Nela, as NIF’s fund-of-funds associate, focuses on strengthening regional defence capabilities, fostering European deep tech ecosystem growth, and enhancing global recognition in emerging areas. She connects with venture capital managers across the NATO region. A passionate supporter of impactful entrepreneurship, Nela graduated from UC Berkeley in just 3 years and served in the US Air Force ROTC military program as the only international student accepted. She also founded a nonprofit in Croatia supporting landmine victims that collaborated with the Ministry of Defence. Nela holds a master’s in business management from Imperial College and has venture capital experience from Europe and the United States.
