organization and team
Spore Initiative is a foundation registered in Germany since 2020. The foundation directly and exclusively pursues non-profit purposes related to the arts and culture. It is active predominantly in programming and co-productions both in Berlin and abroad, and its philanthropic work is based on collaborative processes. Spore’s institutional anchor is in Berlin-Neukölln, in a building conceived by AFF Architekten. Spore is founded and funded by Hans Schöpflin, a philanthropist and entrepreneur.
He laid the foundations for his philanthropic activities focused on contributing to the building of a more just and sustainable world with the establishment of the Panta Rhea Foundation in the United States in 1998, making his first mark as a risk-taking and innovative funder by supporting a successful campaign that fought the privatization of an aquifer in the Mojave Desert. In 2001 he founded the Schöpflin Stiftung in Germany, committed to raising critical awareness and the strengthening of a vibrant democracy and diverse society.
Hans Schöpflin founded Spore together with Osvaldo Sanchez. The Advisory Board of Spore comprises Hans Schöpflin and, his daughter, Dr. Lisl Schöpflin, a historian and philanthropist. She leads the Panta Rhea Foundation as President and Co-Chair and serves as board member of the Schöpflin Stiftung, Solidaire Network in the USA, and Casa Gallina in Mexico. Her research and writing focus on Indigenous history, cultural translation, and social memory particularly in the Andes during the colonial period. The Advisory Board of Spore advises, supports and monitors the Executive Board as it pursues the Foundation’s stated mission. We are actively working to expand board membership to include community multipliers, cultural practitioners, and other relevant actors.
Spore’s Executive Board consists of Hans Schöpflin and Antonia Alampi, the initiative’s founding director.
Spore's team comes from different disciplines and locations and holds varied knowledges and mother-tongues. Below, you can read about each member.