Bernadetta is an assistant professor at the GCCS and Durham University Business School. Her research is interdisciplinary, drawing from social psychology and sociology to study how entrepreneurship can contribute to more equitable, accessible, and inclusive societies. She is particularly interested in employing creative methods and engaging closely with practitioners and diverse stakeholders to ensure her work is both meaningful and impactful.
Bernadetta has a multidisciplinary background. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in psychology (Universitas Katolik Atma Jaya, Indonesia) and master’s degrees in social psychology (University of Helsinki, Finland), and human rights and conflict management (Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Italy). She then worked at the Institute for Security and Development Policy (Sweden) before pursuing a doctoral degree in Entrepreneurship at Aalto University (Finland), which she completed in June 2023 and continued at Aalto University as a postdoctoral researcher until December 2025.
Within the GCCS, Bernadetta works mainly on facilitating the implementation of Contextual Safeguarding at the regional, national, and international levels. She is particularly interested in process of cultural shift within organisations, dynamics of multi-agency partnerships, and the involvement of non-traditional partners (e.g. entrepreneurs and small businesses) as safeguarding partners. She also seeks to contribute to safer entrepreneurial support systems for young entrepreneurs.
Bernadetta also has a strong interest in science communication and generating impact beyond academia. She has contributed to two publications by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), including a chapter on youth entrepreneurship in the biennial Missing Entrepreneurs report. She currently serves as Media & Engagement Editor for Journal of Business Venturing Insights.