Jury Members Summer School 2023, Valencia

The lucky 29 participants at the School were chosen by a distinguished Jury comprising remarkable women from all walks of life - from policymaking, academia and business, through to journalism and equality defenders. They had the difficult task of selecting one participant from each of the 27 EU Member States plus one each from Ukraine and the Western Balkans Six.
The Jury reviewed every aspect of the candidate’s entries - from their academic achievements through to their outside interests, technological curiosity and motivation to make a difference in the world. In short, the Jury sought well-rounded candidates to be tomorrow’s #NextGenChangemakers.

Barbara Rambousek

Director for Gender and Economic Inclusion, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)

Shada Islam

Founder, New Horizons Project

Tsvetelina Penkova

Member of the European Parliament

Tamara Tafra

Minister Counsellor for Cyber Issues, Hybrid Threats and Disinformation, Permanent Representation of Croatia to the EU

Androulla Vassiliou

Former European Commissioner for Education and Health

Šárka Brábníková

Czech Education, Youth and Sport Attache

Sanja Lazarova-Molnar

Professor, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) & University of Southern Denmark (SDU); Director, Board of Directors, The Society for Modelling and Simulation International (SCS); Chair, IEEE Denmark & Vice-Chair, IEEE Denmark Women in Engineering AG

Lesli Hommik-Callewaert

Counsellor for Justice Affairs, Permanent Representation of Estonia to the EU

Sirpa Pietikäinen

Member of the European Parliament

Sylvie Brunet

Member of the European Parliament

Carmen Niethammer

Senior Gender Specialist, European Investment Bank (EIB)

Anastasia-Sissy Gkika

Member of the Permanent Representation of Greece to the EU in charge of Education and Sport Committees

Anett Mádi-Nátor

President, Women4Cyber Foundation

Una Fitzpatrick

Director, Technology Ireland, Ibec; Member of the Executive Board, DIGITALEUROPE

Chiara Fortuna

Culture and Audiovisual Attache, Permanent Representation of Italy to the EU

Maija Zvirbule

Counsellor for Education, Youth, Sports at Permanent Representation of the Republic of Latvia to the European Union

Evelina Kurgonaitė-Swoboda

Secretary General, Fair Standards Alliance

Marc Angel

Vice-President of the European Parliament

Josianne Cutajar

Member of the European Parliament

Ruth Richardson

Secretary-General, INLW; Policy-Officer and contract manager, Dutch Water Authority Rijnland in The Netherlands

Danuta Hübner

Member of the European Parliament

Maria da Graça Carvalho

Member of the European Parliament

Sabina Ciofu

Associate Director – International, techUK

Pavlina Pavlova

Public Policy Advisor, Cyber Peace Institute

Violeta Bulc

Former European Commissioner for Transport

Lina Gálvez Muñoz

Member of the European Parliament

Julia Lindholm

Head of Office, Energiföretagen Sverige

Margareta Nikolovska

Senior Expert in Vocational Education and Training Policy and Systems, European Training Foundation (ETF)

Olena Bekh

Coordinator for Innovative Teaching and Learning, Senior Human Capital Development Specialist, European Training Foundation (ETF)

Participating in the "Generative AI: Challenges and Opportunities Ahead" panel at the European Leadership Academy was a truly transformative experience. Meeting 29 incredible young women from diverse backgrounds was both humbling and inspiring. The Academy showed me firsthand the immense impact that can be achieved when young women are given the right opportunities and a platform to grow. I left the Academy feeling more empowered and optimistic than ever.

Maro Manoli

CEO & Co-Founder, E-mbracelet

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It may sound cliché, but the best part of the European Leadership Academy were the caring and passionate people who contributed to it, after the end of the European Leadership Academy, I now feel the most confident and passionate that I have ever been. Importantly, the program was completely free of charge, as an ambitious young woman whose family has always struggled financially, the European Leadership academy was a dream come true in many ways.

Veronika Anna Denner

Student. Represented Austria at the 2024 Summer School in Warsaw

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This transformative journey has prepared me for anything life may throw my way. What touched me most was the opportunity to connect with girls who, like me, share the same dreams yet are wonderfully diverse. They truly inspired me in countless ways. I learned so much about myself throughout this process; the school has impacted every facet of my identity, teaching me self-confidence and the imporance of colaborartions with others.

Lara Markelj

Student. Represented Slovenia at the 2024 Summer School in Warsaw

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I knew that the Summer School for Female Leadership in the Digital Age was going to be an incredible experience but I didn't expect it to be life-changing! With a jam-packed week full of both interesting and challenging discussions, panels, masterclasses & workshops, I left each day feeling inspired and invigorated. I would encourage any young woman interested to apply regardless of your background and experiences - the European Leadership Academy provides an environment for all young women to thrive in.

Amy Calleja

Student. Represented Malta at the 2022 Summer School in Prague

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Sisterhood, support and inspiration are just some of the aspects that we have experienced! The European Leadership Academy is an exceptional and priceless program which opened our horizons for the future. For me, one of the best characteristics of the program was its holistic approach. The range of speakers and experts was extraordinary just as their kindness and openness to answer our questions and connect with us.

Katharina Hertel

Student. Represented Germany at the 2022 Summer School in Prague

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