Our Team
IWONA KECLER-MAŁECKA
BOARD MEMBER
Iwona Kecler-Malecka is a co-founder of Polish-American Foundation “Nie Pękaj – Be Strong”. She works at CRO (Clinical Research Organization), which is conducting, managing, and monitoring clinical trials of drugs in phases I through IV, in a broad Lifesciences space
More about Iwona
In 2019, Iwona had a brain aneurysm diagnosed, which was secured during the embolization procedure, and is now under constant medical supervision. From the moment of diagnosis, Iwona was looking for support groups and information about specialist doctors in Poland and abroad. At that point, the idea of the Foundation was born, the aim of which is, among others, to spread knowledge about brain aneurysms and to support people affected by this disease.
A graduate of Chemical Technology and Computer Science at the Szczecin University of Technology. Iwona also holds a BSc in Clinical Research from the University of Cincinnati in the United States. Currently, she is pursuing her Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in the United States.
KATARZYNA STANISŁAWSKA, PhD, MD
BOARD MEMBER
Katarzyna Stanisławska has been providing online consultations in the field of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cerebrovascular diseases to patients from all over Poland, for several years. Starting cooperation with the Foundation was a natural, next step in supporting patients with brain aneurysms. In the Foundation, she is responsible for building a proven, substantive knowledge base for patients and is the coordinator of the Foundation's Medical Advisory Team.
More about Katarzyna
She is a graduate of the Medical University of Karol Marcinkowski in Poznań. In 2018, she obtained the title of specialist in radiology and imaging diagnostics, passing the European Diploma in Radiology in Vienna. She works at the Clinical Hospital of Heliodor Święcicki in Poznań at the Department of Clinical Radiology and the Department of Neurosurgery and Neurotraumatology. In 2019, she completed her doctoral studies at the Medical University of Poznań. She defended her doctoral thesis on the use of intracranial stents in the treatment of non-ruptured brain aneurysms. Currently, she is an assistant professor at the Department of General and Procedural Radiology of the Medical University of Poznań, where she teaches future doctors the classical and interventional radiology field.
In her everyday practice, she deals with diagnostics and endovascular treatment of vascular diseases, particularly cerebrovascular diseases. She performs embolization procedures for intracranial aneurysms and hemangiomas and deals with the endovascular treatment of ischemic strokes. In addition to neuroradiology treatments, she performs treatments in interventional oncology, organ embolization, and many others.
She is the author and co-author of scientific papers in Polish and foreign journals and speeches at scientific conferences in Poland and abroad. Katarzyna Stanisławska is a member of the Polish Radiological Society and European and world societies in the field of general radiology and interventional radiology.
Privately, she travels and plays basketball.
BARBARA BAWIEC-KUSZ
BOARD MEMBER
Barbara Bawiec - Kusz is a co-founder of the Polish-American Foundation "Nie Pękaj - Be Strong.” She supported Iwona's initiative and helped create this NGO. Barbara is a leader in implementing many European business, educational and social projects.
More about Barbara
She was the co-initiator of establishing the Local Action Group for Central Pomerania and its President in 2008 – 2020. The Group consisted of 15 local governments and entrepreneurs, and social organizations operating in them. The effect of the group’s activity was obtaining tens of millions of grants from European and national funds, which contributed to the dynamic development of Central Pomerania.
For her achievements, she was awarded the title of Entrepreneurial Woman in 2013.
With her husband, she is the owner of several companies and the founder of the Foundation. She manages educational institutions in several provinces, which she created from scratch daily.
Her passion is to help, according to the principle – “SHARE WHAT YOU KNOW, AND WHAT YOU HAVE” and the inspiration for action by Maria Skłodowska-Curie’s thesis “You shouldn’t be afraid of anything in life, you just need to understand it.”
Barbara Bawiec-Kusz graduated from several institutions: an MSc in Environmental Protection, a Certificate from the Polish Academy of Sciences Studies, a Certificate of European Local Government Law, an MSc in Pedagogical Studies – Education Management, Early School and Pre-School Education and Pedagogical Preparation. She is also a 2nd-degree auditor.
She also has a Certificate of the Minister of the Treasury authorizing her to represent the Treasury on the Supervisory Boards of State Treasury Companies.