Meet Hungary's ten women leaders from the EWA Programme 2024
EIT Food and Pozi.io have launched the Empowering Women in Agrifood (EWA) programme 2024, focusing on assisting ten Hungarian women entrepreneurs in the agrifood industry. This programme is designed to provide essential support during the early phases of business development, enabling these entrepreneurs to establish and grow their businesses effectively.
On June 20, Budapest hosted a Matchmaking event to kick off this year's EWA programme, selecting the ten most promising women entrepreneurs from the agrifood sector. These entrepreneurs were paired with local mentors, marking the official start of the EWA in Hungary.
Tamás Müller (Pozi.io) began the event with an introductory presentation, explaining the EWA programme and emphasizing the significance of mentoring for entrepreneurs. The event then transitioned into a networking session, during which mentors and mentees each had five minutes to introduce themselves.
Hungarian participants in the EWA programme showcase strong motivation and promising business ideas. One focuses on rebranding paprika cultivation, while another explores fermenting vegetables for new health supplements. Additionally, a participant is developing a plant micropropagation facility to produce beneficial plant stem cells. The founders of Pozi.io have also ensured that the mentor selection process maintains an equal gender split, aiming to provide opportunities for selecting key mentors and involving subject matter experts across various topics.
Women entrepreneurs will receive intensive mentoring throughout the six-month program, culminating in the final Pitch event in November. During this event, each mentee will present their business idea and model to a broad audience. A professional jury will evaluate all presentations, and the best two pitches will receive final grants of 10,000 euros and 5,000 euros.
"The proportion of female-led startups is very low internationally. One solution to this problem is mentoring. The EWA program and Pozi aim to support the strengthening of female-led businesses in the sector and to create new successful businesses from the selected ideas."
Meet the 10 entrepreneurs from the EWA 2024 Hungary cohort
- Anikó Vörös - Zoi Energy Bar. Production and distribution of three energy bars (Joy, Goodness, Loyalty) that provide more than just physical nourishment.
- Erika Kurucz - plant micropropagation facilities produce plant stem cells with proven nutritional and biological effects.
- Ildikó Obsitos - production of premium wine jam aimed at broader distribution.
- Noémi Fassang - Fermentini Product Line. Production of fermented vegetables that produce beneficial enzymes through lactic acid bacteria.
- Jennifer Molnár - Project Plants is a Botanical Buddies Interactive mobile application that engages children in plant growing playfully.
- Noémi Somoskövy - Moringa-Kombucha Drink is a probiotic kombucha drink with moringa is known for its cholesterol and blood sugar-stabilizing effects.
- Eszter Morvay - Production of personalized pet and owner food using insect proteins.
- Ágnes Nagy - Borsnack Production of freeze-dried products.
- Ágota Hódi - Production of organic paprika products, smoked organic paprika, organic chili sauces and creams, and co-brand products.
- Fruzsina Farkas - The Green Sommelier is a knowledge base supporting sustainable eating and fermentation, bringing ancient techniques and old recipes back into modern use.
Mentors in EWA 2024 Hungary:
- Andrea Kurucz. Award-winning business development consultant and executive coach, writer of numerous successful EIC Accelerator applications and business plans, with experience in conducting over 50 business development and pitch training sessions.
- György Káli. Digital marketing strategist, co-organizer of the Service Design Day conference and the Social Design Jam, currently focusing on consumer experience (CX) design, employee experience (EX) design, and digital transformation.
- Nikoletta Takács. Communication and business development expert, project manager with significant expertise in strategic communication, market analysis, and stakeholder management, experienced in traditional and alternative fundraising processes.
- Levente Vöröss. Geolocation app developer, founder of the 30km.hu producer network app, startupper, and location-based expert.
- Dóri Nagy. IT and art project manager, startup mentor, CEO of Doresz Ltd, communication strategist.
- Viktória Sebők. IT communication specialist, business development and corporate communicator, journalist, founder of PRess Academy.
- Anett Pénzes. Marketing, social media, and graphic design expert, member of the Women Startup Competition team, Pozi.io communication manager, web developer, and operator.
- Roland Kovács. Innovation project development expert, with experience in organizational development and risk management, startup mentor, and consultant.
- Tamás Turcsán. Founder of Hackathon-in-a-Box, tech journalist, startup expert and mentor, founder of Pozi.io, advisor at Galaxis.xyz, author of the book "Elveszett recept."
- Balázs Horváth. Founder of Tech In The City, startup community builder, expert in digital technologies and online content development, brand building, and communication specialist, mentor, and consultant.
Pozi Network Zrt
Pozi Network Zrt is an open innovation platform designed to assess and connect members of the startup ecosystem. POZI creates and organizes innovation events and service packages for large companies. POZI brings structure to the messy processes of finding an idea, building a team, or launching a new product. Their goal is to support startups worldwide.
Learn more about Pozi Network Zrt on their webpage.
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