Raffaella Mulas (also known as Graphaella in the mathematical world) is an assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics at VU Amsterdam, with a research focus on graphs and hypergraphs. Her work is supported by an NWO VENI grant and by a VU Startpremie, which also funds this course.

She is an active science communicator, passionate about making mathematics accessible beyond academia.  Her outreach includes videos for the Italian Mathematical Union, popular science articles—such as an exploration of Jorge Luis Borges' use of mathematics in his literary works, the organization of large-scale events like a Science Slam in Berlin, and interviews that highlight the human side of mathematics. She is the author of the book Stories Behind Theorems (Springer), and co-author of Bear Networks, a children's book on graph theory.

Raffaella is also passionate about storytelling. She has performed at storytelling events across Europe, and gave a TEDx talk titled Dancing out of the Box, on stereotypes affecting the mathematics community and women in STEM.

Combining her mathematical background with her experience in science communication and her love for storytelling, she created this course in the hope of helping students connect with their audiences through both clarity and emotional resonance.

When this course started to take shape, the most common question that people asked was: "Did you think about involving Nicos Starreveld?" — so, we are very lucky to have him on board!

Nicos Starreveld is a mathematician with a deep commitment to science communication and mathematics outreach. He works at Platform Wiskunde Nederland (the Dutch platform for coordination and promotion of mathematics), where he is responsible for the organization's communication and outreach policy. In this role, he helps shape national initiatives, fosters collaborations across the Dutch mathematical community, and communicates mathematics to both the press and the general public.

Nicos also teaches at the University of Amsterdam, where he coordinates all teaching activities of the Bachelor in Mathematics related to academic writing, communication, presentation and professional skills, connections with industry, and programming.

Beyond his institutional roles, Nicos is an editor of the Network Pages, and a member of the editorial board of Nieuw Archief voor Wiskunde, the magazine of the Dutch Association of Mathematics, where he writes a regular column aimed at communicating some modern research in mathematics to the general mathematical community.

During this course, Nicos will offer an overview of the wide range of mathematics outreach initiatives in the Netherlands, and afterwards he will help students bring their presentations—developed in the course—to outreach events across the country.

Katie Steckles is a mathematician and prolific science communicator based in Manchester, with a global presence across media and outreach platforms. Since completing her PhD in 2011, she has brought mathematics to diverse audiences through talks, workshops, and appearances on BBC radio and TV, Channel 4 in the UK, the Discovery Science Channel in the US, and popular YouTube channels such as Numberphile.

She regularly writes for The Aperiodical, New Scientist, and Spektrum.de, and co-hosts the podcast Mathematical Objects. Katie is also the organizer of MathsJam, a monthly pub night for people who want to share maths toys and games, puzzles and other interesting mathsy things, which takes place in over 60 cities worldwide. She is the author of several outreach books, and she gave a TEDx talk titled Stories of Mathematics.

But we are surely forgetting to mention half of the things she does! In fact, Katie defines herself as an “unstoppable thingdoer”.

In this course, Katie will draw from her extensive experience to help students explore creative and engaging ways to communicate mathematics—on stage and beyond.

Ekaterina Eremenko is a film director, writer, and producer with a unique background that bridges mathematics and cinema. With a master's degree in mathematics from Moscow State University and a master's degree in film directing from the Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography (VGIK), her work focuses on finding new formats to communicate mathematics and portray the people behind it.

Ekaterina has directed a wide range of acclaimed documentaries, including Colors of Math and The Discrete Charm of Geometry, and films about renowned figures such as John Nash, Karen Uhlenbeck, and Andrew Wiles. Her work has been screened at universities, research institutes, and major film festivals around the world, earning numerous awards—including the Medienpreis of the German Mathematical Society, the Audience Award at the CineGlobe International Film Festival at CERN, and the Grand Prix  from the science film festival Academia Film Olomouc.

She also has extensive experience leading workshops and masterclasses on both filmmaking and science communication.

In this course, Ekaterina will lead a workshop on science communication, focusing on how to conduct interviews with scientists, and how to answer them. Drawing from her rich and uniquely dual perspective as a mathematician behind the camera, she will help students develop thoughtful, authentic, and compelling ways to share scientific stories.

Joseph Kearney is a passionate storyteller, actor and writer, as well as an engaging presenter and award-winning content creator. After studying drama, performance arts, journalism, and dramatherapy in Ireland, Joseph discovered the storytelling world at Mezrab, the home of storytelling in Amsterdam and now works there as a host and storyteller himself. He has since led storytelling and public speaking workshops in a wide range of settings, including AKV St. Joost, Leqture, and Informa Markets, where he currently works as Creative Content Manager. He is also deeply involved in the queer community and has lectured on queer culture in Amsterdam, London, and Berlin. 

Joseph has co-founded a theatre and film company with his best friend and business partner, the company is called Backlash Media and they host a storytelling evening in Theater Bellevue called Brave Space while also producing and staging theatre pieces around The Netherlands. Their newest production, Requeering History, is a theatre tour coming to Amsterdam Fringe this September.

Joseph brings warmth, humour, and depth to everything he does. In this course, he will guide students through the art of storytelling, helping them bring clarity, vulnerability, and emotional impact to their scientific narratives. He will also host the final student performance.

Michela Quilici  is an award-winning speaker, coach, and trainer specializing in communication, business growth, and leadership. With over 20 years of experience, she helps individuals and teams gain clarity and confidence to unlock their potential—both on stage and in their professional lives.

Michela is the official speaker coach for TEDxVU Amsterdam, a former global leader with the Women Speakers Association, a mentor and facilitator for the Taking the Stage® program—designed to help people become more comfortable in the spotlight and develop a dynamic leadership presence—and a member of the esteemed Forbes Coaches Council. She is also a five-time international bestselling author and has been featured in numerous media outlets, earning widespread recognition for her contributions to leadership and communication.

Her work is characterized by empathetic guidance, strategic insight, and the ability to lead people through meaningful transformation with both precision and care.

In this course, Michela will lead a public speaking workshop and support students during the final performance session, offering preparation techniques to help them connect with themselves and their audience for maximum impact.

Heidi Klumpe is an incoming postdoc in the Biophysics group at AMOLF. Starting from dual undergraduate degrees in chemical engineering and world literature, Heidi is passionate about effective science communication in both research and outreach. She worked as an article editor and podcast producer for Caltech Letters, a former website communicating research of Caltech graduate students, and as an instructor for Caltech's own "Storytelling for Scientists" course. She has also led workshop sessions on using improv to improve scientific writing, including at ComSciCon. Though she spends most of her time thinking and writing about bioengineering and synthetic biology, she is excited to hear and hone many mathematical stories!

Alessandro Zocca is an assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics at VU Amsterdam, with a research focus on probability and optimization. Outside academia, he is passionate about improvisational theater (also known as "improv") — a form of live performance where actors create scenes, characters, and dialogue on the spot without a script. He discovered improv many years ago and has since been teaching it and performing regularly on stage. In this course, he is involved as a mentor, supporting students in different ways thanks to his expertise in mathematics, outreach, writing, and performance.