Innovative women leading the future: Olívia Oliveira’s experience with the EIC Women Leadership Programme

The European Innovation Council Women Leadership Programme, run in partnership with the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, markets itself as a skills and network accelerator for women researchers and entrepreneurs. Participants combine virtual and in-person training, mentoring and business coaching. For some attendees the programme has tangible effects on confidence and professional networks. For others the long term benefits will depend on how well the skills and relationships built translate into measurable business growth and access to follow-on finance.

Profile: Olívia Oliveira and Promptly Health

Olívia Oliveira is Chief Operating Officer at Promptly Health, an EIT beneficiary. She brings experience in leadership, operations management and data engineering. As COO she focuses on customer success, operational efficiency and mentoring cross functional teams to improve scalability and performance. She is the only woman on her companys executive team.

Why Olívia applied to the EIC Women Leadership Programme

Olívia learned about the programme through a peer working in digital health research. She applied for several reasons. She wanted access to experienced mentors and to expand her professional network. She expected hands on workshops to sharpen leadership skills. The programme appealed because it mixes personal mentoring with practical trainings and opportunities to meet peers from different countries and sectors. Olívia describes herself as a generalist who enjoys problem solving and mentoring others and says these strengths made the programme a good match for her goals.

What the programme offered and what participants experienced

The EIC Women Leadership Programme combines weekly virtual training sessions, dedicated networking events, one on one mentoring and business coaching. Sessions cover negotiation, pitching, leadership styles, marketing and public speaking. In person meetings, typically held in Brussels, are used to deepen relationships and run interactive workshops. Alumni gain access to a LinkedIn alumni group and are invited to gatherings and speaking opportunities.

How the programme helped address specific challenges

Olívia pointed to three active challenges: professional development, widening her professional network and scaling her company. She credits the programme with providing new perspectives via mentors, concrete trainings and a supportive peer community. One on one mentor sessions were singled out as especially valuable because they addressed specific situations and decisions. Olívia also highlighted the motivational effect of being in a cohort of ambitious women leaders from diverse sectors.

Broader context and results claimed by EIC

The EIC presents support to women innovators as a strategic priority for 2021 to 2027. It runs multiple targeted instruments including the Women Leadership Programme, Women TechEU for early stage women led deep tech start ups and the European Prize for Women Innovators. The EIC reports progress on gender balance in its portfolios but gaps remain and the numbers warrant scrutiny.

These figures show movement in the right direction. They do not, however, substitute for independent evaluation of outcomes such as growth trajectories, follow on private investment, or long term leadership retention. Programmes that aim to close gender gaps should be paired with data collection that tracks these downstream outcomes over multiple years.

What changed for participants beyond skills

Olívia reported a change in perspective from immersion in a multinational cohort. She said exposure to different industry approaches to innovation broadened her strategic view. She also emphasised the intangible but real benefit of solidarity. For many participants that shared experience can lessen isolation and reinforce persistence when facing the recurring barriers women founders encounter in fundraising and corporate advancement.

Next cohort and how to apply

The fourth cohort in which Olívia participated concluded in April. The programme continues with new cohorts. The upcoming sixth cohort is aimed at women cofounders and C suite leaders. Applications open on 1 July and the programme will start in September 2024. Interested candidates from the EIC and EIT communities are advised to monitor the EIC Community platform and the EIC BAS newsletter for call details.

A measured conclusion

Programmes like the EIC Women Leadership Programme can be valuable interventions. They provide mentorship, practical training and networking that many participants report as empowering and useful. At the same time these interventions do not remove systemic barriers on their own. Persistent funding gaps, biased investor networks and uneven access to market opportunities require complementary policy action and targeted investment. Better public reporting on downstream outcomes would help assess whether cohort level gains translate into more women led scale ups and sustainable leadership placements.

Practical information and support

For further information on the EIC Women Leadership Programme consult the EIC Community pages and the programme FAQ. If you have questions use the EIC Community contact form and choose the EIC Women Leadership Programme category in the helpdesk. The information presented here is intended for knowledge sharing and should not be interpreted as the official view of the European Commission.