Board

Sopho is a management and development consultant with up to 20 years of experience collaborating with the private sector, international donor organizations, and state agencies. Sopho’s focus is expanding and internationalization services across the Caucasus, Eastern Partnership (EaP) region, the Balkans, Eastern Europe, and Asia.

Sopho’s extensive expertise lies in establishing strategic partnerships, facilitating donor initiatives, and managing multi-country teams to foster development processes in diverse and complex societies. She has a proven track record of aligning organizational capabilities with donor priorities, ensuring impactful project outcomes that address local and regional challenges.

Sopho is actively involved in civic sector development through education activities and supporting societal groups through capacity-building initiatives. Her contributions enhance the resilience and effectiveness of civil society organizations, enabling them to address pressing local needs and advocate for sustainable change. Sopho has been devoted to designing and implementing initiatives that promote sustainable development, good governance, and economic growth throughout her career.

Valeri Chekheria is a business leader, hospitality consultant, and dedicated philanthropist. He is a founder and CEO of the Hospitality Projects.

At various points in his career, he led Georgian Hospitality Holding – Adjara Group and Rooms Hotels, served as the Business Development Director for Slow Group, and gained professional experience in major global cities like Berlin and New York.

Prior to this, Valeri Chekheria served as the Chief of Staff to the Georgian Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia. In 2018, the World Economic Forum appointed him as the Young Global Leader.

Kakha Khazaradze has many years of experience in the business sector. In 1990, he was one of the founders of TBC Group, which has successfully implemented numerous projects over the past 30 years.

In 1993, Kakha Khazaradze founded the international corporation ICR Group and introduced the Italian brand “Bata” to the Georgian market for the first time in the post-Soviet space. This was followed by the introduction of other international brands, including the Italian “Geox,” Danish “Ecco,” multinational brand “Christian Dior,” French brands “Okaidi” and “Jacadi,” Portuguese “Parfois,” and many more.

With the involvement of Kakha Khazaradze and his Dutch business partners, the first shopping center, “Karvasla,” was built and opened in Kutaisi in 2005. In 2009, a second “Karvasla” shopping center was also opened in Tbilisi. Today, ICR is a holding company that owns 90 trade and service facilities and employs 900 staff members, 75% of whom are women.

Iza Gotsadze brings extensive experience in strategic communications and the renewable energy sector. As a management team member at Adjaristsqali Georgia LLC (AGL), she plays a key role in developing and implementing strategic initiatives aligned with sustainable development goals. She ensures effective communication within the company, engages with the media, and fosters collaboration with stakeholders and other key players in the energy sector. She also possesses extensive experience managing projects funded by international financial institutions.

With over 20 years of experience crafting impactful business strategies, Nana Berdzenishvili is a seasoned leader with expertise in managerial excellence, international roles, and cross-sector engagement. She specializes in integrating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles into corporate operations and aligning businesses with global standards.

Nana Berdzenishvili has operationalized International Financial Institution (IFI) and investor standards, enhancing compliance, performance, and impact across diverse sectors. Her contributions to the energy sector include leadership in transformative projects like the BP-managed South Caucasus Pipeline Expansion, WREP SRP, and hydropower initiatives with Caucasus Clean Energy Holding. She has also led programs for USAID, UNDP, CHF International, and World Vision International.

Recognized for driving sustainable growth, Ms. Berdzenishvili’s work aligns with core standards from institutions such as IFC, EBRD, ADB, and EIB. Her consultancy empowers businesses to improve ESG performance and foster long-term value creation. Passionate about sustainability, impact, and innovation, Nana Berdzenishvili leverages her extensive networks across industries to promote collaboration and global business development.

Larisa Pataraia is the managing partner of the research and consulting company Start – Business Solutions. She is a business consultant, SME specialist, angel investor, and co-founder of the Bitcoin Association.

With 20 years of management experience, Larisa has spent the past 11 years actively engaged in business consulting, helping entrepreneurs navigate growth and transformation processes.

Larisa Pataraia is also an educator and a member of the Independent Experts’ Corps in Education with 15 years of academic experience.

As a member of the women’s movement and a committed feminist, Larisa actively works on women’s economic empowerment and contributes to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals within the scope of her mandate.

Natia has multiple years of experience in the American financial sector, working for leading companies such as Capital One Bank, Citibank, and Wells Fargo.

After returning to Georgia in 2018, Natia Joined the C-team Management Consulting team. As a project director, Natia led ongoing projects in medium—and large-sized companies in the direction of strategic development, process management, implementation of motivational systems, and organizational development. Currently, she is the executive director of Ecobrands Georgia LLC, Weleda’s exclusive partner in Georgia and Armenia. During Natia’s tenure, the company imported several new bio- and natural brands to the Georgian and Armenian markets (Cytoplan, Sonett, Bamboovement).

Nino Enukidze is a Doctor of Business Administration, Professor, and Rector of Business and Technology University (BTU).

She is a member of UNICEF’s advisory business council, President of the Academic Consortium of the Marketing and Management Association, and Vice President of the Honorary Council of the Association. Nino Enukidze is also the founder of the Coding School for Women, a founding member of the Artificial Intelligence Business Association, and the initiator of the AI4Globe project, which promotes global AI literacy. Dr. Enukidze was recognized by Emerging Europe with the Architect of Tomorrow Award, named among the 200 women leaders in the Strong Women in IT Global Edition, and selected as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2024.

Nino Lipartia is a Doctor of Law, a lawyer, and a professor.

She has been practicing law since 2010. Between 2010 and 2012, she served as a lawyer for Davit Eristavi’s legal group, and from 2011 to 2024, she was the head of the legal department at “Ardi Insurance” JSC.

Since 2018, Nino has held the position of Chairperson of the Board of “For the Independent Profession of Lawyers of Georgia” and has been the Director of the Legal Profession Development Center. Under her leadership, numerous local and international projects have been implemented, focusing on the professional development and empowerment of lawyers and legal practitioners.

In 2019, she was nominated as the “Most Successful Woman of the Year” from the non-governmental sector.

Since 2022, she has been leading the legal office of Nino Lipartia, and as of 2024, she is the head of the Medical Disputes Center.

Nino has also been a professor at the Law School of Grigol Robakidze University since 2020 and has served as a visiting professor at the Law School of Ilia State University since 2013.

Throughout her career, she has received scholarships from prestigious institutions such as the Paris International Academy, the Central European University, the Prague Mediation Academy, the Xiamen Academy of International Law, and the Singapore International Arbitration Academy.

She is the author or co-author of several scientific papers.

Salome Zurabishvili founded and has been heading the Local Network of the UN Global Compact initiative in Georgia since February 2016. She also serves as the Chair for the Regional Network Council for Eastern Europe and as a Member of the Global Network Council at the United Nations Global Compact.