International Women’s Day is a time to celebrate the women’s contribution to the global economy, and SME Week isa particularly effective initiative to promote and support women-led businesses.
Each year, this event brings together entrepreneurs, policymakers, and other stakeholders to share best practices and discuss the challenges and opportunities facing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In 2022, SME Week recognised and awarded a number of women entrepreneurs.
In 2022, the winner of European Enterprise Promotion Awards (EEPA) Category 5 “Supporting the Sustainable Transition” was WEnCoop, an energy cooperative for women entrepreneurs from Greece that aims to develop female entrepreneurship while addressing energy poverty. The cooperative operates a photovoltaic park, and the energy produced is used in electromobility actions, with free quantities allocated to vulnerable population groups. “We overcame so many difficulties and disbeliefs, and suddenly now we are on top of this iceberg, enjoying the recognition of being ethically awarded,” said Greek Association of Women Entrepreneurs (SEGE) and WEnCoop President Mrs Lina Tsaltampasi.
Another winner in 2022 was Viktória Vass, a 20-year-old from Hungary, who won the European SME Week Youth Essay Competition. Viktória’s essay emphasised the importance of cooperation for a sustainable future. “I was very excited, and it was interesting to present my ideas. The whole week was an enriching experience for me, and just being there with the other finalists was truly unbelievable,” Viktória said. You can read Viktória’s essay here.
On the Promoting Enterprise portal, we also showcase young entrepreneurs on the 33 Under 33 list, drawn up as part of the Secrets of Success initiative, which aims to inspire others to consider entrepreneurship as a career path. Among these young businesspeople, there are several successful women entrepreneurs. Unfortunately, we are not able to present them all in this blog post – but we can introduce you to some of them, selected in alphabetical order.
First is Ellen Andreasson, a young Swedish entrepreneur who founded Envue Technologies AB, which develops next-generation bioanalytical instruments to provide researchers with solutions to accelerate the development of future nanomedicines. “As long as I can remember, I have always wanted to go my own way. I learnt that with my drive and determination, I could achieve whatever I set for myself. This established inner confidence and created my entrepreneurial spirit,” said Ellen.
Next we have Romanian entrepreneur Iulia Dorobanțu, who founded Charger.ro – the first end-to-end online platform dedicated to green and smart solutions. Charger.ro’s portfolio includes charging stations for EVs and PHEVs, photovoltaic systems, and Smart City solutions. “My entrepreneurial spirit comes from my parents, who always pushed me to have the freedom to do and achieve anything I want, on my own terms,” said Iulia.
Finally, we meet Austrian entrepreneur Kosima Kovar. Kosima founded sgreening, Austria’s first social and green marketing agency, and the female growth platform [Ada], which provides tips from leading experts to women so they can make their strengths visible in the workplace. “I had the feeling that nobody was doing what needs to be done. I am sure that in every sector, you can do something good and have a positive impact on this world,” said Kosima.
To read more about all of the female entrepreneurs who are being recognised as part of the Secrets of Success initiative, make sure to visit the Promoting Enterprise portal. These women entrepreneurs and the others recognised during SME Week 2022 demonstrate the important contributions that women are making to the global economy, and we should celebrate and support their achievements both on March 8 and throughout the year.
Source: European Commission | Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (https://bit.ly/3ZG1ylt)