EIT Food marks International Women’s Day with initiatives to support female entrepreneurs in agrifood

On 5-6 March, female entrepreneurs gathered in Warsaw for the AMPLE-ify Workshop, an intensive two-day event designed to equip women with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to develop and refine their agrifood business ideas. The workshop blended expert-led training, hands-on activities, and inspiring testimonials, creating a supportive space for aspiring female entrepreneurs.

The workshop opened with a keynote speech on agrifood market trends by Ewa Karolewska (EIT Food Senior Project Manager), who provided an in-depth analysis of agrifood market trends, highlighting key shifts in consumer behaviour, sustainability-driven innovation, and emerging business opportunities.

The core of the workshop consisted of business development sessions led by Natalia Kupsik (Polski Fundusz Rozwoju S.A.), which guided participants through:

• Business ideation: An intensive brainstorming session where participants worked in small groups to generate, evaluate, and refine innovative business ideas within the agrifood sector.
• Market challenge mapping: A structured activity that helped attendees identify key barriers in the Polish agrifood market and define problem areas their solutions could address.
• Business Model Canvas workshop: A practical deep dive into business modelling, where participants learned to design clear value propositions, customer segments, cost structures, and revenue models.

A key focus of the workshop was the EWA programme, introduced by Alicja Krakowska (EWA Coordinator) and Paulina Brym-Ciuba (CEO of Startup Hub Poland and implementing participant of EWA programme in Poland in 2023 and 2025). They shared insights from previous editions and encouraged participants to apply for the 2025 cohort.

Beyond business development, the workshop also focused on personal empowerment and leadership, recognising the importance of confidence and resilience in entrepreneurship.

• Joanna Burnos (LEADERIS Institute) led a highly interactive session on leadership and self-confidence, providing practical exercises and actionable strategies to help women navigate challenges in business and strengthen their decision-making skills.
• Katarzyna Bocheńska-Walentyńska (Founder of Regenario & EWA alumna) shared her personal journey of turning an agrifood idea into a viable business, discussing her approach to product validation, overcoming self-doubt, and securing support from investors and mentors.

In parallel, EIT Food hosted the webinar "Empowering Women to Innovate in the Agrifood Sector", bringing together female entrepreneurs, industry experts, and ecosystem leaders to address the realities of women in agrifood entrepreneurship.

The discussion focused on three key areas:

• Understanding the landscape: Elżbieta Kwiatkowska provided a data-driven analysis of female entrepreneurship in agrifood, highlighting that women make up 35% of the EU agricultural workforce but manage only 31% of farms. She outlined key barriers, including limited access to finance, land, and technical resources, as well as policy and cultural constraints that often go unnoticed. She also provided practical recommendations to address these challenges, emphasising the importance of tailored financial support and stronger policy frameworks.
• Lessons from female founders:
  • Sara Roversi (Future Food Institute, Italy) emphasised the transformative role of food innovation in driving sustainable and community-led change.
  • Yulia Logvinovska (Founder of an urban vertical farm in Ukraine and EWA 2024 alumna) shared her experience of launching a business in uncertain conditions, highlighting that waiting for the perfect moment or product can be a mistake. Instead, she advised aspiring entrepreneurs to start with what they have, iterate quickly, and learn from real-world feedback.
• Practical advice & resources: Sofija Bogeva, (Startup Lead at Rockstart) focused on the importance of validating the problem before developing a solution. She noted that many founders become attached to their initial idea without confirming whether the problem they aim to solve is truly significant. According to her, defining and understanding the problem should always be the first priority, ensuring that the business is built on a solid foundation.

The webinar also spotlighted the EWA programme, underlining its role in supporting female founders through mentorship, training, and access to key networks.

Both the Warsaw workshop and the online webinar reaffirmed EIT Food’s commitment to advancing gender equality and fostering female-led innovation in agrifood. These initiatives equipped participants with valuable knowledge, practical tools, and a supportive community to help them succeed in their entrepreneurial journeys.

As part of this ongoing effort, EIT Food will soon open applications for the 2025 edition of the EWA programme, inviting female entrepreneurs across Europe to join a six-month programme of mentorship and business development.

More details on the EWA 2025 call for applications will be available soon at EWA’s website and EIT Food's LinkedIn page for women entrepreneurs.