Isabela Perotti is an Occupational Therapist Bachelor, Master in Psychology and currently, PhD in Political Economy student jointly taught by FEUC, ISCTE-IUL and ISEG-UL in partnership with the Centre for Social Studies of the University of Coimbra. The theses project she is working on responds to a convergence of interests and experience of several years studying social policies, poverty and inequalities, issues that, since her graduation as an occupational therapist, she has worked on at different stages in academia, at the third sector, at public administration and in the parliament. In this context, she found a unique opportunity in the interdisciplinary programme offered by the Centre for Social Studies to develop analytical skills for a holistic understanding of the economic, social and political processes that cut across her field of study. Her career has been permanently linked to issues of mental health and socioeconomic inclusion, where strategies to overcome poverty have a robust collective component. Along this path, she became interested in studying the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) and its connections with the debate opened up by the deinstitutionalised approach to mental health. She elaborated the master's research as a historical epistemological study on Italian Psychiatric Reform and mental health phenomenology. Furthermore, she did empirical research to know the contributions of social participation for mental health patients of a work association. Recently, between 2020 and 2021, she made a specialisation in Mental Health, where she researched cooperativism and SSE among women in a Mental Health Network in an urban area in southern Brazil. In addition to her research experience, she has studied sociocracy for participatory governance and leadership, and working at various levels and with different actors, i.e. with liaising between decision makers, politicians, academia, NGOs and community/citizens. All these as a result of three years coordinating a university partner NGO (2016-2019), working as a local Solidarity Economy councillor (2018-2021), and finally, another three years as a political advisor for a state congress member (2019-2022). Primary skills: Qualitative search and analysis; Academic and technical writing; Citizen Engagement; Multiple Stakeholder Engagement; Communicative; Creativity; Inclusion Leadership; Social Business Development; Adaptability; Teamwork.