Ilaria Vilkelis is the co-founder, together with her son Robert, of Masters of Impact, an innovative communication coaching firm based in London. She a senior executive coach, an expatriate and, most importantly for this Challenge, the mother of a university student who has spent his entire education in International Schools in Geneva and London. Active in the Parent Teacher Association for many years, she has a deep understanding of the challenges faced by International Schools and a strong vision of the key role they hold in creating a world without frontiers. She an intimate knowledge of the International School approach to learning, and she is a strong advocate for creating and maintaining a lively dialogue involving all concerned: student, parents, teachers, administrators, and stakeholders.


For far too long – she says – we have taken pride in focusing on our differences, on managing diversity instead of overcoming it. Yet, in International Schools we seem to be able to live together. We live in multi-ethnic, multi-faith communities able to come together as one. We are global nomads, immigrants, children of diverse background able to witness, every day, how diverse people can come together in peace and harmony. That’s our normal way of life. We are naturally drawn to finding out what we have in common rather than how we differ. We easily extend our hands, we build bridges wherever we go. We raise children in multiple languages, and cultures, we speak several tongues often at the same time, without even realising it, till we get a puzzled stare. We partner and marry people from distant countries and traditions. 
For us this is our norm. As expatriates, we must take a stand for the world to see that it’s possible to live and thrive beyond cultures.

Ilaria is also the author of Thriving Beyond Cultures, a highly customisable program designed to create powerful conversations and bring a dialogue of love and affinity to families and communities.