Meet the Women Shaping Agrifood Innovation in Serbia – EWA 2025
EIT Food, in collaboration with the Women’s Entrepreneurship Academy, has launched the Empowering Women in Agrifood (EWA) Programme 2025, aimed at supporting ten Serbian women entrepreneurs in the agrifood industry. The programme offers tailored mentorship, resources, and training to help these women transform their entrepreneurial visions into successful, sustainable businesses.
The EWA Matchmaking – Meet Your Mentor! 2025 event took place on June 19, 2025, in Novi Sad, Serbia, bringing together ten aspiring women entrepreneurs in the agrifood sector and ten experienced mentors. Organized by the Women’s Entrepreneurship Academy within EWA programme in collaboration with EIT Food, the event provided a platform for meaningful connections and support. This networking event was more than just an introduction—it was the beginning of a transformative partnership focused on sharing knowledge, building confidence, and driving innovation in the agrifood sector. The event aimed to build strong connections between mentees and mentors, pairing them based on business needs and mentor expertise. This thoughtful matchmaking reflects EWA’s commitment to supporting business growth, community impact, and long-term success.
Jana Hudecova, Director at Women’s Entrepreneurship Academy, started the event by explaining the programme’s goals and stressing the importance of combining personal connections with clear support to help participants grow their ideas into successful businesses.
A key highlight was the presentation by Jelena Džankić of the Intellectual Property Office of Serbia, called “From Idea to Brand.” Jelena explained how intellectual property protection from an early stage helps entrepreneurs secure their innovations and unlock their full potential.
After the presentations, ten mentees gave short, four-minute pitches. Each entrepreneur shared their sustainable business ideas in the agrifood sector, showing a common focus on innovation, caring for the environment, and making a positive impact on their communities.
“The success of female entrepreneurs begins with access to knowledge and trusted guidance. The EWA Programme is here to provide that foundation.”
Meet the 10 entrepreneurs from the EWA 2025 Serbia cohort
- Alena Tarnoci – FarmWise: A hybrid family farm introducing an innovative vertical aquaponic farming system blending tradition with smart agriculture for year-round, sustainable production.
- Jelisaveta Ilić – RelyOnMi: AI-powered software for early detection of biotic stress in crops, helping reduce chemical use and improve decision-making.
- Danijela Ratkov Žebeljan – Creator of a plant-based, allergen-free fermented white bean cheese enriched with sprouted crust—nutritious, sustainable, and dairy-free.
- Jelena Topalović – Aims to fully utilize a native Serbian sour cherry variety to create natural, chemical-free products and promote biodiversity.
- Jelena Miletić – Produces cold-pressed fruit juices using sustainable practices such as solar energy, glass packaging, and circular resource use.
- Kristina Žilović – Healthy Plate: An online platform offering healthy versions of traditional Balkan dishes with meal plans, recipes, and delivery options.
- Jovanka Jana Ninković – BAYANA: A line of vegan, gluten- and allergen-free functional foods for people with food sensitivities or autoimmune conditions.
- Tanja Krunić – Developer of probiotic flours made from cold-pressed oil industry byproducts, tailored to specific health needs and promoting circular food production.
- Jelena Stevanović – Earth in Women’s Hands: A women-led cooperative and demonstration farm producing natural foods while training others in sustainable agriculture.
- Dragana Božić – WeedToolBox: A digital advisor app for sustainable and resistance-aware weed control strategies tailored to different farming systems
Mentors in EWA 2025 Serbia:
- Valentina Mladenović - 30 years of experience in engineering and education, Valentina is an innovation and leadership coach.
- Vesna Ristova -A digital marketing entrepreneur with over 20 years in corporate procurement and product strategy.
- Ana Pinćir - Startup legal adviser specializing in company formation, intellectual property, and investment readiness.
- Vladimir Vozar - A second-generation organic farmer with 35 years of experience in scaling sustainable production.
- Dragana Galić - Accounting and tax specialist; court-certified financial expert since 1999.
- Ema Obralić - Chemist and leader in food quality and safety, with expertise in ISO, HACCP, and FSSC standards.
- Anabell Vlček - Founder of family organic-food brand; market development & HR.
- Jelena Stepanov -Winery owner, specializing in wine production and hosting tourist tastings.
- Katarina Murčić - Certified organic production inspector and rural development trainer.
- Dragana Kerkez - Founder of Serbia’s first commercial aquaponic farm; expert in ag-tech automation.
What’s Next for EWA Serbian Participants?
The Matchmaking event launched a six-month mentorship journey, pairing mentees with personalized mentors and providing feedback on their pitch decks. Participants now have a clear growth roadmap and will collaborate through online, offline, and live sessions, leading up to the final pitch at Demo Day in November.
Upcoming Events
- Online Trainings: June to October 2025 (digital marketing, finance, legal, communication, agrifood trends)
- EWA Masterclass: October 24, 2025
- Demo Day: November 20, 2025 — final pitch competition
About the Women’s Entrepreneurship Academy
The Women’s Entrepreneurship Academy, founded in 2006 in Novi Sad, supports women entrepreneurs from rural and semi-urban areas of Serbia. It has trained over 3,200 women and organized workshops, mentoring programmes, and provided access to interest-free loans for female startups. The Academy launched a business incubator and accelerator for women, earning recognition as a Centre of Excellence for Women’s Entrepreneurship. It also produces research on topics like women’s entrepreneurship and gender budgeting. Since 2019, with support from the U.S. Embassy, it has expanded its services, training over 90 women and 24 startup teams. In 2022, it signed an agreement to offer interest-free loans to women entrepreneurs in Vojvodina.
Learn more about Women's Entrepreneurship Academy on their webpage.
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