Viktor Teru
teru@resdi.org
Co-Founder & Executive Director
Viktor Teru is a Roma activist, researcher, and advocate for social innovation from Slovakia, with nearly 20 years of experience working at the intersection of community development, human rights, and systemic change. He holds a Master’s degree in Social Work from St. Elizabeth College of Health and Social Work and is currently a PhD candidate at the Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava. His doctoral research focuses on social innovation as a tool for reducing energy poverty and promoting inclusive green transitions in marginalized Roma communities. Viktor has a long-standing track record in fundraising, project development, and policy advocacy, collaborating with leading international organisations such as the Roma Education Fund, Minority Rights Group Europe, and Open Society Foundations. His work spans key areas such as inclusive education, access to housing, employment support, and public service delivery, always with a strong focus on equity and empowerment. In 2022, he founded Roma for Humanity Slovakia, a grassroots initiative that provided emergency humanitarian aid to both Roma and non-Roma refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine. For his leadership in this crisis response, he received the Lúč z Tmy (Ray of Light) award. He has also served as a strategic advisor to the President of the Slovak Republic, contributing expert guidance on Roma inclusion and social policy. Viktor combines academic insight, lived experience, and practical expertise to challenge structural inequalities and design inclusive, sustainable solutions that uplift marginalized communities.
Peter Csicsai
csicsai@resdi.org
Co-Founder
A co-founder of RESDI, Peter Csicsai is a Roma man originally from Bratislava, Slovakia. He currently lives in Canada and brings over 20 years of experience advancing Indigenous-led prosperity through strategic leadership, policy innovation and major project development.
As Managing Director of the Métis Prosperity Group, Peter is driving transformative economic growth by attracting strategic investments to British Columbia and creating inclusive opportunities across key sectors, including in real estate development and renewable energy production. He has held senior roles in government in both British Columbia and the Northwest Territories including leadership positions in major project regulatory agencies. His career also spans advocacy organizations such as the First Nations Major Projects Coalition as well as multiple board appointments.
Peter has led high-impact initiatives ranging from major commercial transactions in the energy and mining sectors to Crown–Indigenous negotiations to shaping landmark policy and legislative frameworks, including the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, the BC Economic Plan and CleanBC. Most recently, as Chair of the Carrier Sekani First Nations’ Economic Development Advisory Committee, he guided the creation of an Indigenous-aligned economic framework for central British Columbia.
Peter is also the chief officer responsible for external relations at Métis Nation British Columbia where he serves as Chief Relations Officer, overseeing a number of portfolio areas, including economic development, justice and rights, food security and intergovernmental relations.
Peter also leads a successful consulting practice, Alderleaf Advisory Group Inc., which provides economic and business development advisory services to Indigenous communities and governments across Canada.
Jakub Csabay
csabay@resdi.org
Co – Founder
Jakub Csabay currently teaches at the Institute of European Studies and International Relations, Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences, Comenius University, after having recently completed his PhD research on Institutional Dynamics of State-Minority Relations in the Broader Post-Soviet Space at the Centre of Development Studies, University of Cambridge. He is a research affiliate of the Cambridge Central Asia Forum, and he co-founded and convenes the Cambridge Central European Conference. He previously worked as a supervisor and teaching assistant at the Department of Politics and International Studies and Judge Business School in Cambridge. In Slovakia, he co-founded two civic associations, EDUSOC and RESDI, focused on educational and sustainable development projects for minorities, in particular Roma communities. Together with Anton Marcinčin, he co-edits the Yearbook of Regional Development in Slovakia, and he is also a collaborator of the Friends of the Earth-CEPA, working on energy poverty and engagement with research and academic institutions.
Kristína Grejtáková
grejtakova@resdi.org
Project Coordinator and Research Fellow
Kristína Grejtáková is a student at the Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences, Comenius University where she finished her Bachelor’s degree in European Studies and International Relations. During her studies at FSES, she became interested in the environmental injustice of marginalized communities and would like to expand her research further. She is currently pursuing a Master´s degree, on Erasmus, at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth.
Tomáš Dunko
Senior Advisor for Legal Affairs and Disability Inclusion
Dr. Tomáš Dunko is a lawyer, philologist, and social anthropologist with extensive professional and voluntary experience in supporting persons with disabilities and marginalized communities, with a particular focus on Deaf Roma communities. His work combines legal expertise, public policy, and community-based practice, with a strong emphasis on inclusion, accessibility, and human rights. He currently serves as a Regional Health Promotion Manager at a state-funded organization under the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic. Tomáš is the founder of the civic association Svet ticha (Silent World), which focuses on empowering Deaf Roma through inclusive education, accessible communication, health literacy, and civic participation. Previously, he worked as a Senior State Counselor at the Office of the Plenipotentiary of the Government of the Slovak Republic for Roma Communities, where he contributed to the development and implementation of inclusive legal and policy frameworks. For his long-term commitment to social inclusion, he is a recipient of the Roma Spirit Award. Within RESDI, Tomáš provides senior advisory support on legal matters, disability inclusion, accessible communication, and the meaningful participation of persons with disabilities in social innovation, education, and green transition processes.
Mikuláš Lakatoš
Senior Advisor for Health Policies
Mikuláš Lakatoš is a health policy expert, researcher, and practitioner whose work connects scientific research, public policy, and direct engagement with marginalized communities. His expertise focuses on health inequalities and environmental injustice, particularly in the context of Roma communities living in environmentally and health-wise inadequate conditions. He currently works as an Inclusive Health Policy Analyst and Health Policy Maker at the Slovak Government’s Office of the Plenipotentiary for Roma Communities, where he contributes to the design and implementation of national strategies addressing health disparities. Alongside this role, he serves as a Teaching and Research Fellow at the Slovak Medical University, combining academic research with applied policy work. His earlier clinical experience as a Nurse Anaesthetist continues to inform his practical, evidence-based approach to health policy. Mikuláš holds a Bachelor’s degree in General Nursing from the Slovak Medical University, a Master’s degree in Public Policy from Comenius University, and a PhD in Philosophy from Danubius University. He has also completed academic specializations at Central European University in Romani Studies and at Princeton University’s History Lab. In 2023, he received the Young European of the Year Award for his contribution to Slovakia’s Roma Equality Strategy 2030. Within RESDI, Mikuláš provides senior advisory expertise in health policies, research design, and evidence-based interventions, strengthening the organization’s work with marginalized communities affected by poor housing conditions, environmental risks, and systemic health inequalities.
Rudolf Valovič
valovic@resdi.org
Research Fellow
Rudolf Valovič is a student at the Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences, Comenius University, where he completed his Bachelor’s degree in European Studies. During his studies, he developed a strong interest in systemic oppression and its impact on health and socioeconomic outcomes. His research focuses on the intersection of healthcare access, chronic stress, and social disparities, particularly in the context of policy interventions. He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree at the same faculty.