Petra Gorečan
Petra Gorečan is the founder of Milkimami, a women-led food startup supporting breastfeeding mothers with natural, functional snacks and a warm, honest community. Before launching Milkimami, Petra spent over 10 years in marketing and e-commerce, helping to build a €12M revenue brand active in 16 European markets and later working at Meta’s regional partner Httpool, where she advised leading advertisers on digital growth.
As a mother of two who has felt the fear of “do I have enough milk?”, the exhaustion and the guilt of putting herself last, she created Milkimami from her own pain and small victories. What began as her mother’s home-baked support turned into lactation cookies and granola made from science-backed, plant-based ingredients — a daily ritual that tells a mum “you matter too”. Today Milkimami serves mothers across Slovenia and Croatia and is preparing to expand into new EU markets, helping them feel nourished, seen, and supported in the most intense months of motherhood.
Anabel Millán
Anabel Millán is a postdoctoral researcher specializing in agricultural biotechnology, with expertise in plant protection and arthropod management. Her research focuses on genetic, biochemical, and molecular approaches to understanding pesticide resistance, plant–insect–pathogen interactions, and sustainable pest control. This interest, shared with her colleagues, led to the creation of Cucare Diagnostics, a university spin-off from the Universitat de València, which she co-founded and currently leads as CEO. Since its establishment in 2025, Cucare Diagnostics has been implementing cutting-edge genetic and molecular techniques to address two major industry challenges: detecting pesticide resistance in agricultural pests to enable more effective and sustainable control, and monitoring pathogens in insect-farming operations to maintain colony health and optimize production.
Özlem Gündüz
She is a food engineer and menopause coach with 30 years of experience in product development and business innovation. LadyBites was born from her deeply personal journey.
When she entered menopause, she faced symptoms that disrupted her daily life and work, especially brain fog, fatigue and sleep problems. She grew up watching her mother rely on pills to manage her health, and later found herself taking multiple supplements to cope with her own symptoms. The routine felt overwhelming and unsustainable, and swallowing so many pills made her feel even more "ill."
This experience pushed her to create something better.
With LadyBites, she develops functional snacks enriched with micro-encapsulated nutrients, designed to make symptom management easier, more enjoyable and seamlessly integrated into everyday life. Her mission is to combine empathy, science and practicality so women feel understood, supported and empowered throughout menopause.
LadyBites turns a challenging chapter into an opportunity for improved well-being for all women.
Anastasiia Bilan
Anastasiia Bilan, founder of M-Kit, a rapid diagnostic solution for identifying mastitis pathogens directly on dairy farms. I studied Investment Planning at the Slovak University of Technology and later gained hands-on experience working in a microbiological laboratory. This combination of business and scientific understanding helped me create a practical and accessible tool for farmers. M-Kit is based on patented microbiological technology developed together with my father, a PhD in Veterinary Sciences and former university lecturer in microbiology. Our goal is to make accurate diagnostics fast, affordable, and available to every farm reducing losses, unnecessary antibiotic use, and improving animal welfare.
Thanks to the EIT Food EWA Programme, I strengthened my business model, validated the market, and gained the confidence and knowledge needed to scale M-Kit in Ukraine and beyond. I am committed to improving veterinary diagnostics and supporting sustainable agriculture.