The 10th edition of the LEADER Project Serbia successfully concluded on Friday, May 16, with an inspiring final pitch competition that showcased the incredible talent of Serbia’s emerging entrepreneurs. Over the course of 10 days, 40 participants, supported by five distinguished Ivey Business School instructors, developed and refined their business ideas, culminating in a dynamic presentation to esteemed judges.
The LEADER Project Serbia is proudly sponsored by CANSEE Canada-Serbia Business Association and Ivey Business School, Western University, Canada, with valuable support from the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Embassy of Canada in Serbia.
This year, Ivey Business School instructors Coby Harvey, Katerina Pankhurst, Mike Hockin, Ugonwa Echendu, and Sherry Yang led the participants through a comprehensive series of workshops and mentorship sessions, helping them fine-tune their entrepreneurial strategies and business models.
The final pitch competition was the highlight of the event, where participants presented their ideas to the judges who faced a tough decision in selecting the top business pitches.
The Top Three Business Pitches were awarded as follows:
- Željko Pelević
- Bojan Stanković, Gordana Stanković, and Katarina Zec
- Jana Petrović and Milijana Miodanić Manojlović
In addition to the top business pitches, several special awards were presented to recognize the exceptional contributions of individual participants:
- Top Contributor: Maja Bjelanović
- Success Spotlight: Ivala Ilić
- Outstanding Health Innovation: Katarina Milošević
- Most Dynamic Presentation: Tara Radulović and Ksenija Komatina
- Dark Horse Award: Milan Stojadinović
The judges were impressed by the level of innovation, creativity, and passion demonstrated by the participants, which made the selection process particularly challenging.
The success of this year’s LEADER Project Serbia would not have been possible without the support of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Embassy of Canada, and long-time partners NALED, Apolo Printing, DVS, and all CANSEE members. Their continued involvement is integral to the growth of this program.
