A Step Toward the Goal: SheLeads Results from uBoost and the Sergey Tokarev Foundation

The SheLeads program is an educational project that enables girls to develop their skills in STEM, artificial intelligence, and entrepreneurship. The idea behind the initiative is to enable participants to turn their ideas into real products with growth potential. The Tokarev Foundation, founded by impact investor Sergey Tokarev, and uBoost are the driving forces behind this program.

SheLeads gives every participant an opportunity to demonstrate her entrepreneurial abilities. This year, the project received 365 applications, and 220 participants completed the full course. By the end of the course, 120 participants received mentoring support, and 15 have already received offers and started internships at tech companies. Twenty participants advanced to the final in Kyiv, where they presented their projects to a professional jury.

How SheLeads Works

Despite having winners, the project was never intended to be a competition. According to Sergey Tokarev, founder of the Tokarev Foundation, the main goal is to provide the next generation with the resources they need to bring ideas to life and shape the future.

“This isn’t a typical investment competition for talent recruitment; it’s an opportunity to prove oneself and show the world what Ukraine’s future looks like. SheLeads is shaping the very cohort of people who will make that happen. Not someday. But right now – through prototyping, pitching, and their first internship.”

SheLeads is built around experience, ideas, and practical results. Each idea went through hypothesis testing, product development, and, ultimately, a final pitch. First place this season was shared by three projects:

• ReGrow – a project focused on soil restoration, presented by Iryna Terekhova. Biodegradable packaging made from straw contains microseeds, which restore the soil once they enter it. The project was implemented under the mentorship of Jane Klepa.
• GymGames – a gamified platform that makes workouts on exercise machines more engaging. The idea was brought to life by Solomiya Andreichuk with the support of her mentor, Anna Chorna.
• Solar Energy — a project by Sofia Kedri aimed at increasing the efficiency of solar panelsAccording to Anastasia Deeva, CEO of the Tokarev Foundation, SheLeads never ceases to amaze with its diversity:

“Each new season brings completely fresh perspectives on technology and its possibilities. We see hundreds of ideas, and all of them represent the future.

We see how participants come into the project with a hypothesis and leave with their own product, a team, and their first industry contacts. That’s exactly why SheLeads was created.”

The women use the experience they gain to build their own startups and companies. This season, seven women participated in Technovation Girls, and two teams made it to the quarterfinals.

One of the projects was RoSTEMo – an AI-based infrastructure solution designed to bring mentors, students, and researchers together into a single ecosystem.

The second project was LocalVest, a product designed to build deeper and more transparent connections between small businesses, startups, and local investors.

Project History

The SheLeads educational project was made possible thanks to the fruitful collaboration between uBoost and the Tokarev Foundation. At its core is a platform that provides each participant with all the necessary resources and support from mentors as she works to bring her business idea to life. Every stage – from the initial idea to the prototype and pitch – is closely monitored by experienced mentors. The main goal for each participant is the opportunity to secure an internship at one of the tech giants. This year, the project’s partners include Sigma Software Labs, Ukrainian Startup Fund, Healthy Mind, and AI HOUSE.

The Tokarev Foundation is an organization whose mission is to build a sustainable, inclusive, and tech-driven Ukraine of the future. The foundation focuses on implementing projects in EdTech and HealthTech. Its founder, Ukrainian impact investor Sergey Tokarev, is a tech entrepreneur and the driving force behind AI HOUSE.