Empowering Women Ukraine 2025: Strengthening women’s leadership, business resilience, and digital growth

On October 3, 2025, the Poltava Art Museum became the vibrant backdrop for the Empowering Women Ukraine 2025 Business Conference and Demo-Day, celebrating women’s leadership and entrepreneurship across the country for the second time in 2025.

From May to October 2025, the Empowering Women: Digitalisation and Export Acceleration program – designed and implemented by Garage48, EENA – BPW Estonia, and Divergent Woman, with support from the Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV) – supported yet another wave of women-led businesses in Ukraine, helping them strengthen their digital capabilities and prepare for export to the European Union.

Compared to the first wave (October 2024 – March 2025), this five-month acceleration program for female-led SMEs marked the first time participants were selected from all regions of Ukraine, creating a truly nationwide network of women-led businesses.

BUSINESS-DESIGN AND ACCELERATION PHASE: LEARNING, LEADING, AND GROWING

The Empowering Women: Digitalisation and Export Acceleration Program entered its second cycle in spring 2025, supporting 65 women-led SMEs across Ukraine. After a one-month business sprint, 15 were selected for the Acceleration Phase and engaged in a blended learning journey combining online and offline sessions focused on practical digitalisation, business scaling, and export strategies – alongside mental well-being and leadership development.

Participants received group and individual mentorship, expert consultations on improving their business processes, marketing, and market expansion, as well as service-based grants to implement digital and automation tools. Development Circles and GROW coaching sessions, led by EENA mentors, offered a reflective, peer-supported environment for developing leadership skills and resilience. Monthly “Success Stories of Women Entrepreneurs” sessions provided real-life inspiration and peer learning – each speaker shared her personal journey, innovative product, and growth strategies, showing how creativity, courage, and persistence can shape a thriving business.

FINAL CONFERENCE AND DEMO-DAY

The Final Conference and Demo Day in October 2025 brought together over 100 participants - women entrepreneurs, mentors, local government representatives, and business leaders – for a day of learning, inspiration, and networking. The conference highlighted how international collaboration, mentorship, and digitalisation empower women to innovate, scale, and thrive even in times of uncertainty.

The event opened with a powerful message from Yulia Tsybulska, Head of NGO Divergent Woman and member of the Poltava Regional Council:

“Focusing on women entrepreneurs facing today’s challenges, we teach them how to stay resilient, reach sustainability, and scale their businesses. Our task is to help Ukrainian women strengthen their skills and believe in their potential to grow, even in uncertain times.”

Kseniia Karpenkova, Project Manager at Garage48, emphasized the shared mission of Estonia and Ukraine in supporting women-led innovation and helping Ukrainian entrepreneurs integrate into European markets through digital transformation.

Before the conference, the NGO Divergent Woman initiated a ceremonial meeting to establish the Council of Women Entrepreneurs under the Poltava Regional Military Administration and the Poltava Regional Council. The newly formed advisory and consultative body united project participants and other women entrepreneurs from across the Poltava region to jointly contribute to the region’s economic recovery. The Council aims to bring together business owners, company leaders, and active community figures to collaborate on the sustainable development and post-war renewal of Poltava’s economy.

Two panel discussions set the tone for the day - Supporting Women in Business: Opportunities, Challenges, and Growth Paths and Balance or Myth? Family, Career, and Women’s Leadership in Business. Speakers from government, business associations, and the private sector explored mechanisms for supporting women-led SMEs, the importance of partnerships, and the realities of balancing entrepreneurship with personal life. The sessions emphasized that women’s entrepreneurship today is about far more than business – it’s about leadership, resilience, and rebuilding Ukraine’s economic future.

Mentorship sessions in a “speed dating” format gave participants a chance to receive practical one-on-one advice on business strategy, marketing, and personal branding. Meanwhile, an interactive coaching workshop led by Signe Vesso and Ester Eomois (EENA / BPW Estonia) introduced participants to the GROW model and Development Circles – powerful tools for self-reflection and growth.

PHOGRAM HIGHLIGHTS & GRADUATES

Anna & Barbara Toys (Anna Rudenko)

Anna’s handmade toys and textile sets, including products for visually impaired users, grew from a personal project into a professional brand. Mentorship guided her through digital marketing, financial modeling, and B2B strategy. She now manages Etsy and soon Shopify stores, with plans to expand personalized kits and publish a craft book. Sustainability and circular economy principles guide her work, while the program clarified business structure and target audiences.

Mazha (Hanna Chumak)

Hanna’s woodworking studio relocated from Bakhmut, producing wooden boxes, organizers, and decorative items. Digitalisation expanded her online presence through a website and marketplaces like Prom.ua. She now fulfills nationwide orders and reconnects with her purpose and audience. The program strengthened her confidence and resilience despite relocation challenges.

Plyn (Oleksandra Masiutkina)

Oleksandra’s bag and accessory brand combines style with Ukrainian cultural heritage. Program support enabled SEO optimization and website improvements, tripling online traffic and paving the way for European market entry. Strategic growth and community-building were central to her progress.

Ease (Iryna Zahrebelna)

Iryna’s streetwear brand Ease produces limited-run collections. Program mentorship strengthened e-commerce and production planning, with plans to scale operations and explore international showrooms. Mentorship and community support proved as valuable as technical skills.

BUBLIKI (Maria Panchenko)

Maria creates soft and colorful veterinary collars. Program support enabled CRM, chatbots, and e-commerce automation, increasing efficiency and preparing the business for growth. Future plans include expanding pet product lines and broader online distribution.

Granite Platform (Yuliya Melnyk)

Yuliya’s company produces granite paving stones, curbs, and tactile tiles. Program guidance led to a multilingual, SEO-optimized website and expanded marketplace presence, resulting in first international contracts and continued B2B growth.

DjujuShop (Oksana Trush)

Oksana’s family enterprise produces natural sweets and nut pastes with honey from their own apiary. Program support included website redesign, client accounts, loyalty systems, and CRM integration - improving customer experience and sales processes. Future plans include launching craft ice cream and adaptogenic chocolate.

New Kitchen / Nova Kukhnya (Maria Bubnova)

Maria rebuilt her business after wartime destruction. Nova Kukhnya produces sterilized meals for civilians and the military. Digitalisation through CRM and e-commerce automation improved logistics and order tracking. Future plans include corporate catering and new product lines.

Metal Comfort of Life (Viktoriia Tabachna)

Relocated from Kharkiv, Viktoria produces artistic and decorative metalwork, from small décor items to public art. Program support enabled website updates, domain registration, and trademark protection, resulting in new clients, increased online sales, and stronger resilience. Viktoria emphasizes that beauty and art remain vital even during challenging times, and digital tools help sustain creativity.

Rymar (Iryna Makarenko)

Iryna continues her family’s 25-year-old frozen produce business. Through mentoring, she learned to use digital tools strategically and honor her family’s legacy while modernizing operations. “It’s not just a business,” she shared. “It’s a way to preserve memory — and grow it into something new.”

ITway Academy (Viktoriia Varvariuk)

Viktoria’s academy offers IT and digital education for children aged 7 and up. Program support introduced a management system, website redesign, and digital content development. Plans include STEM robotics labs and gamified learning tools to expand access to technology education.

3D Fabrika (Hanna Lozova)

Anna’s 3D printing studio serves diverse industries. After relocation, program support enabled digital rebuilding: a bilingual website, CRM, e-document flow, Rozetka Pay, and HR digitisation. Market expansion into Poland and production growth are ongoing.

SunnYRain (Yulia Ryndina)

This 3D modeling studio produces master models and silicone molds for soap, candles, resin art, and chocolate. The program enabled a digital marketplace for 3D files, developer hiring, and technical documentation management. The team now runs workshops for children and plans to launch an interactive platform connecting creators with audiences.

Clever Fox Child Development Studio (Yevgenia Serdyukova)

A modern child development studio and a women's space, where every mother can find support, education, and relaxation. They also integrate a social component by supporting women and children in difficult life circumstances

Fluff Above (Nadiia Olasiuk)

Fluff Above is a brand that creates aesthetically refined, emotionally meaningful memorial products for pets. These urns combine contemporary design, natural materials, and profound emotional symbolism. The brand also created Memory Garden, an online platform to honor the memories of pets who have crossed the rainbow bridge.

LOOKING AHEAD

The Empowering Women initiative has now trained over 130 Ukrainian women entrepreneurs, providing mentorship, financial support, and digitalisation guidance to 31 women-led businesses. Success stories illustrate that, even amid challenges, Ukrainian women continue to innovate, inspire, and lead – forging resilient businesses that contribute to regional and international economic growth.

Iryna Zahrebelna, program graduate and co-founder of the clothing brand Ease, highlighted:

“This program opened new horizons for me – through training, mentorship, and shared experience, I gained recognition among women from all over Ukraine.”

The program revealed several key trends reflecting the evolving landscape of women’s entrepreneurship in Ukraine. Digitalisation emerged as a unifying theme – participants launched websites, optimized SEO, built e-commerce platforms, and integrated automation tools such as chatbots. Resilience was another defining factor: amid the realities of war, many entrepreneurs successfully adapted through relocation, rebranding, and business model pivots.

A strong sense of growth ambition was evident, with most participants planning to scale their ventures both regionally and internationally. Equally important was the role of mentorship and community – emotional support, peer learning, and networking proved as transformative as technical knowledge. Finally, a clear social dimension ran through many projects: from sustainability and accessibility initiatives to ventures improving community well-being, supporting animal welfare, and empowering people with disabilities.

Together, these initiatives are shaping a future where women’s leadership drives resilience, creativity, and sustainable economic growth – in Ukraine and beyond.

This program was made possible through the collaboration of Garage48, EENA BPW Estonia, and Divergent Woman, with funding from the Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV).

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