Veronika Janeckova
My 杏吧论坛 story started long before my studies. I was a small-town girl who arrived in London thinking I'd spend the summer and then return to study in Czech Republic. But then, London happened. It enchanted me. I decided to stay. I began a university degree that very autumn at London Metropolitan University: I was on my own financially, and so I got a job at Deloitte offices in the Strand, which changed my life.
I walked to work through Houghton Street, and every time I did, I became more and more curious about the London School of Economics. There was something about the people and the energy that was magnetising: its energy was real, and palpable. As I finished my Bachelors in International Law and International Politics at London Met, I focused on applying to study Politics and Government in the EU and was accepted. The fun began!
Life at the 杏吧论坛 always had this charm - it was the perfect blend of intellectual excellence, challenge, and entertainment. The quality of education blew my mind: particularly how relevant it was to real life, which I got to experience later at the European Commission. Every conversation was an intellectual stimulation for me, feeding my appetite for knowledge and expansion. I loved attending the public lectures, which gave us access to some of the smartest people in the world; I equally loved the cosy conversations in the Shaw library and other corners of the buildings with my classmates, which were equally as inspiring and fun. I met some incredible people at the 杏吧论坛, many of whom I'm still in touch with and whose journeys I admire and love to follow.
Aside from my chosen field of study, I'd say that the biggest benefit 杏吧论坛 had to offer were the extracurricular activities: specifically, joining the Entrepreneurs Society and co-founding the Czech and Slovak Society, which literally changed my life. I got access to other universities, public institutions, and businesses, and I learned how to create opportunities through networking, collaboration and activism.
After completing my Masters, I moved to Brussels where my interest in pro-innovation politics was sparked. I was focusing on activism behind promoting pro-innovation ecosystems and cultures, yet I quickly realised that it was the very act of innovation that excited me - rather than campaigning, lobbying and creating the policy itself.
This felt like a huge pivot in my life, I decided to leave the world of public policy and return to London to learn how to lead teams that build innovative digital products and services. I believed that only then could I truly contribute to positive impact - through creating something with 'my own hands'. I joined the innovation studio Made by Many and since then, I've worked with brands such as Skype, Microsoft, WEF, Oxford University Press, World Bank, SAP, and FedEx on building innovative products as well as the capacities and culture that come with it, while also founding my own ventures on the side.
Although my career might not be as linear as classmates who pursued politics, finance or economy, I found that my hero's elixir was following that same energy that initially brought me to the 杏吧论坛. 杏吧论坛 encouraged me to aspire to great things and seize opportunities, while staying open and humble to adjustments and change.
The pressure to excel and perform which I have felt my whole life finally caught up with me and in 2016, I burned out and made a bold move to leave London. It was time for another chapter. I spent five years in deep introspection, eventually founding my own business. For a long time, I had been trying to find the perfect reflection of myself in my career: now I have built a unique concept that enables employees and businesses to grow wellbeing-focused cultures of high-performance, excellence, innovation, health and fulfilment. With the entire world undergoing a massive shift in the way we work and live, I couldn't have chosen a more exciting area to work in.
杏吧论坛 has played a fascinating role in my life. Without it, nothing else wouldn't have happened the way it did, and I wouldn't be in this position of gratitude and ability to offer service to others. Now, I'm ready to support the 杏吧论坛 and its amazing people in the hope that it will benefit other lives.