ECIE 2025
20th European Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Biographies
Below are the ECIE Biographies of the Conference and Programme Chairs, Key Note Speakers and Mini-Track Chairs.
Conference and Programme Chairs
Dr. Iwona Lupa-Wójcik – Doctor of Economic Sciences, Assistant Professor at the Department of Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation at the University of the National Education Commission, Krakow (Poland). Author of books and several dozen scientific articles on social media, marketing, new technology (including AI), and social entrepreneurship. Member of many research and teaching projects related to social entrepreneurship, including INN@SE – Innovative Social Entrepreneurship with youth engagement (Erasmus+) or Responsible Business – from East to West.
Prof. Dorota Murzyn – Associate professor and head of the Department of Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation at the University of the National Education Commission, Krakow (Poland), chair of the council of economics and finance scientific discipline at UKEN. Author of many publications on EU policy, innovation and social entrepreneurship. Expert and advisor on EU funds, cooperating with the Joint Research Center (European Commission), Polish Ministry for regional development, companies and NGOs. Manager and contractor of numerous projects co-financed by the EU, including INN@SE – Innovative Social Entrepreneurship with youth engagement (project coordinator).
Dr. Marta Czyżewska – doctor of economic sciences, assistant professor at the Department of Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation at the University of the National Education Commission, Krakow (Poland). Team member of internationational projects such as INN@SE – Innovative Social Entreprenuership with youth engagment, SeGoesGreen – Integrating Nature-Based Solutions into higher education towards exploiting the transformative potential of Social Economy for a green and inclusive future. Author of several publications on entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship and venture capital. Mentor and advisor for startups under incubation and acceleration processes.
Dr. Wojciech Maciejewski – assistant professor of economics, author of publications and books in the area of entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship, education for entrepreneurship, decision-making process. He took part and is taking part in international research and development projects such as INN@SE – Innovative Social Entrepreneurship with youth engagement, SeGoesGreen – Integrating Nature-Based Solutions into higher education towards exploiting the transformative potential of Social Economy for a green and inclusive future.
Keynote Speakers
Prof. Zoran Wittine is an Associate Professor at the Department of International Economics, Vice-Dean for infrastructure and business processes at the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Economics and Business and a member of the University Senate. In addition, he is also a member of the Commission on Customs and Trade Facilitation within the International Chamber of Commerce; member of International project management association (IPMA) and a senior member of the International Economics Development and Research Center. His areas of expertise include international business, international entrepreneurship, social innovation education, social entrepreneurship and risk management. He is a member of the editorial boards of several international scientific journals and was a member of the organizational and technical committee of many international conferences. He was a leader of many international/EU-funded projects, of which most of them were focused on the topics of education development, digitalization, social innovation, social entrepreneurship, innovation, skill development and capacity building. In addition, he was an associate on many professional projects and had an active role in creation of the “Industrial strategies of The Republic of Croatia 2014-2020”. Before taking up a position at the University of Zagreb, he worked as a management consultant at McKinsey&Company, where he worked on projects of corporate restructuring, corporate integration processes, improvement of corporate efficiency, etc
Prof. Maria Urbaniec is an Associate Professor and the Head of the Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Krakow University of Economics, Poland. She earned her Master’s degree and PhD in Economics at the International Graduate School Zittau of the Technische Universität Dresden, Germany. She has authored or co-authored over 200 scientific publications, including articles in journals indexed in Web of Science. Her main research interests include entrepreneurship, innovation, sustainable development, and the digital transformation. She has extensive experience in project management, having participated in numerous national and international research and educational projects funded by organizations such as the European Commission, International Visegrad Fund, INTERREG Central Europe, German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU), the Polish Ministry of Education and Science, and the National Bank of Poland. She is an expert for the European Commission, evaluating project proposals applying for EU funding under the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency. She is a member of both international and national scientific organizations, including the European Council for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ECSB) and the Polish Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (PSESiZN). She also serves as the Vice President of the Polish Economic Society (PTE) and the President of its Krakow Branch. Additionally, she is a member of the Central Committee for the Entrepreneurship Olympiad in Poland. Her international academic experience includes research fellowships and study visits at leading universities worldwide in Austria, Finland, Germany, Indonesia, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam. Among her numerous honors are the Medal of the National Education Commission, and an honorary award from the National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine for her role in advancing international scientific collaboration.
Anna Ledwoń-Blacha is co-founder & Creative Director at More Bananas agency, and co-founder and main organizer of CRASH Mondays. Program director of the Brand Manager course at IMOK. Author of the books “A Strategic Approach to Social Media” and “Build Your Brand’s Future. Brand Purpose Step by Step.” TEDx speaker. Former Product Marketing Manager at the startup alloweat. Marketing and communication strategy evangelist. Fascinated by people, their emotions, and the psychological approach to marketing. For several years now, she has successfully implemented AI-based solutions in both her professional and personal life – integrating them into her agency’s operations as well as in marketing processes for her clients. With over 14 years of experience in marketing, and more than 7 years as a trainer and workshop leader, she has spent over 4000 hours in both physical and virtual training rooms. Former trainer at Socjomania, where she specialized in social media; currently a trainer for IAB Polska and IT Media. Co-author of several e-learning courses. Her training focuses on social media, digital marketing, strategy, customer experience, and – for over two years now – generative AI. She holds an international DIMAQ PROFESSIONAL certificate, confirming her expertise and experience in digital marketing. Winner of one edition of Sprawny.Marketing and ambassador of the Małopolska Innovation Festival. Lecturer at postgraduate programs at AGH University of Science and Technology, WSB University in Gdańsk, and Wrocław School of Commerce. She has worked with clients such as Pandora, Akamai, Venezia, Capgemini, PKL, DKMS, InPost, Pracuj.pl, eurobank, Zooksy, Hines, Nordea, mBank, and Lufthansa Global Services. She has also co-created campaigns for Akcja Menstruacja and the Polish Zero Waste Association. She holds a postgraduate degree in Information Technology in Marketing from the Tischner European University and a master’s degree in Management and Marketing from the AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków. Passionate about human behavior and emotions. Deeply explores customer experience and new media.
Mini Track Chairs
Nasser Abouzakhar is an entrepreneur and the director of an award-winning SME Anzar Property Investment Limited, which he founded in 2017. He is the author of the books AI for Businesses, Smart Money Management and Real Estate Investment. Nasser is a TEDx speaker, award-winning author, and a regular guest on the BBC TV channel for over 100 live TV interviews, including the Homes Under the Hammer TV show. Between 2004 and 2019, he worked at different universities in the UK as an academic, teaching and researching different technology-related subjects. Nasser has a good understanding of the property investment business and finances. He has firm relationships with professionals in banking, legal, accounting, and real estate valuation, assisting with his responsibility as the company director. He leads a highly professional and experienced property management team.
Paul Coyle is the Director of the Entrepreneurial Mindset Network, a global community of practice, with members in 107 countries, and special interest groups for the application of the entrepreneurial mindset in business, education, healthcare and social entrepreneurship. The Network’s vision is that everybody, not just entrepreneurs, can benefit from having an entrepreneurial mindset including employees in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. An entrepreneurial mindset enables each person to make their unique contribution to the world. Paul is an expert in the entrepreneurial mindset, innovation, entrepreneurship, leadership and organisational change.
Valerie Priscilla Goby, PhD (Business, Finland), PhD (Communication, Australia), FHEA, SFHEA, professor at Zayed University, Dubai, has published across a range of disciplines including ethics, leadership, cross-cultural communication, CSR, and gender studies in journals such as Journal of Business Ethics, Leadership and Organisation Development, and Women’s Studies International Forum: https://scholar.google.ae/citations?user=dESP3_8AAAAJ&hl=en
Marco Lamas is a Post-Doc in Education (Entrepreneurship), with a PhD in Education (Entrepreneurship) and Bsc in International Relations. He is a Senior Professor at the Polytechnic Institute of Management and Technology in Porto, Portugal where he Leads the Business and Innovation LAB (BIL). He is a founder member of SHINE – Scaling Higher Education Innovation for Europe (https://shine-project.eu/) and he is recognized as an EntreComp Practitioner.
Carlos Miguel Oliveira has a Ph.D. in Management. He is a Coordinating Professor and Director of the School of Management at ISLA – Polytechnic University of Management and Technology. He is editor-in-chief of the Management in Review Journal and a collaborating member of CEOS.PP – Centre for Organisational and Social Studies. In recent years, he has published several articles in journals and conferences. He is a reviewer in some journals in the management area.
Dr. Mitt Nowshade Kabir is an adjunct professor of Digital Transformation at Ecole de Management Léonard De Vinci. He is a serial entrepreneur, knowledge evangelist, business accelerator, and investor. Dr. Kabir has a master’s degree in computer science, an MBA, a Ph.D. in Information Technology, and a DBA in Management. His current interests include AI, innovation, entrepreneurship, and strategic management.
Verena Karlsdóttir is a lecturer in the Business Department at the University of Akureyri and a guest lecturer at the University of Applied Sciences Osnabrück and the University of Iceland. She holds a Ph.D. in Business Administration from the University of Iceland. Her teaching focuses on methodology, management, and innovation. Her research primarily contributes to innovation within universities, as well as university policy and organisation.