Christina dreamed of founding a manga school after holding a workshop at the Frankfurt Bookfair in 2009. Today her school, I am mangaka! introduces manga to children through school projects, such as editing and printing a manga short story book.

“The programme [with KIZ] has supported me with planning on how to reach as many students as possible and change Germans’ attitude towards comics in general by using effective business concepts.”

Christina says that the biggest impact she has felt during her journey has been in her own personal self-development and self-confidence.

Christina received support from YBI’s member in Germany, KIZ

Emma loves dogs and this passion spurred her to launch dog walking service Pawfit in 2018. Pawfit provides busy working people with the opportunity to have their dog exercised and interacted with during the day. Pawfit also offer pet sitting services, allowing dog owners to have the freedom to travel, while knowing their dog is in safe care.

"Although at times being an entrepreneur can be tough, Pawfit has taught me that to become a successful entrepreneur you must be dedicated, motivated and love your business for it to succeed, Emma says."

"As I am still a young entrepreneur, I hope to grow both my business and my understanding of the world of entrepreneurship to provide the best dog walking and dog sitting service Ireland has ever seen."

Emma received support from YBI’s member in Ireland, Inner City Enterprise.

Having seen a gap in the sports market in Italy, Giulia set up Orangogo, an online search engine that allows users to find nearby sports classes and clubs using geolocation and other data filters.

Giulia describes the company as an innovative start-up with the purpose "we help people to discover their inner talent". Orangogo now employs 17 people, 16 of whom are women. More than 22,000 sport clubs have already joined the platform, which is about 15% of the total in just 3 years; the Company have plans to expand the service to Europe, starting from France on 2021.

"I founded Orangogo driven by the mission of a gentle business. In a sector made of people who confuse aggressiveness with courage, and kindness with weakness, I am demonstrating that you can better reach numbers if you respect human values."

Giulia received support from YBI’s member in Italy, MicroLab.

Lara is a passionate ‘green entrepreneur’ whose desire to create a sustainable business model promoted her to start Despensa77 in 2017, the first zero waste mini market in Galicia, Spain.

Her business model is free of plastic packaging and sells products sourced from ethical supply chains. The company aims to be an agent of social change. “We are currently a benchmark in organic food thanks to our offer of bulk unpacked biological food products and sustainable home cleaning products,” says Lara.

Despensa77 promotes healthy eating, healthier environments and the reduction of plastic waste. Lara is now expanding her business to offer new product lines in collaboration with producers and artisans who share her values. “This allows us to differentiate ourselves from the competition as well as to offer good value to our customers,” she explains.

Lara received support from YBI’s member in Spain, Youth Business Spain.

For Lola, her brand Maison Dolores is a combination of her own personal values and her desire to produce hand-crafted quality loungewear and lingerie.

Mexican fashion designer Lola moved to France five years ago. Her luxury and artisanal Franco-Mexican label is an original concept, strongly linked to both Mexican culture and the French lifestyle.

Lola describes the brand as an opportunity to work in accordance with her personal values: respect and consideration for other people.

“Being a young entrepreneur has pushed me into developing new skills, learning new things and above all becoming a woman with a more analytical and an open mind. I aspire to grow my business and, one day, to have employees to whom I can give good working conditions and dignified wages,” she says.

Lola received support from YBI’s member in France, Adie.

Lorie’s dream when she started Small is Biotiful in north Brussels was not just to open an organic grocery store, but also a community space. The store offers organic products such as grains, pulses, fruit and vegetables sold by weight so customers take only the quantity they need, thereby limiting waste. The store is also a popular meeting place and hosts workshops where people can learn and exchange ideas.

“The familiar atmosphere and relationships are very appreciated by my clients and the shop is part of the redynamisation of the town Neder-Over-Heembeek, which has seen a lot of small shops closing in the past few years,” says Lorie.

Lorie received support from YBI’s member in Belgium, microStart.

After studying project management in international development with a focus on social inclusion and support for extreme poverty, Mathilde decided to launch a friendly and eco-responsible café in Lyon in order to promote diversity in the city, as well as healthy eating for all.

Équilibres Café was opened two years ago, a place open to all where customers can enjoy 100% homemade drinks and dishes, made using ethical products, in a warm and welcoming setting. They can also participate in one of the many events and workshops that the café hosts. Mathilde also offers customers the option to add one euro to their bill to support the funding of meals for disadvantaged people in the community at the café.

“I really wanted to create an environment that corresponded to my values, and in which I could flourish professionally. After two years of operations, I am delighted to have done this,” says Mathilde.

Mathilde received support from YBI’s member in France, Positive Planet.

Former Computer Science teacher Mariia set up Geek Teachers in 2018, offering online courses and digitally-based festivals to support teachers to access technology and conduct lessons in a new way.

Today, Geek Teachers has provided support to over 12,000 people through online courses and now employs 15 people. Its social networks have grown from 100 to 15,000 and they have run Masterclasses in 12 cities across Russia. Plans for the coming year include three major festivals of 1,500 people.

Mariia’s 10-year aim for Geek Teachers is for at least one teacher in every school in Russia to know about and champion Geek Teachers.

“Our mission is to create an educational environment comfortable for young teachers and innovators, Mariia says. “We realised that we could not immediately reform the educational system of our country, but we could start working with teachers who wanted to use modern technologies to simplify their life and have more time to relax.”

Mariia received support from YBI’s member in Russia, Youth Business Russia alongside Impact Hub Moscow.

Mariya is a director and scriptwriter with 10 years of experience in cinema. In Autumn 2019 she established Step Clap Art School which provides film education for children in Kazakhstan.

The school has trained over 300 students and created more than 1,000 educational films and clips. Students have participated in, and won, international film festivals. Mariya’s business plans include opening branches in different regions of Kazakhstan; establishing new courses for children and teenagers; and creating an international film festival for children and teenagers.

“I am a creative person, so it was very difficult for me to start a business. But now the more I learn, the better my business becomes, as I improve my knowledge and skills,” Mariya says.

Mariya received support from YBI’s member in Kazakhstan, MOST.

Trained chef Mia wanted her restaurant to be a “home away from home”; a place where the ambiance and the food work together creating a warm and fulfilling experience.

She bought Restaurang Hörnet in early 2017 and has never looked back. Setting herself apart from competitors, Mia is dedicated to minimising food waste. She invents delicious veggie-fritter recipes using vegetable stalks and leaves and makes her dessert of the day by reimagining cake crumbs and cut-offs to make something simple but delicious.

“I have had the good fortune to start out as the new fresh face and quickly evolve into the go-to-place for a lot of people, in town and beyond. I might even say that the small town of Vadstena now has two attractions: the mighty monastery and my small restaurant,” says Mia.

Mia received support from YBI’s member in Sweden, NyföretagarCentrum.

Nanke set up Flamingo Services at the age of 20 to follow her dream. “I have dyslexia and had to overcome many setbacks, especially at school,” she explains.

Nanke and her team of four offer web design, web development, marketing, graphic design and content creation services. “Before starting Flamingo Services, I was told that I have rheumatism, which for me was a wakeup call. I made the decision to follow my passion to create my online marketing business,” she says.

Nanke says her ambition is to make Flamingo Services the best and most famous marketing bureau in the Netherlands. “We are especially focused on Small and Medium Enterprises and our goal is to create more job opportunities and to create more chances for starting entrepreneurs within this city.”

Nanke received support from YBI’s member in the Netherlands, Qredits.