On Thursday, February 20th, the final event of the 5th cycle of the “RISE program” – “RISE Demo Day” was held at the European House in Belgrade, where the winners of the “Ideation phase” were announced. The teams “Career Launch” and “DigiLand STEM Educational Space” won the main prizes of 3,000 euros each, while “ViVod Virtual Guide” received a mobility grant worth 500 euros.
During the event, nine teams presented their innovative business ideas through five-minute presentations in front of an expert jury. Competing for the awards were “Career Launch,” “Potraži me, osnaži se!,” “ViVod Virtual Guide,” “CommUnity,” “SpajaLica,” “Anti Productivity Club,” “Fokus Pokus,” “DigiLand STEM Educational Space,” and “EcoKompost.”
The expert jury, consisting of entrepreneurship professionals, had the challenging task of selecting the teams that would receive support and continue their “RISE journey.” The decision was made by: Neda Stanković (Smart Kolektiv), Davor Džakula (RYCO), Dragana Tar (expert in social entrepreneurship), Katarina Ejdus (Women on the Way), and Zvezdana Vuletić (Coca-Cola HBC Serbia).
“Career Launch,” a team that empowers young people at the beginning of their careers, and “DigiLand STEM Educational Space,” which aims to provide equal access to quality education for every child, were declared the winners of the “Ideation phase” and secured entry into the “Incubation phase.” In addition to financial support, these teams will also receive mentorship to successfully implement their projects and contribute to building a more sustainable region.
The third place was awarded to the team “ViVod,” which is developing an innovative app designed as a virtual tourist guide. This team won the Mobility Grant and, along with the winners, will participate in the “RISE Regional Mobility Program.” Through study visits in the region, young entrepreneurs will connect with their peers, explore similar social entrepreneurship concepts, and exchange lessons learned during the “RISE program.”
The event featured speeches from Neven Marinović, director of Smart Kolektiv and the Responsible Business Forum, Jelena Penezić, project manager at AFD, and Lorette Cambianica, assistant manager at Pulse Balkans. They emphasized the social significance of the program and expressed their support for young entrepreneurs in further developing their ideas.
In addition to the competition part, participants had the opportunity to engage in an “Ask Me Anything” session with mentors, moderated by Ivana Stančić from Smart Kolektiv. Experienced entrepreneurs and experts shared their knowledge and advice, providing teams with valuable guidance for further project development. Among the mentors were: Bojana Pražić (Centrala 24), Nikoleta Kosovac (Lice ulice), Dragana Jovčić (Uradi – zaradi), Vladimir Jovanović (social entrepreneurship expert), Milan Nikolajević (Center for Rural and Eco Tourism Development), Katarina Anđelković (Petlja Foundation), Miloš Paunović (Reši movement), Milica Ličina (Anđeli), and Sonja Dakić (Živi, radi, voli).
“RISE Demo Day” was organized with the support of Coca-Cola HBC Serbia, which continuously invests in entrepreneurship development and the empowerment of young people through various initiatives.
Congratulations to the winners and all participants for their brilliant ideas and innovative solutions!
RISE – the Regional Incubator for Social Entrepreneurs is a support program for young social entrepreneurs, implemented in Serbia by the organization Smart Kolektiv since 2019. This is the fifth cycle of the free support program for the development of social entrepreneurship ideas. The RISE project is supported by the Agence Française de Développement, European Union (EU), Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO), Franco-German Youth Office (OFAJ), PULSE (Groupe SOS). The RISE activities are implemented by six organizations from the Western Balkans: ARNO, Balkan Green Foundation, Nešto Više, Smart Kolektiv, IEC Tehnopolis, and Yunus Social Business Balkans.
