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.
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.
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.
Ex-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.
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 joins What about Dem after working between France and Canada, at the
crossroads of public institutions, citizen participation and public policy evaluation.
Trained in public policy at Sciences Po Paris, she is interested in the practical life of democratic
processes. Who is invited? Who understands the rules? Who feels entitled to speak? 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, at the Institut du Nouveau Monde, she contributed to public engagement projects and citizen participation processes.
These experiences shaped one central idea. A more participatory democracy is not built against institutions. It pushes them to listen more carefully, explain more clearly and respond more seriously.
Her work focuses on what allows democratic innovation to last. A clear mandate, a readable method, properly supported participants and political follow-up that does not 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.