“Geopolitics is the art of understanding the world’s power dynamics based on the conundrum of geographical space.”

 

PROFESSIONAL PROFILE

 

With 26 years of professional and academic expertise spanning security, defense, and strategic foresight, Velina Tchakarova is a geopolitical strategist and founder of FACE — For A Conscious Experience. Her work centers on translating geopolitical complexity into actionable intelligence for corporations, institutions, and policymakers navigating Cold War 2.0, the rise of Middle Powers, and the structural shifts reshaping the global order.

 

Through FACE, Velina develops bespoke strategic assessments, scenario planning frameworks, and foresight workshops for clients across the public and private sectors. Her approach combines rigorous analytical methodology with deep regional expertise, enabling decision-makers to anticipate risks, identify opportunities, and act with strategic clarity in an environment of accelerating uncertainty.

 

In 2024, she earned a certification in Mastering Foresight: Scenario-Based Planning from the George Washington University Center for Excellence in Public Leadership (GW-CEPL), complementing her long-standing practice as a strategic foresight facilitator.

 

CURRENT AFFILIATIONS

 

Velina currently serves on the European Security Forum Network in Finland, the Scientific Advisory Board of the European Forum Alpbach and the Advisory Board of Eastern Circles, a Paris-based geoeconomics think tank focused on Eastern Europe and Ukraine. She holds a visiting fellowship at the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), India’s premier independent global think tank.

 

She is a member of the Strategic and Security Policy Advisory Board of the Science Commission at the Austrian Federal Ministry of Defense, participates in the Vienna Economic Forum, and serves on the peer review board of the Defence Horizon Journal.

 

PREVIOUS ROLES

 

Velina previously served as Director of the Austrian Institute for European and Security Policy (AIES) in Vienna, one of Austria’s leading independent research institutes on European integration, security, and defense policy. She also served as lecturer at the Real-World Risk Institute, the practitioner-led risk education program founded by Nassim Nicholas Taleb.

 

SPEAKING & ADVISORY WORK

 

A frequent voice at international conferences, expert panels, and media platforms, Velina provides analysis on geopolitical shifts, emerging power dynamics, and their strategic implications for business and governance. She is regularly commissioned for research, consulting, lecturing, and publishing across the public and private sectors.

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Profile Picture (c) Christoph Kleinsasser (2025)