Innovate. Empower. Rise.
The FEM-Up Academy Grand Final: Strengthening Synergies and Maximizing the Impact of EU Projects
Join us for the final event of the FEM-Up Academy, taking place on 18 June 2025 at DOBA Business School in Maribor, Slovenia
The event will showcase creativity, entrepreneurship, personal development, and innovation in the field of STEAM.
The highlight of the programme will be a final competition of entrepreneurial ideas developed by young women from six countries, marking the conclusion of the six-month FEM-Up Academy. The academy is designed to develop entrepreneurial skills and empower young women within the framework of the FEM-Up project.
Participants will also benefit from the insights and experience of entrepreneurial experts, mentors, business professionals, and lecturers, who support inclusion, social impact, and sustainable approaches through the exchange of good practices. Their engagement supports young female entrepreneurs and a new generation of changemakers and socially driven innovators.
Special emphasis will be placed on inter-project collaboration, knowledge transfer, and strengthening the impact of project results at local, national, and European levels.
18 June 2025
📍 DOBA Business School, Room K1, Maribor, Slovenia
Agenda
12:30 – 13:00 | Registration
13:00 – 13:30 | Opening Remarks
Mateja Geder, DOBA Business School, Slovenia
13:30 – 14:00 | Keynote Speech:
Between Technology and Vision: The Journey of a Woman Innovator.
Milena Đukanović, University of Montenegro and Midju_Accessories start-up owner, Montenegro
14:00 – 15:15 | FEM-Up Business Idea Pitches: Finalists’ Presentations.
- Virginia Finocchiaro (Italy)
- Laura Mateo Galindo (Spain)
- Georgia Kanellopoulou (Greece)
- Buse Sarıkoca (Turkey)
- Mirhea Vella (Malta)
- Maruša Weitzer (Slovenia)
Jury Panel:
- Gordana Ćorić, Consultant and entrepreneurship mentor, Croatia
- Milena Đukanović, Professor, engineer, and innovator, Montenegro
- Marina Letonja, Professor of entrepreneurship, Slovenia
Moderated by Laure Raso, Centro Europeo de Empresas e Innovación de Murcia, Spain.
14:00 – 15:15 | Parallel session:
Together for the Well-Being and Safe Digital Future of Children and Adolescents / Skupaj za dobro počutje in varno digitalno prihodnost otrok in mladostnikov (the session will be held in the Slovenian language only).
This promotional event presents the results of two European projects – ASAP (A Systemic APproach to social media and pre-adolescents through thinking skills education) and BE-WELL (Positive psychology interventions to strengthen high school students’ well-being and mental health) which comprehensively address the contemporary challenges faced by children, adolescents, teachers, and parents.
We will present innovative approaches for:
- promoting safe and responsible internet and social media use (ASAP project),
- enhancing the well-being and mental health of pupils, students, and teachers (BE-WELL project).
Both projects aim to develop competencies for greater resilience in the face of modern-day challenges and offer practical tools for use in both school and family settings. This event is an opportunity to connect, share experiences, and gain valuable knowledge for working with children and adolescents.
Presenters:
- Živa Veingerl Čič – HR expert, BeWell project coordinator, DOBA Business School, Slovenia
- Marko Divjak – Positive psychology expert, ASAP project, DOBA Business School, Slovenia
15:15 – 15:30 | Coffee break
15:30 – 16:45 | Panel Discussion
Fostering Innovation through Start-up Mentorship, Digital Engagement, Emotonal Resilience, and Family Empowerment.
Entrepreneurship is a powerful engine for innovation, leadership, and social change. This engaging panel brings together entrepreneurs, mentors, educators, and advocates for well-being, digital empowerment, and social innovation to explore how mentorship, emotional resilience, and digital engagement can support the next generation of changemakers and socially driven innovators.
Drawing on personal stories and experiences from EU-funded projects, panellists will share how building confidence, creating purposeful connections, and applying social innovation can help individuals navigate challenges and drive meaningful impact.
Together, they will highlight how inclusive, supportive environments foster progress and help shape futures with clarity and purpose.
- Mariella Camilleri – President, Business Professional Women Malta , Malta
- Gordana Ćorić – Consultant and entrepreneurship mentor, Croatia
- Marko Divjak, Positive psychology expert, ASAP project, DOBA Business School, Slovenia
- Milena Đukanović, Professor, engineer, and innovator, University of Montenegro in Midju_Accessories start-up, Montenegro
- Marina Letonja, Professor of entrepreneurship, DOBA Business School, Slovenia
- Matej Rus – Director, Venture Factory, Slovenia
- Živa Veingerl Čič, HR expert, BeWell project coordinator, DOBA Business School, Slovenia
Moderated by Mateja Geder, Head of Project Office and International Collaboration at DOBA Business School, and FEM-Up Project Coordinator, Slovenia
16:45 – 17:00 | FEM-Up Academy Award Ceremony
Register now:
Online attendance: https://forms.office.com/e/gTi1auLZsC
Onsite attendance: https://forms.office.com/e/xPb9gfsvr6
In collaboration with:
FEM-Up – Level Up Female Entrepreneurship and STEM Skills to Foster Women Empowerment
Oct 2023 – Sept 2025 | €250,000
Led by DOBA Faculty (Slovenia), FEM-Up project empowers women aged 18–30 through training, mentoring within the FEM-Up Academy across six countries: Slovenia, Italy, Malta, Spain, Greece, and Turkey. It supports business idea development and promotes gender equality through a cross-border network and final pitch competition.
SMART – SMART Innovation Centres for the Development of Innovative and Entrepreneurial Thinking to Facilitate the Development of Sustainable Smart Solutions in the Western Balkans
Dec 2022 – Nov 2025 | €884,461
Coordinated by DOBA Business School (Slovenia), SMART builds innovation capacity in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro by establishing seven university-based innovation centres, and fostering academia-industry collaboration focused on smart and green solutions.
Ecosys4you – Engaging entrepreneurial ecosystems for youth
June 2023 – May 2026 | €899,659
Led by Westphalian University (Germany), this project connects youth from Ruhr, Varna, and Maribor through a cross-border programme combining business challenges, mentoring, and internships to boost entrepreneurial skills and ecosystem integration.
Game4Change – Playful Learning in Next Generation Entrepreneurship
Oct 2022 – Sept 2025 | €400,000
Coordinated by TU Dresden (Germany), Game4Change introduces a gamified study programme in “Next Generation Entrepreneurship,” fostering creativity, leadership, and sustainability through international teamwork and ECTS accredited modules.
BE WELL – Positive Psychology interventions to strengthen high school students’ well-being and mental health
Oct 2022 – Sept 2025 | €250,000
Led by DOBA Business School (Slovenia), BE WELL trains teachers in positive psychology to support high school students’ mental health, especially the underprivileged. Outputs include a training programme, digital toolkit, and best-practice resources.
ASAP – A Systemic APproach to social media and pre-adolescents through thinking skills education
Sept 2022 – Aug 2025 | €400,000
Coordinated by Fondazione Politecnico di Milano (Italy), ASAP helps 11–13-yearolds safely navigate social media by developing critical thinking, with support for schools, teachers, and parents through training and practical tools
baSE: Blueprint for Social Economy and Proximity Skills & Advanced Trainings Schemes Adaptable to diverse Social Economy Ecosystem in Europe.
Sept 2022 – Aug 2026 | 4.994.859,00€
The baSE project, led by Mondragon University (Spain), is establishing an alliance for the development of skills in the field of social economy and local ecosystems, in collaboration with companies, educational institutions, researchers, and other key stakeholders.
The event is co-funded by the European Union.
The organizer reserves the right to modify the content or schedule of the programme.
