Female leadership was front and center on Wednesday, April 9, during the EVA – Female Leadership panel held at the RS Innovation Stage, the official stage of the Rio Grande do Sul State Government at South Summit Brazil 2025. Held at Cais Mauá in Porto Alegre, the panel brought together inspiring leaders who shared experiences, data, and insights on how to transform the local innovation ecosystem into a more inclusive, powerful, and diverse space.
The session was led by Danielle Cosme, founder of the EVA program and CEO of Clã Conexões, and featured Tracy Freitas, Advisor for Entrepreneurship for the State Government; Jessica Trindade, CEO of 2 Hero and founder of Elas Prosperam; and Emily Bittencourt, Division Head at the Secretariat for Innovation, Science and Technology (SICT).
Danielle, visibly moved, shared how just a year ago she walked through the South Summit as a visitor, carrying only the seed of an idea. “We turned that idea into a real program. This panel is the fulfillment of a dream I didn’t even dare to dream”.
EVA: A movement, not just a program
Conceived by Danielle Cosme, founder of Clã Conexões, EVA was born from a deep concern: the lack of initiatives encouraging women’s leadership in technology and innovation. “EVA started as an idea that we turned into action, without sponsorship, built on networking and collaboration. The first edition was powered by passion but delivered real results,” Danielle told starten.tech in an exclusive interview.
She emphasized the symbolic power of presenting the EVA program on such a prominent stage. “To be here now, showing EVA, something born from an idea and built with love and courage, is indescribable. A year ago, I could only dream. Today, we’re proving what’s possible”.
Tracy highlighted that there’s no innovation without creativity, and no creativity without diversity. She shared compelling data: although Brazil has over 10 million women entrepreneurs, only 31% of startups are led by women, and just 22% of those raised funding in 2023. “EVA was born to address this gap, broadening access to leadership and innovation for women”.
Jessica emphasized that EVA stands out by focusing on leadership development, not just business growth. “If the person leading the business isn’t well, it inevitably impacts the results. EVA sees us as leaders and women, and empowers us from that starting point”.
Emily reinforced the initiative’s direct impact on the ecosystem. “We had 90 applicants, selected 15 women from five regions of the state. Many are already closing deals—including outside Rio Grande do Sul. These intentional connections not only reshape society but also the way women see themselves as leaders”.
A Network That Grows Stronger
The first edition of EVA was carried out in Rio Grande do Sul with support from the Extraordinary Secretariat for Digital Inclusion and Equity Policies (Seidape), Rede RS Startup (linked to SICT), and Elas Prosperam. The program also engaged 16+ mentors and innovation hubs like Tecnopuc, SebraeX, and StarFactory.
“We didn’t receive any financial resources to run the program. It was made possible through a powerful currency: networking,” Danielle emphasized.