Behind every project are people, communities, ideas and the desire to create real change. Over 5 years of activity, the Project Bag Association has turned local initiatives into concrete projects with an impact on education, environmental protection, ecotourism, culture and community development.

The 15 projects implemented, more than 6,000 participants at events and approximately 2,850 children involved in educational activities reflect part of the work and results we have built together with our partners and communities.

For us, these numbers are more than statistics. They represent experiences, knowledge shared, people brought together and concrete steps towards communities that are more active, more responsible and closer to nature.

Kozma-Kis Emese is an environmental engineer and toxicologist, with master’s-level studies in risk assessment and environmental safety, as well as toxicology, and is a PhD candidate in environmental science.

Her main professional interests include assessing environmental risks to human health, evaluating exposure to environmental pollutants, and managing and statistically analysing environmental and health data. She has worked in the field since 2012.

She has participated in research projects of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Environment, including DEMOCOPHES (Demonstration of a study to coordinate and perform human biomonitoring on a European scale); projects of the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe, including SINPHONIE (Schools Indoor Pollution and Health: Observatory Network in Europe); and US-led research such as “Arsenic-contaminated drinking water and spontaneous pregnancy loss”, in collaboration with the State University of New York and the University at Albany. She has also contributed to numerous national studies on topics including heavy-metal biomonitoring, indoor and outdoor air pollution, and air quality in schools and kindergartens.

Since 2020, she has been a founding member of the Project Bag Association, whose core aims include supporting young people and promoting sustainable development and cultural values.

István Imecs holds university degrees in environmental science and biology, with specialisation in ecology and environmental protection. Since 2011, he has worked as a biologist and ichthyology expert on background studies for protected-area management plans and has monitored investments affecting running waters.

Over the past 11 years, he has written and implemented grant-funded projects in non-governmental organisations focusing on environmental protection, environmental education, ecological restoration and ecotourism. He also has experience in protected-area management, having been involved in the stewardship of protected areas in the Lower Ciuc region between 2010 and 2019.

Since 2020, István Imecs has been a co-founder of the Project Bag Association, supporting young people and promoting sustainable development and cultural values.

Kirmájer Erika holds master’s degrees in public management and finance.

With almost 10 years of experience in finance at a multinational company, Erika has held a variety of leadership roles and worked with teams around the world. She led numerous recruitment and selection processes for team-lead and management positions, gaining extensive practical recruitment experience. She also developed hands-on expertise in performance management, particularly in addressing underperformance.

Since 2017, Erika has supported small and medium-sized enterprises with 5–10 employees in recruitment, selection and performance management. From 2018, she led participant selection for programmes offered by the Leaders Foundation – working with high-school students, university students and young entrepreneurs – and later became involved in recruiting and selecting the foundation’s employees as well.

Since 2019, she has been a co-founder of the Leaders for All Association, which supports the development of high-school students and their transition into the labour market through complex leadership and career-orientation programmes.

Since 2020, Erika Kirmájer has been a co-founder of the Project Bag Association, which supports young people and promotes sustainable development and cultural values.

György Leonárd brings technology closer to communities and nature. With more than 17 years of experience, he has worked across the digital world as an IT consultant, social media specialist and developer of marketing strategies for more than 50 companies. In short, he knows how to use digital tools to help good ideas move in the right direction.

Although much of his career was spent working with businesses, he has always wanted his work to contribute more directly to people and communities. In recent years, he has focused his energy on the non-governmental sector, working in marketing and communications and helping give a clear voice to causes he strongly believes in.

In 2020, he co-founded the Project Bag Association with the aim of supporting young people and local values. Today, he has two key roles: he leads the association’s communications and also serves as destination manager for the Băile Tușnad and Surroundings ecotourism destination.

In this role, Leonárd works to ensure that the region develops in a sustainable way, promoting tourism that respects nature and local traditions. For him, the central idea is balance: between technology and tradition, and between people and the environment.

Darvas Rita holds an engineering degree in Agrotourism and Food Service Management. She is currently pursuing a second degree in Biology and studying Ecology at master’s level. Through volunteering, she has taken part in camps and activities for children and has also had opportunities to work as a tour guide. She has contributed to organising programmes and events and has gained practical experience in children’s education.

She began collaborating with the Project Bag Association in 2025, with the aim of putting her knowledge and enthusiasm to work for the benefit of the community.

Gere Barbara is currently pursuing higher education in Engineering and Management in Food Service and Agrotourism. She chose tourism because it is a broad and engaging field that is not only about destinations, but also about the way experiences, services and demand come together.

She enjoys travelling and hiking, and increasingly looks at these experiences from a tourism perspective rather than only as a visitor. Her practical experience includes helping organise a trip and preparing its programme. Her goal is to become a skilled tourism professional and gain as much knowledge as possible, so she can apply it effectively in practice.