We’re a global community of changemakers working toward a world where university access is fair. Built by those who’ve done it, for those doing it now.
WHAT WE STAND FOR
Project Access started with a simple idea: getting into top universities shouldn’t depend on who you know or where you come from. Since then, we’ve grown into a global, student-powered non-profit supporting thousands of applicants around the world.
Whether it’s your first draft or final deadline, someone will be in your corner. Someone who’s been through it and wants to help you get there too.
For Free. Always.
Project Access is run by a global network of students, graduates, and volunteers: people who’ve been through the application process and now want to make it fairer for others.
Lukas Popp
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Bethany Mitchell
Global Director of
Mentor Outreach
Zak Adams
Global Director of Fundraising & Partnerships
Linh Nguyen
Global Director of Marketing & Public Relations
Iris Heikkinen
Global Director of Mentorship Programs
Simon Schünemann
Chief Operating Officer
(COO)
Melika Tahvili
Global Director of Legal Operations
Tiara Wijanarko
Global Director of
Finance
Nilay Ersoy
Global Director of Country Operations
Benedikt Mautner
Global Director of Engineering
We have dedicated teams across the world providing on-the-ground support to applicants, mentors, and partners. From running outreach and building community to hosting our in-person bootcamps, they bring local knowledge to everything we do.
Team Austria
Founded 2016
Team Singapore
Founded 2019
Team Germany
Founded 2016
Team Finland
Founded 2017
Team Poland
Founded 2016
Team Denmark
Founded 2016
Our Board of Trustees guides the long-term vision and governance of Project Access. They bring experience from education, policy, social impact, and the private sector and share a deep belief in fair access to opportunity. Together, they help keep us ambitious, accountable, and focused on what matters most: the students we serve.
Emil Bender Lassen
Co-founder & Chair
Emil co-founded Project Access and served as CEO from 2017 to 2020 before becoming Chair of the Board.
He later co-founded Home.Earth to drive affordable, sustainable urban development in Denmark. In 2023, he began an MPP at Harvard Kennedy School as the Crown Prince Frederik Fellow.
Dr. Emily Tomlinson
Trustee
Emily is the Director of Admissions at Christ’s College, University of Cambridge.
Prior to that, she worked full-time in the charity sector, serving as Head of Programme Strategy for Teach First, and worked at the University of London. Emily has been involved with Project Access in various capacities since 2016 and has, in her words, “loved every minute of it!”
Jesper With-Fogstrup
Trustee
Jesper is Group CEO of Moneypenny and a champion of impact-driven leadership.
He advises initiatives like Circl, connecting underrepresented youth with top employers, and invests in early-stage ventures tackling issues like diversity and homelessness. His career spans travel, finance, and tech, with leadership roles at Smoove, HSBC, CompareTheMarket, and more.
Jennifer Lee
Trustee
Jennifer is the founder of AADI, amplifying the voices of disabled Asian Americans.
She’s worked at the White House, ACLU, CAP, and NWLC, and focuses on intersectionality and inclusion in disability justice. A Princeton graduate now pursuing her J.D. at Harvard Law, she’s an Equity Advisor at the National Disability Institute and has been recognized by NationSwell, We Are Family Foundation, and AAPD.
Wil Del Pilar
Trustee
Wil is Senior VP at The Education Trust, where he advances national policy to improve affordability, accountability, and student success for low-income students and students of color.
He’s held leadership roles at the federal, state, and university levels, including as Pennsylvania’s Deputy Secretary of Higher Ed and at institutions like UF, Penn State, and UC Santa Cruz in admissions, financial aid, and development.
Erona Tasholli
Trustee
Erona is Project Access’ living proof of concept, a former mentee and team member of five years.
The first in her family to attend university, she earned a BSc from KCL and a Master’s in Public Policy from UCL with distinction. With a decade of experience across 10+ NGOs, she brings deep expertise in comms, outreach, and nonprofit ops. Today, she manages a global client portfolio at Gartner, specialising in security.
Richard Probst
Trustee
Richard is a VP at Climeworks, helping scale carbon removal through direct air capture.
Previously a Project Leader at BCG in the Social Impact practice, he supported NGOs and nonprofits on strategy and impact. He holds an MSc from the Stockholm School of Economics and has been a longtime supporter and donor to Project Access.
Lauri Löyttyniemi
Trustee
Lauri scaled Project Access as Head of Team Finland and now supports its growth as a Trustee.
With experience in HR consulting at KPMG and headhunting, he’s driven by a deep curiosity about people. He holds a BA from Sciences Po Paris and is pursuing a master’s in social psychology and an ICF ACC coaching certification. Outside of work, he’s a passionate road cyclist.
Our Advisory Board brings together experts from education, tech, and the social sector who offer insight, strategy, and support as we grow. From university access to equity and innovation, they help us stay focused on impact, informed, and future-focused, all while keeping students at the heart of what we do.
Oliver Irrek
Advisor
Oliver is a Senior Manager at Marsh McLennan, leading global Social Impact programs across 69 countries and 50,000 employees.
With 20+ years of experience, he advises C-suite leaders, manages a global network of champions, and drives large-scale social change. He holds degrees in Business Economics and Insurance Law, is a certified yoga teacher, and completed the Marsh McLennan Leadership Mindset Program in 2024.
Kam Stylianou
Advisor
Kam has guided 2,000+ students as Head of Higher Ed Advising at The Grammar School in Nicosia, where she’s worked since graduating from UEA.
A former English teacher turned university counsellor, she’s built a global network through fly-ins, tours, and conferences, with deep expertise in UK and growing focus on EU, US, and Canada. Kam is CAP-certified, writes for The Counsellor, and serves on the BMI Global Ed | THE Europe Advisory Board.
Ágnes Horvath
Advisor
Ágnes is the Founder of Altiora Learning and has 20+ years of experience in international education, with a focus on curriculum design, admissions, and mentorship.
She’s supported over 1,200 successful applications to QS Top 100 universities, developed leadership trainings, and trained mentors in innovative methods. Ágnes is passionate about widening access through a student-centered, holistic approach.
Greg Dubrow
Advisor
Gregers spent over a decade at UC Berkeley Admissions, leading data analysis, reading thousands of applications, advising families, and shaping equity-focused policy.
He’s also taught college access courses and worked as an ESL teacher in France. Gregers holds a Ph.D. from UPenn and a BA from Temple. Born in Denmark and raised in the US, he now lives in Copenhagen with his wife and their cats, Potato and Nugget.
Dr Aakeen Parik
Advisor
Dr Aakeen Parikh is a mechanical engineer with a Master’s and PhD from Imperial College London.
She’s taught at all levels, delivered lectures in sustainable design, and held roles as a tutor, mentor, and warden. Aakeen founded The Minazi Impact, a social enterprise advancing female health, and was named a 2024 WISE100 Champion. She now manages the Vehicle Future Hub at Imperial and is a Fellow of the RSA and a QEPrize ambassador.
We’re proud to be backed by organizations that believe in fair access to top universities. Their support helps us grow, reach more students, and keep our programs completely free.
Want to help break down barriers in education? Let’s build something together.
We’ve helped thousands of students take their first step toward top universities, and we’re just getting started.
Check out our latest impact report to see who we’ve supported, what we’ve achieved, and where we’re headed next.
We’re on a mission to flip the script on who gets through the gates of the world’s top universities, and how they get there.
Whether you’re a student, mentor, or partner.
We’d love to hear from you and make things happen.
