Vanessa von Hilchen

Vanessa recently moved from Germany to California, bringing with her 15 years of experience in digital communications and marketing with a focus on mission-driven and political communications. She currently works for the Goethe-Institut in San Francisco, where she is responsible for the organization’s public relations and communications. The Goethe-Institut is the globally active cultural institute of theFederal Republic of Germany and promotes cultural exchange, education and social discourse in an international context.

Vanessa is a passionate advocate for empowering people to participate in public debates and politics. She was one of the founding members of the multi award-winning agency for social change, MESH Collective, that pioneered the field of digital political education in Germany. MESH Collective aims to give young people a louder voice in society and provide them with the information they need to participate in political and socially relevant debates. Here she was instrumental in the vast development of the agency and worked with partners such as the Robert BoschFoundation and the German Federal Agency for Civic Education.

When she became a mother, she was surprised how little valuable information she could find about sustainable living and healthy, plant-based nutrition for children. As a result, she started her own blog, which soon grew so successful that she became a full-time influencer and published her own cookbook.

Furthermore Vanessa has worked for creative agencies as digital consultant, creative project manager and content director for various clients such as the German FederalMinistry for Economic Affairs and Energy, for Amazon Prime Video Germany and the Hertie Foundation.

Vanessa is a member of the Green Party in Germany and believes that a multi-party system produces a stronger and more resilient democracy.