Supporting women-led startups is essential for fostering innovation, diversity, and sustainable economic growth. Research by McKinsey & Company has shown that companies with greater gender diversity in leadership teams are 21% more likely to achieve above-average profitability compared to those with lower diversity.

42 Warsaw and Unsung Heroes Foundation invites all impact enthusiasts to join the event 42 Warsaw Talks: Impact matters – powered by Unsung Heroes that takes place on:

 March 13th, 5:30pm 

at 42 Warsaw campus at Solidarności 171B

Registration is required: LINK.

Join us for an inspiring evening celebrating impact-driven innovation and the power of women behind them. This event highlights how startups can create meaningful, positive change in the world and explores the role of women leaders in driving these ventures forward.

Agenda

5:30 PM – Doors open & networking
6:00 PM – Welcome speech

6:15 PM – Startup Pitch #1: Astroteq.ai – Noemi Zabari
6:25 PM – Startup Pitch #2: Pikralida – Joanna Lipner
6:35 PM – Startup Pitch #3: HUGUP – Sława Madelska

6:45 PM – Panel Discussion & Q&A

• Topic 1: Financing impact-driven startups in Poland
• Topic 2: Women as leaders of impact startups

  
  Panel speakers:

• Rozalia Urbanek, PFR Ventures
• Monika Borowiecka, Tangent Line

• Kasia Grondkowska, Simpact Ventures

7:15 PM – Pizza, snacks, and networking
8:00 PM – Event closing

The event will be conducted entirely in English to ensure inclusivity and accessibility for a broad audience.

About speakers:

Rozalia Urbanek – Investment Director at PFR Ventures. She is responsible for investments in Private Equity and Venture Capital funds. She has 8 years of experience in this industry (having previously worked at PineBridge Investment and ForeVest funds) and 2 years of experience in transaction advisory (due diligence and M&A at EY). She completed the CEMS MIM program at the Vienna University of Economics and Business and the Warsaw School of Economics. 

Monika Borowiecka – Managing Partner at Tangent Line VC, a fund supporting investment activity Polish entrepreneurs. Shareholder and member of the management board of companies specializing in developing innovative technologies on the Polish market, including Triomega and KidiHub. Investment expert with broad knowledge of marketing, management and sales. Trained and passionate, a coach and mentor conducting trainings for managerial staff senior level. She has over 20 years of professional experience – gained, among others in one from the largest international corporations – Mars Polska.

Noemi Zabari (Astroteq.ai) – astrophysicist, leader, and manager of R&D projects bridging the gap between the scientific and business communities. In 2023, she was recognized as a Strong Woman in IT, and in 2024, she received the Kazimiera Bujwidowa Award and the title of Businesswoman of the Year in the Success Written with Lipstick competition in the “Leader in New Technologies” category. She completed her Ph.D. in Astrophysics at the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Kraków. Her specialization lies in dense nuclear matter and cosmic radiation, with practical applications for real-world challenges such as monitoring and predicting seismic activity, scanning dense matter objects, and monitoring electronic subsystems in satellite missions. Dr. Zabari is the COO of Astroteq.ai and  CEO of Muotech.io, a co-leader of the cosmo-seismic research group within the CREDO project (credo.science), and a member of the Polish Space Technology Cluster. She also mentors in organizations such as F2F Mentoring and the Global Mentoring Walk by Vital Voices.

Dr Joanna Lipner Dr. (Pikralida) is a graduate of the Institute of Organic Chemistry at the Polish Academy of Sciences. She has gained professional experience in drug discovery and development through her work in the R&D departments of Celon Pharma and Molecure. Since 2019, she has been collaborating with Dr. Anna Krause and Dr. Stanisław Pikul to develop Pikralida, an emerging biotech company focused on creating innovative therapies. Joanna has experience in managing R&D projects as well as in building and managing a new company.

Sława Madelska is the CEO and Founder of HUGUP, a healthtech startup revolutionising pregnancy wellness with advanced support wear, addressing the widespread yet underserved issue of lumbopelvic pain, which affects two-thirds of pregnant women. HUGUP’s vision extends beyond pregnancy, aiming to support anyone suffering from back pain—an epidemic and a leading cause of disability worldwide—including seniors, office workers, and athletes. Having navigated the digital industry’s nemeses, including Digitas UK and UNIT9, and having run her own e-commerce agency, White Ducky, she is now making her way as an entrepreneur experimenter in healthtech.