Our Team
A team with diverse backgrounds, united by a shared desire to make democracy evolve in concrete ways.
We are a small team convinced that democracy is not fixed.
It is constantly re-invented, discussed, and shaped collectively.
Each of us brings our perspective, tools, and ideas to imagine fairer, more inclusive, and more vibrant ways of shaping society.
Founder
Jonathan Moskovic
French - English - Dutch
Jonathan Moskovic founded What about Dem out of a simple ambition: too many decisions about people are made without them. Through citizens’ assemblies and participatory processes, What about Dem works to turn democracy from something people watch into something they actually take part in.
Jonathan’s work connects research and action, with one constant goal: making citizen engagement meaningful and politically relevant.
If I had a magic wand to change one democratic element… I’d make participation unavoidable, especially for those usually left out.
What drives me
Fixing democracy by doing it, not just talking about it.
Project Manager
Hannah Vanbelle
Dutch - English - French - German
Hannah Vanbelle is a project manager and consultant working at the crossroads of democratic innovation, collective intelligence, politics, and facilitation, with a special passion for applied improvisation and design thinking.
During her four years at Agora.brussels, a trailblazing citizens’ movement elected in the Brussels Parliament from 2019 to 2024, she coordinated four Citizens’ Assemblies, especially focused on inclusion, sortition, logistics, facilitation and participant communication. She also has experience in language development, teaching and business development.
And she loves using her imagination and humour, because life is already so serious!
If I had a magic wand to change one democratic element… I’d put policy makers in a citizens’ assembly and citizens in the policy chair and see what happens.
What drives me
“I didn’t know anyone was interested in my opinion or that I even had one.” Citizens reacting like this. Bringing people together, of such diversity, is the best antidote to polarization.
Communication officer
Maéva
Lafleur
French - English
Maéva Lafleur joined What about Dem motivated by a simple but persistent question: why do political systems drift away from the very people they are meant to serve?
With a background spanning communication and political science, she works at the intersection of message and meaning. Her academic work explored power, democratic backsliding, and the dynamics of political systems; today, she focuses on how communication can strengthen legitimacy, trust, and citizen engagement, with one eye on the message and the other on the mechanics.
If I had a magic wand to change one democratic element… I’d close the gap between political decision-makers and citizens so that participation becomes integral to how power operates, rather than an afterthought.
What drives me
Understanding why systems fail, and quietly yet persistently working to make them stronger.
Communication Popularizer
Joseph
Zaarour
French - Dutch - English - Greek - Arabic
Joseph Zaarour joined What about Dem with a simple conviction: theorizing participatory democracy is not enough, it must be cultivated.
A second-year law student, he is particularly active on issues of asylum, anti-racism, and democracy. Convinced that "nothing about us without us," he works to build a genuine culture of democracy by making it understandable and accessible to everyone.
If I had a magic wand to change one democratic element… I'd improve access to democracy in education and work to establish democratic projects in every neighborhood.
What drives me
The conviction that young people want more democracy, and deserve the tools to practice it.
Event Organizer
Charlotte
Torchet
French - English
Charlotte Torchet joined What about Dem after working between France and Canada, at the crossroads of public institutions, citizen participation and public policy evaluation.
With a background in public policy from Sciences Po Paris, she cares about the practical life of democratic processes: who is invited, who understands the rules, and what happens to people's contributions once the meeting is over. In France, she worked close to public institutions, including the National Assembly, the Senate and the Presidency of the Republic; in Canada, she contributed to citizen participation projects at the Institut du Nouveau Monde. These experiences shaped one conviction: a more participatory democracy doesn't work against institutions, it pushes them to listen more carefully, explain more clearly and respond more seriously.
Her work now focuses on what makes democratic innovation last: a clear mandate, a readable method, and follow-up that doesn't end with the final group photo.
If I had a magic wand to change one democratic element… I'd bring citizens’ voices into public decisions earlier, more often and with more consequences. Not to replace institutions, but to make them more attentive to what people live, understand and
expect.
What drives me
Connecting democratic ideas to their real-life implementation. The people, the meetings, the
documents, the constraints, the details. Everything that makes a participatory process actually exist beyond its principles.
Intern
Lucie
François
French - English - Dutch
Lucie François joined What about Dem after helping design a citizens' assembly from the inside, an experience that convinced her to fully commit to an organization built around deliberative processes.
She holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, with a minor in Sustainable Development, and a master's degree in Governance for Sustainability. She is also a member of the Youth Forum of Belgium, where she helped organise the first citizens' assembly for people aged 16 to 30, a project that shaped her commitment to rethinking democracy beyond its traditional forms.
At What about Dem, Lucie helps design Notre Altitude 100, a citizens' assembly in Forest/Vorst (Brussels) reflecting on the redevelopment of the Altitude 100 square, and is also involved, at various scales, in youth participation projects.
If I had a magic wand to change one democratic element… I'd create a society in which citizens, from the youngest to the eldest, could easily take part in decision-making on the issues that directly affect them. In my democratic utopia, those who decide are those who are directly affected by the consequences of those decisions.
What drives me
People. It might sound a bit utopian, but simply bringing together people who wouldn't otherwise be connected, around a table, to think, talk and listen to one another on a society-related topic, is already a step toward a more open society, more conscious of everyone's perspective and a new way of shaping democracy!
Intern
Juli
Reithinger
German - English - French - (Dutch)
Juli Reithinger joined What about Dem wanting to use her energy and privilege to preserve and improve the political system that brought her to where she is today.
Her core interest lies in bridging the elegance of political theory with its lived, tangible dimensions, an interest that ran through her studies in Social Sciences and Political Theory in Brussels and Paris, as well as internships in Berlin and Marseille. It has also led her to approach abstract concepts through ethnographic research, for instance examining how a boat can function as a laboratory for aspired political change and solidarity. That same interest draws her to What about Dem, where she hopes to help translate abstract ideas of participation, democracy and citizenship into practice.
At What about Dem, Juli is working on a project exploring inheritance tax as a lever for redistribution and for rectifying inter-generational injustice.
If I had a magic wand to change one democratic element… I'd make referendums more prominent for local decision-making processes.
What drives me
The moments in which I take part in the very democracy we live in: through protests, critical mass, discussions and elections.
Intern
Tobie
De Tollenaere
English - French - Dutch - Portuguese - (Spanish)
Tobie De Tollenaere joined What about Dem out of a long-standing interest in how people experience politics differently, and a wish to see participation go beyond being asked for one's views, toward citizens playing a more meaningful role in decision-making.
With a background in Liberal Arts and Sciences from University College Utrecht and a master's in Political Science from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, his work has focused on governance and international cooperation in conflict-affected settings, from Mali to northern Mozambique. Before joining What about Dem, he worked in policy research in Maputo and supported international civil society programmes at Mensen met een Missie, which drew him toward questions of dialogue, civic space and the relationship between local and international actors.
At What about Dem, Tobie is developing the Global Academy on Deliberative Democracy and helping prepare From Brussels to the World, an event launching it on the International Day of Democracy.
If I had a magic wand to change one democratic element… I'd make political leaders more curious and less afraid to change their minds. Democracy should reward people for responding to evidence and different perspectives, rather than punishing them for not pretending to have every answer.
What drives me
Having lived in different countries, I'm fascinated by why the same political idea can work so differently from one place to another. I want to get past easy answers and understand what makes meaningful change possible in practice.
Former team members
What About Dem is a collective journey that evolves over time. Meet those who have contributed to our projects and helped shape our work.
Consultant
Hélène Ramaroson
French - English - German - (Dutch)
Hélène Ramaroson joined What about Dem in August 2025 out of a simple conviction: democracy works best when people are meaningfully involved in the decisions that affect them. With a background in European studies and EU international relations, she supports citizens’ assemblies and participatory processes that place inclusion and collective intelligence at their core.
She joined Jonathan Moskovic after discovering his launch post on LinkedIn—drawn to the vision, mission, and values, which resonated strongly with her own experience. Alongside this work, she serves as Associate Director at méristHemE, linking democratic innovation with sustainability and inner development perspectives.
If I had a magic wand to change one democratic element… I'd amplify youth voices and perspectives from emerging countries in democratic processes.
What drives me
Designing inclusive forms of participation that people genuinely want to engage in.
Intern
Imane
El Ayoubi El Idrissi
Italian - Arabic - English - French - Spanish
Imane El Ayoubi El Idrissi joined What about Dem out of a simple conviction: democracy is not automatic—it must be actively made accessible and inclusive.
With a background in Political Science and International Relations, and currently completing a Master’s in European Studies, her academic interests focus on migration, human rights, and democratic participation. She is particularly drawn to the gap between immigrant communities and the institutions that shape their lives—and what it would take to genuinely close it.
If I had a magic wand to change one democratic element… I’d make democratic participation more accessible and meaningful for everyone, ensuring that institutions actively engage communities rather than waiting for them to step forward.
What drives me
The belief that democracy works best when it is inclusive and grounded in social realities.