From Insight to Impact: Women’s Spring Odyssey in Entrepreneurship

After the launch of the second cycle of the project in Tallinn on April 11, the course participants met two more times online during the spring.

The first online event was a self-analytical and confidence-boosting workshop, titled “Who Am I? What Am I Like?” Jelena Sterhova, the content expert from the Latvian partner organization, introduced the young women to EntreComp — the entrepreneurship competence framework developed by the European Commission. She presented it through three key areas: Ideas and Opportunities, Resources, and Into Action. In an interactive session, Jelena also guided the participants through the universal skills that mothers naturally bring into business.

Nika Papsueva and Jana Grishina, passionate entrepreneurs from Riga who organize inspiring events for women, shared their personal business journeys — including their starting points, mistakes, creative discoveries, and impressive successes.To close the event, the project coordinator delivered a presentation titled “The Magic of Positive Thinking: How to Set Yourself Up for Success” and led the participants through a series of practical exercises.

The next meeting of the participants took the form of a webinar titled “Strengths  combat weaknesses.”

The first speaker was Olena Fedosova, a professional artist and owner of the Kuuri Kohvik gallery‑café in Rõuge (southern Estonia). She addressed some delicate questions in business, such as:

• Can an artist become an entrepreneur?

• How do you divide areas of responsibility in a family business and grow it without compromising your family life?

During her talk, the attendees actively shared their own real‑life observations and experiences.

Next, Ljudmila Preobrazhenskaja, a licensed psychologist, took the floor. She focused on exercises to boost self‑motivation and self‑esteem, covering topics like the art of taking small steps, letting go of perfectionism, and cultivating a supportive circle. She then led the participants through practical warm‑up activities.

After that, Jelena Zhovnikova, the project’s content expert, explored the different functions within a company and introduced the nine team roles divided into three groups according to Belbin’s theory. She wrapped up the webinar with mastermind‑group exercises, after which the participants eagerly shared their personal achievements.