The EIC Women Leadership Programme (WLP), an initiative powered by the European Innovation Council (EIC) Business Acceleration Services, is elevating the role of women in innovation and tech by providing them with the skills and community needed to thrive in today’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Its 5th cohort, held from April to June 2024, was dedicated to supporting EIC female researchers and aspiring female leaders by equipping them with the tools and skills necessary to enhance their leadership journey. It provided the selected leaders with training and networking events, business coaching and mentoring, as well as career and business development opportunities.
Following her participation in the programme’s 5th cohort, Megi Mejdrechova sat with the EIC Community team to share her experience, noting the profound impact the initiative has had on her current role as founder and CTO of RoboTwin.
Discovering EIC WLP: An opportunity to network and grow
As a beneficiary of the Women TechEU grant, Megi first learned about this programme through her project coordinator and immediately saw it as an opportunity to meet other women in tech walking the same path:
As a founder of a deep-tech startup, I am a part of the community built around entrepreneurship and innovation, and I also follow the women in tech topic. So, I immediately thought it will be a great chance to meet likewise thinking people facing similar challenges – to feel less lonely in the women leadership topic and be able to learn from each other. I also wanted to take the time to focus on my personal development next to my work and base my leadership techniques and way of work on solid training, data, case-studies, and the experiences of others.
The challenge of leading the future of automation
Megi’s startup, RoboTwin, has developed an innovative robot-teaching tool based on motion tracking and imitation, enabling workers to transfer their skills and know-how to robots through simple demonstration. With its innovations, the startup supports companies struggling with automation and helps them improve complicated manufacturing processes.
Megi participated in the creation of this technology from its earliest stages, coming up with the idea and prototype at the very beginning of the innovation roadmap. She also takes part in strategy planning for the commercialisation of the product and is the coordinator of its technical development.
However, for Megi, taking up this role at a young age and early stage of her career did not come without challenges. The need to acquire missing skills and knowledge in a short space of time, balancing self-learning with execution, and managing a team of senior and junior developers while actively working on the project herself were some of the areas where she felt she needed support.
Building up confidence with the EIC Women Leadership Programme
After her journey with the EIC Women Leadership Programme, Megi felt more secure in her role as a leader, having learned new management techniques and tools she could apply to her daily work:
I have learned some useful techniques and tools to manage a team, how to communicate better in different situations, how to give feedback, prepare a convincing argument, etc. Another takeaway, on a higher level, is the mind shift I was able to make for myself. The programme helped me to increase my self-awareness and reflection, which brought more confidence into my daily work.
Reflecting on her experience with the programme, Megi highlighted the value of the training sessions:
The training that I still revisit in my mind from time to time is actually the first one, called ‘Be your own coach’. It highlighted the importance of self-awareness, reflection, and responsibility in leadership. I think it caused a small but beneficial mind shift for me.
A diverse and personalised approach
Recalling the different activities she participated in, Megi found great value in the diversity of the programme’s offerings:
Each of us has a unique journey, and our backgrounds and roles are very different. In consequence, the trainings were really diverse. At the end, I always took it as an inspiration, and it usually triggered follow-up thoughts about some particular aspects of my own work and my own role. What I found very helpful were the one-to-one mentoring sessions provided. My mentor and I usually reflected deeper on one or two particular aspects of the past training sessions, and that led to valuable conclusions for me.
Beyond the training, another transformative aspect of the programme for Megi was being immersed in a community of leading women from different walks of life, all facing similar challenges:
Even if from different industries or countries, people do have shared experience, and it is nice to find out about it and be able to relate. Taking a leadership role for women is still a challenge, because of how our society is built, how we were raised and educated, and how the job market is currently wired. That means there are not many women going this way, and thus, you really often feel lonely on that journey. Such opportunity to exchange with other people who made the same experience gives you a nice sense of belonging and you can also learn some good tips and tricks.
A differentiated offer
When asked about the value she found in the programme, Megi emphasised its personalised approach and encouraged other women in innovation to apply:
I find the EIC Women Leadership Programme to be a great opportunity that fills the gap in the coaching and mentoring programmes otherwise available, where I miss personalised approach and focus on personal development over general business development. I would advise anyone who wants to back her leadership with methodology and tools to apply. It also offers a community of like-minded people, where you can share and learn jointly. At the end, this programme covers wide range of knowledge and approaches to leadership, so that if you know what you need and where you want to improve, you will be able to find something for you in it.
About the EIC Women Leadership Programme
Supporting women innovators is integral to the EIC's strategic goals for 2021-2027, aimed at enhancing Europe’s economic competitiveness. The EIC has allocated significant resources to women-led companies, demonstrating a commitment to closing the gender gap in research and business. Initiatives like the EIC Women Leadership Programme and Women TechEU are crucial in driving deep tech innovation and empowering women across Europe.
If you have any questions, please contact us through the EIC Community’s contact page by choosing the 'EIC Women Leadership Programme' category, or visit the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).
DISCLAIMER: This information is provided in the interest of knowledge sharing and should not be interpreted as the official view of the European Commission, or any other organisation.