Geronimo Miguel Comba: Yerba mate in Ljubljana

Geronimo Miguel Comba spent his ASEF Visit Slovenia Junior Fellowship 2026 in the marketing team of Celtra, the Slovenian-founded creative technology company. He came to reconnect with his roots and left as a valued member of the team – framed group photo included.

Coming home to his grandparents’ country

Geronimo’s maternal grandparents were Slovenian, and his family has kept in touch with relatives here over the years. For him, the fellowship was above all a reconnection. “Being able to live in the country my grandparents came from and strengthen those family connections made the experience especially meaningful to me,” he says. During his stay he spent time with cousins, uncles and other relatives.

At work, his task was to help tell a company’s story more clearly. “I would say that I help a company explain better what makes it special and how it can help other businesses create better advertising,” he explains. That meant studying competitors, analysing how companies communicate and finding the messages customers find most useful.

“What excites me is finding simple ways to turn a lot of information into clear ideas that people can actually understand and use.”

Part of the team at Celtra

Under the mentorship of Ana Malave, Geronimo joined Celtra’s marketing team, working on competitor research, product positioning and messaging. What surprised him most was the trust he was given from day one: “how open the team was and how quickly they involved me in real projects.” He also gained insight into how a global company approaches marketing, product positioning and creative technology.

For Celtra, hosting an ASEF fellow was a natural fit. “We are always happy to support initiatives that connect Slovenia with the international environment – whether that means bringing the world a little closer to Slovenia or Slovenia a little closer to the world,” says Maja Mikek, co-founder and CFO of Celtra. “ASEF does a really good job, especially in finding the right matches between young talent and companies. We trust their selection, so the collaboration felt very natural. Exchanges like this broaden horizons on both sides and create connections that can last long after the visit itself.”

The team remembers Gero above all for his positivity and his smile. “He fit into the team very quickly and became part of our everyday life,” says Mikek. “With him we practised Spanish, drank yerba mate, talked a lot about Argentina and Slovenia, and cheered together during the World Cup. He brought a lot of good energy, interesting conversations and a chance for us to learn something new as well.” At the company’s All Hands at the end of July, the whole marketing team posed with him for a group photo – which the team later framed for him.

Ljubljana by bike, Slovenian by heart

Geronimo felt most at home in the simplest moments. “One moment when I felt truly connected to Slovenia was while riding my bike around Ljubljana,” he recalls.

“Passing people on the streets, enjoying the scenery, and experiencing the everyday rhythm of the city made me feel, even for a moment, like I was living the daily life of someone who calls Slovenia home.”

His biggest challenge was the language – precisely because it mattered to him. “I genuinely wanted to be able to speak Slovenian and connect with people in their own language.”

The memory he expects to keep is a quiet one: “sitting with the team in the office and feeling that I was genuinely contributing something valuable. Coming from so far away and from a very different context, being able to feel part of the team is something I think I’ll always remember.”

The fellowship has also shaped his plans. It made him “think more seriously about working internationally in the future and looking for opportunities that allow me to keep connecting my professional career with Slovenia.” His advice to anyone still hesitating:

“I would tell them to apply. Even if you are unsure at first, the experience can give you much more than you expect.”