Team

• 

  Alice Reinhard

  Fundraising, concepts & impact assessment

  Alice impressed us from the very start with her sense of textual precision combined with a pronounced cultural and political acumen. It quickly became clear that we wanted to win her over for Helvetiarockt. And we succeeded😊. Since August 2023, Alice has been working in fundraising and in the conception of the association. She tackles issues with broad thinking, refreshing vehemence and tenacity, asks critical questions and seeks and finds creative solutions. Analytical. Organised. At the same time, she likes to jump in at the deep end and be inspired by new ideas. Quite literally too, as she likes to cool off from the summer heat in city fountains.

  The Lucerne native and Basel resident by choice loves language, so it’s no wonder that her CV is characterised by engagements in which she has been able to develop and show precisely this ability. For a long time, she worked as an editor and presenter at the youth, culture and education radio station 3FACH, and later became the radio’s manager. She also lives out her love of music and culture by working at various festivals: At the Comixfestival Fumetto, the Openair Funk am See and in the Echolot Festival team.

  Her keen interest in socio-political issues led her to Vienna, where she completed a master’s degree in political science and tested all of the city’s outdoor swimming pools. Meanwhile, she never completely cut ties with her roots. In Austria, Alice wrote for a Lucerne-based online cultural magazine on the side, before physically moving back to Switzerland.

  Neither a morning nor an evening person, Alice is a fan of the dusk. Fortunately, she also finds peace of mind at other times of the day, e.g. while on her bike – especially when it’s steep uphill, while growing tomatoes in her backyard or while listening to her favourite medium, the podcast.

  alice@helvetiarockt.ch

  Pronouns: she/her

• 

  Anita Rochedy

  Regional Management West – Helvetiarockt Music Lab

  Anita is a fiery soul who first saw the light of day in the northwest of southeastern France and has been living in Switzerland now for over 20 years. After an exciting decade in Geneva, she lost her heart to Biel-Bienne, where she dedicates herself to her passions for language and music.

  She is a true polyglot – French, English, Italian, and German are her playgrounds. In addition to her work with Helvetiarockt, she is active as a literary translator. She took her first steps in the world of translation with the lyrics of Bryan Ferry – a gift for her father and a tribute to her love of live music. Nowadays, she mostly translates novels and poetry, often with majestic mountains as her backdrop.

  Musically and politically, Anita is shaped by the DIY scene, antifolk, and post-punk – a combination that makes her creative heart beat faster. In Biel-Bienne, she is involved in various projects, from collectif radio ultraviolet·t to Quai du bas. She loves singing and is active in two choirs, depending on the project and her mood. She also founded the ciné-club at Amikino, which is currently on a short break but promises to return soon!

  And yes, despite her petite stature, you’d better not step on her toes – especially not during a concert :)! Her flexibility and linguistic wit also shine through in her name, which we’re allowed to use backwards too! Go «Atina»!

   

  anita.rochedy@helvetiarockt.ch

  Pronouns: She / Her

• 

  Anita Schaub

  Communication & Project Management

  Anita has a creative mind, a talent for organisation and is a team player. It’s no wonder that her career at Helvetiarockt took off after starting out as a temporary replacement. She has taken over various projects while also attending to the graphical needs of the team – constantly adjusting and tinkering with the website.

   

  In the era prior to working at Helvetiarockt, Anita was active in communication for the GHOST FESTIVAL and the foundation EQUIPE VOLO. In the latter case, she also lent a hand on the front line herself, lugging boxes and driving the big vehicles with the clients during removals. She is a hands-on person anyway: whether in the office or at home, Anita has no problem with getting her hands dirty. Whether at home or at the office, she gets things done with no hesitation, with a laptop in one hand and screwdriver in the other.

   

  When Anita is not in the office, she is working on texts and graphics for the clients of her own graphic studio or competing with her son in high diving, volleyball or basketball. Or maybe she’s off somewhere in nature, far away from civilisation, with no reception at all. She never goes anywhere without her headphones though, because music is her elixir of life: Soul, hip-hop, reggae, from dub to electro – all flowing constantly through her eardrums. Whe dances whenever possible into the early hours of the morning to booming bass at some concert or party – preferably drum’n’bass and jungle – recharging her beat-battery.

   

  anita@helvetiarockt.ch

  Pronouns: She/Her

• 

  Céline Gex

  Fundraising Romandie

  Céline is a creative all-rounder with a passion for art, music, and the little pleasures in life. In 2006 Céline moved to Berne, at first only for a research project, then permanently. She has been constantly moving between Berne, Lausanne, Zurich, and Neuchatel ever since, always looking for new cultural challenges.

  What makes her happy? Anything green, not only plants that she passionately grows in her allotment garden, but also the mountains that aren’t too far away. And yes, she loves spending time with good wine and friends – a Heida for aperitivos and a Syrah for long evenings.

  Céline is the perfect combination of critical thinker and artistic heart. Her love of music encouraged her to study the anthropology of music in order to understand how deeply rooted music is in any culture. She loves experiencing this magical moment at live concerts when the whole crowd is focused on the same goal.

  She came to Helvetiarockt in 2017 by accident, when she met the team during a work meeting – and immediately felt comfortable. In 2018, she took the opportunity to work regularly with us, and in 2024 she happily returned to share her fundraising knowledge.

  Her friends describe Céline as a «critically thinking and socially engaged person with an affinity for art and a big heart» – a woman who will never let you down and who is a lot of fun. We can definitely confirm that! 🙂

   

  celine@helvetiarockt.ch

  Pronouns: she/her

• 

  Eva Heller

  Fundraising, partnerships, strategy, politics

  Since spring 2025, Eva has become an essential part of Helvetiarockt. With just the right mix of feminist attitude, humor, and experience in the arts and culture sector, she brings a breath of fresh air – and rarely holds her tongue. As a self-proclaimed killjoy, she says what needs to be said, with both boldness and sensitivity.

  Music is what keeps her going: when she’s not playing drums, attending a festival, conducting interviews, or hugging trees somewhere in the woods, she’s working on the fundraising team to ensure that feminist transformation never fails due to lack of funding.

  Since 2008, Eva has been active as a producer, project manager, and consultant at the intersections of art, culture, society, and politics. She has worked at Dampfzentrale Bern, the Cultural Office of the Canton of Zurich, Südpol Lucerne, HyperWerk HGK FHNW, and Heller Enterprises, among others.

  Pronouns: she/her

  eva@helvetiarockt.ch

• 

  Hazbi Avdiji

  Co-management Helvetiarockt Awareness Lab & Diversity Roadmap

  Anyone who sees Hazbi hard at work would have a hard time believing it’s the same person who claims they can cry tears of joy just from seeing their bed. Full of beans and always uncovering hidden connections, Hazbi, sorry, Dr. Hazbi, is fully dedicated to the good cause.

  Where does Hazbi’s all overpowering energy and, at the same time, enviable clear-sightedness come from? Perhaps because they have lived several lives and have constantly evolved, like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly: Hazbi has survived the war, accompanied a drunk Tina Turner home, called out the numbers at Bingo, taught hundreds of students, won various awards, fought their way back from illness and erased toxic masculinity from their life.

  Additionally, Hazbi makes music, which even Rihanna has heard. Hazbi also curates events such as the Queer Balkan Disco in Zurich.

  Hazbi makes our day-to-day life brighter, not only with their critical thinking, directness and eye for the big picture, but also with always carefully selected outfits that never look strained yet completely outshine other fashionistas in the office.

   

  hazbi@helvetiarockt.ch

  Pronouns: they/them, he/him

• 

  Kathy Bajaria

  National community and workshop co-ordination Helvetiarockt Music Lab

  Kathy is the globetrotter amongst us. They have Indian and Austrian roots, grew up in Sheffield, lived in Liverpool, Berlin and Amsterdam and sometimes secretly dreams of a life by the sea. Kathy lived in Lucerne for over 20 years and has been significant in shaping local cultural life by organizing concerts, parties and political events. These days they’re based in Bern, where you’re sure to bump into them at gigs around town.

  Kathy has been working with the Music Lab team since the beginning of 2018 and leads the Musicians in Conversation podcast project. Since 2022 they’re responsible for national community and workshop coordination. As a music lover, DJ and trained cultural manager, they can apply their wide range of experience. Kathy’s broad perspective and ability to see larger contexts is invaluable. It’s impressive to see how easily they connect people and projects with one another. With their calm English manner, they can cool down any heated discussion. Not even cold water will make them flinch. You might even catch a glimpse of them swimming in the Lake of Lucerne or the Aare in late autumn. So cool.

   

  kathy@helvetiarockt.ch

  Pronouns: She / They

• 

  Letizia Carigiet

  Co-management Helvetiarockt Awareness Lab & Diversity Roadmap

  Feminism may have already begun in the cradle for Letizia. Hailing from the Canton of Grisons, she has been involved and dedicated in numerous projects for a better world. She stands up and speaks out against injustice, without being boisterous. She has done campaign work for “Flirt Don’t Hurt”, “16 Tage Gegen Gewalt an Frauen” and is co-initiator of the Queens* of Hip-Hop Festival. She studied German Literature, Edition Philology & Theatre Studies, led the youth mentoring project “womentoring” and has been involved in education and youth politics. She later worked as a research assistant for a project at the University of Bern.

   

  Since 2018 she has been rousing up Helvetiarockt as an all-rounder, combining her passion for music with the fight against inequality. She started out leading the Helvetiarockt bandworkshops and the musicdirectory.org. Since 2022, Letizia has been co-managing the Diversity Roadmap & Awareness Lab projects and is our expert on the topic of sexualised violence in clubs and festivals. Fresh inputs and critical questions are Letizia’s specialty. Despite – or maybe precisely because of – her analytical and calm nature, she cracks people up with her dry humor. Should this ever fail to defuse a critical situation, she has one last ace up her sleeve. With her “Silly Dance” she’ll have everyone rolling on the floor laughing in no time.

   

  letizia@helvetiarockt.ch

  Pronouns: She / Her

• 

  Lula Pergoletti

  Communication

  Before Lula joined the Helvetiarockt team, the former Co-Director of bee-flat travelled from Italy to Croatia, Bosnia, Albania, Greece and then Turkey in a self-refurbished bus, adding numerous impressions, anecdotes and encounters to her already eventful life. But before and alongside the music, there were always words and writing. For several years, she was a driving force, organizing literature and music festivals around Bern.

   

  Coming from a family of artists, Lula was already at home in theatre and concert halls at an early age. As a teenager, she spent all her pocket money on CDs, vinyl and travelling across Switzerland to concerts and festivals every weekend. Later, she took to the turntables herself and played vinyl at various events. Her professional path quickly led her into the world of culture, whether as editor of the Berner Kulturagenda or as an event organiser.

   

  Lula doesn’t need much to be happy, as she has already proven on her 6-month trip through the Balkans. But music – whether live or on vinyl – is part of her life in every way. Extremely alert, interested in many things and versed in many ways, her fire is easy to kindle. However, she is also passionate about initiating her own projects.

   

  When she has free time, she uses it to enjoy good food and philosophise with friends. Or she reads, spontaneously goes on long bike rides or plays a video game for a change.
  Always well organised, she runs the communication shop at Helvetiarockt. The fact that she says she often can’t keep her mouth shut suits this role only too well😊. A little fidgety, but at the same time incredibly clear and always surrounded by positive energy, she is the perfect person for this role. She is always able to instill calm and confidence in her colleagues, including the Helvetiarockt team, with well thought-out measures and concepts and, when required, pragmatic solutions.

   

  lula@helvetiarockt.ch

  Pronouns: she/her

• 

  Mara Wehofsky

  Communication, social media

  Originally from Munich, now living in Fribourg by choice, Mara juggles with four languages (usually in the same sentence). Before she joined the Helvetiarockt team with her positive and authentic self, Mara studied English language and literature as well as communication, worked at a zero-waste shop and as a journalist. She lives with her two naked cats who apparently edit more strictly than any editorial team. Mara’s superhuman superpower is definitely transformation. She is constantly evolving, almost as fast as her always changing nail design. Discomfort is her motor; change is her BFF. But with us, she has found a constant – for the time being. A place where people are at the centre – and where she can motivate other aliens to make music.

   

  mara@helvetiarockt.ch

  Pronouns: she/her

• 

  Muriel Rhyner

  Project Manager Courses in Producing & Songwriting

  Over 600 concerts played in Switzerland and abroad. 5 Albums. 12 years of Delilahs. Muriel is a musician, songwriter, booker and project manager. She wrote her first own songs at the age of twelve, soon after she grabbed a bass guitar and established herself as an autodidact in the industry.

   

  She has been involved with Helvetiarockt since day one, developed the Helvetiarockt Songwriting Camp in 2015 and has been cooking up additional offers for professional musicians since 2018. She makes the most out of her small workload and knows how to use her resources. At work she has been dubbed with the honourable nickname “Brainchild Slingshot” and is not afraid to take on any administrative tasks. As coach of the Helvetiarockt Bandworkshop in Bern and director of the Songwriting Camp in Zug, she genuinely sparks the interest in music in women. Her passion is contagious. She enriches our team on all levels and brings important perspectives to the table. As an experienced musician and teacher she is interested in offering high-quality courses and knows exactly what it feels like to stir up the industry as a woman. P.S.: If you are looking for project ideas, contact her!

   

  muriel@helvetiarockt.ch

  Pronouns: She / Her

• 

  Petra Fässler

  Regiomanagement Ost / Zentral

  You have to experience Petra. When she organises workshops as a regional manager from central to eastern Switzerland, even in the most stressful moments, a cheeky remark slips from her lips, accompanied by a mischievous grin and a spark of mischief in her eyes. With her heart on her sleeve and her above-average enthusiasm, Petra’s commitment to gender equality and the promotion of young talent is truly infectious. The next generation is the future, all for the cause.

  The fact that she is always full of vigour and with her sleeves rolled up is perhaps not least due to Petra’s career before Helvetiarockt: before she joined our team, her path took her from the office chair to the milking parlour, where she spent two alpine summers. However, her heart has long been in music and she plays guitar in the band Riot Robin.
  From chopping wood and baking bread to feminist yodelling, from playing football in the alternative league to crocheting vegetables: Petra has a wide range of interests and possesses a myriad of hidden talents, which always adds a splash of colour to our everyday lives, shimmering and sparkling in all shades. Her energy, her humour and her direct manner are an integral part of the Helvetiarockt team.

  petra@helvetiarockt.ch

  Pronouns: she/her

• 

  Regula Frei

  Fundraising, concepts & impact assessment

  The number of sleepless nights Regula has had during her time with Helvetiarockt is one of the most closely kept secrets of the Swiss music industry. She has been with Helvetiarockt since day one in 2012 and managed everything solo in the beginning. In the meantime, she has the support of a powerful team, and together they march towards the common goal of equality. Whenever she takes a moment to reminisce how much this project has grown, her eyes may water up. Regula is seldomly calm and reserved. From her sharp and astute gaze you can tell that her vision is very clear. Being pragmatic and down to earth, she only takes on projects that are realistic, yet meaningful. Focusing on the outcome and success she never stops questioning how things can be more inclusive.

   

  As a teacher and adult educator, she brings high didactic standards to the table, but she has also rolled up her sleeves working for the SBB and PROGR, adding to her diverse skills and wide range of experience. Although Regula may be solid as a rock on one hand, her soft spot is her big open heart where everyone is welcome. So you wonder where to find her after work? In the limelight rocking the stage as a double bass player.

   

  regula@helvetiarockt.ch

  Pronouns: She / Her

• 

  Sophie Kuhn

  Head of Administration & Finance

  Latest in 2004, Sophie made her passion for music, culture and youth movements public with her active membership at the Gaskessel. But she was already immersed in the world of music as a child. The Gaskessel was her first work placement after graduating at the Ecole supérieure de commerce in Neuchâtel. Later, she managed the administration and the bar. After that, Sophie set off for new professional fields. She worked for 8 years in property management, with intermediate stops in salary administration, financial accounting and as an assistant to the management. At the same time, she began training as a Bach flower therapist for dogs.

   

  Sophie has been in charge of our administration and finances since 2020. Her know-how has been sweeping us off our feet since the beginning. Sophie does it, get it organised, delivers new solutions, remodels and builds. She does it in such a way that even our lot, sometimes befuddled by creativity, understands what is at stake. Sophie facilitates processes, creates overviews and thus puts the whole association on solid ground. And during this whole process, she also infects us with her pragmatic calmness. But Sophie is not only calm, she can also race through and check things off. Her talent is knowing when to get into a groove. And when she can’t stand the office anymore, she’ll get on her horse or you might meet her with her two dogs by the Aare.

   

  sophie@helvetiarockt.ch

  Pronouns: She / Her

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

• 

  Val Mahler

  Regiomanagement north

  Val is pure energy and a true multitasker, who navigates life with a mixture of curiosity, wit and perseverance – always somewhere between music, culture and politics. During their time at secondary school in Sursee, they focused on music (including pan flute performances – no joke!), a career as a snowboard instructor in Sörenberg and as a group leader at Jubla Geuensee. Val repeatedly ventured out into the wider world: Madrid, Devon, Beijing, Coimbra and Hamburg have shaped, moulded and inspired them.

  In Switzerland, they completed a bachelor’s degree in international relations in Geneva – and at the same time found their way into the world of cultural policy at IG Kultur Luzern. They then went on to complete a master’s degree in cultural studies at the University of Lucerne – as a first-generation student diagnosed with ADHD. Val is particularly proud of this – and rightly so!

  Val has been musically active since 2018 as a singer with the FINTA* band Call Me Clark, which emerged from the Helvetiarockt band workshops. The third EP, ‘This is Clark,’ is already in the starting blocks! Val also brings electronic beats to the dance floor as a DJ in the duo SOLÉ, and with the Grind Stone Festival in Nottwil, they have shown that they’re talented at event organization too!

  From 2022 to 2025, Val was part of the co-management team at Sprungfeder, the band competition for young talent in Central Switzerland – a labour of love that has left its mark.

  What makes Val unique? They are non-binary, neurodivergent and experience the world through the lens of ableism. But even without these labels, Val has always been quite special. Their favourite people would say: With Val, it’s never boring, they are definitely a bit crazy – and not afraid to cause a ruckus when necessary.

  Val prefers to spend the rare quiet moments on their uncle’s alp in Entlebuch – offline, with loved ones, surrounded by nature and silence. Ski touring in winter gives the same feeling of grounding. Because as much as Val loves change, a little consistency is just as important; it’s all about the right mix.

  Oh, and by the way: Now and again Val even manages to get on the train without having to run for it 😉 Celebrating small everyday achievements? Absolutely!

  Now at Helvetiarockt, Val brings all their energy and passion to the table. As regional manager for the North, they organize regional workshops – because for Val, it’s clear: music, culture and inclusion belong together.

   

  val@helvetiarockt.ch

  Pronouns: none