Student-to-alumni engagement with Nena Grceva

What does student engagement look like when your alumni are spread across 110 countries? In this episode of Alumless World, we speak with Nena Grceva, Director of Alumni Affairs at The Hertie School in Berlin. Nena brings a global lens to the student-to-alumni transition and shares how a mission-driven institution can build meaningful connections—starting before graduation. From award-winning programs like the Thesis Buddy Project to launching five alumni chapters in just two years, Nena walks us through her approach to aligning alumni engagement with institutional values like democracy, community-building, and civic responsibility. She also shares her insights on working with international volunteers, measuring ROI for engagement, and how to stay grounded when building programs from scratch. Whether you're managing a small alumni population or looking to infuse more meaning into your engagement strategies, this episode is packed with lessons from a seasoned practitioner and CASE leader operating on a global stage. Thanks to the team at Protopia for supporting the show. Visit protopia.co/alumless for more details about the technology that's winning CASE awards and helping schools scale donor engagement.