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career path support for young women unlocking entrepreneurial spirit
The Capsule Project
CAPSULE is an Erasmus+ European program, organized in Romania, Hungary, and Croatia by Impact Hub Bucharest, Impact Hub Budapest, Impact Hub Zagreb, and Career Shift, aiming to support young women in developing entrepreneurial spirit through the creation of a strong learning community, mentoring sessions, coaching, and entrepreneurial skills development.
For 18 months, participants from these three countries will deepen basic notions for a career in entrepreneurship, will go through five educational courses, will network at events dedicated to communities of practice, and will locally participate in three intensive weekend incubator sessions.
The CAPSULE program focuses on the mental and emotional development of women as future entrepreneurs, providing them with all the necessary resources to reach their potential, to self-surpass, and to develop their business idea through a comprehensive program of training, mentoring, and work practices.
Who is this for?
The program targets young women aged 18 - 28 yo who are interested in developing a business and are at the beginning of their professional careers. Those who are already working on a business idea or have started an entrepreneurial initiative are encouraged to apply.
The promotion of entrepreneurial skills development is designed for:
young mothers who want to develop their own business,
young women from disadvantaged categories such as migrants, refugees, or individuals who have left their homes and are in the partner countries of the program,
any young woman from the European Union who wants to become an entrepreneur and does not know the steps to get started.
The program, which will be conducted in English over a period of 18 months, will work with 105 participants from the three partner countries, meaning that in Romania, there are spots available for 35 applicants.
Impact Stories
Catalina Drăgoșelea, founder of Bright Future
If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.
The Capsule journey began 18 months ago with big dreams. Today, 105 women entrepreneurs from Romania, Hungary, and Croatia have turned those dreams into successful businesses, supported by a united community.
Cătălina Drăgoșelea, the founder of Bright Future, is one such courageous entrepreneur who, with the support of the CAPSULE community, managed to refine her vision and create a genuine impact on the lives of young people in Romania.
Now, Cătălina is helping numerous young adults under 30 find their career path and build their self-confidence.
Alina Mihalea, fondator Karma Store
If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.
The first step is having the courage to begin! This was also true for Alina Mihalcea, who shares that her biggest challenge was finding the courage to take action and start her own business.
As the founder of 𝐊𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞, Alina is bringing a breath of fresh air—literally—into homes with her eco-friendly, handmade candles crafted from non-toxic, natural ingredients.
Watch her story unfold and see how the CAPSULE program helped in her entrepreneurial journey!
Why join our program?
Education
Five online courses developed to acquire entrepreneurial, leadership, and digital skills to prepare you for the first steps in entrepreneurship.
Mentoring & Coaching
Support from experts who provide you with personalized individual sessions based on your business needs to help you identify challenges and opportunities.
Community
You will be part of an international community made up of young female entrepreneurs from: Croatia, Hungary, and Romania. You will participate in events for entrepreneurs and connect with three practice communities.
Incubation
Three physical incubation sessions and three online will take place over six separate weekends for participants from the three countries. During them, you will receive support from mentors for shaping your business.
Bootcamp
10 participants from the three countries will take part in a five-day international bootcamp, which will take place in Bucharest in 2024. Alongside experts and mentors, you will have the opportunity to connect with international perspectives.
Networking
You will participate in five international mastermind sessions, co-hosted by participants with the aim of acquiring hosting and facilitation skills by following the facilitators.
Program capabilities
Everything you need to know about the typical stages of a startup. Step by step, from defining the idea to testing, scaling X10, and exit, going through common challenges and how you can overcome them.
Startup EDU
How to integrate digital opportunities into your day-to-day operations and how to make the most of what they have to offer.
Digital skills
You develop new skills and out-of-the-box interventions in your practice. You learn to use your creativity to solve challenges in your business.
Creative skills
Self Leadership for Women in Business
A transformative five-module course, tailored specifically for ambitious young women, including mothers and those from marginalized backgrounds, who are venturing into entrepreneurship or looking to improve their current business journey.
Learn about the importance of sustainability and why entrepreneurs should incorporate it into their business model.
Entrepreneurial sustainability
The courses will be available to participants in four languages - Romanian, English, Croatian, and Hungarian.
Upcoming activities?
CAPSULE activities are spread over 18 months and consist of both physical meetings and webinars or international events. Follow the calendar:
Activities Calendar
May 30 - Aug 30, 2023: Program Registration
Sept 4 - 15, 2023: Participant selection
Sept 15, 2023 - Feb 14, 2025: Program run
Sept 30 - Dec 10, 2023: Residential Weekend (in person or online)
February - December 2024: 8 Community Meetings (local)
February - October 2024: 5 Mastermind events (international)
Apr 08 -Apr 12 2024: International bootcamp in Bucharest
Intrebari Frecvente
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Yes, participation in the program is not conditioned by attending the webinars. Anyone can enroll in the program without having previously registered for the webinars. However, the CAPSULE team recommends attending the webinars because they offer an opportunity for discovery and learning, similar but not entirely the same as the program. Additionally, during the webinars, any person interested in the program can ask questions and receive clarifications regarding the CAPSULE program.
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Yes. After the start of the program, the CAPSULE team will provide participants with the profiles of all the coaches and mentors in the program, and each participant will have the opportunity to choose who they will work with. Since the availability of coaches and mentors will be limited, the principle of first come, first served will be applied.
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For a complete learning and understanding experience, we recommend that participants have at least an Intermediate level of English, equivalent to B2 - in writing, reading, and speaking.
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Mastermind sessions offer a combination of brainstorming, education, peer accountability and support to sharpen your business and personal skills. Members challenge each other to set strong goals, and more importantly, to accomplish them.
Withing the CAPSULE program, the mastermind/networking sessions are for all 105 participants. They are super cool gatherings for everyone taking part. These sessions provide a safe space for sharing, receiving honest feedback, practicing leadership, gaining fresh perspectives, understanding different cultures and methods, and fostering accountability by setting goals in front of the group.
They're led by experts who are designed to equip you with the necessary skills to lead sessions even after the project concludes.
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No, for all participants, the program will take place from September 2023 until the end of 2024, with activities spread throughout this period. In the year 2023, there will be residential weekends, individual study and coaching/mentoring sessions, while in the year 2024, in addition to the bootcamp, local practice communities will be formed and international mastermind/networking sessions will take place.
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Participants for the bootcamp will be selected by certificate of attendance, based on their attendance in classes, their level of preparation, and as well as their demonstrated involvement during the residential weekends. These indicators will be analyzed by the trainers, coaches, mentors, and the program team – all of whom represent key stakeholders who will interact with the participants at every step.
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For each participant, individual study will be supported by course materials in both English and the local language, as well as the opportunity to work together with an international mentor or coach. Our suggestion is that after each residential weekend, in addition to individual study, each participant allocates at least one hour for mentoring/coaching.
Additionally, all participants will be part of local communities of practice and throughout the entire program they will be supported by dedicated community managers.
The local community of practice will serve as a powerful offline & online space for participants to debate, exchange, investigate, plan, prototype, evaluate business & community projects ideas, life themes, inclusivity & social entrepreneurship etc.
Item description
Ambasadorii Capsule
Alexandra Negulescu
Mindset & Productivity Coach
Founder MPower Yoga
Raluca Negulescu-Balaci
Director Executiv UI Path Foundation
Laura Ioana Sardescu
Co-Founder Neakaisa.ro
Lucia Radu
Blogger & Coach & Trainer Freelancer
Mihai Zant
Executive Coach & International Trainer
Co-founder Careeshift.ro & Humanistic
Alexandra Roxana Popa
Entrepreneur, Business Mentor & Coach @ alexandrapopa.eu & Founder @Community DInners
Trainerii Capsule
Adina Mitroi
Trainer Career Shift
Catalina Dabija
Trainer Career Shift
Lucia Radu
Trainer Career Shift
Cezara Boangiu
Trainer Career Shift
Alina Costescu
Trainer Career Shift
Our partners
Impact Hub Bucharest is the dynamic space where professionals and entrepreneurs work to develop their business projects and initiatives. Since 2012, Impact Hub Bucharest has been the first coworking space in Romania, with a community of over 3,000 members in Bucharest, and globally the organization is present in over 100 locations in more than 50 countries. The mission of Impact Hub Bucharest is to support the entrepreneurial ecosystem by offering startup acceleration programs and direct funding, as well as the largest online entrepreneurial education platform.
Impact Hub Budapest in Hungary provides a home for a diverse community and supports positive social change with a vast network of young people. Since 2017, our NGO, the Foundation for Sustainable Enterprises (FVA), has actively provided opportunities to vulnerable and disadvantaged people in Hungary, including projects targeting young people (SIA) and young women from rural areas and women from third countries (AWE, MOMENTUM)
Impact Hub Zagreb is part of the Impact Hub network and one of the over 100 Impact Hubs in more than 60 countries worldwide taking action to build businesses and find solutions for people and the planet. Impact Hub has been operating in Zagreb since January 2013. In addition to inspirational collaborations and coworking space, it contributes innovations in educational approach, facilitation, and consulting for:
1. Micro-entrepreneurs, particularly providing support for women entrepreneurs and start-up entrepreneurs to stabilize their market position, increase profitability, and use their businesses to effect positive social and environmental change.
2. Young people, to develop their potential to become resilient and active agents of change.
3. Organizations, to define and increase their social and environmental impact.
Career Shift provides comprehensive career services, dedicated to the development of individuals and companies in achieving their professional goals. Already reaching over 1 million people through its career programs and events, the company is a top provider in its field in the EU region.
Through its founders, who are ICF-accredited coaches, trainers, and entrepreneurs, Career Shift offers coaching programs to support individuals through various career transitions and to assist organizations in promoting a thriving workforce.
Career Shift leads the International Career Coaching Certification Program, Career Booster – a group coaching program for career progression, individual coaching journeys, and customized coaching programs for companies.
At Career Shift, we understand that navigating the complexities of today's job market can be challenging, so we offer customized coaching programs and individual coaching journeys to meet the specific needs of individuals and organizations.