Mentors

Jožko Rutar, film producer. Having graduated from the School of Economics and Business of the University of Ljubljana he worked as an event organiser and cultural manager for Break 21 festivals and the contemporary dance group EN-KNAP. In 2004 he joined the newly-founded production company STARAGARA. He is an EAVE graduate (European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs, one of the leading training and development providers for producers in Europe) and its national representative. From 2011 to 2016 he served as managing director of Slovenian Film Centre, Public Agency of the Republic of Slovenia. 

Since then he has worked as a film producer, lecturer in film production at the School of Arts in Nova Gorica and a consultant in film development and financing. He works with the European Audiovisual Observatory and Creative Europe – Media programme, and is a member of the board of directors of CEE Animation network. Jožko Rutar is actively involved in the collective management of copyright and related authors’ rights in Slovenia, and serves as president of the expert-consulting body of the collective organisation AIPA and president of the council of public institute Viba Film Ljubljana.

Sanja Zelko’s references are first and foremost entrepreneurial (product or service development, logo and corporate identity design, product launch in the Slovenian market, advertising and media relations). Having founded her own company Sanja launched two innovative products in advertising and tourism (with the support of the EU). She co-founded a youth cooperative and mentored a team in launching an innovative youth tourism product. With five consecutive years as event manager of Bujta repa and Prekmurska gibanica, two of the most crowd-drawing cultural events in Prekmurje, Sanja has extensive references in organising cultural events and has also served as head of protocol and PR of one of the most popular student entertainment events in Slovenia, Škisova tržnica. As technical adviser at ŠKIS Association (Association of student clubs of Slovenia) she mentored student clubs in market communication and public relations. Between 2014 and 2020 she served as expert adviser and mentor in market communication in the DOSOR company. She is head of marketing of tourist resort Pannonian Village (Panonska vas), where she runs and mentors tourism advertising programmes. 

Sanja has a master’s degree in strategic market communication from the Faculty of Social Sciences in Ljubljana and is the co-founder and director of GF inspiro, družba za celostno komuniciranje d.o.o. - so.p., which offers comprehensive communication services; she is the project manager and mastermind behind Goldfish, an app for making wishes come true, and the innovative tourist product Panobiketrip – an app for tourist cyclists in the Pannonian Plain.

Olga Košica holds an MA in goldsmithing, silversmithing, metalwork & jewellery from the Royal College of Art, and is a textile and fashion design graduate of the University of Ljubljana. Since 2005 she has been working as head jewellery designer of Zlatarna Celje’s LENCIA line of silver jewellery. She is the co-founder of internationally acclaimed OfR jewelry and works with globally recognised fashion makers and newspapers. Her brand is active mainly in the international market. Olga also runs a jewellery design studio AgAu at Gornji Trg in Ljubljana, where she organises workshops in silver jewellery design. The recipient of numerous (inter)national design awards she is also a visiting lecturer working with the Faculty of Design Ljubljana, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering – Department of Textiles (University of Ljubljana) and Faculty of Technology (University of Banja Luka), among others. Olga has participated in numerous group and solo exhibitions in Slovenia and beyond (France, Italy, the USA, Spain, Norway, Great Britain etc.).

Anja Sečnik is art director for Slovenian brands EQUA and Goat Story, responsible for the brands’ visual identity. She works on project conceptualisation and art direction in designing visual materials. Since 2018 she has been mentoring a fashion brand through the Kočevje Business Incubator.

Matija started his career as a designer already as a fine arts student at the Ljubljana Academy of Fine Arts and Design. He has worked with different advertising agencies and design studios, accumulating experience and learning different skills from the best of Slovenian creatives. As head of design and innovation (CDO) at Pristop he has been responsible for the agency’s design department and its design excellence. His work has won awards at Slovenian and foreign advertising and design festivals, and contributed to the successful appearance of the agency at the Slovenian Advertising Festival, where they have won seven titles of the agency of the year.

Matej Požarnik is an ambitious entrepreneur, strategy planner, business organiser and motivator. With a PhD in mechanical engineering and MSc in economic and business sciences he has always sought complex research challenges; first as assistant professor in process engineering at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Maribor, and later as director of the Cohesion Policy Office at the Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy in Ljubljana. For more than 12 years now he has been running his own company ProFUTURUS d.o.o. Every year, he works with more than 80 companies, guiding them in developing project ideas, networking and fundraising; he organises 15 workshops on European Cohesion Policy and mentors graduates of Alma Mater Europaea – ECM master’s degree programme in Maribor. He has more than 150 posts on COBISS. Matej Požarnik specialises in business idea development, business plan design, feasibility studies and financial projections. As a business mentor he seeks development potentials and guides them towards socially responsible behaviour, agile operations and digital transformation. He advocates teamwork and lifelong learning.

Marko Bucić graduated in economics at the University of Ljubljana and has more than 15 years’ experience in the field. He has worked for different companies (insurance, IT, legal IT services, daily deal platforms, online advertising) and gained experience in the Slovenian and CEE markets. A B2B sales and communications expert he worked as head/director of sales for eight years before going independent. He has extensive experience in work organisation, team leadership and motivation, business process optimisation, remuneration systems, new product launch, and B2B negotiations with major partners. Since April 2016 he has been running his own company and offers sales consulting services, optimisation of sales departments and various professional training. He is also the author of a business vlog Sales Police, which serves as a new communication channel through which he wants to redefine sales and business.

Having graduated from the Faculty of Economics Mirijana Koporčić Veljić worked at the Agency of the RS for Restructuring and Privatisation, Triglav insurance company and KD Group, dealing mainly with privatisation, corporate governance and corporate finance. Already at Triglav and later at KD she had the opportunity to serve as a board member in holding companies, which was her first encounter with direct corporate and HR management. As a board member she was responsible for ongoing activities as well as company strategy setting, finance, accounting, liquidity, HR policy and operations management. In 2010 she took the reins of Nama d.d. and gained a thorough insight into retail, fashion, marketing, product knowledge and PR as well as HR management and motivation. During her term of office as Nama director the department store set up a Slovenian designers’ corner. For the last two years she has been working as COO and CFO at CEED Institute.

Tanja Kožuh has 20 years’ experience in various jobs and companies, mostly in startup mentoring, company management, strategic development planning, business model development, team building and motivation, and fundraising. Since July 2012 she has served as director of Primorska Technology Park, responsible for developing corporate programmes for startups and scaleups. She mentors and advises startups and scaleups that participate in the SIO-PTP-2018/19 and SIP-PTP-2020-2022 projects (call for proposals by SPIRIT, Ministry of Economic Development and Technology) within the technology park. Between 2013 and 2017 she participated as an assessor in the pre-selection procedure of the P2 call for proposals Start:up Slovenia competition, and in 2016 she served as a member of the national expert committee at the international startup competition CESA – Central Eastern Startup Awards 2016.

Janja Viher has been in charge of various complex projects in her career, and has experience also in running a municipal administration, development agency, company and institute, both private and public. Having served as director of the Development Agency Slovenske gorice she took the reins of Maribor-Pohorje Tourist Board. For several years she worked with NGOs in the framework of the Slovenian Tourist Board and served as its vice-president, active member of the Regional Chamber of Craft and Small Business Maribor as well as president and vice-president of numerous committees and supervisory boards. Today she is the CEO of Agency SIV, where she works as a mentor to entrepreneurs, and project manager at the Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Maribor. Janja has experience with smart villages and cities in the context of creativity and innovation building and promotion of stakeholder participation for improved competitiveness and visibility. She has also served as editor of newsletters and social networks for various projects.

Together with Jasmina Ferček and Katja Burger Kovič, Tjaša Bavcon runs Oloop, a successful and active group of artists and designers who have made a name for themselves in different fields of visual creativity: from product design, interior installations and textile art to participatory art and design. She runs training programmes, lectures and workshops, integrating design into socially engaged projects. For years, Oloop group have been showcasing their products and projects in Slovenian design exhibitions at home and abroad, gaining international exposure as well as winning prestigious awards and recognitions. Their work addresses social issues such as health, ecology, sustainability and the purpose of life in general.

Gašper Fele-Žorž, PhD, is an assistant in Digital Forensics and Communication Protocols and Network Security courses at the Faculty of Computer and Information Science of the University of Ljubljana, where he has been running the FRI computer centre since 2018. Already as a student he gained experience in the media, first as co-presenter of programmes at Radio Student and later at RTV Slovenia’s programmes Resnična Resničnost (True Reality) and Tranzistor. At the faculty he serves as a mentor in several student projects under EPSIAE, HESUDI, PKP and ŠIPK programmes. He also works as a mentor in the Crea project.

Matej Rus, MSc, is a senior lecturer in entrepreneurship. In parallel to his teaching and research career at the Faculty of Economics and Business, which he has been pursuing since 1996, he has also been focusing on entrepreneurial consulting. In 2001 he co-founded the Venture Factory, which has evolved into a thriving business incubator of the University of Maribor. His other roles include head of the organisational committee of the international PODIM conference, a government-appointed member of the working group of Slovenia – the Land of Startups action plan, and head of the Start:up Slovenia platform.

Matija Goljar is an entrepreneurial mentor running the business accelerator Ustvarjalnik – one of the biggest international mentoring programmes for new entrepreneurs. He started his first business at only 19 and now dedicates most of his time to teaching and promoting creativity. Matija has helped more than 1,000 entrepreneurs achieve their first business milestones and prefers to work with beginners who have not yet stepped into the market. He completed his master’s degree in Applied Imagination at the prestigious Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London. Every year, Matija spends a few months in Colorado, USA, as a visiting lecturer at Watson University. In his free time he runs an entrepreneurship club for the youngest at his former school, and prepares radio programmes and articles on creativity, entrepreneurship and future trends.

Entrepreneur and founder of four companies, investor. Partner at CorpoHub, former director of the Business Intelligence Center, a partner and co-owner of Media Lab d.o.o. and manager of Cotrugli Business School in Slovenia. She is a master of business networking and connectivity, an inspirational speaker and certified LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® and ScrumMaster® facilitator. Enthusiastic about agile work methods and lean innovations, Daniela actively promotes agile transformation of Slovenian corporations.

Entrepreneur and executive coach who started his career as the leader of the biggest volunteer project in Slovenia, Simbioz@, and went on to set up four startups, each with a clear vision to improve the area in which it operates. The co-founder of Ujemi Znanje and e2grow, Borut is a passionate advocate of team power and one of 5 certified Gallup Strengths Coaches in the region as well as a coach for executives and senior managers at some of the best Slovenian companies. Borut works also as a mentor and consultant for startups, offering guidance in business model development, team building, agile approach to innovation and similar. He does his best for every client, adapting his approach to their unique style and needs.

Nejc Matjaž is a mechanical engineer working at the intersection of the academic and entrepreneurial spheres. As a researcher at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering (2010 - 2014) he developed numerous projects and co-authored four patents. During this time he founded ONDU d.o.o. (2014) with his partner and successfully launched wooden pinhole cameras on the global market. In 2015 he took the reins of Poligon Maker Lab and founded FABRIKAID d.o.o. Since then, he has been helping numerous makers, small companies and global corporations to transition from prototype development to setting up production lines. In the 1:1 mentoring season 2018/19 coproduced by Poligon and CzK he mentored 25 creators on product development and won the highest satisfaction score of all the mentors. As a mentor he can help solve the following problems: 1. How to make a prototype and the minimum viable product (MVP)? 2. Which materials and technologies to use for quality products at acceptable costs? 3. How to prepare products for serial production and how to set it up? 4. How to find reliable production partners? 5. How to design packaging? 6. How to obtain the relevant standards and certifications – CE? Nejc’s key prerogative is to find innovative solutions that simplify and reduce the costs of production processes irrespective of the size of the series.

Jordan Berginc is the co-founder of GEA College, author and co-author of several textbooks and study materials on entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, which is also his field of expertise as a lecturer. He has lectured across the world (USA, EU, Russia, China). In recent years he has been focusing on innovative ways of connecting startups through the introduction of new business models. In addition to consultations and trainings for Slovenian managers and entrepreneurs (more than 130) he has also been busy exploring opportunities for entrepreneurs in foreign markets. He is the founder and member of numerous business associations in Slovenia and abroad.

Lecturer and researcher at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the University of Ljubljana, specialising in wireless networks and IoT applications. He is the co-founder and head of MakerLab, the first open prototyping laboratory at the University of Ljubljana, and programme manager of the Slovenian FabLab network. The co-founder of several startups and co-author of two successful crowdfunding campaigns on Kickstarter (Lumu and Scoutee). Luka is also a member of several international associations for product development, member of the Start:up Slovenia commission, guest lecturer at professional conferences and mentor to young entrepreneurs.

Director, founder and owner of ART DESIGN d.o.o., Ljubljana, a design agency for visual communications. He works as a consultant in how to set up and launch a new company, visual identity development for established companies, corporate identity, marketing strategy development, cultural management, brand development and launch strategy, company promotion, online and social media presentations, ICT and electronic business.

Tina has been active in the support environment for entrepreneurs for almost 15 years, advising young/new entrepreneurs in developing their business ideas both within innovative environment entities and the University of Primorska, where she is a senior lecturer in entrepreneurship and project management. She has been a visiting lecturer running entrepreneurship workshops also at universities in Indiana (USA), Prague, Berlin and Breda (the Netherlands), among others. Member of the Methodology Committee for Slovenian Gazelle awards she is also the president and member of the Podjetna Primorska startup competition committee and an assessor at Start:UP Slovenia. Tina is also an entrepreneur, a columnist writing on entrepreneurship for Finance magazine and a consultant of a family-run business with a 45-year tradition.

Creative, multidisciplinary textile designer with extensive experience and technical skills that allow her to work on different aspects of product development. Motivated and curious about everything she is quick off the mark when it comes to recognising business opportunities and identifying new trends to develop innovative solutions. Her experience extends to team management, workshop planning, brainstorming meetings, pitching, communicating with clients and building strong relationships with suppliers to ensure they provide the best service.

MSc in economics, Ana has accumulated a wealth of professional experience both in creative industries and in corporate settings, where she had until recently served as head of market and consumer intelligence at Gorenje Group. Her passion for user research, design thinking and service design inspired the Ljubljana Service Jam, a bottom-up initiative that organises non-profit educational workshops, and led her to co-found Servis 8 institute, where she continues to work as a service designer.

An academic musician with a diploma in geography who is also a professor of clarinet. He has worked in European integration projects, joint projects and knowledge exchanges. He was one of the co-founders of two societies and for some time also president of one of Slovenia’s best wind orchestras – KD Papirniški pihalni orkester Vevče. Having graduated he joined the Public Fund for Cultural Activities where he works as head of instrumental music department. In parallel with his professional career Daniel has continued to build his knowledge in other areas as well – from the General Administrative Procedure Act, training for managers in culture and fundraising to DeVOS Institute, school for conductors and more.

A graduate in archaeology from the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade, today a graphic, industrial and costume designer, stylist. Her other activities include marketing, promotion and consulting. She has been a member of the Association of Applied Arts Artists and Designers of Serbia since 1991, of the Designers Society of Slovenia since 2006 and of the Slovenian Association of Dramatic Artists since 2017. She is committed to studying traces, memories, archetypes and non-verbal communication.

Strategic consultant in communication and public relations with almost 20 years’ experience. Her most important recent references include restructuring and recapitalisation of the Paloma company and market repositioning of the public utility company Snaga. She has worked with international corporations like TomTom and Nestle as well as with the public sector (Maribor libraries, the City of Maribor). She has served as an education director of SPEM Communication Group and director of the London School of Public Relations for SE Europe. She took part in the establishment of the School for Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Public Affairs. Today she runs the Centre for Creative Industries Maribor.

Entrepreneur with a degree in economics and extensive experience in the business sector, in particular international trade, advertising and retail. She has run a small business and worked in design management. She completed a course in interior design in the USA. She is the founding partner and procurator of the company Kubus-Interier. In recent years she has focused on design management and business design with an emphasis on the organisation of specialised training and validations in the field of design management. Her other experience includes business development, planning and organisation of training courses, management of multidisciplinary teams and interdisciplinary collaboration, event planning, marketing and promotion. Awards: 1st prize Design Management Value Award 1st prize HRM Project of 2016

A designer (Academy of Fine Arts and Design) and artist (ZEK Crew) who has worked as a brand and user experience developer for different companies (Sinhro, Pop-up Home…). Once an art director with GoOpti transportation company he was also one of the founders of the Creative Centre Poligon. Today, he is the CEO and co-founder of the strategic design studio Ljudje. In his projects he focuses on identifying and presenting their added value. A believer in better society he finds that we still have a lot to learn.

Miljana Dragičević stands at the intersection of creativity and production of animated kids’ content. She is the CEO of MINYA FILMS AND ANIMATION, a creative production/consulting studio based in Zagreb, Croatia. Miljana is the producer of an animated TV series for pre-school children Misho & Robin (30x5”), produced for Croatian Radio and Television (HRT). The series is currently being distributed across the world.

Combines strategic vision with business skills and artistic talent. She works with IDEO company, the leader in strategic thinking, innovation and design thinking (from an idea to the business model, startup and product development methods). Her forte is putting theory into practice, and she has more than 45 awards from all over the world to show for it. Her work has been published in the New York Times, Graphis, Lurzer's Archive, Creative Advertising, The World's Best Campaigns, and ADweek, among others. Jury member/speaker: New York Festivals Advertising, Cresta Awards, SOF, Golden Drum.

Anja is a graduate student of the Faculty of Economics in Ljubljana. She completed her studies at the Toronto Business Academy in Canada. Since 2008 she has been an entrepreneur and lecturer, and has written a number of articles on entrepreneurship, finance and personal growth. Her main focus is on business training and mentoring on personal growth, sales, marketing and human resources. References: European project: Entrepreneurship and sense of initiative 2012-2013, Entrepreneurship is female 2016-2018 and Young adults into entrepreneurship, call for proposals 2017-2018.

The last four years at D.Labs Sašo helped Slovenian and foreign entrepreneurs to transform their business ideas into digital products, acting as a link between entrepreneurs, designers and the development team. Through his work he identified two recurring challenges that most entrepreneurs have to deal with, namely the lack of insight into the market as a whole, and the lack of objectivity when it comes to their own product. The logical step for him was to focus on product validation, through which he helps startups find a position in the market, and “deep coaching” conversation techniques, which help entrepreneurs on their way to success.

I have a master's degree in biotechnology from the Biotechnical Faculty. As an MSc student I built the Biostartup community at the faculty, training students and researchers in entrepreneurial skills. In 2015 I started my own startup company and launched Byba, a unique product targeting primarily the U.S. market. In 2017 I started Pharsol, a startup that develops and distributes tools for laboratories. In 2018 I became a business development specialist at the University of Ljubljana.

Piera Ravnikar has been actively involved in contemporary art for the last 15 years. She is proud to have been part of Kino Šiška’s pioneer team as an artistic programme manager for nearly ten years. Piera currently runs RAVNIKAR GALLERY SPACE and takes part in projects like MENT Ljubljana, LIMITED EDIT111ONS, Independent Platform NYC and SKALINADA AIR. She holds an MA in history from the University of London and EU Diploma in cultural project management from Association Marcel Hicter, Brussels.

Director of Donar d.o.o with experience in development of innovative business models that create value for employees, environment and society. A recipient of numerous awards, including CEED - Global Entrepreneur of the Year 2014; Red Dot Winner 2016; Green Product Award Winner 2018; Design of the Year 2017 (Donar, Nico Less chair by Primož Jeza) and others. He is also the co-founder and co-owner of several companies involved in planning, communication and sales, and mentor in numerous programmes/companies (CEED, Reinovator, Goodbiz, TiPovej, Design Biotop and other). He was a member of the BIO 25 assessment team (Occupying woods) and co-organiser of the 1st conference on Sustainable Design for Transition to Circular Economy.