Insights from the EWA Masterclass in Serbia
A Masterclass event, consisting of a series of workshops, was organized on Friday and Saturday, 28–29th of July as part of the first generation of the EWA programme in Serbia.
A Masterclass event, consisting of a series of workshops, was organized on Friday and Saturday, 28–29th of July as part of the first generation of the EWA programme in Serbia.
The first edition of the EWA programme in Serbia officially began on the 16th of June, and the first event gathered the first cohort of EWA mentees in Serbia, along with the mentors.
The Masterclass event hosted the 10 selected participants in the EWA programme, as well as several mentors.
After a short introduction, the following three hours were dedicated to a training workshop that was held by Katarina Šonjić, employer branding specialist and entrepreneur, on the subject of creating a personal brand through LinkedIn, and other digital networking platforms.
The workshop involved several exercises, with participants splitting into pairs and engaging with one another to produce meaningful personal narratives and separating aspirations from business goals and current needs, in order to gain insight into what a personal presentation on LinkedIn might look like for each participant. 
This sparked a lively exchange between participants and mentor on questions ranging from how best to present a business or complex career paths, to which voice or strategy is most effective for creating a personal brand, how to leverage existing qualities or experiences into personalizing a Linkedin profile, and much more.
After the lengthy workshop, the participants had time to engage in an hour-long networking break with food and refreshments, and further the connections that were beginning to form in the workshop.
After the break, there was one more training for the first day, and the next few hours were dedicated to the topic of Assertive communication for female entrepreneurs. The training was directed by dr Tamara Tomović, an entrepreneur, business coach and licenced psychoanalyst. 
The training explored different barriers female entrepreneurs face, barriers stemming from childhood and other external factors, and ways to overcome them and define a personal voice that is stronger and more effective. This training inspired many participants to share their own experiences and obstacles and discuss with their peers ways to mitigate their effects.  
The next day, on June 29th was dedicated to training on how to create effective websites and best SEO practices. The training was performed by Anđelka Ducić, an entrepreneur and marketing executive with experience in creating business websites. 
The participants were able to learn how best to conceptualize their online brand in website form, as well as contrast their new knowledge with personal examples from their own businesses.
After the workshop, the participants had a chance to connect with each other and discuss different areas where they can help each other out, as well as exchange each other's products that they brought as gifts. 
More information about the EWA programme is available on the official EIT Food webpage and on the Startit website.
About Startit
Startit is a Belgrade-based, grass-root non-profit association established in 2010, with the mission to provide meaningful, deep support to Serbian youth and entrepreneurs, improving life and work with technology. SEE ICT is developing the startup ecosystem in Serbia to foster higher employment and economic growth. With a team of experienced staff, a network of more than 100 mentors, and 1000+ events and projects that reached more than 100,000 people from Serbia, SEE ICT has established itself as a preeminent hub for youth entrepreneurship, education, social activism, and networking.
Learn more about Startit on their web page.
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