Jakub Zientala

@jacob

I am a public affairs strategist and the founder of UNGovern. I work with governments, institutions, and companies that operate in spaces where the rules are unclear or still being written. My focus is simple. I design legal pathways, I navigate regulatory grey zones, and I help people and organisations move through systems that are usually closed to them. A big part of my work is showing clients how institutions actually function. I help them understand political incentives, build credible narratives, and secure legitimacy in environments that are complex, slow, and often contradictory. I specialise in regulatory niches, early-stage policy design, and long-game influence strategies. Beyond the EU, I work in commercial diplomacy, international development, and cross-border cooperation. I support partners in Europe, Latin America, and Southeast Asia on building modern export pathways, strengthening institutions, and creating governance structures that support long-term economic development. My work sits at the intersection of strategy, diplomacy, and system-level problem solving. My background includes NGO leadership, EU affairs, youth diplomacy networks, stakeholder engagement, and policy development across SDGs, democratic participation, and multilateral cooperation. I have worked with civil society, academia, and government-facing organisations, which gives me a wide-angle view of how influence is built across sectors.