Hello and Welcome

Hi, I’m Laura M. Pana. I’m an experienced PR and Marketing professional who has been working within the communication industry for over 10 years. I am the founder of the Migrationlab Foundation, the co-founder of Opus Novo, a researcher, and a podcaster based in Vienna, Austria.

I thrive in diversity. My professional background is rooted in a wide range of opportunities in industries across different cultural and political contexts in Europe and Africa.

Passionate about understanding and exploring people’s behaviour and motivation, research and co-design processes have been a common thread throughout my career: from customer research, customer journey mapping, social media audits, research for social inclusion, UX research, website audits and redesign all the way to media monitoring and analysis, and designing online news rooms. 

I developed my knowledge and skills in sectors such as, private (SMB), public (international organisations, EU funded intergovernmental projects, embassies), advertising (Heineken, Telekom, UNICEF, Nokia), social innovation (Migrationlab Foundation, Opus-Novo health tech startup), media (TV5 Europe).

In 2018, I was named one of the most exciting innovators in social design that responded to the refugee crisis following my work with the Migrationlab Foundation (developed out of a blog that featured my journey as a Romanian migrant in Western Europe). I have been a challenger of narratives on migration and have worked with communities across Europe and Northern Africa to improve how to acknowledge, communicate with, and relate to each other in public space and at work.

I work across Europe and internationally in English, German, French, and Romanian.

Memberships

GOOD IS THE NEW COOL - Co-founded by renowned purpose-driven marketers Afdhel Aziz and Bobby Jones. Good Is The New Cool connects and serves a global community of world-changing entrepreneurs, creators, and innovators using business and culture as forces for good.

SCHLOSS HOLLENEGG FOR DESIGN - Created by international curator, lecturer, and speaker Alice Story Liechtenstein. Schloss Hollenegg for Design is an international programme based in Austria that supports design culture by offering an exhibition platform and a residency program to young emerging designers.

KOLLEKTIV SPRACHWECHSEL - I’m a member of and writer with the Vienna-based literary group that practices literature in second language.