Our Team

Svetlana Lipai has a daughter 12 years old. Becoming a parent sparked her deep interest in children psychology, leading her to study a wide range of materials and researches on child development and parenting. Svetlana believes that for a child to grow into a confident, capable young person, they need freedom of choice and an environment that allows them to explore the world, broaden their horizons, and develop a strong sense of self and their unique potential.

Svetlana has 20 years of experience in law, finance, business and holds degrees in Law, Finances and  Linguistics.

Svetlana Ochotnikova earned her bachelor’s degree in Clinical Psychology in 2008 from the East-European Institute of Psychoanalysis in St. Petersburg. In 2012, she completed her master’s degree in Health Psychology at City University London.

Svetlana has over 15 years of experience working individually with children and families, as well as facilitating group sessions in mainstream and special-needs schools, early years settings, and therapeutic environments across Russia and the UK. She is a mother of two — a 15-year-old daughter and a 9-year-old son.

Irina qualified as an Economist in 1995 with a specialisation in Accounting and Auditing. She spent 23 years teaching as an Associate Professor at the National Technical University “Dnipro Polytechnic,” and earned her PhD in Economics in 2008.

She later completed a Master’s degree in Psychology, gaining certification as a psychologist and counsellor at a central psycho-medical-pedagogical clinic. Irina moved to the United Kingdom in 2022 and is a mother of two sons.

Elena Kuprienko is economist professional and a graduate of the Kyiv University of Trade and Economics, where she specialised in International Management. She spent over 20 years working within contract and tender committees across various state institutions.

In 2022, Elena relocated to London with her daughters. She is responsible, communicative, and warm-spirited, easily building connections with children and always ready to support their growth and development.

A teacher with over 15 years of experience and an international academic background. She developed and taught her own signature course in computer literacy and economics at the Children’s Business School in Tallinn. After relocating to the UK, she has been teaching bilingual children Russian language, speech development, and general studies. She believes that learning should be engaging and inspiring.

She graduated from Tallinn University and MPGU, and completed a CLIL programme at the University of Parma. She has been living in the UK for over seven years.

Elena is children psychologist with more than 10 years of experience working with adults and teeneagers. She holds a Master’s degree in Psychology (Odessa, 2014) and has been quilified as Gestalt therapist since 2016. Elena is fully clinically accredited by the UKCP and is a member of GPTI (UK). Her areas of expertise include family therapy, crisis support, trauma, and complex clinical cases.

She facilitates in-person therapeutic groups for adults and teenagers across the UK and Europe. Elena is also a mother to a 17-year-old daughter.

Natalia Protopopova holds a degree in Radiophysics and Microelectronics and a teaching qualification. She later expanded her creative background at Bauman Moscow State Technical University and worked as a graphic designer in a leading Moscow agency. After moving to London in 2011, she spent ten years raising her two daughters, which deepened her interest in child development and creating warm, inspiring learning environments. Today, Natalia is a coordinator at Gerbera Academy.

Responsible and approachable, she easily connects with families. She also has professional training in styling, bringing aesthetic harmony and a welcoming atmosphere to our community.

Julia Galich is a specialist in social and business etiquette, table manners, and public speaking, with extensive international teaching experience.

She is a member of the International Association of Professional Etiquette Consultants and a nominee for “Best Business 2025” by IAPO.

Yulia is also an invited lecturer at UK universities and an experienced media expert. She designs and delivers highly practical courses and corporate training that help students refine their manners, communicate with confidence, and speak clearly, persuasively, and appropriately in any social or professional setting.

Yulia Kjolsen brings over 20 years of professional experience in Finance, Human Resources, and Business Management. She holds a degree in Economics and HR Management and earned a Professional Diploma in Accounting in 2009.

Having worked with both start-ups and international organisations across multiple industries, Yulia has recruited and developed teams, managed budgets, identified financial risks, and supported strategic business decisions.

As the mother of a 17-year-old son, she is passionate about helping young people develop the financial skills they need for adult life. Through Gerbera Academy, Yulia teaches teenagers how money works, make informed financial decisions, think critically, avoid costly mistakes, and build lifelong financial confidence and healthy money habits.

Her engaging, practical approach equips students with essential skills they will benefit from for years to come.

Nicole Mihailova is an experienced educator and psychology practitioner with over 10 years of experience supporting children and teenagers in their academic, emotional, and personal development. Her background teaching mathematics and physics has given her a deep understanding that every child learns differently and thrives with the right support.

Nicole holds a BSc in Pure Mathematics from Queen Mary University of London and has completed professional retraining as a Counselling Psychologist and Philosopher. She has also undertaken advanced training in psychoanalytic assessment and psychodynamic methods and is currently completing Gestalt Therapy training accredited by the European Association for Gestalt Therapy (EAGT). She completed 800-Hour Philosophy Programme
which included Comprehensive study of the history of philosophy, major philosophical schools and traditions, and key philosophical texts.

At Gerbera Academy, Nicole creates a warm, supportive environment where children build confidence, emotional intelligence, resilience, communication skills, and practical life skills for the future.

Nonna Shakhova is a Senior Analytics Engineer with over 15 years of experience in technology, data architecture, coding, and AI, complemented by a strong foundation in education and community leadership.

Before transitioning into industry, she spent six years in academia as a university lecturer, where she developed a lifelong passion for teaching, mentoring, and making complex ideas accessible and engaging. Alongside her engineering work, she is an active STEM Ambassador for STEM Learning UK, a Women Techmakers Ambassador, and a leader in the Women Coding Community, dedicated to empowering early-career technologists and underrepresented groups.

Her work with young learners ranges from running high school AI coding clubs to tailoring technical concepts for primary school students as the mum of a 7 years-old child. This hands-on experience allows her to make coding, AI, and problem-solving relatable, creative, and fun for children and teenagers. She is passionate about helping students discover their potential early, encouraging girls in tech, and showing young minds how curiosity and technology can open doors to the future.