Bantani Education

Elin McCallum, founder of Bantani Education, will open our conference with a welcome address, setting the stage for a day of exploration and collaboration. Based in Belgium, Bantani Education is an international non-profit dedicated to advancing entrepreneurial and creative learning for skill-building and societal change. With 21 years of experience in policy and practice, including roles with the European Commission, Welsh Government, and as an entrepreneur. Elin is a recognised leader in her field, named one of the Top 100 Women Social Entrepreneurs in 2021. Through Bantani’s work, she coordinates The EntreComp Community, a dynamic network of over 2,000 members from education, policy, and business. 

European Commission

Dana Puia Morel, a seasoned policy strategist at the European Commission, will open our event with insights into emerging themes from the EntreComp Community and fostering transformative change. With over 14 years of experience, Dana specialises in shaping entrepreneurial learning policy and practice, with a strong focus on empowering women and girls in entrepreneurship. Known for her skills in communication and connection-building, she actively supports initiatives that coach entrepreneurs, particularly women, to thrive. Dana’s work is instrumental in driving impactful, inclusive entrepreneurship policies across Europe, and we are honoured to have her set the tone for our event’s discussions on creating lasting change. 

Manchester Metropolitan University

Catherine Brentnall is a Senior Lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University’s Department of Strategy, Enterprise and Sustainability, having joined in September 2023. A seasoned practitioner in Enterprise Education, she combines hands-on experience with a keen interest in policy, shaping her teaching and research. With a background in consultancy across the UK and Europe, Catherine’s practical insights are central to her work, where she teaches enterprise and entrepreneurship at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Since August 2024, she leads the MSc in Entrepreneurship and a new MBA unit on Transformational Applied Entrepreneurship. Her research, published in leading journals, challenges conventional thinking, exploring regenerative business and sustainable enterprise education. Catherine also serves as the ISBE Track Co-Chair for Research Methods and Practice Inquiry and sits on the board of Enterprise Educators UK. 

JuanFra Alvarado Valenzuela and Romaike Slikker

Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences

The Inspire-Explore-Do Cycle: Entrepreneurial Competences and Measurements workshop focuses on strengthening entrepreneurial skills through innovative, data-driven learning activities. Participants will explore modular, activity-based workshops designed to promote ideation, prototyping, collaboration, and value creation. The session will introduce the Inspire-Explore-Do cycle, a framework for measuring entrepreneurial competencies in an authentic learning environment. Attendees will gain insights into how these activities support resilience, green innovation, and digital transformation, while also contributing to the development of effective entrepreneurial education across Europe.

Arantza Arruti and Jessica Paños

University of Deusto

The It’s Time to Awaken Your Creativity! workshop invites participants to explore creative thinking techniques that foster new ideas for both intrapreneurship and business ventures. Focused on enhancing creativity, the session will provide tools to adapt to a constantly changing environment and improve career advancement. Attendees will learn how to use creativity techniques to analyse problems, uncover their causes, and generate solutions, all while enhancing their ability to respond to challenges and opportunities in innovative ways. This workshop highlights creativity’s role in the EntreComp framework and its importance in entrepreneurial education. 

 Marianella Parra Filip Burgelman

Bantani Education and Thomas More University

 This workshop will provide practical insights into EntreComp4Transition’s innovative methodologies, including co-creation, blended learning approaches, and the validation of learning outcomes. It is an opportunity to explore practical tools, exchange ideas, and contribute to a collective effort in reimagining education for a sustainable and entrepreneurial future.

Marianella Parra

Bantani Education

This workshop introduces the EntrePubl project, showcasing its innovative approach to fostering entrepreneurial thinking within the public sector. The session will explore how digital tools and entrepreneurial mindsets can empower public servants to drive transformation within their organisations. It will also demonstrate how ENTREPUBL is equipping public sector employees with the tools and mindset needed to adapt to evolving challenges. It is a unique opportunity to engage with forward-thinking educators and policymakers, exchange ideas, and discover practical solutions to redefine the public sector’s impact.

Martí de Ferrer i Fuertes

Ludens Studio SL

This session introduces an innovative approach to developing entrepreneurial skills using gamified learning. Through the PlayComp platform, participants will explore how video games can enhance the acquisition of key entrepreneurial competencies from the EntreComp framework. The session will showcase Raining City, a game designed to immerse players in real-world entrepreneurial challenges, promoting problem-solving, collaboration, and decision-making. Attendees will gain insights into how game-based learning can motivate and engage learners, while receiving practical strategies and resources to implement similar tools in their own educational settings. 

Laura Borge and Cara Maeztu

EIT Food

This session will showcase the EIT Higher Education Initiative (HEI), an EU-funded programme designed to enhance the innovation capacity and entrepreneurial mindset of higher education institutions. Participants will learn about the initiative’s achievements, including support for over 65 projects and training for 40,000+ students and staff. The session will highlight opportunities for collaboration, funding, and partnerships, as well as introduce the upcoming 4th HEI call for proposals. Attendees will also have the chance to engage in a Q&A and networking session, creating connections to foster innovation and entrepreneurial growth within their own institutions. 

Laura Borge

EIT FOOD

This session will explore the Girls Go Circular initiative, groundbreaking EU-funded initiative designed to equip girls aged 14-19 across Europe with digital and entrepreneurial skills, focusing on the circular economy. Through the Circular Learning Space online platform, the programme provides challenge-based learning modules on topics like climate change, e-waste, and robotics, fostering creativity, confidence, and problem-solving. Participants will gain insights into the programme’s impact, access resources to use the platform, and discover collaboration opportunities to help empower young women as the change-makers of tomorrow. 

Elin McCallum

Bantani Education

The Entrepreneurship4All (E4All) project is a European initiative designed to develop essential entrepreneurial, digital, financial, and sustainability skills. This workshop will introduce E4All’s learner-centred approach, which supports individuals at all stages of their entrepreneurial journey.

Participants will explore practical tools like micro-learning modules and digital resources that empower them to navigate challenges, foster innovation, and embrace the green and digital transitions. With a focus on inclusivity, the programme also addresses the unique needs of groups such as women entrepreneurs.

Tereza Moravcová and Šárka Pokorná

FLYING FOUNDERS

This session is designed to help young entrepreneurs from Generation Z cultivate the self-confidence essential for entrepreneurial success. The session focuses on practical strategies for overcoming barriers, building resilience, and unlocking their entrepreneurial potential. Through interactive exercises, participants will identify personal challenges, explore effective confidence-building techniques, and learn how to leverage local resources, such as incubators and funding opportunities, to support their business ventures. 

Hazel Israel

Bantani Cymru

This session will explore the Croeso Ambassadors project, harnessing the creative potential of AI to empower educators and learners in Wales and Czechia. Through innovative training modules and the creation of multilingual chatbot tour guides, the project fosters cross-cultural understanding and collaboration. Attendees will learn how the initiative aims to enhance pedagogy with innovation to shape AI practice across both regions.

Simon Harrison

Lancaster University

This session will delve into the innovative approach of the EntreUnity project, which was designed to prepare students for the challenges of operating in VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex & Ambiguous) environments. Through a real-world project aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of the UK’s Lake District visitor economy, students were given the opportunity to work alongside stakeholders in a live, dynamic setting. This session will outline how students were recruited, prepared, and supported throughout the project, exploring the key challenges they faced and the entrepreneurial competencies they developed in response. By using the EntreComp framework, this session will highlight the critical entrepreneurial skills and mindsets students developed, such as problem-solving, resilience, collaboration, and creativity. Attendees will also hear about the assessment and evaluation tools used to measure student progress, along with feedback from both the participants and stakeholders. 

Ivana Kubát Chlubná

Asociace podnikavé Česko

This session will share insights from the development and implementation of the “Entrepreneurial School” certification program in Czechia. This innovative program, created by Lipka and now expanded by the Asociace podnikavé Česko (Association for Entrepreneurial Czechia), aims to support schools in fostering entrepreneurship among students and teachers. The session will provide an overview of the certification process, highlighting what school management and educators can learn along the way, the benefits for students and the wider community, and the challenges encountered during the rollout.