Jakub Gietka, was born with spinal muscular atrophy in Poland. After getting a dire prognosis and with little support from the state, Jakub created a career for himself. From 2018 freelance web design via G-COM self-employment, public sector roles at Mazovian Voivodeship Office and Protip, Roche consulting, and policy research at the Institute of Finance, to advocacy with SMA Europe, EURORDIS, and ERN Youth Panel during degrees from Warsaw School of Economics and Kozminski University. In 2022, he founded Aiming For The Future Foundation Fundacja Celując w Przyszłość to empower disabled youth through aid like wheelchairs, the AstraZeneca-funded “10 Steps After Diagnosis” 10 kroków po diagnozie platform (scaled via 2025 Lead2030 $50k win), “The Talking h3ad – Gadająca Głowa” Gadająca Głowa podcast, workshops, and ENIL membership. A One Young World Ambassador and Munich 2025 mainstage speaker alongside AstraZeneca’s Aradhana Sarin, he’s forging strategic AstraZeneca partnerships for Nordic/Polish expansion, eyeing international rollout to UK/France/Germany/Turkey, Polish personal assistance certification.​

1. For those who may not be aware of your work, could you tell us about your background before you began your professional career?

I was born with a neuromuscular condition called spinal muscular atrophy. My parents received the official diagnosis shortly after my first birthday, and at that time, the medical guidance in Poland was extremely limited. The only information they were given was a life expectancy of around six years. There was no roadmap, no structured support, and no clear advice. My family had to navigate everything on their own — travelling across the country for years to find specialists, second opinions, and anyone who could offer a more hopeful perspective.

Those early years were far from easy. Nothing was clearly explained; there was no coordinated system of assistance, and my parents had to build their own understanding from scratch. But that difficult beginning shaped me. It taught me resilience, responsibility, and the importance of creating the kind of support my family never received.

That experience is the foundation of everything I do today. It pushed me to tell my story openly, to advocate for change, and to become — one day — a genuine trendsetter in this space. My goal is simple: to use my journey to build systems, solutions, and platforms that make life easier for the next families so that no one has to start from zero the way we did.

2. How did you get started in your professional life? Which companies or projects did you initially work on?

My professional journey didn’t follow a straight line—it branched out, intersected with itself, and keeps growing in directions I never anticipated. Even now, I’m sometimes amazed at how it all came together.

It started in 2018 with something simple: designing a website and managing a Facebook page for a local foundation. That small contract taught me something fundamental—I could create things that genuinely helped people and organizations thrive. By 2019, I decided to go all in and launched G-COM, my self-employed venture offering website development, hosting management, and digital support to small businesses and nonprofits. I was barely twenty, learning as I built. I was also volunteering with AIESEC Poland, working with incoming global volunteers—my first real taste of connecting people across borders.

During my bachelor’s degree at the Warsaw School of Economics (2019–2022), I joined the Students’ Union Information and Communication Committee and the Council for People with Disabilities. Those spaces were challenging—not always as inclusive as they claimed to be—but that’s precisely why I was there. I wasn’t just participating; I was trying to change them from within, learning how institutions resist and how to push back.

Then 2020 opened simultaneous doors. At the Mazovian Voivodeship Office, I handled citizenship and legalisation cases for foreigners. At Protip, I implemented IT solutions and optimised procedures. Both roles revealed how systems work—and where they fail people.

Alongside paid work, something transformative was building. In 2021, I joined the SMA Europe Adult Committee, stepping into rare disease advocacy. In July 2022, I founded my foundation and completed my bachelor’s degree. That same period, I began my master’s degree in management at Kozminski University (2022–2024) while consulting for Roche on European SMA care benchmarking and working at the Institute of Finance, conducting socio-economic policy research.

The advocacy deepened. In November 2023, I joined EURORDIS’s Social Policy Action Group. In June 2024—a pivotal moment—I completed my master’s degree and was appointed to the Ombudsman’s Council for Persons with Disabilities, suddenly sitting at tables where real policy decisions were being made. Then came the ERN Youth Panel for rare neuromuscular diseases in July 2025, ensuring young voices actually shape research and clinical care.

In 2025, I was recognised as an AstraZeneca Lead2030 Challenge Winner, receiving $50,000 to scale youth-led solutions for post-diagnosis support. That opened even more doors—I’m now an AstraZeneca Impact Fellow, a One Young World Ambassador and a member of the BNP Paribas Youth Advisory Board and European Network on Independent Living.

What amazes me most is that none of this was orchestrated from a master plan. Every step revealed the next logical move. Each role—even the difficult ones in student spaces—showed me where access breaks down and how to build pathways that actually work. The branches keep multiplying, the network keeps expanding, and I’m discovering connections I never expected to make.

3. What motivated you to become self-employed and eventually create your own foundation? Was there a defining moment that inspired you to launch the foundation?

Becoming self-employed was almost a natural progression, though it took the right nudge at the right time. My father played a crucial role in this journey—he encouraged me to apply for a grant from a special fund designed to support young people in establishing their own ventures. That suggestion clicked something into place. I had already gained experience designing a website and managing a Facebook page for a local foundation, and through that work, I realised I was actually quite good at it. It wasn’t perfect, but it showed me I had the capability to work independently and make a meaningful impact on a broader scale. As I’ve worked on various projects, both contract and permanent, I’ve come to see that the best and most stable employer is actually myself.

As for launching the foundation, there wasn’t a single defining moment, but rather a culmination of lived experiences that made it inevitable. Opening a foundation had always been on my to-do list because of everything that shaped me—particularly navigating life with a rare disease and fighting with the system to access basic support. During my bachelor’s degree, I found myself naturally supporting my peers, helping them unconditionally, and I loved it. That’s when I thought: why not channel this into something bigger? Why not focus on my rare disease community and help others facing the same struggles my peers and I experienced?

Of course, I needed the right people to build this with. At first, it was chaotic and incredibly difficult. I gathered friends from university who seemed committed, but I quickly discovered they were only there in name—not in action. The breaking point came during a conversation with one of my co-founders. When I confronted him about the lack of genuine involvement, he said he wouldn’t “bear any grudges” or “take revenge.” That moment crystallised everything for me—it revealed a complete disconnect between my vision of building something meaningful and their superficial participation. After two years of trying to make it work, I made the difficult but necessary decision to remove them from the team. It wasn’t easy for either side, but it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. From that point forward, I carefully selected peers who were truly committed to the mission, and the difference has been transformative. I’ve learned everything through experience, and while the journey hasn’t been easy, it’s been authentic, purposeful, and genuinely collaborative.

4. What is the mission of the ‘Aiming For The Future Foundation’ today? Could you describe some of the key projects or work you are currently involved in?

The Aiming For The Future Foundation (Fundacja Celując w Przyszłość) exists to transform how society views and supports people with disabilities. Our mission is straightforward: support children, youth, and their families in overcoming systemic barriers to independence, autonomy, and full participation in social and professional life. We are grounded in a conviction that every person deserves dignity, agency, and the opportunity to build the future they envision for themselves, regardless of disability status.

Our approach rests on three interconnected pillars: promoting inner peace and joy through accessible living; advancing financial security and independence; and enabling genuine inclusion by building open, supportive relationships that respect the expertise and agency of people with disabilities. Since our founding in July 2022, we have expanded significantly—gathering 100k+PLN across campaigns, launching 15+ social and educational projects, building partnerships with EURORDIS, Eye-Able, AstraZeneca, and One Young World, and reaching over 5,000 followers across digital platforms. We are also proud members of the European Network on Independent Living, contributing to disability rights advocacy across Europe.

I believe in concrete action. The Foundation provides direct assistance to individuals with disabilities, funding everything from specialised wheelchairs and adapted vehicles to communication devices and therapy coverage. These aren’t abstract gestures—they are transformative interventions that enable real people to move beyond survival mode into genuine independence and social participation. Each beneficiary represents both a human victory and evidence that systemic barriers can be dismantled when resources, advocacy, and human solidarity converge.

Our flagship project, “10 kroków po diagnozie” (10 Steps After Diagnosis), addresses a critical gap: families and young people navigating a rare disease diagnosis often lack reliable, empathetic guidance. Developed through the LEAD2030 Challenge with AstraZeneca’s Young Health Programme support, this platform reaches 10,000 parents, doctors, and young people with practical, accessible resources in multiple formats—online guides, mobile apps, and interactive web platforms.

The resource answers essential questions often left unanswered: How do I navigate systems designed without me in mind? How do I access social benefits and support? How do I help my child or myself develop genuine autonomy? By providing this information in plain language, free of medical jargon, we empower families to advocate for themselves and move forward with confidence.

I recognise that meaningful inclusion requires visibility and voice. Through “The Talking h3ad – Gadająca Głowa],” a weekly podcast series, we create space for people with disabilities to discuss economics, finance, social participation, and everyday life—positioning our community as experts in our own experiences, not as charity cases. Our educational workshops, webinars on financial literacy, and collaborations with organisations like the Norwegian Embassy and EURORDIS all serve one purpose: shifting narratives from “disability as problem” to “disability as identity” and “inclusion as economic and social strength.”

We do not operate in isolation. The Foundation actively participates in international rare disease congresses, moderates discussions for EURORDIS-Rare Diseases Europe, and engages with policy forums across the continent. This international presence ensures that Polish and European perspectives on disability inclusion inform global conversations and that research, policy, and practice benefit from the lived expertise of disabled communities.

Through partnerships with Eye-Able and implementation of WCAG standards, we ensure that all our resources—websites, platforms, content—are genuinely accessible to people with disabilities and diverse learning needs. For us, digital accessibility isn’t compliance; it’s a core commitment to inclusion and a reflection of our values.

Moving forward, we are pursuing three interconnected goals: expanding the “10 Steps After Diagnosis” platform to serve significantly more families and professionals; developing a professional personal assistance system with certification and training standards that create sustainable, dignified careers for personal assistants across Poland and Europe; and securing official Public Benefit Organisation status to strengthen our regulatory foundation and transparency. We are also building strategic business partnerships to amplify our educational reach and establishing an annual Foundation meetup as a space for reflection, collaboration, and recognition of those advancing disability inclusion.

At its core, the Aiming For The Future Foundation operates from a simple but radical belief: people with disabilities are not problems to be solved—we are citizens, employees, innovators, and leaders deserving full access to opportunity. Our work demonstrates that genuine inclusion requires both individual support and systemic change, both immediate assistance and long-term advocacy, both listening to lived experience and reshaping institutions to honour it. That is the future we are building.

5. What have been some of your foundation’s biggest accomplishments and recognitions since its launch?

When people ask me this, I have to be honest—we didn’t start the Foundation to collect accolades. We started because there was work that needed doing. But along the way, certain moments showed us we were on the right path.

The first real turning point came in May 2023 when we were invited to the European Parliament in Brussels for a forum dedicated to people with disabilities. That 2,700-kilometre journey wasn’t just about attending an event. It was about being in a room where our lived experience was valued, where we could represent Poland not as supplicants asking for help, but as experts with something meaningful to contribute. That shift in how we were perceived—and how we perceived ourselves—changed everything. It opened international doors and taught us that authenticity carries weight.

Then there was the recognition from ngo.pl for our “Meet and Code” initiative with Amazon. A major Polish nonprofit database flagged our work as a best-practice example worth highlighting to other organisations. That validation meant we weren’t just experimenting—we were building something that actually worked.

But the recognition that genuinely transformed us came from AstraZeneca. Being selected for both the One Young World programme and the AstraZeneca Young Health Programme wasn’t expected. When I found out, it felt like someone at a global level had looked at what we were doing and said: this matters. This deserves investment. That breakthrough gave us something beyond funding—it gave us credibility and the resources to scale what we believe in.

But here’s what I think about when someone mentions our accomplishments: Artur received personal assistance to help him live more independently. Joanna got her adapted vehicle. Jeremi got a communication device. Natalia got a wheelchair designed just for her. Michał got the equipment he needed. Those recognitions—the ones that happen in quiet moments when someone’s life actually changes—those are the ones that stay with me.

6. When and why did you decide to apply for the AstraZeneca award at One Young World? Can you describe the application process and the competition involved?

The decision to apply came from a very specific realisation: I kept encountering families trapped in a system that was designed without them in mind. Parents and children were struggling to navigate the Polish disability support system, especially in rural areas. They didn’t know where to turn, what resources existed, or even what they were entitled to. Doctors and specialists—the very people who should have been guiding them—often weren’t offering this guidance. There was an enormous gap between diagnosis and actually knowing how to move forward.

This became visceral for me in 2024 when I was fundraising for a child with multiple rare diseases. His mother didn’t even know she could request reimbursement for his wheelchair. When I mentioned it, she was shocked. What struck me most was that even the pediatricians—the ones who made the diagnosis, the ones who signed the documentation—hadn’t told her. They hadn’t explained her options. That felt like a systematic failure. These families deserved better.

My own experience with spinal muscular atrophy made this personal. I was born with it, and the doctors told my parents I might not live past six years old. They had no roadmap, no guidance, no one to tell them what to expect or how to navigate life. I survived that prognosis, but I also survived feeling like there should have been better support at that critical moment. I never wanted another family to experience that kind of helplessness.

So the vision became clear: create a comprehensive platform where families, young people with disabilities, and healthcare professionals could access reliable, practical information from the moment of diagnosis. Something that would be there when doctors weren’t offering guidance. Something that said: you’re not alone, and here’s what you need to know.

The Application Process

The application through the One Young World platform was quite involved. There were multiple pathways and scholarships to choose from, including the LEAD2030 Challenge. I had to navigate through different sub-services and options, considering which would be the best fit for what I wanted to accomplish. It took time to complete it properly—I wanted to make sure every element was thoughtful and reflected the seriousness of what we were trying to build.

What I didn’t expect was the scale of the competition. One Young World attracts nearly 100,000 young people from around 200 countries globally, all competing for scholarships and recognition. The LEAD2030 Challenge is their flagship competition, and the calibre of projects being submitted is extraordinary. People from every corner of the world, with innovative solutions to global problems such as concerning NCDs. And somehow, our project was selected.

I still remember the conversation when I found out. I was told by the co-founder of One Young World and the President of AstraZeneca in Poland: “Welcome to the family.” Those words caught me completely off guard. It wasn’t just about winning a scholarship or getting funding—it was about joining the global, transformative community.

That moment changed everything. It wasn’t just validation; it was confirmation that we were solving a real problem in a way that resonated globally. The LEAD2030 Challenge award meant we had the resources and the credibility to actually build what we’d imagined. It transformed us from a young foundation with a good idea into an organisation backed by AstraZeneca and One Young World—organisations that could help us scale our impact across Poland and potentially beyond.

What made it even more meaningful was understanding that this recognition didn’t come from charity or sympathy. It came from the judges recognising that we had identified a genuine gap in how society supports people with rare diseases and disabilities, and that we had a thoughtful, innovative solution. That’s the kind of recognition that gives you the courage to keep going, especially on the difficult days when the work feels overwhelming.

7. At the One Young World 2025 summit in Munich, you were a mainstage speaker and an award recipient from AstraZeneca. What impact did attending the summit have on you personally and professionally, both during and after the event?

Standing backstage at One Young World 2025 in Munich, waiting to address 2,300 people on the mainstage, I experienced something I’d never felt before. I had no experience speaking at this level, in front of this many people. The emotions were overwhelming—genuine fear mixed with profound gratitude for the opportunity. There was anticipation, yes, but also this raw uncertainty: would they care? Would my message land? Would I be able to articulate what I came to say?

When I walked onto that stage, everything changed. The three standing ovations told me something that no amount of preparation could have guaranteed: people heard me. They understood. In that moment, I realised that vulnerability—speaking about struggle, about systems that fail people with disabilities, about the desperate need for better support—isn’t weakness. It’s the most powerful thing you can offer an audience.

But the summit wasn’t just about that speech. It was about the people. I had the privilege of speaking with Aradhana Sarin, CFO of AstraZeneca, and Winnie Olwal, another LEAD2030 winner. These conversations weren’t quick photo ops. They were substantive exchanges with global leaders who understood what we’re trying to build. I met disability advocates, social entrepreneurs, healthcare innovators, and activists from dozens of countries. I met people working in completely different sectors—pharmaceutical companies, NGOs, government organisations—all united by the conviction that the world needs to change.

What struck me most was the unexpectedness of it all. After my speech, people approached me wanting to talk, wanting to collaborate, wanting to understand more about what we’re doing in Poland. Some were thinking about initiatives in their own countries. Others wanted to explore partnership possibilities. These weren’t abstract networking moments—they felt like the beginning of something real, something that could extend far beyond what the Foundation could accomplish alone.

The travelling itself, the immersion in that global community, reminded me that this work—supporting people with disabilities, fighting for inclusion, demanding better systems—isn’t isolated to Poland. It’s a worldwide movement. And being in that room with 2,300 young leaders from around the globe who are committed to changing their worlds was profoundly energising.

Professionally, what emerged from Munich is still unfolding. I’ve had conversations with organisations that could potentially collaborate with us, particularly around health system improvement and rare disease advocacy. But I’m cautious about saying too much—there’s a Polish saying about not jinxing things. I believe in letting things develop naturally, in letting relationships and partnerships grow from genuine connection rather than hype.

What I can say is that Munich shifted something in me. It confirmed that the work we’re doing matters globally. It proved that a young man from Poland, living with spinal muscular atrophy, leading a small foundation, has something valuable to contribute to worldwide conversations about disability, inclusion, and system change. That’s not ego speaking—that’s the recognition that lived experience is expertise, and that expertise deserves a seat at global tables.

If you want to follow what unfolds next, you can find me on social media @celujacwprzyszlosc or search for Fundacja Celując w Przyszłość]. I manage all the Foundation’s social media myself, so everything is authentic and bilingual—Polish and English—for our global community. You’re also welcome to reach out directly to me at jgietka@celujacwprzyszlosc.org. Choose whatever feels most natural to you.

8. Have you engaged with any projects or collaborations that began through One Young World since the summit? Are there any initiatives you’re particularly excited about?

The summit didn’t just open doors—it fundamentally changed what’s possible for the Foundation. What I thought would be a one-time project collaboration with AstraZeneca has evolved into something far deeper and more strategic. Instead of a simple partnership around the LEAD2030 Challenge, we’re now discussing how the Foundation can support AstraZeneca’s broader initiatives across different markets, particularly in the Nordic region and Poland. They’re looking at how to strengthen rare disease support systems in those areas, and our expertise on the ground—our understanding of patient needs, our connections with families and healthcare systems—is directly valuable to their work. That shift from project-based to strategic partnership was unexpected and genuinely exciting.

But what came during those final days of the summit was even more significant. I was accepted as both a youth member and a full member of the European Network on Independent Living (ENIL). This wasn’t something I anticipated, and it represents a major institutional recognition of what the Foundation stands for.

ENIL is a Europe-wide network of disabled people, organisations, and allies working to advance the right to independent living across the continent. They operate from Brussels and advocate for personal assistance support, accessible environments, and the full citizenship of disabled people based on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Being accepted into ENIL means the Foundation is now part of a movement that spans across Europe, working on the same principles we’re fighting for in Poland. It means we’re contributing to and learning from a network with decades of experience in disability advocacy and policy change.

What this opens practically is extraordinary. In February 2026, I’ll be travelling to Brussels for meetings with ENIL and other European platforms to discuss strategy, collaboration, and how to strengthen Independent Living frameworks across borders. There are also discussions about partnerships with Italian organisations and other European actors working on similar issues. These aren’t theoretical conversations—they’re about real collaboration on implementing the rights of disabled people at a systemic level.

What I want to emphasise is how carefully I’m approaching all of this. I know how difficult it was to receive that initial invitation to One Young World, to be accepted into that community. I’m not taking any of this for granted. There’s an enormous responsibility that comes with these doors opening. Every collaboration I pursue, every partnership I enter, must genuinely serve the people we’re here to help. I won’t compromise that principle just because opportunities exist.

9. Looking ahead, how do you envision your foundation and partnerships like AstraZeneca evolving to create greater impact in the future?

We have three interconnected goals that will shape the Foundation’s evolution over the next few years.

First, we need to complete the “10 Steps After Diagnosis” platform successfully and ensure its genuinely supports individuals from diverse backgrounds. That’s the foundation—getting this right locally is essential before anything else can work.

Second, we want to expand this concept internationally. I’m thinking about the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Türkiye—places where I can understand how disability support systems function. It’s an ambitious goal, but I’ve learned that the core idea works. What’s needed is persistence and the right people in each country who understand their own systems deeply enough to adapt and implement it. I want to share this knowledge, this platform, with other nations. The concept itself can spread if the right collaborators are in place.

Third—and this is the area where I think we can create the most systemic change—is developing professional certification and standards for personal assistance workers in Poland. Right now, this profession doesn’t have the recognition or structure it deserves. Politicians talk about it constantly, especially around election cycles, but then nothing happens. I want to create a certification program built on rigorous training, case studies, and professional standards. The goal is simple: make personal assistance a recognised, respected profession so that disabled people finally have access to qualified, properly trained support. So that inclusion stops being just words on paper and becomes an actual lived reality.

10. Are there any people, companies, or programs within the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion or refugee empowerment space that inspire you or that you follow closely?

Honestly, it’s difficult to name just one or two because there’s so much good work happening. But I do follow AstraZeneca’s health programs closely. What appeals to me is their genuine commitment to fighting noncommunicable diseases and their willingness to support ideas and people who are working on these issues from the ground up. They don’t just talk about inclusion—they invest in it.

I follow One Young World intensely because they’ve fundamentally changed what I believed was possible. And I’ve been genuinely impressed by what Barry has built with FocusOnDiversity.ie. The platform is doing real work—creating spaces where marginalised voices are heard and where inclusion is treated as something concrete and actionable, not just aspirational.

What I’ve noticed, though, is something I need to be honest about: most Polish organisations working in this space tend to focus quite narrowly. They don’t look at the bigger picture, the international connections, the ways that shared experiences across borders can amplify impact. Poland still has a lot to learn about thinking globally and combining forces with movements elsewhere. That’s not a criticism—it’s an observation born from my own journey.

But here’s what I believe: each of us has a purpose. Mine isn’t just to run a foundation. It’s to support like-minded people, to listen to those who feel too small or too powerless to fight for themselves, and to implement real change—not just discuss it. I’m trying to be that bridge between Poland and the broader European conversation about disability rights and inclusion.

To readers who want to make an impact: let’s stop working in isolation. Let’s gather our forces, learn from each other across borders, and build something together. That’s where real change happens.