Meet our board of directors

The Youth Island Foundation is responsible for the operation and activities of Youth Island. Our board consists of seven members and a youth-elected observer, who is democratically elected by the young people of Youth Island.

"One of the Youth Island Foundation’s most important tasks is to set the island free, so that it is the young people themselves who create, develop, and shape the direction of Youth Island’s future activities,” says Lisbeth Trinskjær, Chair of the Board of the Youth Island Foundation.

It is the board’s responsibility to ensure that the financial and legal frameworks for Youth Island are in place. However, the board does not regulate which activities should take place on the island, as it is precisely the young people in the island’s community who together create Youth Island.

Members of the board

Lisbeth Trinskjær 2023
Lisbeth Trinskjær, Chair of the Board
Nanna
Nanna Dahl, Vice Chair
B01 V7461
Maria Bruselius-Jensen, board member
Lars Frelle Petersen
Lars Frelle-Petersen, board member
Tommy Ahlers FM22
Tommy Ahlers, board member
Michael Aagaard Seeberg
Michael Aagaard Seeberg, board member
Lawand Hiwa Namo hjemmesiden
Lawand Hiwa Namo, board member
August til hjemmeside
Caspar Coster, youth-elected observer

Lisbeth Trinskjær, Chair of the Board

Gender: Female (she/her)

Born: 1969

Position: Chairman of Folkehøjskolernes Forening i Danmark - FFD

Joined the Board: April 23, 2019. Reappointed as Chair of the Board in 2021 for a two-year term.
Lisbeth was appointed by Foreningen Spejderne

Leadership Roles: Chairman of Folkehøjskolernes Forening i Danmark, Member of the 2030-Panel, Member of Demokratikommissionen

Qualifications: Strategic leadership, advocacy, democratic development, and fundraising

Independent/Dependent: Independent

Nanna Dahl, Vice Chair

Gender: Female (she/her)

Born: 1989

Position: Experience and Learning Designer, Curator at the National Museum of Denmark

Joined the Board: April 23, 2019. Reappointed as Vice Chair in 2021 for a two-year term.
Nanna was appointed by the Foreningen Spejderne.

Leadership Roles: None

Qualifications: Youth engagement, project management, organizational development, play design

Independent/Dependent: Independent

Maria Bruselius-Jensen, board member

Gender: Female (she/her)

Born: 1971

Position: Associate Professor in Youth Studies, Youth Participation, and Civic Engagement, Aalborg University

Joined the Board: May 29, 2024. Maria was appointed by the Board.

Leadership Roles: Associate Professor

Qualifications: Leadership, democracy and democratic methods, youth well-being, youth participation, and civic engagement.

Independent/Dependent: Independent

Lars Frelle-Petersen, board member

Gender: Male (he/him)

Born: 1970

Position: Head of departement at the Danish Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities.

Joined the Board: August 16, 2019, and reappointed in 2021. Lars was appointed by the Board.

Leadership Roles: Former Chair of Foreningen Roskilde Festival, Board Member at the IT University of Copenhagen, Board Member at HealthTech Hub Copenhagen, Board Member at Copenhagen Fintech, Board Member at Denmark Bridge, Board Member at DIBD A/S, Board Member at the MADE Association (Manufacturing Academy of Denmark), Vice Chair at Design Society.

Qualifications: Executive leadership, board work, volunteer organizations, strategy, finance, and operations

Independent/Dependent: Independent

Tommy Ahlers, board member

Gender: Male (he/him)

Born: 1975

Position: Climate Tech Investor

Joined the Board: August 16, 2019, and reappointed in 2021 for a two-year term. Tommy was appointed by the Board.

Leadership Roles: Minister for Higher Education and Science (2018–2019), Vice President at Citrix (2012–2015), Active investor (2010–2018), Early investor and CEO at Podio (2010–2012), Head of Location-Based Services at Vodafone (2009–2010), CEO at Wayfinder Systems (2009–2010), Founder and CEO of ZYB ApS (2005–2009), Founder of ZYB Technologies ApS (2004–2005), Strategy Consultant at McKinsey & Company (2001–2004)

Qualifications: Strategy, finance, law

Independent/Dependent: Independent

Michael Aagaard Seeberg, board member

Gender: Male (he/him)

Born: 1983

Position: Development Manager at KFUM's Sociale Arbejde

Joined the Board: May 1, 2023

Leadership Roles:

Qualifications: Social entrepreneurship, volunteering, association life, data-driven organizational development, quantitative and qualitative methods.

Independent/Dependent: Appointed by KFUM-Spejderne i Danmark og Spejderne i Danmark

Lawand Hiwa Namo, board member

Caspar Coster, youth-elected observer

Gender: Male (he/him)

Born: 2000

Position: Culture Creator at Nordhus

Joined the Board: August 18, 2024

Leadership Roles: Former student representative on a high school board, chair of the student council board, project manager for several international events and courses for youth, Giv-Et-År volunteer at Youth Island

Qualifications: Project management and execution, communication, fundraising

Independent/Dependent: Independent

Foundation Management

The Youth Island Foundation is a commercial foundation.

Therefore, each year we adhere to the guidelines for recommendations on good foundation governance. They are in Danish.

God fondsledelse 2021

God fondsledelse 2020

God fondsledelse 2019

Vedtægter 23. april 2019

Vores ungeobservatør

The Youth Island’s first youth observer was elected in February 2020 by the Island Council
(the youth-led democratic body).

What is a youth observer?

  • The youth observer is part of the board.

  • The youth observer has the right to speak but not the right to vote.

  • The youth observer represents the interests of the youth community.

  • The youth observer attends board meetings 4–5 times a year.

  • The youth observer creates transparency between the board and the youth community.

  • The youth observer is democratically elected by the youth community.