Transform the agrifood sector with innovative ideas or projects. This was the appeal of the Empowering Women in Agrifood (EWA) program, launched for the first time to all women in Portugal, Czech Republic, Spain, Turkey and Romania. The candidates who will participate in the initiative of EIT Food, a European organization that aims to transform the food ecosystem, are already known and at stake is a monetary award of 10,000 euros, delivered entrepreneurial with the best pitch at the end of the program.
For six months, the 10 selected Portuguese projects will be part of an educational and personalized mentoring program, adapted to the specific challenges of women in relation to entrepreneurship in the agrifood sector. Overcoming the gender gap in this area is a priority for EIT Food and Building Global Innovators (BGI), which allies with this program in the country. The objective is to promote in Portugal the inclusion of women and the increase of startups founded by them.
As an objective, the program aims to motivate early stage entrepreneurs to take advantage of their talents, to understand their abilities to achieve success and overcome any barriers to innovation. To this end, EWA wants to equip women with the knowledge, confidence and the appropriate networks to start and develop sustainable businesses. In all, 50 women entrepreneurs were selected, 10 in each country.
Meet the 10 selected candidates in Portugal and their projects:
– Mnica Venda (Veganchee): Vegan cheese and yogurt
– Elsa Lamy: Technology to test the taste of food with saliva
– Iracema Stramotas (Agrolux): Urban agriculture – Aquaponics
Michele Frenkel (Shimejito): Mushroom production
– Dbora Campos (AgroGrIN Tech): Technology to create by-products from food waste
– Fernanda Vasconcelos (Nolita): Healthy snacks
– Isabel da Nova (Bistr Bekas): Healthy pats and snacks
– Catarina Partidrio (Mums Cooking): Frozen healthy meals
– Ins Gis (Boxed Detox): Healthy smoothies and machine created
– Sandra Santos (Papinhas da Xica): Healthy food for children
