On centre-stage: Some inspiring Women Entrepreneurs from Latvia
Latvia’s entrepreneurial landscape is increasingly being shaped by remarkable women. Research shows that Latvian women are particularly proactive in establishing new businesses and joining corporate boards. In fact, they stand out as some of the most active business founders in Europe. Approximately 10 percent of Latvian women aged 18 to 64 have ventured into entrepreneurship, according to research by the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga.
These pioneering women entrepreneurs primarily lead small or micro-companies, contributing to the fact that nearly 40% of all such enterprises in Latvia are under their leadership, as reported by LIAA in 2018. This growing presence of women in leadership positions within the business world raises intriguing questions about their personalities, their approaches to overcoming obstacles and key factors underpinning their professional success.
Latvian women are not just entrepreneurs; they are trailblazers who are reshaping the business landscape and inspiring the next generation.
#LatvianWomenEntrepreneurs #Empowerment #BusinessTrailblazers #ProfessionalSuccess
Here’s taking a close look at some inspiring women entrepreneurs in Latvia.
>Inga Muižniece, Founder & Manager, Sonido
Inga Muižniece is Founder and Manager of the call centre Sonido, which is unique, because it is a social enterprise that employs people with disabilities. Apart from her commercial activities, she has also launched an unusual social project called Parunāsim (Let’s Talk): a phone line for people who feel lonely. It is a step closer to an inclusive society and work integration, which has also been recognised with the 2020 Disability Support Award in the category Promoter of Employment. Sonido’s social project Parunāsim was created in 2018 – to give people who feel lonely the opportunity to call someone and be listened to.
> Diāna Lapkis, Co-Founder, New Door
Diāna Lapkis is Co-Founder of the first social entrepreneurship accelerator in the Baltics and the innovation platform New Door. Quite significantly, she wears many hats.
She is also an active consultant in the fields of social entrepreneurship, social innovation, and corporate social responsibility. Besides, she is also a mentor for social entrepreneurs and a member of the Social Enterprise Commission of the Ministry of Welfare.
> Gunita Kuļikovska, Founder & CEO, Vividly
Gunita Kulikovska is an architect and urbanist by education but, over time she has become an entrepreneur who is passionate about new technology and sustainability. In 2016, she founded Vividly, a company developing meaningful metaverse solutions used in architecture, urban planning & education.
She is backed with over a decade’s experience in strategic management, business development & project leadership positions. She alternates her passion between entrepreneurship, academia, and fitness. Currently, she is also the director of the Sustainable construction department at Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences. In the past, Gunita worked as an Advisor at RxEAL, a Lecturer at BA School of Business and Finance, and additionally was a Member of Good Technology Collective, a European forum for piloting and discussing the technology advances of the 21st century.
> Baiba Rubesa & Dagnija Lejina, Co-Founders, Novatore
Baiba Rubesa is a Co-Founder of Novatore, an online platform dedicated to women’s economic empowerment. She is an experienced Business Executive and Board Member. Her background is that she held the position of, among others, a Member Of The Supervisory Board at Gren, the Chair of the Supervisory Council at HansaMatrix, and a Member of the Supervisory Board at Citadele Banka.
Her Co-Founder, Dagnija Lejina is an experienced founder and entrepreneur. During her career, she worked at, among others, the Latvian Transatlantic Organisation, the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Nordea. Additionally, she held a CEO position at Digital Freedom Festival, Lejiņa & Partners, a company offering PR support. In 2018 Dagnija co-founded Oratore, an
educational platform dedicated to women to help them develop and improve presentation and leadership skills. It was in 2020 that she co-founded Novatore, a women’s entrepreneurship empowerment platform.
> Sabine Pole, Founder, Sorry as a Service, Angel Investor
Now, Sabine Pole is a Co-Founder of ROAR, a social media creative agency, and Sorry as a Service, an online platform for companies looking to raise their standard customer experience level, by sending personalized delights to unsatisfied clients.
Besides graduating from the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga, she also passed out from the Paris School of Business. So, it is not surprising that she has vast expertise in the financial industry. In the past, she worked as an Investment Analyst at ZGI Capital, a Financial Analyst at Prudential, and Managing Director at MAMMU. Besides, she is an Angel Investor at
Fermentful.
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