Czech Edition of 'Vogue' Spotlights Professor’s Leadership
From left to right: Davis Davis, Elyssa Gavenda, Ava Paseka, Sandra Kumorowski, and Lizbeth Baeza. 
From left to right: Angela Sheridon, Davis Davis, Lizbeth Baeza, Elyssa Gavenda, Consuelo Vanderbilt Costin, Sandra Kumorowski, and Ava Paseka
From the left to right, front row: Michelle Osinaike, Michaela Seewald (CEO and Publisher of “Vogue CS”), Sandra Kumorowski, Jozlyn White, Elyssa Gavenda, Emily Misiewicz, Zoe Lewis, Lizbeth Baeza, Ariana Olivia Bolaños, and Angela Sheridon. From left to right, back row: Philippe Ravanas, Jala Bell, Grace Murray, Mackera Molomoangai, Davis Davis, Amber Maddox, Isabelle Wilson, and Ava Paseka (not photographed: Cassie Pihera, Abbie Zaleski, and Rebecca McQueen). Each summer, Columbia College Chicago students travel nearly 5,000 miles to Prague where they step inside one of Europe’s most vibrant creative hubs to help global brands in their marketing efforts.
At the center of this experience is Sandra Kumorowski, an associate professor of instruction in the School of Business and Entrepreneurship. She was recently named one of “Vogue’s” leaders in their Czech edition (Vogue CS) for her work advancing arts marketing and creative industry education.
Kumorowski, who was born and raised in what is now the Czech Republic before moving to the United States more than three decades ago, has helped lead Columbia’s Prague Global Marketing program since 2010. The six-credit summer practicum brings Columbia students to the Czech capital for an immersive course that blends cultural exploration with real-world client work, often at a pulse-racing pace that mirrors agency deadlines.
“Students only have ten days to develop a strategic concept for a major brand,” Kumorowski says. “But when you give them the right structure and support, the outcomes are incredible.”
A Program Rooted in Global Perspective and Real Clients
Prague Global Marketing is one of Columbia’s longest-running study-abroad offerings, says Kumorowski. Columbia designed the program to expose students to international business strategy and interdisciplinary collaborations. Thanks to Kumorowski’s cultural ties to the Czech Republic, the program deepened its industry relationships and expanded its reach when she joined Columbia 15 years ago.
Today, Kumorowski co-teaches the course with School of Business and Entrepreneurship Professor Philippe Ravanas. Together, they guide students through a curriculum that includes visits to advertising agencies, cultural institutions, Charles University (one of the oldest universities in the world), and some of Europe’s most recognizable brands. Past clients have included Cosmopolitan, Dermacol, and several Czech innovation agencies and performing arts organizations.
The highlight for many students, however, is the final project: a full strategic marketing campaign for a Czech or multinational brand. In June 2025, that client was “Vogue CS.”
A High-Stakes Assignment From 'Vogue'
The collaboration began with a cold outreach by Kumorowski.
“I believe in the philosophy of ‘If you don’t ask, you don’t get,’” Kumorowski says. “When I look for opportunities for my students, I always aim high.”
She contacted Vogue CS CEO and Publisher Michaela Seewald and Editor-in-Chief Danica Kovářová, who invited Columbia students to the annual Vogue Summit, a gathering of designers, architects, cultural influencers, and global thought leaders.
At the summit, students attended panels, met keynote speakers, and networked with leaders across the creative industries. One of the highlights of Vogue Summit 2025 was meeting the keynote speaker Consuelo Vanderbilt Costin, according to Kumorowski. Costin — whose influence spans across music, business, and the fashion world and is part of the iconic Vanderbilt family — spent considerable time talking with Columbia students and sharing her experiences.
For their class project, "Vogue" asked the students to imagine how the brand could evolve over the next 15 to 30 years. The ask was demanding: create a concept that resonates with Gen Z, aligns with Vogue’s identity, and responds to emerging conversations in culture, fashion, sustainability, and media.
In ten days, four teams produced four proposals, all of which impressed Vogue’s leadership.
One team explored how Vogue could become a catalyst for personal and professional growth by creating long-term educational initiatives that help readers transform their skills, opportunities, and careers. Another team proposed a youth-focused platform that amplifies the authentic, unfiltered voices of Gen Z and reflects their values, concerns, and lived experiences. A third group envisioned “Vogue CS” as a strategic guide for the future, developing tools that help audiences navigate cultural, creative, and professional shifts. The fourth team imagined “Vogue CS” as a hybrid physical-and-digital community hub, a space where creativity, dialogue, and collaboration can flourish beyond traditional media channels.
A Launching Pad
According to Kumorowski, the experience gave students more than strategy work to fill their portfolios, it helped build their global confidence.
“They learn cultural sensitivity, how to network across borders, how to think under pressure, and how to produce high-quality work quickly,” Kumorowski says. “And they learn that their ideas truly matter.”
Regarding her recent recognition from “Vogue CS,” Kumorowski sees it less as a personal accolade and more as a validation of the work her students do on a global stage.
“Being included among 'Vogue’s' leaders is an honor,” she says. “The real achievement, though, is watching students realize they can influence brands and creative industries far beyond Chicago.”
Learn more about the Prague trip by checking out student Ariana Olivia Bolaños 4-part vlog about the experience.