Each year, this event brings together entrepreneurs, policymakers and other stakeholders to share best practices and discuss the challenges and opportunities facing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In 2022, SME Week recognized and rewarded many women entrepreneurs.
In 2022, the winner of the European Enterprise Promotion Awards (EEPA) category 5 “Supporting the sustainable transition” was WEnCoop, an energy cooperative for Greek women entrepreneurs that aims to develop female entrepreneurship while combating energy poverty. The cooperative operates a photovoltaic park and the energy produced is used in electromobility actions, with free quantities allocated to vulnerable populations. “We have overcome so many difficulties and disbeliefs and suddenly we find ourselves at the top of this iceberg, enjoying the recognition of an ethical award,” said the Greek Association of Women Entrepreneurs (SEGE) and President of WEnCoop, Ms. Lina Tsaltampasi.
WEnCoop President, Ms. Lina Tsaltampasi, receives her award at EEPA 2022.
Another winner in 2022 was Viktoria Vass, a 20-year-old Hungarian, who won the European SME Week youth essay competition. Viktória’s essay highlighted the importance of cooperation for a sustainable future. “I was very excited and it was interesting to present my ideas. The whole week was an enriching experience for me, and just being there with the other finalists was really amazing,” said Viktória. You can read Viktoria’s essay here.
Viktória Vass, YEC 2022 winner, receives the award from Kristina Dimova, YEC 2021 winner 2021
On the Promoting Enterprise portal, we also highlight young entrepreneurs from List of under 33s, developed as part of the Secrets of Success initiative, which aims to inspire others to consider entrepreneurship as a career path. Among these young entrepreneurs, we find several successful women entrepreneurs. Unfortunately, we’re not able to feature them all in this blog post – but we can show you a few, selected alphabetically.
The first is Ellen Andreassona young Swedish entrepreneur who founded Envue Technologies AB, which develops next-generation bioanalytical instruments to provide researchers with solutions to accelerate the development of future nanomedicines. “For as long as I can remember, I always wanted to follow my own path. I learned that with my drive and determination, I could achieve anything I set my mind to. This built inner confidence and created my entrepreneurial spirit,” Ellen said.
Next we have the Romanian entrepreneur Iulia Dorobanțuwho founded Charger.ro – the first end-to-end online platform dedicated to green and smart solutions. Charger.ro’s portfolio includes charging stations for electric vehicles and PHEVs, photovoltaic systems and Smart City solutions. “My entrepreneurial spirit comes from my parents, who always pushed me to have the freedom to do and achieve whatever I want, on my own terms,” Iulia said.
Finally, we meet an Austrian entrepreneur Kosima Kovar. Kosima founded greening, Austria’s leading social and green marketing agency, and the female growth platform (Ada), which provides leading expert advice to women so that they can highlight their strengths in the workplace. “I felt like no one was doing what needed to be done. I’m sure in every industry you can do something good and make a positive impact on this world,” Kosima said.
To learn more about all the women entrepreneurs recognized through the Secrets of Success initiative, be sure to visit the Promote the Business Portal. These women entrepreneurs and others recognized during Small Business Week 2022 demonstrate the important contributions women make to the global economy, and we should celebrate and support their achievements on March 8 and throughout the year.
For more information on EU support for entrepreneurship and SMEs, visit the European Commission website and be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook and subscribe to our newsletter.
