Inspiration
Iva is the author of Upwilling: The magic of we in uncertain times. She was inspired to write it by all the highly capable people she meets in workplaces and beyond, who know what matters yet struggle to sustain effort and who accept the case for change yet feel internally unavailable. Upwilling is how they can remain present and responsive without being trapped by past regrets or future anxieties.
Iva goes beyond skills, creating the conditions for real readiness, trust and engagement across diverse and demanding contexts. Her concept of upwilling deserves a wider audience.
Karim Smaira
Founder and board member, Notia Medicare, founder and chief executive, Genpharm
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Experience
Iva is an empathiser, shaper and transformer who has helped leaders and teams within more than 70 organisations globally to remain present, open and engaged when under pressure. Drawing on her experience in leadership, neuroscience and holistic practice, she combines mind, body and spirit to ignite the magic of we through five forms of intelligence: emotional, cultural, positive, conversational and collaborative.
Upwilling sounds simple but living it isn’t. What Iva brings is the rare ability to make willingness real - under pressure, in complexity, and with others. That’s the magic.
Thaïs de Tribolet
CEO, Rose Technologies AG
Presenter
Iva is a member of the faculty and senior associate at MCE, the American Management Association in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, regularly giving speeches to high-level audiences and has appeared at events in 40 different countries. She was previously chief executive of a Croatian media company. She writes regular columns on culture and contemporary life for high-profile magazine in South East Europe.
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With Iva, it is not about acquiring more skills. It’s about becoming willing again – willing to stay open, to share experience and to create impact together. It quietly reshapes how you show up months, even years later.
Tina Turk Lupieri
HR director, Maistra Hospitality Group
Voice
Iva champions willingness not as a mindset, but as a capacity that is lived every day. She has the gift of creating the space for trust and presence, restoring relational safety and shared agency, allowing the magic of we to return. Its absence, she argues, isn’t because of a lack of intelligence, intention or discipline, but a loss of willingness.
Iva creates a rare space of trust and presence. She meets you exactly where you are and from there, willingness returns. I leave our conversations more available, more aligned, and ready to engage with clarity rather than force.
Gea Kariž
Country manager, Mastercard
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