Meet our team Get to know the interdisciplinary Migration Matters team

The interdisciplinary Migration Matters team brings together a diverse group of individuals, including employees, freelance collaborators, Board members, and student assistants, interns, and volunteers. With backgrounds spanning filmmaking, international education, migration research, video production, facilitation, and more, our team's expertise is as varied as it is deep. At the heart of our organization, the core team is predominantly composed of migrants and women, reflecting the diversity we advocate for. Our team is united by a shared commitment to fostering nuanced, evidence-based discourse on migration, with the aim of building more inclusive societies.

Core Team

Bernadette Klausberger

Creative Director & Producer

Bernadette is a film and media producer who develops innovative projects at the intersection of art and education. Originally from Austria, she studied film production at the dffb in Berlin, as well as media studies and cultural management. In collaboration with artists and scholars, she works on new ways to tell stories and effectively engage audiences. She served as executive board member from 2017-2019 and now works as a freelance producer and creative director for Migration Matters.

Karoline Popp

Executive Board Member (Volunteer)

Karoline joined our Executive Board in August 2019 and has more than 12 years of experience in the field of migration. She currently researches German and European migration policy questions at the Expert Council on Integration and Migration in Berlin, having previously worked with the IOM in Geneva and Cairo. Karoline holds degrees from Oxford University and the School of Oriental and African Studies.

Rebecca Ferreboeuf

Executive Board Member (Volunteer)

Rebecca joined our Executive Board in February 2024, bringing a strong background in research and seven years experience in the fields of migration, access to education and work for refugees, as well as capacity-building of migrant organisations in Germany and the MENA region. Rebecca has worked for British Universities and non-profit organizations in Berlin, most recently at the Association of German-Syrian Aid Organizations (VDSH). She holds a PhD in French and Francophone studies from the University of Leeds.

Sophia Burton

Co-Founder & Managing Director

Sophia is a co-founder and the managing director of Migration Matters. Her work focuses on the intersection of migration, narrative change, and learning, where she designs projects that translate research and lived experiences into accessible media, storytelling, and dialogue formats. She has over 15 years of experience in project management and network development and has previously worked at Mediendienst Integration, Kiron Open Higher Education, and the Migration Policy Institute. Sophia holds a Master’s degree in International Education Policy from Harvard University.

Freelancers & Associates

Anna van Odijk

Graphic Designer

Anna is a communications designer who prefers to develop empathetic designs for projects that are in the artistic and socio-political realm. She studied communication design at the Merz Akademie Stuttgart and graduated in 2005 with a Master of Arts in European Media. Since then she has been working as a designer in agencies and as an independent designer in Berlin and Lake Constance. You can learn more about her work at www.annavanodijk.com.

Artem Havryliuk

Intern

Artem joined Migration Matters as an intern in January 2026. He is currently studying Economics, Politics, and Social Thought at Bard College Berlin. Artem brings previous experience in media consulting and will be supporting Migration Matters with communications, organizing events, and fundraising work. Migration is a personal topic for him: originally from Ukraine, he has experienced migration-related challenges firsthand and has closely observed similar experiences within his community.

Julia Reindl

Futures Researcher

Julia is a futures researcher and strategist specializing in foresight, participatory design, and public engagement. Her work focuses on how societies navigate long-term transformations, including climate change, emerging technologies, and demographic change. She holds a Master’s degree in Futures Studies from Freie Universität Berlin and brings a background in anthropology and collaborative design. Within the Future Imaginaries of Migration project, she contributes expertise in futures methodologies and public engagement, supporting the exploration of new visions for how migration can shape societies.

Karoline Schulz

Film Editor

Karoline is a film editor in Berlin who has worked on numerous Migration Matters productions. She edits documentary, informational, and campaign films for various organizations and museums, as well as long documentaries that run successfully at international festivals. She studied history at the Humboldt University in Berlin and editing at the HFF “Konrad Wolf” in Potsdam-Babelsberg. She has been a freelance editor since 2008. Learn more about her work at karolineschulz.com.

Liv Bustorff

Communications and visual media designer

Liv is a communications and visual media designer. She sees design as a powerful tool to make complex information accessible. Her ambition is to create scalable change and use design to inspire a better tomorrow. She completed her Bachelor’s degree at the Münster School of Design and her Master’s in Information Design at the University of the Arts Berlin. Since 2024, she supporting Migration Matters in the development of the visual identity, infographics, and animations for the “GAPs Return Migration” series.

Paula Bambach

Communication Designer

Paula is a communications designer with a focus on information and media design. Her work explores how content can be communicated in a clear, accessible, and responsible way, particularly at the intersection of design, research, and society. She studied at the Münster School of Design and completed her Master of Arts in Information Design at the Berlin University of the Arts in 2026. Since 2024, she has been co-developing the visual identity and infographics for the “GAPs Return Migration” series. Learn more about her work at paulabambach.com.

Our Founding Team

What began as a passion project became Migration Matters through the commitment, persistence, and care of its founding team.

Julia Karmo (Founding Editor)
Sophia Burton (Co-Founder)
Kelly Miller (Co-Founder)
Elina Ribakova (Co-Founder)
Bernadette Klausberger (Founding Team)
Julian Van Dieken (Founding Team)

Thank you!

Our work would not be possible without the support of many willing and gracious hands:

Miriam Aced
Claire August
Jessica Baker
Daniel Bangura
Sarah Brandmeyer
Valentina De Luca
Frédéric Dubois
Pamela Fernandez
Friederike Fest
Judith Garcia
Issa Gueye
Laura Hallensleben
Marielle Hand
Marike Hechter
Kasper Helml
Eduard Hutuleac
Gemma Hennesey
Dagmar Jacobsen
Lilith Jogwer
Anna Kleibl
Laura Krause
Sang Eui Lee
Ellen Mainert
Gabriella Mikiewicz
Nikola Mirza
Stefan Nielsen
Gijsbert Oonk
Saniya Patel
Frankie Reid
Maja Richtermooc
Lauren Roop
Elisabeth Roura
David San Milian
Wendy Sexton
Livia Shallon
Jasmin Stark
Julia Stier
Tim Strasburger-Schmidt
Romy St. John
Matthieu Tanguay-Carel
Janine Wallrabe
Björn Wengenmeier
Christian Wilmes
Justin Wright
Laura Yeffeth