Team ›

Andreas Heinecke

Founder & CEO

Andreas Heinecke, founder and Chief Executive of Dialogue Social Enterprise, is a well-known social entrepreneur who started Dialogue in the Dark over 20 years ago. While working as a journalist and documentalist for a German broadcasting corporation, Andreas was charged with developing a rehabilitation programme for a colleague who had lost his eyesight in an automobile accident. That year, 1986, the foundation of Dialogue in the Dark was laid. In 1988, Andreas began working for the Foundation for the Blind (Stiftung Blindenanstalt) in Frankfurt am Main, determined to bring blind and sighted together. In 1996, Andreas started his own business. Together with his wife, Orna Cohen, Andreas also developed Dialogue in Silence. His many awards include being honoured as the first Ashoka Fellow in Western Europe and being named Outstanding Social Entrepreneur by the Schwab Foundation.

Orna Cohen

Partner and Director of Research & Development

Building upon her broad and varied education (Psychology, Educational Science, Dramatic Arts), Orna pursues her passion to develop interactive and immerse exhibitions that challenge visitors to reflect on themselves and the world around them. In 2004, Israeli-born Orna was named “Chevalier de l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres” in honour of her world-renowned exhibitions and educational programs. After co-founding Dialogue Social Enterprise,  her main activity is on research and development.

Klara Kletzka

Partner & Senior Consultant

Polish-born Klara studied Romance Studies and Pedagogy at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt. A founding member of the Mousonturm, an art house in Frankfurt Klara served as free cultural manager with a focus on socio-cultural events. Since 1990 she has been project manager and developer of Dialogue in the Dark and Dialogue in Silence exhibitions on a global basis. In 2005, she became the director of the DialogMuseum GmbH in Frankfurt, as well as a partner and senior consultant of Dialogue Social Enterprise.

Laura Gorni

Partner & COO

Born and raised in Italy, Laura studied Art History at Milano, Bologna and Firenze Universities. During her first years of experience in event management and PR, she visited Dialogue in the Dark in 1997 and was immediately fascinated. Laura began her work with the organization as Executive Director of the first Dialogue in the Dark exhibition in Milano. Since 2003, she worked as project manager and consultant for several Dialogue  in the Dark productions. In 2009 she became one of the partners of Dialogue Social Enterprise. Since January 2012, she holds the position of COO (Chief Operating Officer) of Dialogue Social Enterprise.

Meena Vaidyanathan

Meena Vaidyanathan

Marketing and Communication Consultant

Of Indian origin, Meena has over 16 years of experience in conceptualizing and executing innovating marketing and communication strategies across many geographies. She is a Biotechnologist by training and holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management with a specialization in Marketing. She participated in a Dialogue in the Dark business workshop in 2007 that created an impact so strong that she seriously started contemplating using her skills and experience with social businesses. She joined Dialogue Social Enterprise in early 2009  to lead strategic partnerships and business development.  In 2012, she decided to put  her energy to establish Dialogue Social Enterprise India but continues to advise and consult DSE global on marketing and communication.

Daniela_Dimitrova

Daniela Dimitrova

Master Trainer

Born in Bulgaria, Daniela lost her eyesight at the age of six. She holds two Master’s Degrees: Interpreting and Translation from the University of Sofia, and International Social Business from the University of National and World Economy in Bulgaria. Since 2001 she has worked for Dialogue in the Dark and Dialogue Social Enterpriseas an exhibition tour guide, a Master Guide, a Trainer and as a Master Trainer, while continuing to work as an international translator and interpreter. Daniela’s experience has given her the opportunities to practice what she has learned and to work for what she believes. Since 2009 in addition to acting as a project manager, she works full time as Dialogue Social Enterprise’s Master Trainer to select, train and consult Dialogue in the Dark guides and trainers worldwide, as well as to conduct Dialogue in the Dark Business Workshops for clients worldwide.

Gideon Kletzka

Project Manager

Gideon studied Political Science, Economics and Sociology at the Goethe University Frankfurt and the University of Southampton (UK). He gained broad knowledge of global political economy, development politics and international relations. Still in his studies he organized the annual International Dialogue in the Dark Meeting 2009 in Frankfurt. He was intrigued by the concept and has ever since been closely connected to Dialogue in the Dark. After gaining work experience in business and cultural management he joined Dialogue Social Enterprise as a Project Manager in January 2011.

Annkatrin Meyer

Project Manager

Annkatrin was born and raised in Germany with a German-Romanian family background. In the course of her studies in Political Science, Islamic Science and Cultural Anthropology in Münster and Hamburg she spent extensive time in Israel and Egypt gaining proficiency in both Hebrew and Arabic. After interning with DSE since May 2010 Annkatrin joined the team in September 2010 as a Project Manager with a focus on Marketing.

José Macias

Master Trainer

José, or “Pepe”, as he is known to his friends, was born and raised in Mexico. He lost his eyesight at the age of six. He holds a degree in translation and a Masters in organizational psychology. José previously worked for the government in Monterrey, Mexico, in the field of job integration for disabled and elderly people and was a freelance translator. José likes travelling, reading and cooking, and his most important values are freedom, peace and human success. He was involved in Dialogue in the Dark for several years as a freelancer before he took on a full time position in August 2010 as Dialogue Social Enterprise´s Master Trainer to select and train Dialogue in the Dark guides and trainers  worldwide.

Katrin Mütze

Backoffice & Teamassistant

Katrin, who was raised in Germany spent extensive time in Asia and Australia, collecting different cultural experiences from her early twenties on. She worked in public relations and as personal assistant in the media and corporate industry. Her move to Hamburg in 2011 changed all of her priorities. She decided to turn a lifelong wish into practise and to merge her interest in social matters with her professional background. Her search for the team with a vision brought her to Dialogue Social Enterprise where she is covering all back office matters, team assistance as well as personal assistance to the CEO and COO.