and international partners to foster entrepreneurial growth and sustainable innovation.
Prior to this role, Keida brings extensive experience in internationally funded development programs, including projects supported by the European Union and GIZ. She has supervised and coordinated large-scale social and economic inclusion initiatives in collaboration with public institutions, municipalities, and civil society organizations. Her work has focused on program implementation, cross-institutional coordination, monitoring and evaluation, and direct engagement with beneficiary communities, contributing to improved service delivery and institutional capacity at the local level.
Keida holds a Master of Arts in American Studies from the University of Szeged in Hungary and a Bachelor’s in English Language, Translation, and Interpreting from the University of Tirana. She brings a multidisciplinary perspective to ecosystem development, integrating public sector strategy with private sector partnership and a commitment to nurturing emerging founders. Keida is committed to strengthening cross-border innovation ecosystems and expanding opportunities for emerging entrepreneurs.
As part of the MIP program, Keida Ormënaj is a Ventures Analyst with the Fintech team at Plug and Play Tech Center in Silicon Valley, where she evaluates early-stage startups and supports innovation and investment initiatives within global acceleration programs.
Outside of her professional work, Keida is deeply engaged with art, painting, and literature. She has a particular interest in postmodern urban spaces and their cultural meaning. She is also passionate about American intellectual history and international politics, interests that inform her perspective on global development, governance, and innovation.
Host Institution: Plug and Play, Sunnyvale, CA
Loneta Progni
Loneta Progni is a journalist and news anchor at A2 CNN, the exclusive CNN affiliate in Albania, where she covers live rolling news, breaking stories, and in-depth reporting on Albania, the Balkans, and international affairs. She is currently a visiting fellow with the Transatlantic Security Initiative (TSI) at the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, focusing on security, geopolitics, and transatlantic relations.
Prior to her current role, she served as a TV presenter at Euronews Albania, where she co-hosted Good Morning Albanians, a live weekday morning program featuring breaking news, correspondent reports, guest interviews, and studio debates. She also worked as a social media correspondent on the debunking newsdesk The Cube (KUBI) at Euronews Albania, specializing in fact-checking, digital storytelling, and countering disinformation.
Alongside her journalism career, she works as a communication specialist and consultant, contributing to strategic communication campaigns with international organizations, including GIZ, following the completion of her studies in communications. Throughout her career, she has gained extensive experience in live broadcasting, field reporting, and hosting topical phone-in programs in fast-paced, high-pressure news environments.
Host Institution: Atlantic Council, Washington DC
Riva Gjecaj
Riva Gjecaj is a lawyer specializing in international arbitration, public international law, and international criminal law. For the past five years, she has served as a Legal Associate for the Defence before the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, an international criminal tribunal based in The Hague. She has been involved in the Thaci et al. case, a complex prosecution concerning war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed during the Kosovo War (1998–1999), involving more than 200 witnesses. In her role before the tribunal, Riva has drafted preliminary jurisdictional challenges, pre- and post-trial briefs, and prepared witness cross-examination plans for Counsel. She also served as a Spanish-language International Arbitration Trainee in the Guatemala office of ECIJA (2024), an Ibero-American law firm, where she assisted with legal research and submissions in domestic and international commercial arbitration proceedings.
Riva is a recipient of the Charles B. Bretzfelder International Law Scholarship awarded by Columbia University in recognition of exceptional work in international law. She is also a Rapporteur for the Oxford Law of International Organizations Database and gives pro bono advice on environmental law matters.
She holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Finance (cum laude) from The Hague University of Applied Sciences, and a Master of Laws from University College London, where she received a full merit-based scholarship. She also completed the Columbia–CIArbNY Comprehensive Course on International Arbitration and the NOVA Lisbon Summer School on International Arbitration.
Currently in New York as part of her MIP Fellowship, Riva serves as an Associate at Mascarenhas Law PLLC, a boutique disputes firm. There, she advises on public international law matters, ranging from international criminal and humanitarian law to investment and commercial arbitration. This role allows her to integrate her experience across multiple fields of international law while developing strategic, client-focused solutions to complex cross-border disputes.
Host Institution: Mascarenhas Law PLLC
Rrapi Kola
Rrapi Kola is a software engineer from Tirana, Albania, working at the intersection of backend engineering and artificial intelligence.
He has built software across logistics, telecommunications, and AI platforms, always with the same goal: make things work well and feel simple for the people using them. His work spans Java and backend systems to AI agent workflows and enterprise automation.
At Arclio in New York, he works on AI systems that connect a company’s tools, data, and knowledge into one intelligent layer so teams spend less time on routine work and more time on what matters.
As a MIP–AADF intern, he is committed to bringing real AI experience back to Albania where it is needed most.
Host Institution: Arclio, New York, NY
Shpresim Tahiraj
Shpresim Tahiraj is a Business and Data Analyst with a strong academic background and hands-on professional experience in analytics, decisioning systems, and business transformation. He holds a Master of Science in Information Systems in Economy and a Bachelor`s degree in Economic Informatics from the University of Tirana, Faculty of Economics.
He started his journey as a Business Analyst at Oracle Solicitors, where he was responsible for end-to-end requirements analysis, and functional specification development. Shpresim played a key role in automating manual administrative processes, building internal and external performance reports, and providing first-line IT support, contributing to operational efficiency and improved service delivery.
Later, he joined Vodafone Albania as a PEGA Decisioning Specialist, contributing to the design and enhancement of decisioning logic within the Next-Best-Action framework. In this role, he translates business needs into technical solutions, ensures data quality, and supports testing, quality assurance, and business simulations to enable data-driven customer engagement and strategic decision-making.
Most recently, as a MIP fellow, Shpresim is working at Skanska in New York as a Business Data Analyst within the Data Solutions Team. He supports advanced data analysis, data integrity initiatives, and data science–oriented use cases, while developing scalable solutions using Power Apps, Power Automate, and business intelligence tools to enable informed decision-making across the organization.
In addition to his professional experience, Shpresim has actively participated in international academic and professional conferences, including the International Conference on Economy, Business, Innovation and Technology (2024), INSODE 2023 – World Conference on Innovation and Computer Science, and the International Conference on Circular Economy: Opportunities and Challenges (2022).
Beyond his professional and academic pursuits, Shpresim enjoys listening to music, long walks in nature, traveling and learning new cultures around the world, activities that allow him to recharge, maintain balance, and cultivate curiosity beyond the professional environment.
Host Institution: Skanska, NYC
Sonil Frashëri
I am a media expert and political communications advisor with extensive experience in journalism, public messaging, and strategic communications. I have led newsrooms and editorial teams in Albania, serving in senior roles at Euronews Albania, A2 CNN and Ora News TV, where I managed daily operations, coordinated coverage of major political events, and delivered on-air political analysis.
My background spans reporting, executive production, and editorial leadership, with a strong focus on data-informed storytelling and audience engagement. Alongside my media career, I have worked in political communications, advising public officials within the Government of Albania on public statements and media relations.
I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Communication and Public Relations from European University of Tirana. My professional interests include political communication, narrative strategy, and data-driven media production. I am motivated by building credible public narratives, strengthening institutional communication, and supporting democratic processes through responsible journalism and strategic outreach.
Host Institution: Independent Diplomat, NYC