Stephania Xydia is a social & governance innovation officer at ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, the leading global network of over 1,500 cities, towns, and regions committed to building a sustainable future. She has gained international experience as a consultant and trainer in cultural management, strategic communication, and social innovation, working with organizations and communities that seek relevance, reach, and resilience. She is co-founder of Place Identity Clusters, a non-profit organization developing participatory processes for urban regeneration and political innovation in Greece. Her work has won awards in international competitions such as the European Investment Bank Social Innovation Tournament (2011), the Bloomberg Philanthropies Mayors Challenge (2014), and the Greek Design Awards (2018). She has a passion for participatory design, public engagement, and systemic transformation. As part of ICLEI Europe based in Freiburg, Germany, she focuses on sustainability culture and cultural transitions, managing EU projects that explore cultural heritage as a driver of urban and rural regeneration. Born in Athens and raised in Luxembourg, she is a Cambridge University graduate with an M.A. in cultural policy & management from City University London.