Briefly describe the professional path of the role model and his current position.
Introductory questions:
I have several roles:
1) director and co-founder of the digital agency Creek&Pine, which deals with research, design and development of energy-efficient – low carbon – websites.
2) manager of projects related to the democratization of energy, fair transitions and energy renewal in the energy cooperative KLIK.
3) President of the Orej Association for Youth, Culture and Ecology,
4) Ambassador of the EU Climate Pact.
I have been dealing with environmental and social issues almost my entire professional life, ever since the first self-initiated project Flaster (PatchUp) – an application for the treatment of the city. I entered green technologies in 2022 when, as a project manager in the technology sector, I actively started dealing with the energy efficiency of digital products. A year later, Creek&Pine was created, a digital agency dedicated to the development of websites and applications based on the principles of digital sustainability. In 2026, together with a partner company, we are launching The Code for Climate platform, which aims to decarbonize digital products and teams of large companies. In parallel, from 2024, through the energy cooperative KLIK, I am working on projects related to renewable energy sources, energy communities, just energy transition, energy poverty and energy renovations.
The professional transition to the energy sector and sustainability topics were a natural extension of everything I was already doing at that point. Sustainability has been with me since childhood – I grew up in the countryside and became aware early on how vulnerable we all are to the climate. Later, while working in the technology industry, I realized the real environmental footprint of digital products. This inspired me to start taking action, changing my own practices and advocating for a more responsible approach to technology.
I became an ambassador for the EU Climate Pact to gain an even larger, international platform to talk about the impact of digital technologies on the environment and to raise awareness among as many people as possible – who can then demand systemic changes.
Describe the main obstacles in a role model’s career.
Introductory questions:
One of the biggest challenges in my career was entering a completely new and under-recognized field – digital sustainability. When you don’t have an existing industry, community or systematic support, you can’t just rely on what you already know and expect results. In addition to learning from scratch, you are also building a space for the topic – and being among the first in the country and region often means working from a rather lonely position.
In practice, this means that I invest an equal amount of time in project development as I do in education and advocacy. My colleague and I regularly give free lectures in companies and at conferences to raise awareness about how inefficient digital technologies affect the environment, people, and business. This “invisible” part of the work is often exhausting, but it is necessary to create the conditions for change in the first place.
One of the key obstacles lies in the dominant narrative about digitalization. For decades, we have viewed it as a “clean” alternative to analog, “dirty” processes, without questioning what is actually happening behind the scenes. Even today, many perceive the “cloud” as something abstract and almost without impact, not realizing how much energy and resources the technology industry consumes. When I started talking about these topics, there were almost no interlocutors – let alone wider support.
Nevertheless, the feeling that I was doing something important and right in the long run was my main driver. From a traditional career perspective, one might say that starting my own company that goes “against” my industry was a step backwards – in terms of security, income, or linear progression. But it was this choice that allowed me to work on topics that I considered crucial and to build something that didn’t exist before.
Explain how the challenges were overcome.
Introductory questions:
Today, I realize that there is no real “protection” from change – especially not in a world shaped by artificial intelligence and accelerated technological development. That is why I am consciously building my own resilience and community around me. What helps me the most is following my curiosity, even when it leads me into the unknown, and saying “yes” to things that are often challenging, sometimes uncomfortable.
Such moments can be a blow to the ego, but over time I learned that this can be overcome by exposure – to new people, new perspectives and constant learning. It’s important to me to make decisions with integrity and be at peace with them, even when they turn out to be wrong. Equally, I try not to get too attached to roles and career labels, as I believe flexibility becomes one of the most important skills for a resilient career.
My biggest support and encouragement is my husband Vedran, with whom I started Creek & Pine. But over time, unexpected allies have formed around me – people from different industries, generations, and experiences. What unites them is a sincere commitment to sustainability and social justice. It is through these relationships that I continuously learn and grow, and for that I am deeply grateful.
Highlight key achievements and contributions.
Introductory questions:
I am proud of everything I do, especially Creek&Pine as a project, which is a completely pioneering project of a sustainable digital agency in Croatia. In addition, we will soon launch The Code for Climate platform to educate technology teams of large companies, to help them hire and educate designers, developers, project managers who understand their impact on the environment and can help the company decarbonize its digital processes. Acknowledgments for this work come unexpectedly, and the result of the work is visible when other digital agencies and companies start talking about these topics. As a professional recognition, I would like to point out that at the biennial Exhibition of Croatian Design 23/24 – the largest exhibition of contemporary design creativity in Croatia, Creek&Pine was nominated for an award in the category of design in digital media – for the first time an energy-efficient site was nominated.
As for my work in the energy cooperative – I am proud of our one-stop-shop for energy renovation that I run – which is one of the few examples of OSS run by citizens – for citizens. In 2025, we received the international Climate Star award given by the Climate Alliance for the best local energy action, and in 2026 we were nominated for SozialMarie, a prestigious international award for social innovation.
OSS helps citizens realize projects of renewable energy sources and energy-renovate homes. Special emphasis is placed on energy-poor households who are actively assisted in accessing subsidies, administration and decision-making without financial risk. This transforms the energy transition from an individual market choice into a joint social process that reduces inequalities and strengthens local resilience. I see the One-Stop-Shop as a combination of the “front-face” for citizens, with the parallel development of innovative energy, social and research projects in the background, led by the civic energy cooperative. Unlike classic OSS models, the office is not the end point, but the entrance to a wider ecosystem of energy communities, pilot projects and new models of energy renewal.
In 2024 and 2025 alone, we helped build and secure subsidies for almost 800kW. In addition, I have held dozens of workshops and lectures on home energy efficiency, energy renovation, and energy communities.
Provide guidance to aspiring professionals.
Introductory questions:
One of the key lessons I learned is that sustainability is not an add-on, but a mindset that needs to permeate everything we do. Every business can be done in a more sustainable way. It’s also important to understand that change rarely comes quickly. Working in this sector often involves education, advocacy, and patiently pushing boundaries, which can be challenging, sometimes painful, but has a big impact in the long run.
I would advise you to build your own network of people – not just within your industry, but also beyond. Not just within your generation or generations close to you – talk to people much older and younger than you. The most interesting and important things happen right at the intersections of different knowledge and perspectives. Don’t wait until you feel “ready enough”. If you see a problem and have the desire to act, that is already a good enough reason to start. Like-minded people will naturally gravitate towards you.
This is a space that is still actively being built, which means you have the opportunity not only to participate, but also to shape its direction. Curiosity, a willingness to learn, and an openness to interdisciplinary work are more important here than “perfect” expertise. As someone who actually graduated in political communication and public relations, I think I can attest to that.