Helena’s international journey began during her studies, when curiosity about the world and a desire to step outside familiar frameworks led her to pursue academic and professional opportunities abroad. What initially started as an adventure gradually became a deeper exploration of identity, belonging, and what it truly means to feel “at home.”

She studied International Business at Maastricht University (School of Business and Economics) in the Netherlands, and completed exchange programmes at International Christian University in Japan. She later pursued a master’s degree in Organisational Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Copenhagen Business School and an exchange at Baruch College in New York.

Helena is currently pursuing a PhD in Human Resource Management and Organisational Behaviour at Ghent University, with a research focus on vertical alignment and employee engagement at work. She continues to live in Brussels, where she builds international communities and creates spaces for reflection, connection, and growth.

Her first book, Living Abroad, Finding Yourself, brings together her personal story, testimonies from fellow immigrants and expatriates, and insights from experts, offering both an honest narrative and a practical guide to navigating life abroad.

Alongside her PhD, Helena is the founder of Be YOU, where she offers individual career coaching specialised for people working abroad, as well as group workshops focused on cultural differences and integration.

Her work is informed by years of lived international experience and close engagement with people living abroad and navigating transitions, change, and questions of identity.