Hi, I’m Mika.

I’m curious about people, places, and what makes somewhere a good place to live. That curiosity runs through my research with G.O.A.L. and my ambition to build a career in urban development.

Here’s a little more about me, the work I enjoy, and what I hope to contribute.

I’m looking for a place to grow within urban development, working alongside people who help shape neighbourhoods, districts and cities.

I’m especially drawn to the early stages of a project: understanding a place, exploring what it could become, and turning ideas into a clear direction.

Work I’d enjoy
Research, developing concepts, exploring different possibilities, and helping connect ideas with practical project decisions. I’m also keen to learn the technical aspects of planning and masterplanning.

A team I can grow with
An (international) environment where I can contribute, learn from experienced colleagues, and gradually take on more responsibility. International projects and different perspectives are a strong draw.

Where I’m looking
The Netherlands, Brussels and western Germany.

I’m open to relocating for the right role.

My background brings together independent research, public-sector work and international experience. Here’s how I could contribute to a team.

Research that connects different perspectives
Through G.O.A.L., I explore how urban environments influence health, wellbeing and family life. This involves bringing together findings from different fields, identifying patterns and turning them into clear frameworks and proposals. I could bring that approach to background research, comparative studies and the exploration of development concepts.

Thinking about how a place works as a whole
I’m interested in the connections between housing, services, public space and everyday life. My research has taught me to look beyond individual issues and consider how decisions interact. I’d bring that perspective to discussions about what a neighbourhood or district could become and whom it should serve.

Experience with practical coordination
In municipal work, I helped coordinate services and administrative and financial processes involving different people, responsibilities and requirements. That experience taught me to organise information, keep track of commitments and help translate plans into practical next steps.

Initiative and an international outlook
Building G.O.A.L. has required me to develop ideas independently, structure research and follow projects through to publication. Studying in South Korea and working in Japan also gave me experience adapting to unfamiliar environments and collaborating across cultures. I’m comfortable taking initiative while remaining open to other people’s knowledge and perspectives.

My ultimate ambition is to help design and realise a city from scratch, with the ideas behind Urban OS at its heart. It’s a life mission I want to work towards: contributing directly to an urban development where health, wellbeing and the conditions for a fulfilling life inform its foundations.

What interests me most is how the choices made early in a development affect everyday life: whether people can build relationships, raise a family, stay healthy and feel at home. Through G.O.A.L. and Urban OS 2040, I’m exploring how these considerations could come together in the way we plan and develop places.

Getting there will take practical experience, collaboration and a great deal of learning. I want to understand how research, spatial design, financial realities and public priorities inform one another, and gradually take on greater responsibility in shaping development concepts.

My next step is to join a team where I can contribute to real projects and learn from experienced colleagues. Each project is an opportunity to build the skills and judgement needed to work towards that larger ambition.

My CV gives a concise overview of my experience and education. Below, you’ll find more about the work, experiences and interests behind it.

My CV

Independent research through G.O.A.L.

Through G.O.A.L., I explore how urban environments can better support health, wellbeing and family life via three focus areas: Human Flourishing, Family Formation, and Urban Artificial Intelligence. My work brings together research from different fields and develops ideas about what these findings could mean for the places we live.

My Whitepapers develop these ideas into frameworks and proposals relevant to urban development.

Urban OS 2040 brings these themes together in a conceptual programme exploring how the foundations of a neighbourhood, district or city could support a fulfilling everyday life. It provides a shared direction for my research and my ambition to contribute to real urban developments.

Education and continued learning

Alongside my bachelor’s degree in International Business, I have pursued additional learning in psychology, mathematics, business, negotiation and technology. My earlier education also includes one year of IT studies and three years of Management.

Languages

Native: Dutch

Fluent: English

Working knowledge: German

Basic: Japanese and Korean

Introductory familiarity: Spanish, French, Italian, and Chinese

Software

Highly proficient in Microsoft Office, including Excel, Word and Outlook.

Comfortable with a wide range of software and quick to learn new systems.

Additional learning

The following courses and programmes form part of my independent learning:

Mini-MBA Programme
International Business Institute Berlin
Consisting of:

Economics and International Business
Strategy and Operations
Human Resource Management
Marketing
Management
Finance and Accounting

Introduction to Psychology
Yale University

Successful Negotiation: Essential Strategies and Skills
University of Michigan

Negotiation, Mediation and Conflict Resolution Specialization

ESSEC Business School

International Business Specialization
University of Colorado Boulder

Innovation and Entrepreneurship Specialization
Tecnológico de Monterrey

Branding: The Creative Journey Specialization
IE Business School

International Law
International Business Institute Berlin