Employee Spotlight: Anastasia Barka

Meet Anastasia Barka, Event Manager at KickstartAI. With a background in theater and the performing arts, she designs and delivers our community events. Anastasia's goal is to create spaces and experiences, where people can connect, share ideas, and grow together.

Let's dive into her journey, what drives her into her work, and how her passion for creativity shapes the way she brings the AI community together.

What’s your role at KickstartAI? 

I’m the Event Manager, which means I design and deliver our community events. I start by shaping the concept, and together with the community team, we curate the program and select speakers based on our monthly theme.

We also take care of all the logistics: securing venues, organizing catering, and setting the tone and atmosphere. And of course, I’m there on the day to welcome speakers and attendees and make sure everyone has a good time! 

At its core, my role is about creating the spaces where our community can come together — to exchange knowledge, share ideas, connect with each other, and grow.

Can you share your journey into the AI world? 

I come from a background in theater and the performing arts. Very early in my career I became interested in curating participatory performances and public events, and this gradually drew me to the events industry. I’ve been involved in creative production and events organization for the last 10 years.

I’m happy I’ve managed to combine both fields. Theater taught me how to craft experiences that resonate with the audience and create moments that people remember. I approach events the same way: as live productions where every detail matters and the goal is to inspire, engage, and connect people.  

During my master studies, I focused my research on the impact of emerging technologies in experience architecture and storytelling. That’s when the tech world opened up to me. A few years later, I started curating the program for Immersive Tech Week, where I was also introduced to AI.

I quickly realized that AI is shaping the future — but the future we create depends on who’s in the room. That’s why KickstartAI’s community-driven approach really appealed to me. It’s not just about the technology; it’s about people coming together to use AI responsibly and creatively. I couldn’t imagine a better place to help shape those rooms.

What are some unique features of KickstartAI’s events? 

I’d say, there are three things that make our events unique. First, they’re genuinely welcoming. Second, they’re community-driven. And, of course, they’re deeply technical. We put a lot of thought into content curation because we want attendees to walk away having learned something — and to feel like they’re part of something bigger than themselves.

How do you see events contributing to KickstartAI’s mission? 

I think events are essential to our mission, because that’s where people and ideas really come together. We intentionally bring in AI professionals from across sectors, backgrounds, and types of organizations — and that creates a space for cross-pollination. This has a direct impact on the AI ecosystem in the Netherlands. 

One of my main goals is for the AI community to see these events as a point of growth and connection, but also as an open and supportive environment where people can share questions and even doubts. 

What do you enjoy the most about working here? 

The team! Everyone here is ambitious but grounded. While there’s a strong commitment to the work, there’s also a genuine sense of fun. I think it’s a rare mix — a good atmosphere combined with real innovation. Plus, there’s room to try new things and experiment, which makes it even more exciting! 

What’s an AI field that excites you? 

AI for creativity — from co-thinking to generative design. I feel that we are still at the very beginning of this field. We’re only scratching the surface of what a human and machine can do together — how they can co-create, co-think, and collaborate. So I’m very curious about how artificial intelligence will boost creative processes overall. 

What’s your advice to people who aspire to work in AI? 

I believe a lot of people are afraid that they’re not technical enough to enter the AI industry. But it’s such a vast field that has such a great impact on our society that it needs different voices and perspectives. 

So my advice would be, if you’re interested in AI, jump into the field and find a role that suits you. I would personally like to see more people with a humanities background working in the sector. We need this type of people, from psychology or sociology, for example, to be part of the discussions if we want to create human-centric AI.

 

Fun fact about yourself? 

I’m a true believer in somatic practices — and I really enjoy them! Right now, I’m running a bit of a personal experiment: I practice different forms of movement like yoga, martial arts, and ballet, and I’m curious to see how these movement vocabularies interact. Will my body transfer knowledge from one practice to another?

I think it’s so important to take time offline, away from screens and technology, to reconnect with our bodies. I’m always exploring how to balance digital interactivity with the embodied experience of the world.

💡 Want to learn more about KickstartAI and our mission to accelerate AI adoption in the Netherlands? Check out our website, explore our open positions, or connect with Anastasia on LinkedIn!