Karolína Koubová is a cultural manager and local politician who served as Mayor of Jihlava from 2018 to 2022. Her doctoral research at the Theatre Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague explores how cultural institutions in small towns and peripheral regions help strengthen communities and build their resilience. She also works on developing cultural strategies for municipalities and regions. From 2006 to 2010, she worked as a production manager at Buranteatr, a theatre in Brno. In 2011, she co-founded DIOD (Open Door Theatre) in Jihlava, where she worked as a production manager until 2015.