This is your community to grow with!
At paradiGM, we are committed to creating meaningful opportunities for our members to grow both professionally and personally. Through a variety of programs, initiatives, and peer-to-peer learning experiences, we aim to support continuous development at every stage of a global mobility career.
We are always looking for new ideas and perspectives. If you have a suggestion for a program, event, or learning opportunity, we would love to hear from you. Members can reach out directly to Tuğçe Işıkara Törtop via LinkedIn, while non-members are welcome to contact us by email.
At paradiGM, we view growth holistically. We believe that people achieve their greatest potential when they can bring their whole selves to the table rather than separating their professional identity from who they are as individuals. We encourage openness, authenticity, and lifelong learning, and our programs are designed with this philosophy in mind.
paradiGM Academy
The Academy is a six-month learning journey designed for professionals in the early stages of their global mobility careers. The program explores not only how our industry operates today, but also how insights from disciplines such as psychology, medicine, linguistics, and other fields can inspire innovation and enhance professional development.
To encourage meaningful discussion and engagement, participation is limited to a small cohort each year. The Academy is led by paradiGM’s GROW Team and runs annually from October through May, with a break in December.
If you are interested in joining, please contact us for further information.
paradiGM MasterMind groups
Imagine having a trusted network of experienced global mobility professionals to help you navigate your most significant business and leadership challenges. Whether you are considering hiring a new team member, pursuing a major client opportunity, preparing for succession planning, or simply seeking a sounding board for new ideas, the MasterMind program provides a space for meaningful peer support.
MasterMind Groups bring together seasoned professionals in small, moderated groups that meet throughout the year. The focus is on honest conversations, shared experiences, and collective problem-solving. No presentations. No PowerPoint slides. Just valuable peer-to-peer dialogue.
New groups typically form each year in the early autumn, but interested members are encouraged to contact us at any time.
paradiGM Two-Way Mentorship Initiative
The Two-Way Mentorship Initiative reimagines traditional mentoring through the lens of mutual learning.
This one-to-one mentorship experience pairs professionals at different stages of their careers and encourages knowledge-sharing in both directions. While experienced professionals continue to offer valuable guidance and insight, today’s rapidly evolving workplace also creates opportunities for emerging professionals to share fresh perspectives, new approaches, and evolving industry trends.
The result is a dynamic learning partnership where both participants grow, challenge assumptions, and broaden their perspectives.
If you are interested in participating in the Two-Way Mentorship Initiative, please get in touch for further information.
Grow Team
Tuğçe
Tuğçe Işıkara Törtop – Advocate is a Partner in Bener Law Office’s Corporate Immigration Department in Istanbul. Her immigration journey began at a Brussels-based law firm, and over the past 16 years she has built extensive expertise in navigating the complexities of Turkish immigration law, regulations, and policy. Whether supporting multinational corporations or individual clients, she is passionate about finding practical solutions and guiding people through every step of their immigration journey
She studied law and graduated from the University Grenoble Alpes and holds master degrees in International and European Public Law as well as Diplomatic Affairs & International Careers. A proud member of the ParadiGM Community since 2021, Tugce is delighted to return as GROW Team Lead for the 2026–2027 program year. She looks forward to creating opportunities for meaningful connections, knowledge sharing, and collaboration among global mobility professionals while helping the community continue to thrive and grow.
When she’s away from immigration matters, Tugce is often busy chasing after her two daughters, dreaming up her next travel adventure, exploring the outdoors on long walks, hitting the snowboarding slopes, and enjoying time with family and friends.
Katie
Katie McDermott – Vice Advocate is the Managing Director of Erickson Immigration Group for the United Kingdom and Ireland. Following qualification as a solicitor in Ireland, she practiced for over 15 years, advising both private clients and multinational organisations on navigating complex immigration systems.
In 2024, Katie transitioned from a corporate law firm – where she served as local counsel to global immigration providers – to Erickson Immigration Group to establish and expand its Ireland office. She now leads both the UK and Ireland practices, delivering strategic, end-to-end immigration solutions to multinational clients.
Her expertise spans permit applications, the development of global compliance programmes, and the design of multi-jurisdictional platforms that streamline processes and enhance tracking for clients operating across borders.
Katie holds master’s-level qualifications in both business and law and is admitted as a solicitor to the Superior Courts of England and Wales. She is a regular contributor to legal and HR publications on corporate immigration and actively engages in policy development, making submissions to the Irish Government and the Economic and Social Research Institute.
Outside of work, Katie enjoys spending time with her family, their numerous pets and playing tennis.
Marcel
Although his plan A for life was to be a bassist in a rockband, Marcel Reurs was happy to settle for plan B, go to law school and become an attorney. He is a partner with Everaert Advocaten, a law firm established in 1982, exclusively dedicated to immigration and nationality law, and has been practicing Dutch and EU immigration law for over 25 years. Marcel is chair of the paradiGM MasterMind program. Living in Monnickendam, a small town in Holland, with his partner, three kids and a doodle, Marcel remains passionate about music and playing in bands.
Maria
Maria (Christina) Kouri is an immigration enthusiast who never ceases to be amazed about how immigration shapes the world. Belong to a lovely family; she is a spouse and a mum of 2 children, a cat and a dog.
She spent most of her time (since 1999) as the Immigration Director of Corporate Relocations Greece, assisting people who wish to work in Greece and gaining and enhancing knowledge in a constantly changing environment of immigration and work.
She lives in a -used to be green- suburb outside Athens. Summer of 2021, the area was burnt, but nature is already doing her magic.
Loves: Participating in immigration discussions with the industry’s like-minded people and Belonging/networking/shaping ideas within fascinating network members
Hates/cannot understand: Violence/war, Child abuse, Gender/other discrimination, Fires/natural disasters caused by human hands.
Admires: People who respect others and assist humans to see the bright side of life.
Lucy
Lucy Magardichian is a U.S. inbound immigration lawyer with over 20 years of experience specializing in business immigration. She provides strategic solutions for clients across technology, finance, fashion, healthcare, and creative industries, focusing on complex visa processes and global talent mobility. She advises organizations from start-ups to multinational corporations, helping foreign professionals and entrepreneurs establish and expand businesses in the United States.
Lucy is an avid traveler, and there’s a good chance you’ll run into her somewhere around the globe.
Mary
Mary Tetteh is a dedicated Legal Associate at Globetrotters Legal Africa, with expertise in Immigration Law, Corporate Law, Regulatory Compliance, and Employment Law. She has collaborated with global immigration firms to deliver strategic immigration and compliance advisory services tailored to multinational organizations.
Admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Ghana in 2024, Mary holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Political Science from the University of Ghana, Legon, and a Postgraduate Law LLB from the University of Professional Studies Accra (UPSA). Her comprehensive legal knowledge and strategic approach enable her to effectively navigate complex legal environments.
Marco
Marco Abellan is Director of the Global Migration & Relocation practice at BLP, has over 17 years of specialized legal experience in migration. He is an expert in migration processes for temporary and permanent residencies, special permits, and entry visas in Costa Rica and Central America. He provides advice to companies for the incorporation of foreign employees and their dependents. He has extensive experience in advising and supporting companies in the relocation of their foreign workers and their adaptation to Costa Rica.
Abilio
Abilio Jaribu serves as a paralegal on the London labour and employment group at Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath, working under the supervision of a U.S./UK-qualified lawyer as applicable, and focuses his practice in partnering with client teams to manage and resolve workforce issues relating to immigration matters.
With more than five years of immigration experience, Abilio concentrates primarily on UK immigration law and global migration coordination, offering comprehensive assistance to both corporate and private clients. The assistance he provides spans a wide range of immigration and compliance matters, ensuring clients adhere to legal requirements and maintain necessary authorisations.
Elizabeth
Elizabeth Garvish founded Garvish Immigration Law Group, LLC in 2011 with the mission to be the “Happiest Law Firm in America.”
In June 2022, Elizabeth was recognized as a Legal Innovator at the Daily Report’s Georgia Legal Awards and received recognition for two consecutive years (2023 and 2024) as one of Georgia’s Titan 100.
She is ranked in the Chambers USA Guide and included in the LawDragon100 Leading Immigration Lawyers Guide. Elizabeth is a frequent speaker and presenter on U.S. immigration, wellness, and law practice management topics. She is also a Certified Speaker through the Entrepreneur’s Organization’s Global Speakers Academy. She is an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and has served on various national committees, including serving as the Past Chair of the Georgia-Alabama Chapter of AILA.
For many years, she served as the local Coordinator of AILA’s national Citizenship Day Naturalization Drive. She received the State Bar of Georgia’s H. Sol Clark Pro Bono Award in 2008 for developing this program locally. In 2012, the New Leaders Council recognized her as an Agent of Change, and in 2015, she received the AILA Champion of the Year award from the Georgia Asylum and Immigration Network. For many years, Elizabeth hosted an internet radio show called “Beyond the Border” on wceg.org. She earned her B.A. from Johns Hopkins University and her J.D. from Tulane University School of Law.
Listen to Elizabeth’s new podcast celebrating immigrants, “Love Letters to Immigrants,” which launched on Valentine’s Day 2026.
