EWA Bootcamp Lithuania 2023
The unique worldwide program EWA, which supports women’s leadership and entrepreneurship in the agri-food industry, was held in Lithuania for two years in a row. AgriFood Lithuania, Digital Innovation Hub and Cluster that managed the EIT Food-supported initiative, is extremely happy with the results.
The programme has graduated 20 women who have shown how an idea can be turned into a business. The success stories include a number of innovative products: a seitan-based alternative meat product, organic, collagen-rich bouillon cubes made from food by-products, a 100% biodegradable substrate for growing plants organically, and many others.
In the EU, women make up only a third of start-up founders, and in the agri-food sector, this figure is even lower, which is why there is a lot of interest in the EWA program in Lithuania. Women want to take the initiative, experiment, and bring new products to the market, but they need support and knowledge.
The success of the programme in Lithuania has not gone unnoticed. This year, for the first time, the international EWA wrap-up event “Women in Agrifood Summit 2023” will be held here, with AgriFood Lithuania as the organiser. The event is designed to discuss the achievements of all 11 countries where the programme has been implemented: Poland, Estonia, Ukraine, Serbia, Slovenia, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, and Romania.
To promote women’s entrepreneurship empowerment in the agri-food sector, before the summit, AgriFood Lithuania invites future leaders of the sector to a two-day “EWA Bootcamp Lithuania 2023” on August 24-25.
After the two-day intensive course, all participants will be able to enjoy the business idea they have developed with their experienced mentors, the knowledge they have accumulated, and the prizes provided by the sponsors. They will also get an invitation to attend the Women in Agrifood Summit 2023. At this event, the top concepts from the Bootcamp will be showcased to the global community.
The Bootcamp is open to women who have a business idea in the agri-food sector or who started a start-up at least two years ago and have not received an investment of more than EUR 30,000 from outside sources.
Neringa Romanovskaja, a business consultant and licensed coach, will moderate the Bootcamp, and experts in their field will deliver the lectures.
EWA is a programme supported by EIT FOOD – the world’s largest and most dynamic food innovation platform, fostering excellence in innovation and working towards a more sustainable, healthy, and reliable food system for all.
Supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), EIT Food invests in projects, organizations, or individuals with the goal of a healthier and more sustainable food system worldwide. In doing so, it helps to unlock the potential of companies and universities, strengthen agri-food start-ups, and bring new innovative technologies or products to the market. It also raises the competencies and skills of innovators and practitioners needed to transform the food system and focuses on consumer education and awareness of food provenance, quality, and sustainability.
EIT FOOD is one of eight innovation communities set up by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), an independent EU body, in 2008 to foster innovation and entrepreneurship across Europe. To find out more about EIT Food, visit their website or follow them on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram.
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Moderators and Speakers
Neringa Romanovskaja
Moderator
Experience of over 20 years of progressive sales, sales process management and company management. Demonstrating briefing skills, strong organizational and interpersonal skills, experience at all levels of management. In the past 20 years, she has been working as the business consultant at Global companies and collected a tremendous practical experience and knowledge in sales channel and sales process management, sales and customer care process construction and digital transformation, company development strategy process, identification of most efficient KPI at sales process and training programs that will increase effectiveness in employees’ efforts and business results.
Kristina Šermukšnytė-Alešiūnienė
Patron - Mentor
AgriFood Lithuania DIH” CEO, has accumulated over 12 years of international expert experience working in national and international working groups. This digital innovation center was recognized in the 2020 European Commission JTC report as one of the two exemplary sectoral digital innovation centers in all of Europe. Since March 2021, “AgriFood Lithuania” DIH has become an EIT FOOD center in Lithuania, and in 2022, Kristina was elected “European Cluster Coordinator of the Year 2022” at the European Cluster Conference in Prague.
Eglė Vaičiukynaitė
Mentor
KTU SEB Neuromarketing specialist/VMU Project Expert, co-founder and CEO of the “Neuromarketing and Artificial Intelligence (AI)” lab. She has 9+ years of experience in (neuro)marketing scientific and applied research. She also provides AI training & lectures for university students and managers in the US and many European countries
Giedrius Bagušinskas
Mentor
More than 10 years of experience in export promotion, organizing participations in exhibitions, business missions, representing member’s interests in different export promotion and knowledge transfer projects. Experience in implementation of EU founded COSME,ERASMUS+ projects. The founder, member of board and director of LitMEA association and SMART food cluster. In 2017 has initiated Eastern Europe food clusters network, in 2019 has initiated Lithuanian cluster network. Master’s degree in Finance. Has 18 years working experience in sales management consulting, process development and business analysis. Cluster Manager of Smart Food Cluster.
Jolanta Kuzminienė
Mentor
Director of JSC “Varėnos Pienelis”, businesswomen. More than 20 years of experience in agrifood sector. She has been working in various companies in this sector. Jolanta can advise on how to develop product groups, how to set up a sales strategy and how to set appropriate sales targets.
Tautvydas Pipiras
Mentor
As a project manager at Lithuanian Innovation Centre, Tautvydas Pipiras manages a variety of business support initiatives that contribute to the growth of local businesses and facilitate the consolidation of European countries to boost the region’s innovation and start-up ecosystems. Over the past five years, he has been a project manager at the Lithuanian Innovation Centre, providing support services to enterprises and business organizations across various international innovation projects.
Augustas Alešiunas
Mentor
Founder of the digital innovation company “ART21,” a business angel, and an expert in agricultural digital innovations and startup ecosystem with years of experience.
Rasa Naujalė
Mentor
Experienced professional with a track record of over 20 years in managing positions across Commerce, Business Development, Marketing & Communications, and Human Resources. Her expertise lies in the retail and commercial real estate industries, where she has consistently delivered outstanding results. Rasa holds a certification as a Marketing Director from the International Council of Shopping Centers, showcasing her skills in marketing strategy and execution. Currently, she serves as the Commercial Director at Kedainiu konservu fabrikas UAB, strategically driving growth in the competitive markets. During her free time, Rasa enjoys developing her own fashion brand Bohomey.
Diana Tatarūnaitė-Zubenienė
Mentor
Leading DOJUS agro Lithuania branch for more than 4 years and has been holding the position of Commercial Director at DOJUS group for over a year. She has extensive experience not only in managing a company involved in agriculture, forestry, environmental maintenance, precision farming, and renewable energy sectors but also has almost 15 years of experience working in various positions within the banking sector.
Dr. Deividas Soloveičik
Mentor
Karolis Sankauskas
Mentor
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Why is it worth to participate in the EWA program?
Knowledge
You will work individually with a personal mentor for five months. Also, you will participate in physical and online seminars and training sessions. Finally, you will have the possibility to actively use international networking opportunities in the EIT FOOD community circle.
Opportunities for growth
During the final event, you will present your business idea to many business angels and potential investors from all over Europe. The best participants will be invited to further participate in various EIT Food projects.
Publicity
The participants of the program will receive media attention. Their stories will be published on news portals, and messages introducing young businesswomen will be shared on social networks.
Cash prize
The winner of the first place will receive €10,000, the winner of the second place will receive €5,000 and the winner of the third place will receive €3,000. An experienced commission will select the best participants based on the idea of the presented startup and the progress achieved during the program.
Don't hesitate, this is your chance!
EWA program by the leading food innovation initiative in the European Union EIT Food is taking place in Lithuania for the second time! Its goal is to encourage women’s involvement in business creation and to unleash their potential to be innovators of future-changing solutions. You can participate in the program if:
- You are a beginner entrepreneur in the agrifood sector (you have an idea or have recently started developing a startup).
- If you have registered a company, it is no older than 2 years.
- Your start-up business has not received an investment of more than €30,000 from external sources.
- You want to accelerate the development of your startup.
- You want to acquire additional knowledge and competences.
Want to become a mentor?
We invite experienced professionals, who want to contribute to the successful and more active involvement of women entrepreneurs in the agrifood sector. Mentors of the program will have the opportunity to:
- Participate in an international project and exchange experience with other mentors from eight European countries.
- Use the opportunities of the EIT Food community: participate in various events, seminars and use a wide contact network.
- Get to know the most talented innovators in the agrifood sector in Lithuania.
- Be presented as one of the faces of the EWA project in Lithuania.
Registration of mentors is complete.
Timeline of the EWA program
May 12 – June 19: Registration.
May 18 – June 9: Remote events for presenting the program.
June 14-21: Application evaluation process. 10 participants will be selected.
June 27: Matchmaking event.
July 22: Master Class event.
July – October: Work with mentors, special trainings and events.
November: Final event.
Registration of participants is complete.
About the program and organizers
Empowering Women in Agrifood is an EIT Food program aimed at women with talent and passion for entrepreneurship in the agrifood sector. The aim of the EWA programme is to close the current gender gap because women hardly have a leadership role in this sector. This program seeks to find innovative solutions that solve the problems faced by the food system, paying special attention to areas that have a low innovation rate or difficult access to other incubation or acceleration programs.
EIT Food is one of the EIT Innovation Communities, is a pan-European consortium that focuses on entrepreneurship and innovation in the food sector. To drive innovation and entrepreneurship across Europe, EIT Food is building an inclusive and innovative community of diverse food sector partners. The members of the EIT Food community are world-class players in the international food domain: over 50 partners from leading businesses, research centres and universities across 15 countries.
Supported by the EU, EIT Food leads the world’s largest and most dynamic food innovation community. EIT Food creates connections right across the food system that stimulate new ideas and inventions to drive change.
AgriFood Lithuania is a Digital Innovation Hub and Cluster that brings together major research, business and public stakeholders in Lithuania for the common pursuit of digital transformations in the agriculture, food and associated sectors. From 2021 March AgriFood Lithuania DIH is EIT Food Hub in Lithuania.
EWA program’s sponsor in Lithuania
Baltic Amadeus is all about making digitalisation easy. With 250+ IT professionals, Baltic Amadeus transform their client’s needs into top-notch IT solutions.
During the 30+ years, they have been working in business delivery, e-commerce, fintech, finance, telecommunications, and many other industries, leaving a 96% recommendation rate among clients in Europe and U.S. Baltic Amadeus IT and strategic consulting services include Omnichannel, Self-service, Marketplace, Information security, Enterprise architecture, Cloud services, and more.