Michaela Bakala for Vogue Leaders on Family Philanthropy

When your Bakala Foundation celebrated its 15th anniversary at the beginning of the summer, you mentioned that each year, each interview process, and each scholarship allocation is unique, primarily thanks to the students and their personalities. How would you compare your original concept with what the foundation has become? For me, it has exceeded all the expectations I might have had. It turns out that the Czech Republic is home to significant talent, with approximately 200 students annually deserving the chance to attend the world’s most prestigious universities. At first, we sent most of the students to the U.S. and the U.K., but more recently, we have been “supplying” institutions in Switzerland, France, and Denmark. Back in 2007, when we established the foundation, I was going through many changes in my both personal and professional life. It was like a tsunami of positivity—my new relationship with Zdenek Bakala, fresh opportunities for self-realization, motherhood. This period also marked the beginning of my philanthropic endeavors. My husband was accustomed to donating to charity even before we met. Because he trusted me and recognized my understanding of strategic thinking, production, and communication, he asked me to explore philanthropic opportunities, along with our colleagues, and identify the areas we should focus on. Thanks to our reach beyond the Czech Republic and Zdenek’s firm belief that education is the best investment, the foundation’s program crystalized quickly and clearly. Zdenek himself was not permitted to study under the communist regime in Czechoslovakia, which led him to emigrate in the 1980s. American society gave him a chance. He was able to study at very good schools such as Berkeley in California and Dartmouth in New Hampshire, where he specialized in finance and business. He then started his career on Wall Street, worked in London, and after the Velvet Revolution, helped transform Czechoslovakia into a capitalist society. He founded Patria Finance, one of the most successful private investment banks in the country, which produced many influential economists and business leaders who have an impact on our society to this day. That inspired me—it wasn’t just a dream, but an opportunity paired with hard work. And so we facilitated and fully funded the first scholarships for talented Czech students.

How does your program differ from, for example, the Fulbright scholarship programs? Fulbright supports students for a limited time, typically sending them to the U.S. for six months, for one or two semesters. We decided we would fully fund the complete studies for talented and financially needy students. We support undergraduate, master’s, or postgraduate studies. A respected expert panel decides which exceptionally talented students receive support. From the very beginning, this panel has included people such as Lukáš Čermák, David Heyrovský, Cyril Höschl, Michal Pěchouček, Vanda Thorne, Hynek Wichterle, and even our alumni.

In your view, how have the scholarship applicants changed over time? They are much better at presenting themselves than in the past. They are fluent in English and often in several other languages, speaking like native speakers. Writing an essay and obtaining recommendations is just the first step. The challenging interviews that follow reveal that compared to their predecessors, they have a clearer understanding of what their chosen studies entail. It’s no longer a leap into the unknown. This doesn’t mean that they still don’t have to possess significant courage and determination to leave their families and close friends, however, our scholarship recipients often say that the hardest part isn’t the decision to go, but the adjustment to suddenly not being at the top of the class. At these schools, they are surrounded by peers who are just as, if not more, talented. Competing with the best is a significant psychological challenge, but it also teaches humility. The vast majority of alumni say that the support from the Bakala Foundation completely changed their lives.

You’ve been lucky enough to live in different parts of the world. Which educational model do you consider the best? For me, the saying "the shoemaker's children go barefoot" applies. I studied here in my home country and completed a specialized business program abroad focused on senior management. But I can’t complain—FAMU gave me a solid foundation, and I later supplemented my education with various specialized courses. I learned on the job. Studying production and learning how to build a team, how to understand legal and financial implications, apply for funding, enter into contracts, hire people, and follow a production plan offers universal experiences transferable to many fields, including one’s personal life. Planning a vacation or founding a company? There’s not much difference [laughter]. I still enjoy trying new things. That’s why I’ve started studying psychology, which is closely related to philanthropy, politics, communication, and mentoring. Proper communication is at least half, if not the entire key to success, and many underestimate it. To inspire, be respected, and have people listen is an art one must master or at least strengthen. And here I don’t just mean success in one’s career or in the media, but also communication in relationships and parenting.

What educational path have you chosen for your children? They started school in Switzerland, ten years later we put down roots in the U.S., and we also spent time in South Africa. During COVID-19, we returned to the U.S., so they are most closely aligned to the American system. They’re very curious and genuinely enjoy going to school, to the point where it’s surprising. Frequent moves forced them to build and break many social bonds. We didn’t try to attempt homeschooling; we’re not fans of it. Our children had to learn to be flexible. Given the circumstances, Zdenek and I ensured they felt a strong sense of home. For instance, I insisted on sticking to a daily routine including family dinners where we talked for at least two hours. For a long time, we kept up the habit of choosing and watching movies together. We also didn’t take the kids out of school during the academic year. When we needed to travel, we took turns, making sure one of us stayed home. We also made sure to keep up with their extracurricular activities – sports, language classes, playing the piano, violin, and guitar – which reflects our Czech upbringing and the unique tradition of community music schools. Our routine wasn’t much different from that of families back in our hometown of Brno. Our family upholds Central European values. The children know they are Czech; they hold both Czech and American passports, but where is their home? That’s a question they will have to answer themselves. For me, I live by the motto that home is wherever we’re all together.

The Bakala Foundation is also involved in activities other than scholarship programs. It organizes a summer camp for aspiring journalists, organizes the Kaplicky Internship for promising young architects in renowned architectural studios around the world, hosts workshops and lectures, and supports both individuals and organizations. What particularly caught my attention in the annual reports is the promotion of digitalization alongside care for mental health, which should go hand in hand. What specific steps has the foundation taken in this regard? We supported two projects linked to COVID-19 lockdowns. Schools were unprepared for online education and homeschooling. We worked hard to help accelerate the digitalization of school programs, supported Člověk v tísni (People in Need) and Česko.Digital, and contacted all our current scholarship recipients overseas who were isolated abroad and had trouble returning home or were facing financial challenges. A quick and effective helping hand, a personal interest, and a safety net are closely tied to mental health. We also collaborated with Nevypusť duši, a nonprofit organization founded by one of our former scholarship recipients. Unfortunately, there is still a significant lack of psychologists to help parents or children during their school years. In this regard, the situation is the opposite of that in the U.S. While the healthcare system in the U.S. is less socialized and of a lower quality, they don’t underestimate psychological care.

The Václav Havel Library is celebrating 20 years of existence. How do you, as the chair of its advisory board, view its role? Is it changing? We had to acknowledge that the group of Václav Havel enthusiasts who shaped the library wouldn’t be around forever. It was important to ensure that Havel's legacy would remain alive and that the organization would function professionally over the long term, regardless of whether the Havel family or close collaborators like us would be here. As a result, we have been building an organizational structure modeled on international best practices for similar institutions, which led to slight adjustments in its status. With Michal Žantovský’s departure, the chapter of the library’s history written by Václav Havel’s contemporaries came to an end. The library now requires new leadership for a new generation, which led to the appointment of Milan Babík as the new director. Even prior to this, we had established the Havel online channel and interactive educational programs, though traditional, live meetings remain key. In light of the growing conflicts worldwide, Havel’s writings and messages are yet again incredibly relevant. I truly hope that the Czech Republic will not stray far from the values we stood for in the 1990s and that we will stick to our humanitarian principles. The world isn’t black and white, but we shouldn’t stop differentiating between good and evil.

Do you personally engage in activities abroad as well? Yes, thanks to the Bakala Foundation, as it also provides support in the U.S., Switzerland, the U.K., and South Africa. Additionally, as we were among the initial founders and supporters of Aspen Institute Central Europe, I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with Walter Isaacson, Karel Schwarzenberg, and Madeleine Albright. I learned a lot from her. How politics works in Europe and overseas, the repercussions of electing Donald Trump, how populism represents the new nationalism, and the importance of rhetoric. I enjoyed discussing international security with her. She was a small woman with incredible strength. She was also a great inspiration to me because she started her political career at a later age, just before her fiftieth birthday, while her marriage was falling apart. What she accomplished while managing to raise her three incredible daughters is admirable. She balanced motherhood, womanhood, and politics in a tough environment while maintaining gentleness and elegance, manifested also by her fashion sense. At the same time, she held on to a solid value base from which she did not retreat; this made her a gem. With her as an example, I aim to become a similar persona—a woman you can rely on not to get frightened, who stands firm and has a strong character but is empathetic and takes family values into account.

Your career is very much intertwined with your husband's activities. Some time ago, however, you withdrew from business activities, you no longer serve on corporate boards, and you’ve focused exclusively on developing philanthropic programs. What led to this decision? Practical reasons. Over the past two decades, we’ve undertaken many joint ventures, including building Forum Karlín, acquiring the Economia publishing house, shops on Pařížská Street, and other businesses and projects. These developments were part of other sales and a broader reshuffling of family assets, and they were also a result of our decision to live in the U.S. after the COVID-19 pandemic. Zdenek now handles financial security and investments, while I oversee the altruistic, the communication, and, of course, I remain involved in Bakala Foundation programs. I feel more like a manager than an entrepreneur. The companies I founded in the past, like Czech Miss, were small businesses. I’ve never dealt with billion-dollar enterprises.

How do you manage the intense workload and pressure of being a public figure? It’s easier now because no one in Switzerland or the U.S. knows me. I’ve made new friends there without the burden of media attention. On the other hand, I can’t remain an anonymous and uninvolved mommy. In South Africa, for instance, I became active in preserving the legacy of F.W. de Klerk and protecting their constitution.

With four children, I’m guessing that you rely on assistants or at least a nanny. Whose support is key for you? Like any mother, I can’t define exactly what it means to be a good mom. We all question whether we should spend more time at home or focus more on self-fulfillment to avoid regrets. I think I’ve found a reasonable balance; I handle many things via phone, email, or Zoom. While I didn’t drive my kids to and from school every day or attend all their performances and games, I was there for the important ones. I also didn’t cook dinner every day but always joined them at the table. With some exceptions, we didn’t have help overnight or on weekends. I woke up with my kids and during COVID-19, I fully cared for them. My children always knew I was in charge and available anytime, with the nanny helping out.

What do you carry over from your parents and your Brno family, whose history perfectly illustrates the development of the 20th century, to your American family? Much of it is given by the fact that I grew up in a Christian environment. The Ten Commandments were followed, and I was instilled with a sense of long-term responsibility and humility. I was also taught that things should be earned honestly and not through dishonest shortcuts; only then can one be successful. That one should remain confident in their path even after earning a billion or winning a beauty pageant. That it’s crucial not to lose sight of the bigger picture, the goal, and the purpose. To not sacrifice your life solely for personal success.

How do you guide your children toward mindful behavior and investing? All four of my children are in their teenage years, so it’s too early to evaluate this. They’re happy to be managing school and extracurricular activities. For now, I consider it a success when they invest their time into reading because unfortunately, their generation doesn’t read much.

What caught my attention about your children is that all their first names start with the letter A—Anabel, Aron, Aram, and Adele. Is there a deeper meaning to this? When our first daughter was born, the hospital staff at Podolí kept asking me when we’d finally decide on a name. Initially, I liked the initials BB, but Anabel was the winner, though we call her Belbel anyway. We selected the name Aron ahead of time; I remembered how my grandfather, a pastor, spoke about Aron’s pivotal role in the story of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt. Aram is a name of Armenian origin. The inspiration came from William Saroyan’s book My Name Is Aram, which was a favorite of a close family friend. And when we already had three kids whose names started with A, we chose a name starting with A for my second daughter to ensure she wouldn’t feel left out.

You mentioned Czech Miss, the license for which you sold ten years ago. Do you still keep up with how it’s doing? And do you think it still makes sense to organize these types of competitions? Even when I was letting it go, I felt that beauty pageants around the world were being put under pressure and that the field was heading toward a crisis. There’s not as much interest in them, they’re viewed as a conservative concept that’s difficult to adapt to the vision of today’s gender-correct world, and celebrating female beauty this way might seem superficial. The competition format is evolving, and there’s a debate about whether to open it to older women, married women, mothers, transgender individuals, etc. However, I fondly remember my ten years running it and for me, winning Miss Czechoslovakia in 1991 opened many doors both in society and career-wise. For instance, I was able to host silver screen stars such as Alain Delon, Claudia Cardinale, Sophia Loren, Jean-Claude van Damme, and Ornella Muti in the Czech Republic. I’m even considering organizing an event next spring to celebrate 20 years of the competition.

When I recently watched a video montage of the 15 years of the Bakala Foundation and the moments where you are choosing and awarding scholarships, I noticed that your fashion style has remained remarkably consistent. You’re still the same, still you. What is your relationship with fashion and what has shaped your style? Practicality has been the biggest influence, given my height and frequent travel. I’m always on the run, so I rarely wear heels. My go-to wardrobe staples are trouser suits or sheath dresses. I like floral patterns, and my absolute favorite brand is Etro. I’ve essentially been an ambassador for them for many years, and they’ve noticed [laughs].

Fashion can boost confidence, which leads to a more personal question. When do you feel strongest, and when do you feel most vulnerable? I feel strong when I know what I’m doing and have things under control, when I’m not tired and feel good physically. During these times, I remind myself that I can still achieve a lot. Conversely, there are moments when one becomes uncertain and vulnerable in interpersonal relationships, like when there’s discord with one’s partner or between the children. I’d feel most vulnerable if something endangered them, if they suffered, if I lost someone close.

Is there anything specific you use to motivate yourself internally? I often tell myself: "no one will do it for you." Luckily, I alone decide how to spend my time and energy, so my primary motivation is that I like to see things closed and solved. I’m a very active person who enjoys discussing things, but also brings things to completion. I don’t like putting off my responsibilities, I want to see results.

What recharges you the most from outside? I’m energized by time with my children and friends, a good night’s sleep, exercise, golf, music, and the reading I referred to earlier.