Investing in youth development is a guarantee of a bright future. With this in mind, SheLeads was launched – an educational program aimed at giving young women the opportunity to become founders and launch their own products. The finals were recently held in Kyiv, where the jury selected three winning ideas, and 15 participants have already received internship offers from leading tech companies.
How SheLeads Works
Launched by uBoost and the Tokarev Foundation, the program is an educational project consisting of several stages. This season, more than 300 young women participated in the project. Of these, 220 completed the full course, and 120 were assigned personal mentors to help them develop their business ideas. The finale featured presentations before an expert jury, which selected the winners.
Every participant’s journey – from submitting an application to the final presentation to the jury – is built around hands-on experience. According to Sergey Tokarev, founder of the Tokarev Foundation, this is the best way to achieve meaningful results.
“This program isn’t just about ambition; it’s about experience, growth, and networking. Its results prove that the future of Ukraine’s tech sector is in good hands. SheLeads isn’t a competition; for each participant, it’s an opportunity to prove herself, gain the necessary resources and connections, and launch her own product. These founders will help shape the future of Ukraine,” emphasized Sergey Tokarev.
SheLeads Finals: Which Projects Made It to the End
Every stage of the project is crucial, from submitting an application to pitching before the jury. This season, the jury selected three projects as winners, each addressing pressing issues:
- Soil restoration – the ReGrow project, presented by Iryna Terekhova. The project combines microbiology with sustainable packaging innovation. The product is packaging made from straw and micro-seeds. Once the packaging decomposes, it avoids harming the soil and helps restore it.
- Gamification of workouts – the GymGames project, presented by Solomiya Andriychuk. Solomiya’s product combines software and exercise equipment, turning an ordinary workout into a game. With the support of mentor Anna Chorna, this product passed all stages and became one of the best among those presented.
- Efficient Solar Energy – a project presented by Sofia Kedria. With the support of her mentor, Oleksandra Marchenko, she developed a product capable of significantly improving the efficiency of conventional solar panels by concentrating sunlight through specially designed lenses.
Every season brings new ideas, approaches, and technologies. According to Anastasia Deeva, the entire project once again confirms that Young Ukrainian women are eager and capable of creating the technologies of the future. “Every stage brings new achievements, new solutions, and new results. Each time, we see talented young women who join the project with their own perspective on the problem, and by the time they finish, they gain not only experience but also a fully developed product. We aim to scale this experience, because investing in young people is our future,” said Deeva.
How It All Began
SheLeads was launched by uBoost and the Tokarev Foundation for young women interested in STEM, artificial intelligence, and entrepreneurship. It gives participants the opportunity to become founders and take an idea all the way from concept to the final pitch. In the finals, participants compete for the chance to secure an internship at one of the tech giants. This season’s program partners are Sigma Software Labs, Ukrainian Startup Fund, Healthy Mind, and AI HOUSE.
The Tokarev Foundation plays a key role in the project. It is an organization focused on technology and the future. The foundation’s goal is to build a sustainable, inclusive, and technologically advanced Ukraine. The foundation was established by IT entrepreneur Sergey Tokarev, founder of Pava Studio.
Eduindex 