Team | Publix

Maria is a journalist and the director of Publix. She guides our mission, in addition to building the team and designing the Publix program. Previously, Maria served as editor-in-chief of ZEITmagazin and deputy editor-in-chief of ZEIT ONLINE, where she developed innovative civil society-oriented projects, including Germany Talks and the Z2X Festival of Ideas. She is the recipient of numerous awards for her work, including the Jean Monnet Prize for European Integration and the Grimme Online Award, in addition to being recognized as Magazine Editor-in-Chief of the Year.

(Currently on parental leave) Justina is the Chief Financial Officer of Publix. During the start-up phase, she also managed the operational developement and contributed her cross-industry experience. Before joining Publix, Justina has built co-working spaces in Germany and abroad. Most recently, she worked as an investment manager at a Berlin-based venture capital firm, and before that, she was involved in building the photography center Chaussee 36. At Publix, Justina is responsible for finance and legal affairs. She is looking forward to further developing the institution strategically and ensuring its economic sustainability.

Our caretaker and gardener Jana is Publix's fairy godmother. Her professional background combines theory and practice since she is not only a graduate mechanical engineer but also a trained carpenter. With her many talents, Jana ensures that the building and grounds are in perfect order and shine in all their glory. She takes care of minor repairs in the Publix building and, with her friendly and courteous manner, ensures that people feel right at home with us.

Lea has extensive expertise in program planning and event organisation. She previously led a team for editorial live formats at ZEIT ONLINE, was a consultant to the editor-in-chief and worked for several years as a freelancer on film sets, at festivals and as an event organiser. At Publix, she supports the director in program planning, fundraising and networking with foundations, editorial offices and ministries.

Julian supports us with office organisation and project-related tasks. In addition to his work for Publix, he is completing his master’s degree in social and cultural anthropology with a focus on intersectionality and qualitative data research. Julian has already gained significant experience in administration and project coordination through his work as a graduate assistant and for an NGO that focuses on anti-racism educational work.

As finance assistance, Kübra supports our accounting team with the day-to-day procurement processes. While studying business mathematics, she acquired valuable experience in financial accounting. Today, Kübra efficiently coordinates communication between customers, partners and the Publix team on all billing matters. Together with the finance team, she is consistently optimising our workflows–an important basis for our organisation's success.

Paul works at Publix in the events department and is responsible for ensuring that all in-house events are delivered smoothly from a technical standpoint. With extensive experience and a well-trained ear, he always keeps a close eye on what’s happening behind the scenes. He gained many years of international touring experience as a front-of-house (FOH) sound engineer, beginning in Aberdeen, Scotland, before moving to London, where he worked as a professional musician as well as a studio and live sound engineer across a wide range of productions.

Frederic is responsible for operating our studio area. With broad expertise in the field of digital media and a strong technical understanding, Frederic is in charge of our video studio, the two recording studios and the post-production workstations and is available to you as a contact person for all studio matters - from planning to production.

Johanna is Maria’s right-hand woman. She coordinates her calendar, prepares for appointments and takes care of organisation so that Maria can focus on other things. She also support web and social media communications. Prior to joining Publix, Johanna was digital content manager for the Pierre Boulez Saal of the Barenboim-Said Akademie.

As Operations Manager at Publix, Lilja maintains an overview of the technical and organisational processes within the company. After completing her studies in modern history, Lilja collected a wide range of experience in various positions in the film industry. Most recently, she spent eight years with the localisation company VSI in the area of office and project management. As Office Manager, Lilja initially ensured everything is perfectly organised ahead of the opening of Publix. As Operations Manager, she now keeps everything run smoothly in day-to-day operations.

Katharina Klün adds years of experience in the conception and implementation of large-scale events to the Publix team. She was, for instance, responsible for international culture marketing projects of Red Bull as well as the Opening events of the fashion fair Bread & Butter in Berlin and Barcelona. As the director of “Q Berlin”, she modernized the flagship conference of the city of Berlin. Most recently, Katharina managed the architecture and design department of a Berlin agency.

(Currently on parental leave) Carolin brings many years of experience in organising cultural events and projects. Whether panel discussion, reading or conference – Carolin will ensure that the events in the house run smoothly and that the visitors can look forward to an exciting program. Most recently, Carolin was responsible for the Berlin Art Week as one of the largest art events in Berlin.

As a working student, Nina supports the operations team in managing the day-to-day processes at Publix. She is frequently present throughout the building and works to ensure a smooth and welcoming daily experience for everyone who comes and goes at Publix. Alongside her role at Publix, she is pursuing a Master’s degree in Gender Studies in Berlin. Previously, she gained experience in project coordination and management at a non-profit organisation in the field of child and youth work, with a focus on language education programmes centred on music and the arts.

Carla is a working student in the Operations team and ensures that everything runs smoothly in the venue so that everyone goes home happy. Through her many years of work at a vegan café, she brings a high level of organizational skill and a strong service-oriented mindset. She gained experience in the conception and execution of events both as a student assistant at the university and during an internship at the German Environmental Foundation. Carla is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Applied Cultural Studies and Cultural Semiotics, where her studies focus, among other things, on digital discourse and representations of gender on the internet.

Susanne leads communications at Publix, ensuring that the projects, topics, and people shaping our work and our organization are made visible. Before joining in October 2025, she led Brand Strategy at music tech company Ableton. Susanne has a rich background in science communication, including several years at the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW).

She welcomes us all: Emanuela is our reception manager and the first person to greet visitors and residents every day. She coordinates the reception on the first floor and is patiently available to answer any questions you may have about Publix - in four languages! Emanuela studied foreign languages in Italy and is also a qualified event manager. With her many years of experience in the hotel industry, Emanuela now enriches the Publix team.

Linnéa arranges event space bookings at Publix and expertly organises event productions in-house. She spent many years working in the live music industry, in international artist booking and in the Germany-wide promotion of music clubs – giving her plenty of opportunity to live out her passion for concerts. She now uses her organisational skills for our various live formats.

Christiane plans events with great enthusiasm and ensures the smooth execution of events at Publix, as well as the booking of our event spaces. She brings many years of experience in the conception and organisation of cultural projects, including urban art productions, festivals in public space, and educational workshops in the field of building culture. Through her work, she operates at the intersection of culture and urban society and enjoys working at Publix with a diverse range of stakeholders and topics.

As a working student, Torge supports the Operations team with all processes related to Publix’s day-to-day operations. He’s frequently on the move throughout the building and therefore stays close to our community, always ready to listen to topics, moods, and ideas. He also assists in preparing and running events and, as our official snack officer, makes sure the team is well taken care of. Torge is pursuing a Master’s degree in Nonprofit Management and Public Governance and brings valuable experience in co-creative urban development in Berlin from his previous work on the “Zukunft findet Stadt” project.

Simon is responsible for the guesthouses at Publix and supports the events team. Previously, he managed an arthouse cinema in Berlin for several years, gaining extensive experience in customer journey design and event management. His strength in constructive cross-functional collaboration enabled him to optimize processes and actively drive the strategic development of the organization. Hospitality is particularly close to his heart, and at Publix he ensures every day that all guests and residents feel welcome.

Juliane is responsible for the fellowship programs at Publix. She brings her many years of professional experience in supervising scholarship programs and collaborating with fellows, which she gained at the Literarisches Colloquium Berlin, at the American Academy and most recently at the Deutsche Übersetzerfonds. Juliane studied German Studies, English/American Studies and Education and received her doctorate in the Department of American Literature and Culture at the University of Potsdam.

As part of the communications team, Sibel makes the work of Publix visible across various channels and is responsible for editorial formats. She has an academic background in urban planning and societal transitions and spent several years working in this field at a university chair. In addition, she gained experience in placemaking and urban development projects as well as in the political work of a parliamentary office. Her particular interest lies in effectively communicating the organisation’s work and strengthening Publix’s public voice within the media policy discourse.

Daniela ensures that events at Publix run smoothly from both an organisational and production perspective. As a cultural and project manager, she brings cross-disciplinary experience in delivering both large-scale projects and initiatives with strong local impact. A particular focus of her work lies in connecting cultural institutions with their immediate urban context. She completed her Master’s degree in Marseille, with a focus on cultural policy and urban development. Her professional experience includes positions at the Maxim Gorki Theatre, the Berlin Biennale, and Ballhaus Naunynstraße. Most recently, she worked at the cultural office of the Centre Français de Berlin, where she developed cultural mediation projects connecting the independent arts scene, senior citizens, and the surrounding neighbourhood.

Jasper is the first point of contact for organisations and independent media professionals who work in the house or are interested in collaborating with Publix in the future. Within the house, he develops a continuously growing and relevant network in line with the Publix mission and actively fosters exchange among the actors on site. His professional background in international cooperation, combined with many years of experience in the hospitality sector in Germany and abroad, shapes his perspective on spaces for encounter and collaboration. A particular concern of his is to ensure that Publix’s mission and the house’s spirit of hospitality are tangible and accessible to everyone—within the Publix network as well as for visitors and neighbours.

Deniz is the first point of contact at Publix for all commercial matters, takes care of optimizing workflows, looks at budgets and creates forecasts. She has worked for the last five years in a digital marketing agency as an authorised representative and assistant to the management in the area of Finance & Legal. Now she brings her financial expertise to Publix.

Eva designs and coordinates the Technology Journalism Fellowship at Publix. She brings expertise from research in human-computer interaction, has carried out journalistic projects on artificial intelligence and sustainability, and worked as a communications strategist on solutions for digital consent. Previously, she studied philosophy and earned a PhD in the field. Her goal is to strengthen independent tech journalism and to create structures that enable journalists to develop new perspectives on technology.

As Studio Manager, Frank is jointly responsible for the management and further development of our studios. From concept development and planning to execution, he supports productions while contributing his many years of experience in post-production. In addition to his creative and organizational work, he serves as Digital Operations Manager and acts as an internal point of contact for all IT-related matters. He coordinates collaboration between our IT partners and Publix, manages the digital infrastructure, and oversees the administration of hardware and software to ensure that our team is always optimally equipped, both technically and creatively.