Failure Culture And Ecosystem Connectivity In The CEE Startup Scene

Modul University Vienna

Modul University Vienna is attending the ViennaUP Festival

weXelerate

09.45 - 10.15h Participants arrive and Opening10.15 - 10:30h Introduction of WIGS Vienna Institute for Global Studies10.30 - 11.30h 1st PanelTitle: The Untold Startup Failure StoriesSubtitle: What happened to some of the failed startups previously praised as "rising stars" and recommended as "ones to watch"?“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” - Thomas EdisonLength: 45min + 15 min Q&amp;AIntro: We often hear that the failure of a business doesn't reflect the failure of the entrepreneur behind it. However, understanding the factors leading to failure and extracting lessons from it isn't straightforward. Failure still carries a stigma, and it's notable how little is discussed about the true reasons behind it. This lack of transparency might be attributed to the emotional complexities involved and the tendency to assign blame elsewhere. Why aren't we exposed to more of these stories in a constructive context?Panelists:· Gergely Romhány (Hungary)· Michaela Kloudova (Czechia)· Andrei Cosmin Munteanu (Romania)· Matic Kadliček (Slovenia)· Jordan Bocskov (Hungary)· Ondrej Homola (Czechia) · Mark Downey (Hungary-Ireland) Moderator —Gergely Romhány has an educational background in legal, IT, and business management and was the founder &amp; CEO of the successful LegalTech startup company called TrustChain. TrustChain developed a secure online contracting platform for high-value and business-critical legal transactions, such as M&amp;A, investments, and other B2B-related projects. Among its accolades, TrustChain was the winner of the ‘Best Newcomer’ Award at the Central European Startup Awards in 2019, the ‘Best Newcomer’ Global Award in 2020, and the ‘Innovation 2 Company’ Award in Vienna in 2019 and 2021. Additionally, Gergely was named ‘Startupper of the Year 2020’ in Hungary and had 4,000 active company users, including regional venture capital firms, legal firms, and global clinical research companies like IQVIA.Despite the company's apparent success, it had to cease its business activities and close its operations at the end of 2021. Gergely will discuss these details further during the panel discussion.—Michaela Kloudova currently serves as the CEO of the Institute of Circular Economy in the Czech Republic. She was the founder of Prague's first circular mall and Genster, the premier online styling service for men in Bohemia, a startup that successfully secured two rounds of investment and had a team of over 30 people. Additionally, she co-founded AlimentyDetem.cz, a project that has significantly impacted the alimony market. Prior to founding Genster, Michaela held various roles in the marketing and media departments at Unilever, an international corporation. She has a passion for people, dogs, and horses.—Andrei Cosmin Munteanu is a prominent figure in the Western Romanian tech and startup scene, renowned for his role in fostering community and innovation. A tech enthusiast with a penchant for quality espresso, Andrei is the co-founder and CEO of Cowork Timisoara, a leading hub for the region's startup community. He is also a co-founder of the PROW Conference, an international technology event that emphasizes product development. In addition to these roles, Andrei serves as the community manager for Growceanu, an angel investing platform that helps individuals diversify their portfolios with tech startup investments. Furthermore, he is a global facilitator for Startup Weekend, where he helps inspire and guide budding entrepreneurs.—Matic Kadliček is an organizational psychologist and CEO at Video Center, Slovenia. He is a sought-after consultant for HR and L&amp;D to 100+ companies, building internal learning centers and tools for successful skill building, psychometric testing, coaching, succession planning, organizational network analysis, onboarding and mentoring. Keeping credibility front and center, he uses the ROI Methodology to measure results. Among the first EuroPSY certificate holders for Work &amp; Organizational Psychology in Slovenia, he is also a dedicated mentor to new psychologists and takes humor seriously.—Jordan Bocskov is an entrepreneur turned investor, with a keen eye on evolving business in the CEE region. He is the Managing Partner at Fiedler Capital, an early-stage investor of startups like Seon and Bitrise. Over the last 15 years, Jordan has built several business ventures as an entrepreneur in the CEE region. Before founding Fiedler Capital, he was actively involved in economic policy development, gaining insight into the challenges entrepreneurs face in the region. He cultivates an extensive business and political network in Eastern Europe.— Ondřej Homola is a partner at N1 Ventures, the region's most active pre-seed and seed VC firm. He founded Invest in Bravery, a major conference in Prague and Kyiv connecting Ukrainian startups with top investors. An IPO-experienced founder turned early-stage VC, Ondřej lives and breathes startups. When he's not investing, he's rocking out as a bass player in his band —Mark Downey is an authentic leader with a knack for strategic planning, business development, and simplifying complex data and messages. With experience spanning corporate, service industries, venture capital, and startups, he excels in building partnerships and leading teams. His expertise includes business strategy, data-driven decision-making, workshop moderation, and team coordination, all aimed at driving growth and innovation.—11.30h - 12.00h: NETWORKING BREAK - finger food &amp; non-alcoholic drinks to be served—12.00h - 13.00h: 2nd PanelTitle: The United Yet Disconnected CEE Startup EcosystemSubtitle: Are we fulfilling our collaboration potential within the region often referred to as the economic growth engine of Europe?Length: 45min + 15 min Q&amp;AIntro: The CEE region, with its population exceeding 126 million, encompasses most EU countries and a majority within the Schengen zone. With an economic growth rate higher than the EU average and globally recognized tech talent, it holds great potential. However, connections between countries are far from reaching their potential, leading to missed opportunities in investment, talent acquisition, client engagement, and forming partnerships with neighboring countries. This aspect is particularly noteworthy, given the relatively small size of most countries in the region. Where do we currently stand regarding cross-border collaborations between the startup ecosystems of these countries? Panelists:· Marianna Szarkova (Slovakia)· Magdalena Jabłońska (Poland)· Urška Jež (Slovenia)· Andrei Cosmin Munteanu (Romania)· leva Felman (Latvia)· Mark Downey (Hungary-Ireland) Moderator —Marianna Szarkova is the CEO &amp; Co-Founder of Campus x StartuPeak - a recently merged Slovak startup community fostering connections beyond their borders. She thrives on connecting like-minded business enthusiasts through impactful networking events. Her passion lies in supporting youth in entrepreneurship, and education is a cause close to her heart. Proudly serving as a long-term country partner of the Central European Startup Awards, she is dedicated to fostering innovation and excellence throughout generations.—Magdalena Jabłońska has over 20 years of experience as a business advisor, primarily focusing on innovation support and research and development initiatives. She began her career in business consulting firms like Deloitte and PwC in the Innovation Services Team. In recent years, she has been utilizing her expertise and passion for innovation at the Foundation for Technology Entrepreneurship, where she has held the role of CEO since 2018. The Foundation plays a significant role in fostering the innovation ecosystem, including technological startups, through initiatives such as the StarSmart CEE acceleration program, formerly known as MIT Enterprise Forum CEE.Over the past eight years, Magdalena has actively organized processes and programs aimed at bolstering the growth of technological startups in the Central and Eastern European region, as well as implementing the open innovation model in large corporations. Her experience encompasses developing collaboration models in the dynamic innovation landscape and effectively bridging the gap between startups and established corporations.Magdalena's dedication stems from her desire to contribute to a thriving innovation ecosystem, catalyzing transformative changes across various industries through innovative solutions, sustainable business models, and strategic partnerships.—Urška Jež has extensive experience in executive management, bridging startups with enterprises. She co-founded the ABC Accelerator in Ljubljana, held managerial roles in multiple companies, and developed foreign markets for firms like Kobal Transporti and John Deere Forestry Slovenia. She's coached over 150 startups, led 60 hackathons, and now focuses on training and consulting to scale up businesses. Urška aims to foster a culture of open communication and high engagement, pushing boundaries as a goal-oriented leader. She also works with the Enterprise Development Group in Palo Alto and participates in the EUvsVirus Steering Committee.—Andrei Cosmin Munteanu is a prominent figure in the Western Romanian tech and startup scene, renowned for his role in fostering community and innovation. A tech enthusiast with a penchant for quality espresso, Andrei is the co-founder and CEO of Cowork Timisoara, a leading hub for the region's startup community. He is also a co-founder of the PROW Conference, an international technology event that emphasizes product development. In addition to these roles, Andrei serves as the community manager for Growceanu, an angel investing platform that helps individuals diversify their portfolios with tech startup investments. Furthermore, he is a global facilitator for Startup Weekend, where he helps inspire and guide budding entrepreneurs.—leva Felman is a committed leader in building sustainable startup ecosystems across Latvia, the Baltics, and emerging regions for the past 9 years. She enhanced the community through her pivotal role as community manager at TechChill, Latvia's premier startup event, nurturing a robust network with over 60 partners from the Baltic, Nordic, and CEE regions. She organized the first Startup SAFARI Riga in 2018, which highlighted Riga's startup scene, and acts as an ambassador for major European networks like the PIRATE Summit and Seedstars CEE. In 2022, she led the Nordic Startup Awards Ecosystem Summit and hosted discussions on diversity and supporting Ukrainian tech. Now in her role as Senior Startup Ecosystem Project manager with the Riga Investment and Tourism Agency she is developing the city’s innovation ecosystem by uniting various community organisations. 13.00h - 14.00h: Networking - non-alcoholic drinks to be served.14:00h End of Event

Agenda

09.45 - 10.15h: Participants arrive, warmup, networking
10.15 - 10:30h: Opening and introduction of  WIGS
10.30 - 11.30h: 1st Panel
11.30 - 12.00h: NETWORKING BREAK
12.00 - 13.00h: 2nd Panel
13.00 - 14.00h: Networking

Failure Culture And Ecosystem Connectivity In The CEE Startup Scene

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Failure Culture And Ecosystem Connectivity In The CEE Startup Scene

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