Innovation Lab: Launch Your Own Business is an intensive training program for women who have a business idea and want to turn it into a viable enterprise. The program helps participants test and refine their ideas, develop a minimum viable product (MVP), launch a pilot, and prepare for the investment stage. It ’s an online incubator designed for women who want to start or grow their own business — providing the knowledge, tools, and community support needed for a confident launch. Program Goal To strengthen women’s economic capacity through training, mentorship, and access to practical resources — helping them turn their ideas into sustainable businesses. Mission To support women at the beginning of their entrepreneurial journey by providing: Practical knowledge through online lectures Tools to test and launch their business Mentorship and community support from like-minded women Inspiration and confidence to bring their ideas to life Program Timeline The program runs from November 19 to December 19, 2025. What to Expect The course is based on Swedish entrepreneurial methodology and adapted to the Ukrainian business context. Online sessions will be held twice a week:  on Wednesdays and Fridays from 15:00 to 18:00. Core topics include: Lean approach and business modeling: how to test hypotheses quickly MVP development: from concept to minimum viable product Market analysis: identifying your niche and understanding competitors Target audiences and their key pain points Business plan structure and preparing for pitching Financial modeling: expenses, revenue, and investments Sales funnel and effective distribution channels Marketing and communications Legal and tax aspects of running a business Building partnerships and developing a growth roadmap Each participant will receive 12 hours of one-on-one mentorship, plus access to expert consultations from industry professionals. Awards for Top Participants Five winners will receive exclusive prizes from our partners to help elevate their business and strengthen their brand: Professional photoshoot  – High-quality product photos for your website and social media that make your brand stand out. Landing page (one-page website)  – A sleek digital business card that showcases your offer and converts visitors into clients. Content strategy development  – A personalized content roadmap with topics, formats, and channels tailored to your audience. Copywriting package  – Engaging, persuasive texts for your website or social media that inspire and motivate action. Design services  – A custom logo, brand book, or social media templates to make your brand recognizable and visually cohesive. Who Can Apply Women with a business idea (even at an early stage) who want to make it a reality. Women who have recently launched a business and need support to grow it. Selection Criteria A clear business idea or plan Defined problem or need the business addresses Experience testing the product or service (if applicable) Realistic timeline for launch Innovative potential of the idea Entrepreneurial and leadership qualities of the applicant How to Apply Fill out the application form here: Application deadline: October 24, 2025 Don’t put your ideas on hold — apply today and take your first step toward building your own business! The Innovation Lab  is initiated by Reach for Change  and implemented in partnership with SILab Ukraine  and USVF .

9:30–10:00 Participant Registration 10:00-10:10 Event Opening. Welcome remarks from the organizers. 10:10–10:30 Introductory Lecture: “The Ecosystem of Social Entrepreneurship and Impact Investing in Ukraine: Three Years of Growth, Challenges, and Change (2022–2024)” Moderator: Anna Gulevska-Chernysh, Co-founder and Chair of the Board, SILab Ukraine 10:30–11:30 Panel Discussion: “Not Alone: Projects and Programs That Drive Business Forward” Speakers: • Viktoriia Vasylieva, Director of the Employment Policy Implementation Department, State Employment Service of Ukraine • Valerii Maiboroda, First Deputy Chairman of the Board, Entrepreneurship Development Fund • Anna Strakhovska, Head of Diia.Business Bucha • Liudmyla Sizikova, First Vice President, Kyiv Chamber of Commerce and Industry • Jens Adam, Director, GIZ Ukraine 11:30–12:00 Coffee Break 12:00–13:30 Parallel Workshops: Room E. Crisis Communication Workshop “Speaking When It’s Hard: How Not to Lose Trust and Reputation During a Crisis” — Oleksandra Lytvynenko, Senior PR Specialist at MacPaw Room A. “Your Story — Your Superpower” — Tetiana Melnykova, Communications Manager at Zagoriy Foundation Room B. “Impact in Media: How to Be Visible and Engaging” — Nataliia Olbert-Sinko, Managing Partner at One Health 13:30–14:30 Lunch 14:30-16:00 Parallel Sessions: Room E. “How Not to Burn Out When Everything’s on Fire: Management in Times of Uncertainty” — Oleksii Gaharinov, consultant in business organization systematization and management Room A. “How to Reduce Risks and Strengthen Impact: Ukrainian-German Dialogue for Sustainable Development” — A practical session for experience exchange among R&D representatives, investors, and impact businesses Room B. “Women Entrepreneurs: Stories That Inspire”. Speakers: • Maryna Tsyhryk, founder of the “Splesk” brand and co-founder of the “Babusia” brand • Olha Royenko, creative entrepreneur, founder and former CEO of Royenko Marketing Agency, co-founder of the spatial development agency Voice of Space and the teen skincare brand teensonly.care • Iryna Savytska, Co-founder & CEO at Bank of Memories • Yuliia Bihun, founder of the social enterprise OHRA HOME and the “Your Love” Charitable Foundation • Nataliia Nevyadomska, managing partner of the French restaurant and catering family “Très Français,” mentor, and business development consultant 16:00–16:30 Coffee Break 16:30–17:30 Open Conversation: “Changed Course: Mistakes That Became Turning Points” Speakers: • Maria Ksiondzyk, Co-founder and Director of Nesemos Veteran Auto Hub • Nataliia Dresviannikova, Head of Vilna Nytka, Project Coordinator • Anastasiia Bytko, Co-founder and CEO of the social enterprise Vilni, Export Consultant 17:30–18:30 Screening of the Documentary Impact Film “Underseen”. Wrap-Up. Networking

"According to expert studies, transitioning from military to civilian life can take up to 2-3 years. Last week, the SILab Ukraine team, together with partners, hosted a webinar on veterans' reintegration into civilian life and professional activities. We brought together international and Ukrainian experts to share recommendations for companies looking to create more veteran-friendly employment practices." Denis Nielsen, a veteran of the Danish Armed Forces with 20 years of experience, shared his journey of transforming from a military to a civilian professional. His main advice was to bring veterans together in groups where they can find the same sense of brotherhood they experienced during their service. The closer the conditions resemble those they were used to, the better veterans will perform their tasks. Vitalijs Dubovs, a veteran from Latvia, recommended creating interest-based clubs and implementing peer-to-peer support principles to help veterans connect and share their experiences. Iryna Haluzinska, manager of Praktyka, highlighted the importance of using the 'Veterans' Journey' study developed by Veteran Hub. This guide helps companies better understand veterans' needs and expectations, recognize the challenges they face, and, most importantly, honor their experiences. Marіia Ksondzik, co-founder of the veteran auto hub NESEMOS, believes that working on your attitude toward veterans can be done with the help of a psychotherapist. She shared her mistakes when communicating with veterans and advised participants to avoid heroizing or overprotecting them, as it harms effective interaction. Dmytro Kolosiuk, HR manager at the "Come Back Alive" foundation, also noted that veterans have gained intense emotional experiences, and our task is to help them reflect on these experiences, recover, and find new meanings. What should you remember when working with veterans? Be people-centered. The transition from military to civilian life is not just about a new job but also a new mindset. Respect veterans, learn to listen actively, and be flexible in your cooperation. Even in civilian roles, veterans may continue to communicate with each other using their previous ranks—support this as a way to strengthen team bonds. Create communities within the company. Unite veterans to work in groups and create shared value. Encourage them to join or create their communities—like running or motorcycle clubs—where they can find like-minded people and support one another. This way, their loyalty and trust in the organization will also grow. Support families. Do not forget about veterans' families. Create policies that recognize and support their role. A veteran's inner strength often starts with support at home. Foster a sense of belonging. For veterans, the feeling of belonging and brotherhood is crucial. Make them part of the mission, not just employees, so they will become dedicated team players. Look beyond the job description. If you meet someone whose values and personality resonate with you, try to find a role that matches their skills. Avoid both sacralizing and discriminating against veterans. They should have the same rights and opportunities as other employees. The terms of engagement should be as transparent as possible for everyone. Thank you to the speakers and everyone who joined this important conversation. Let’s do everything we can to ensure our veterans always feel valued! The webinar was organized by SILab Ukraine and the Ukrainian Social Venture Fund in partnership with NewDoor - International Social Entrepreneurship Accelerator, within the IMPULSS project with financial support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia. #DevelopmentCooperation

Ukraine is currently experiencing a significant surge in social entrepreneurship, creating a need for innovative approaches and international expertise. In September 2024, the SILab Ukraine team undertook a study tour to Latvia as part of the IMPULSS project, implemented in collaboration with the NewDoor social innovation platform with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia. During the visit, we acquired insight into the latest digital tools that can assist Ukrainian social entrepreneurs in expanding their operations and achieving greater sustainability. One of the key insights gained from the trip was the effective collaboration between Latvian social enterprises, government agencies, and private businesses. The SILab Ukraine team participated in a roundtable discussion with representatives of Latvian ministries to discuss the interaction between the government and social entrepreneurs. The availability of a state program offering financial support to social enterprises, funded by the European Union, incentivizes active cooperation between stakeholders to develop social entrepreneurship in the country. Despite the legal limitations on the forms social enterprises can take in Latvia (currently only LLCs), social entrepreneurs are willing to accept these restrictions to receive financial support from the government and annually confirm their status as social enterprises. This provided valuable insight into how Ukraine can adapt such models to create a favorable environment for social businesses. Furthermore, the recently adopted State Strategy for the Development of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses until 2027, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine in September, references social entrepreneurship, indicating a potential shift in focus towards this area. Another key outcome of the trip was learning about Latvia's experience in implementing mentor training programs. Our team had the opportunity to meet with Enno Ence, Vice-Rector for Development and Innovation at the University of Latvia in Riga, who is also the author of the mentor training course at the university. Enno walked us through the various components of the mentor training program and guided on key issues that require attention at different stages of mentor training. We will now leverage this knowledge to actively implement the strategies gained through the Mentor SkillUP program, which will start at the end of October. In addition to the training provided, we developed a strategy for furthering our partnership with the NewDoor social innovation platform. We discussed potential joint projects and new opportunities for Ukrainian social entrepreneurs. Our collaboration with NewDoor provides access to new resources, knowledge, and networks, enabling us to implement more ambitious projects in Ukraine. "I would like to express my gratitude to our partners at NewDoor for approaching us earlier this year with the initiative to develop a joint project and submit it to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia. Despite the limited timeframe and the intensity of the process, the outcome surpassed expectations. The SILab team's visit to Latvia proved to be a transformative experience, offering a much-needed respite from the constant stress and providing an opportunity to unite, recharge, and continue the fight for Ukraine's independence and the advancement of the social entrepreneurship sector in Ukraine," - said Anna Gulevska-Chernysh, Chair of the Board. We are thrilled to keep working on adapting the knowledge and practices we've gained to help Ukrainian entrepreneurs scale up, attract investment, and create positive changes in society. We are confident that our partnership with NewDoor will help us implement some amazing projects to support social entrepreneurship!

Last year, we helped 23 impact businesses from across Ukraine scale up and expand their reach. Now, we're excited to offer this opportunity to even more entrepreneurs. This free program provides the tools and knowledge you need to grow your business and make a positive social impact. You will get access to: 10 online modules  covering key business topics and social impact 9 exclusive workshops and lectures Personalized mentorship  from international experts A chance to pitch your business  at our Demo Day in December 2024 A community  of like-minded entrepreneurs Free resources  from our partners The top-performing company will receive up to €15,000 in funding from the Ukrainian Social Venture Fund. Join our webinar on August 28th at 6 PM  to learn more about the program, application process, and investment opportunities. The program consists of two phases: 1). Online learning:  all applicants will gain access to 10 online modules covering topics on the Diia.Business portal. These modules cover key business topics and aspects of social impact: Introduction to social entrepreneurship; Impact measurement; Three dimensions of reporting; Marketing and social media; Sustainable development for business; Communications and social impact; Access to investments and grants; Human resources and people management; Business operations; Scaling and export. 2). Intensive training:  the top 40 applicants will be selected for a more in-depth program, including mentorship and one-on-one consultations with international experts. Why join? "In 2023, we helped our participants not only grow their businesses but also make a significant social impact," says Nina Levchuk, co-founder of Impact Force. "This year, we're committed to supporting even more entrepreneurs who are driving positive change in Ukraine. "The Impact Business Accelerator is helping more companies integrate social impact strategies into their business models. It's a testament to the resilience and innovation of Ukrainian entrepreneurs."- Olena Kalibaba, co-founder of SILab Ukraine and CEO of USVF. Don't miss this opportunity to scale your business and make a difference! Deadline for applications: September 4th, 11:59 PM (Kyiv time). Impact Business Accelerator is a joint initiative of Impact Force and SiLab Ukraine, supported by the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, the Office of Entrepreneurship and Export Development, and the national Diia.Business project, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, and the New Door social innovation platform.

SILab Ukraine invites partners and stakeholders to take part in the Kyiv Impact Entrepreneurs Meetup, which will be held offline on May 30 from 13:00 to 18:00. What are the benefits of participation? getting a networking platform for connections, inspiration and support; opportunities for partnerships and knowledge exchange; information on current opportunities for impact businesses in Ukraine and abroad; answers from donor organizations supporting entrepreneurship in Ukraine. Who is this event for? Active social entrepreneurs and startups Founders and employees of impact businesses Representatives of local government ​​structures responsible for entrepreneurship development in their communities Investors and representatives of the donor organizations supporting entrepreneurship development in Ukraine Experts in the field of social entrepreneurship and impact investing Journalists and media representatives interested in the event's topic Special guests of the event: Martijn Vogelsan, board member of goodcarbon Foundation, ex-director of Bundesinitiative Impact Investing (Germany) Jonathan Robinson, co-founder of The Possible, founder of Civic (Great Britain). Please fill out the form until 28 of May. Charitable contributions go to support programs for social entrepreneurs. If you have a promo code, please indicate it next to the name of your business/organization. Join us to find ways to develop social business and impact investing in Ukraine together!

SILab Ukraine invites you to the webinar "Banks Across the Spectrum of Capital", organized by international partner Impact Europe. The webinar will take place on March 26 at 10:00 AM Kyiv time. Our speaker is Maha Keramane, the Head of Impact Investing at BNP Paribas. During this webinar, you will discover how BNP Paribas is building a social impact ecosystem within the European banking network and explore the best opportunities for banks to engage in impact financing. You will also hear about BNP Paribas's experience with social impact bonds and their role in advancing this area in France. About the expert: Maha Keramane has been with BNP Paribas since 2006, starting as a risk manager after gaining extensive experience in microfinance at the World Bank and export finance in Brazil. She has also worked at Deloitte. Since 2012, Maha has been leading the social business and microfinance department, where she crafted a strategy to financially support social enterprises. She developed and structured France's first social impact bonds for Adie, a company dedicated to job creation in rural areas. In 2020, she launched a fund supporting investments in impact bonds across the EU. Maha also heads the Accelerator for Impact Businesses at BNP Paribas and oversees the bank's impact investing initiatives within the bank. The webinar will be conducted in English. Please register at: https://shorturl.at/dwCQY Join us and learn about the best impact practices in banking for social impact! Organizers: Impact Europe, SILab Ukraine, Independent Association of Banks of Ukraine.

Applications are now being accepted for an exciting new initiative tailored to women entrepreneurs, named "Launch Your Own Business". This training program for women has been made possible through the generous support of the German Federal Foreign Office and in collaboration with esteemed partners, terre des hommes and ChildFund Deutschland. 🎯 Our primary objective is to equip women with an exceptional opportunity to gain the knowledge, skills, and resources essential for effectively commencing their own businesses. Participants in this program will engage in immersive 3-day workshops led by prominent business development and launch experts. They will refine their business concepts, construct detailed business plans, and learn the art of securing investment to kick-start their entrepreneurial journeys. 📍 Training sessions will take place from September 2023 to June 2024 across 10 regions in Ukraine: Dnipro Zhytomyr Zakarpattia Ivano-Frankivsk Kyiv Lviv Poltava Rivne Ternopil Kharkiv Each session spans 3 days. 📚 During these workshops, participants will acquire insights into various facets of business inception and growth, including: Implementing a lean approach to business planning and launch Conducting targeted audience research and market analysis Creating a minimum viable product Understanding legal and tax considerations for entrepreneurial ventures Crafting financial models and comprehensive business plans Forging partnerships and seeking investment opportunities 📅 The inaugural training session is scheduled from September 8th to 10th (arrival on September 7th in the afternoon) within the Kyiv region. Stay tuned on our platform for updates regarding upcoming training dates. Who's eligible to attend the Kyiv region training: Women residing in Kyiv and the surrounding region Women whose businesses/families have been impacted by hostilities Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) women Spouses of military personnel Women living in rural areas Representatives from vulnerable social groups Participation in the training is free of charge. Travelling, accommodation, and meals are covered by the organiser. During all days, participants will stay at the location where the training will take place. 📢 We extend a warm invitation to apply for participation in the inaugural training session! Together, we can revolutionize our lives and transform our aspirations into tangible realities. The deadline for applications to the Kyiv region training is August 28th, 20:00. “Launch Your Own Business” training program is executed by SILab Ukraine, funded by the German Federal Foreign Office, and forged in partnership with terre des hommes and ChildFund.

Today is the third month of our programme, the Express Online Incubator for Social Enterprise Creation and Development. Our teams are already actively implementing their ideas, which they worked out together with our experts and mentors during the training, Spoonki being one of them. Spoonki is a cuddle pillow to comfortably solve children's sleep problems. Today, 75% of children show signs of cognitive stress. Children's sleep disorders are the result of prolonged exposure to stressful conditions, such as changing places of residence, rocket attacks, and the loss of their homes. "Our idea was to provide parents with an auxiliary tool for putting their children to bed. We ourselves faced the problem that due to nervousness and stress, children had more difficulty falling asleep and woke up more often at night. Analysing the situation allowed us to develop pillows that help children achieve a quality healthy sleep" - Hanna Tretyakova, co-founder of the social enterprise Spoonki. When we asked Hanna why they chose the social enterprise model, she answered that it was a matter of feeling, because today most Ukrainians not only understand the importance of their actions for society but are also ready to take responsibility for scaling their social impact. During the Spring Express Online Incubator, the company's team actively participated in all workshops and additional consultations, and then successfully presented their business idea during the final stage of the programme - the Demo Day. "We came to the incubator doubting whether our idea had a chance not only of commercial success but also of bringing the desired changes to the lives of Ukrainian families with children. Our hypotheses were confirmed by the fact that we felt incredibly supported and engaged by the mentors and participants of the programme. The confidence that our product is necessary, desirable and useful is what we received at the end of the programme," Anna told us. Today, the company is preparing to launch its website and is already actively selling its product: "During the programme, we transformed from a 'project' into a 'business'. We have our first sales and our first satisfied customers! Thanks to our participation in the programme, we have defined such fundamental concepts as cost and value. It brought us as close as possible to our customers." We are proud to have had the opportunity to work with the Spoonki team because we value not only their sincerity and desire to make changes, but also their responsibility, perseverance, and ambition. These are the traits that make businesses successful and help them scale their impact. If you want to improve your baby's sleep, establish cooperation, or simply support the Spoonki social enterprise, follow the link!

Dear friends, We are delighted to share the news that our charity initiative, Shelter.Ukraine, has been honoured with third place in the Charity Campaign of the Year category at the Charity Ukraine national competition. This recognition is a tremendous honour for our team. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all our donors, partner organizations, and volunteer associations. Our collaboration has enabled us to respond promptly to the challenges we faced, providing essential humanitarian aid without hesitation. Together, we have offered shelter, food, medicine, clothing, and psychological support to those most in need—the Ukrainian people affected by the aggression of the occupiers. Shelter.Ukraine has always been and continues to be a collaborative project founded on expertise, solidarity, and compassion. This initiative was executed by four organizations: SILab Ukraine, Vplyv Fund, Teple Misto та Valores Foundation (Poland). We would like to express our deep appreciation to our partners Razom For Ukraine, ChildFund Germany, 1to4 Foundationfor their financial support and invaluable contributions. Your generosity and kindness have been a tremendous source of support throughout this journey. This award holds significant importance for us, and we also wish to acknowledge all the organizations and projects that participated in the Charitable Ukraine competition. Even if you did not receive an award, please remember that together, we are building a powerful network of goodness and positive change in our country. Without the contributions of each and every one of you, this would not be possible. We extend our gratitude to everyone who has contributed to the Shelter.Ukraine initiative in any way. Together, we are victorious. Glory to Ukraine!

Today, almost 15,000 young people live in the Okhtyrka community and more than 1,200 IDPs are officially registered. Although the local youth center creates some opportunities for these people, its resources are only 2% sufficient. ⠀ Most young people living in the city do not have access to quality education or even space for communication and development. However, the participants of our express online incubator held this spring have found a solution and have already tested it in partnership with a powerful partner. ⠀ Meet the social enterprise New Bristol, a coffee shop in the youth center. ⠀ The social goal of the enterprise is to increase the number of activities for youth development and provide them with various trainings and space for creativity and development. The team plans to allocate half of the profits to achieve their goal! ⠀ During the incubation program, the team showed not only their ambitions but also their desire to learn and improve business processes, which were planned before the start of the incubator. Together with experts and a mentor, the New Bristol team overcame a difficult path of transformation and adaptation of an existing business idea into a full-fledged social enterprise. ⠀ On May 27, the coffee shop will be fully launched, and if you are in the city of Okhtyrka, we invite you to visit the establishment to support the newly created social enterprise. Remember, everyone who buys even one cup of coffee in this café will contribute to the development of the local community. ⠀ "SILab has fully shaped our idea that we wanted to realize. We squeezed 100% of the profit out of the incubator workshops, and the mentor helped us develop a broad financial model, finalized the design of the institution, visuals, marketing, identified a unique selling proposition, and gained confidence that if we fail to get financial support after the incubator, we will definitely launch anyway. Therefore, having a ready-made and working model (MVP), we decided to launch. The best fit was a partnership with the Red Cross, where we helped organize the event and offered catering services to the citizens who attended the event. Even the mayor of the city and the chief representative of the Red Cross organization in Ukraine drank our cocktails!" - co-founder of New Bristol coffee shop, Vladyslav. ⠀ Support the project or learn more about it ↓

⠀ The conference will bring together more than 150 experts who are scaling impact globally to share their experiences. ⠀ Experienced social impact scaling experts will discuss successes and failures in building ecosystems, including how this happens in complex sociopolitical contexts. They will also present best practices and lessons learned from 25+ countries, including Ukraine, Palestine, Algeria, Tunisia, Lebanon, Egypt, Serbia, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Moldova, and many others. ⠀ When: 28-29 June 2023 Where: Georgia, Tbilisi ⠀ Who will benefit from the conference? social entrepreneurs and those who develop the ecosystem for them representatives of the state, NGOs, foundations impact investors and those interested in developing this area businesses that want to add social impact to their development strategy The main topics that brought together experts from all over Europe: How to set up impact funds and ensure access to finance for impact businesses - even with seemingly limited resources How to build long-term partnerships with corporations, banks, municipalities or public authorities Policy frameworks for developing entrepreneurship that has a greater impact on society Factors that distinguish traditional investments from impact investments Impact finance for social entrepreneurs: what it is, why it is important and what is needed to implement it in new or challenging markets ⠀ Join the community of change-makers, register for the conference! Register for the conference.