The first cycle of the Build2Lead program ended today with the last master class, a lecture by Milan Gospić, country manager of Microsoft Serbia, who brought new knowledge and skills in improving managerial skills to the representatives of 7 technology companies.

The Build2Lead program was created in response to the existing gap in the ecosystem and the need to improve the managerial skills of team leaders who possess strong technical knowledge and skills, and need to additionally master leadership and management skills. As such, it is a completely new way of supporting innovative technology companies in the ecosystem.

The Science Technology Park Belgrade (STP Belgrade) launched the initiative and designed the Build2Lead program, with the financial support of the EBRD through the Star Venture program in the Western Balkans (the Star Venture program is led by the EBRD and co-funded by Luxembourg through the EBRD Small Business Impact Fund and the EU – Western Balkans Enterprise Development and Innovation Facility, EDIF). It is carried out within the scope of the STP Belgrade’s scaleup support services for startups and technology companies, through activities the realization of which is also supported within the project “Technopark Serbia 2 – Boosting Exports through Technoparks”, with the support of the Government of Switzerland.

After today’s workshop, where Milan Gospić shared his development path and his experiences in improving leadership and managerial skills, Matteo Colangeli, Regional Director, Western Balkans at the EBRD, also addressed the participants, while the director of STP Belgrade, Gordana Danilović Grković, presented the participants with certificates of successful program completion.

The participants of the first cycle of the Build2Lead program were from the companies B2Bee, Tannera Technologies, mBrainTrain, Charge&Go, Joberty Technologies, EuroCons and AmetiqLabs. They participated in the workshops of the Adizes Institute dedicated to personal development, communication and leadership skills, including profiling and individual counselling with the aim of further professional development. In the last phase, 4 master class lectures and networking were held with experienced managers who shared their experience in improving their leadership skills and roles.

The initial cycle of the Build2Lead program was intended only for the member companies of STP Belgrade. The next one, which is also planned for 2024, will be open to all startups and technology companies from the local innovation ecosystem.