MEET THE TEAM
Together towards a goal
The team behind Richtungswechsel consists of experts from various fields. However, the common goal remains in focus:
(Re)integration through evidence-based social innovation.
Tamara Höfer
(she/her)
Founder & CEO
Tamara is a former prison officer and worked for UNODC and the English prison system in correctional research.
As an expert in corrections and its reform, Tamara uses an evidence-based approach to support (re)integration efforts.
Tamara is also a BOLD Mind of the BOLD Community – a community initiative of innovators and visionaries by the Austrian Chamber of Commerce (WKO).
Viktoria Reigl
(she/her)
Co-CEO & CFO
Viktoria is training to become a Clinical Psychologist and works with individuals with mental health conditions. Additionally, she is completing the Forensic Psychology course at the Austrian Academy of Psychology (AAP).
With her expertise, she aims to contribute to Richtungswechsel and assist in promoting the resocialization process within the correctional system.
Gerhard Blabensteiner
(he/him)
Board Member & Co-Founder
Gerhard Blabensteiner is a teacher and deputy principal at a secondary school in Vienna. The Teach for Austria program inspired this forestry scientist (DI) to pursue a career in education. As the former managing director of Sindbad Vienna (2019-2023), he has experience in social business.
He is a founding member and board member of Richtungswechsel (Change of Direction) and is particularly interested in auditing finances. In his free time, he enjoys exploring the Vienna Woods or cooking for large groups of friends.
Gabi Gőbl
(she/her)
Program Advisor
Gabi Gőbl worked as an international project manager for numerous NGOs in Hungary before joining the Central European University (CEU), where she engaged in research and research management on various topics.
In addition to her work at the CEU, she continues to pursue her interest in the civil sector. Drawing on her extensive experience and involvement in this field, she has served as an evaluator for the SocialMarie Prize for social innovation since 2017.
Gabi joined Richtungswechsel in 2024 as a program consultant, promoting collaboration, including with the CEU. She firmly believes in cooperation, solidarity, and BOLD innovation.
Claudia Müllauer
(she/her)
Board Member & Child Safeguarding Focal Point
Claudia Müllauer works as the administrative coordinator of the FWF Cluster of Excellence “Knowledge in Crisis” at the Department of Philosophy at Central European University (CEU) and as a project coordinator at the Center for Belief Update and Debiasing (DEBIAS).
Since 2026 she has been a board member at Richtungswechsel and serves as the child safeguarding focal point.
Tabea Schleising
(she/her)
Project- and Programmeadministration
Tabea is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Criminology and has already successfully completed her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. Her studies have given her valuable insights into the foundations of human behavior and have strengthened her understanding of the dynamics between individuals and society. Early on, she realized that she wanted to move toward criminology over the course of her academic career in order to apply her knowledge in the fields of prevention and reintegration.
At Richtungswechsel, Tabea puts her theoretical knowledge into practice to contribute to vocational training in correctional facilities and, more broadly, to support incarcerated individuals. She actively works on our mentoring projects and assists with administrative tasks. At the same time, she is committed to positively influencing society’s perception of the prison system and conditions of incarceration.
Nina Goldbacher
(she/her)
Office Administrator
With a master’s degree in Entrepreneurship and Applied Management, Nina combines in depth expertise in social entrepreneurship, project management, marketing, sales, finance and office management, as well as experience as a psychological counselor.
At Richtungswechsel she is responsible for office administration and social media.
Antonia Hufnagl
(she/her)
Project and Research Assistent
Antonia is studying psychology and has already gained experience in the forensic field. Her motivation is to contribute to improving resocialization processes at a structural level.
She supports the team especially in connection with our RESCALED ambassador role.
She values Richtungswechsel for its interdisciplinary and international approach, as it allows her to combine different perspectives and make a meaningful contribution.
Nina Süß
(she/her)
Project and Research Assistent
Nina studied psychology and is a clinical psychologist. She worked for five years in neuroscience research before specializing in forensic psychology. She has extensive experience working in the Austrian Maßnahmenvollzug (forensic commitment) and still works in the justice system, where she is responsible for the care and treatment of incarcerated individuals.
She supports Richtungswechsel because she believes that a humane, people-oriented correctional system is essential to enabling genuine change in incarcerated individuals.
Sophia Hopfer
(sie/ihr)
Project Assistent (Volunteer)
Sophia is a lawyer with a postgraduate master’s degree in information and Media Law. She currently works as a university assistent.
She values the interdisciplinary approach and international perspective of Richtungswechsel and volunteers to support a future-oriented correctional system.
Kira Thuijs
(she/her)
Project Assistant (Volunteer)
Kira is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Organizing Social Impact at Utrecht University, having previously completed her Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. In recent years, she has intensively studied various perspectives on rehabilitation and judicial reform. She now puts this theoretical knowledge into practice at Richtungswechsel (Change of Direction) and actively contributes to social change.
At Richtungswechsel, Kira is particularly committed to strengthening just structures and achieving sustainable social impact.
Thomas Wetzel
(he/him)
Head of Training
“The competitive advantage lies in the people themselves.”
As the head of the Training and Coaching division, Thomas supports organizations in targeted development of their employees. To date, he has accompanied more than 7,500 people from hundreds of companies on their development journey, thereby developing a special sense for each individual character.
Gabi Machado
(she/her)
Public Relations & Impact Assessment Advisor (Volunteer)
Klara Blomberg
(she/her)
Public Outreach Advisor (Volunteer)
Klara has volunteered at Richtungsweschel since May 2024. She is an Erasmus mundus student in Public Policy at Central European University, specialising in Global Public Policy and has an interest in Human Rights.
Prior to studying at Central European University, Klara completed her Batchelor degree in political science at Uppsala University in Sweden.
Momina Khurshid
(she/her)
Development and Training Advisor (Volunteer)
Momina is a lawyer from Pakistan who is currently enrolled in the Erasmus Mundus Master’s in History in the Public Sphere. Her primary areas of interest focus on policy approaches for addressing gender-based violence and creating sensitivity training programs for professionals. For her thesis, she is developing an interactive workshop aimed at enhancing sensitivity towards domestic violence in Punjab, Pakistan.
Become Part of Our Team
Are you ready to make a real difference? At Richtungswechsel, we are passionately committed to the (re)socialization of incarcerated individuals and the promotion of a culture of opportunities and support. If you want to work in a dynamic team and are enthusiastic about social justice and work in the prison system, then you are in the right place. Learn more about our open positions and become part of a movement that sustainably changes people’s lives. Together, we can break the cycle of recidivism and create a better future. Become part of Richtungswechsel – we look forward to having you!
OUR PARTNERS
Richtungswechsel emerged from passion paired with an idea.
However, this wouldn’t have been possible without our partner organisations. Richtungswechsel takes pride in this global network.
“We cannot achieve justice and equality without collective action. It requires all of us, working together, to create a more just and equitable society.”
– Bryan Stevenson
