Before MIR Akademien came into being, I would be all over the place with social innovation, leading life-long learning projects such as Erasmus+, Horizon, Just and ESF.

Hi, I'm Yevgeniya!

Before MIR Akademien came into being, I would be all over the place with social innovation projects.

I never actually planned to start my own company. But, funny enough, it just happened overnight.

Back in 2018 I was running the study circle “Human Rights for newly arrived migrants” for a group of women. I always thought of myself as a human rights advocate, totally open-minded. I've been working with social initiatives for years.

Together with participants we were talking about rights in Sweden and I was pouring my heart out, trying to “share my wisdom.” However, the connection between them and me never happened.

During the break, my friend, who was running that NGO and invited me to host a circle, took me aside and gave me a reality check. She was super diplomatic about it but basically said, “Jenny, get off your high horse and start talking to them, not at them. They’ve got plenty to share too.”

We rearranged the chairs into a circle, and I started asking questions instead of lecturing. It turned into the best discussion we would ever have. They had so much to say, and I learned tons. We ended up staying a couple of extra hours, but I went home feeling pumped instead of drained.

The same evening I got home, I registered my company, MIR Akademien. I just knew I had to create a space like that circle—where learning is a two-way street, and people listen to understand.

I have a personal interest in African philosophy, yoga, and Buddhism, and that’s how I once learned about the Ubuntu circle. I was instantly hooked.

I didn't start with a business plan, but with a passion to create a space where we could all learn, grow, and make a real difference together. In my previous work with various organizations, I had to adapt my leadership style to fit in. But here, I decided to be fully authentic and see where it takes me. If someone doesn’t align with this approach, they simply don’t stay in our community—and that's perfectly okay. Making a meaningful social impact is a choice, and we choose to make it a priority.