One of the strongest traditions of the association “BrainGain Latvia” (APPLV) is the annual General Meeting held in a festive Christmas atmosphere. It is a time when we look back at what was accomplished in the past year, say thank you to our most active contributors, and hold board elections for those positions where the term of office established in the statutes has expired.

This time, we gathered for our get-together at the student fraternity Fraternitas Academica to relax together and engage in lively conversations with members whom we rarely get a chance to meet in the rush of daily life.

2025 – A Year of Growth

The past year, 2025, has been a vivid year of growth for the association. The member count has well exceeded the one-hundred mark, and a dynamic project coordinator, Anna Lūse, has joined the team. Throughout the year, dozens of events were organized, ambitious social initiative projects were launched, and public funding of over 100,000 EUR was secured, which will allow the organization to operate on an even larger scale.

New Board and Experienced Leaders

New challenges require new strengths; therefore, significant changes have taken place in the association’s management team, combining both new energy and solid experience.

After a break, Liene Jansone, who has been with the organization almost since its very beginning, has returned to the board. Likewise, Anna Vladimirova-Krjukova – one of the association’s co-founders and early board members – has joined the team.

Regarding her decision to return to the board, Anna says: “I chose to run for the board because I have been with the association since its inception, and I wanted to continue investing more actively in its future. I am particularly interested in questions of belonging and maintaining relationships with members and our community, as that is our core and our main strength!”

One of the new members has also joined the board – Oskars Melderis – who works in the banking sector by day but pursues a hobby as a sommelier in his free time. Oskars was very actively involved in the association’s life in 2025, helping to organize the Christmas event and hosting an exclusive wine tasting and sommelier “hunting stories” evening for members.

Re-elected to the board for a second term is Ģirts Smelters, who has been part of APPLV since 2017. “There is a series of started works that need to be continued. We have picked up a good and productive pace, and together with the new team, we will work to maintain it. It is a great joy to see ever-new faces in the ranks of members. This means that what we do is still relevant to people,” comments Ģirts.

Gratitude for Contribution

After several years of diligent work, board positions were left by Roberts Alhimionoks and Māra Maklaklina-Teilora. However, there are no plans to drift away from the association – quite the opposite. Māra is determined to continue the groundwork started in the European internal mobility project, while Roberts will continue working in the fundraising working group.

After the conclusion of a one-year term, Terēze Konopecka also left the board to focus her inexhaustible energy on strengthening her professional career growth in the local technology sector.

The association expresses immeasurable gratitude to Māra, Roberts, and Terēze for their contribution to the organization and its members, and wishes them luck in their new professional challenges!

The newly elected board, together with current board members Madara Rotberga, Kaspars Zemītis, and Diana Hmeļevska, is ready to work to continue strengthening the voice of world experience in Latvia in 2026.