The lack of women’s representation in rural areas not only impacts the development of the entrepreneurial ecosystem but also prevents many women from fully developing their potential. To address this issue and improve the position of women in the agrifood industry, the Empowering Women in Agrifood program was launched.
This is a support program aimed at women entrepreneurs in the early stages of their careers, designed to develop sustainable businesses in the agrifood sector, organized by Lean Startup Croatia and EIT Food with the goal of achieving gender equality and encouraging women to take leadership positions in the agrifood industry.
Panel discussion preceding the Empowering Women in Agrifood Final Pitch
After 6 months of collaboration, mentoring, and idea development, we reached the climax of the program – the Empowering Women in Agrifood Final Pitch event held on November 22, 2022. The final Demo Day was open to the public, with numerous experts and innovators from the agrifood industry in attendance.
The entrepreneurs who presented were Eleonora Gardoš (Planolive), Monika Gvozdić (RoomHarvest), Ivana Rendulić Jelušić (Alti Agro), Ivna Podrug (Adopt a chicken), Manuela Panić (NADES Design), Vjerana Stipetić (La La Land), Petra Mlinarić (OPG Mlinarić), Gracija Požar (P.H.B.), Naomi Sarah Bosch (Plentiful Lands). The participants competed for valuable cash prizes of 10,000 and 5,000 euros. The judging panel consisted of Mirna Obradović from the Innovation Sector at the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, Renata Brkić from Feelsgood Capital, Ana Nikšić from EIT Food HUB Croatia (TERA Tehnopolis), and Prof. Dr. Mario Njavro from the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Zagreb.
Before announcing the winners, the participants and guests had the opportunity to listen to two panel discussions on the development of the agrifood sector from the perspectives of experts and startups.
The first panel was moderated by Filip Stipančić from Lean Startup Croatia, who hosted Renata Brkić (Feelsgood Capital), Maja Fertalić (Nutty by Maja), and Domagoj Vidmar (Pepitas). The panelists discussed the opportunities for innovation development in the Croatian agrifood sector, sharing their experiences from launching startups and the challenges they encountered.
Next, we received another perspective on the same topic, this time from experts who have been working for years on improving the Croatian agrifood sector. Their thoughts were shared with the audience by Prof. Dr. Mario Njavro (Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb), Ana Nikšić (EIT Food HUB Croatia, TERA Tehnopolis), Nikolina Jelavić (Podravka), and Renata Mavrić (PROBION), moderated by Mate Mrkalj (Nutris).
Also joining the stage was Brankica Borović, an entrepreneur behind the natural cosmetics brand Viktoria, who took us through her entrepreneurial journey and success with an interesting association game.
Participants and Mentors
Throughout the program, the participants had mentors, without whom the teams’ progress would not have been possible! The mentors specialized in various development areas and came from different industries, including Filip Stipančić, Hermes Arriaga, Sandra Vlašić, Dora Zane, Helena Habdija, Dražen Nikolić, Nikolina Topić, Ana Raguž, Marija Mažić, and Mato Mrkalj.
After the final score tally, 1st place and 10,000 euros were awarded to Manuela Panić (NADES Design), and 2nd place and 5,000 euros went to Petra Mlinarić (OPG Mlinarić). Event hosts Miro Hegedić and Valentina Perić congratulated the winners and encouraged them to continue pursuing their business goals and make smart use of their prizes. Both winners agreed that they would spend the awarded amounts on further developing their businesses.
You can read more about the projects of other EWA entrepreneurs here.
We would like to thank our dragon sponsors – Pepitas and Nutty by Maja – for the products that delighted the guests.
You can view the photo gallery from the Empowering Women in Agrifood Final Pitch event below.
About the EIT Food initiative
EIT Food is the world’s largest and most active food innovation community. It strongly supports innovations aimed at building a food system that will produce healthy and sustainable food.
Supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), an EU body, the EIT Food initiative invests in projects, organizations, and individuals who share its goals for a healthy and sustainable food system. At the same time, it enables innovation potential in businesses and universities, encouraging agrifood startups to develop new technologies and products. Entrepreneurs and professionals are equipped with the skills needed to transform the food system, while consumers are placed at the center of their work, helping to build trust in the origins of their food.
EIT Food is one of nine innovation communities established by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), an independent EU body founded in 2008 to foster innovation and entrepreneurship across Europe.
Learn more here or follow them on social media: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram.
