21 NOV 2025
Loft Restaurant & Bar, Nicosia
(UNIC Campus Rooftop)
Under the auspices of His Excellency the President of the Republic of Cyprus
Organizer
Co-Organizer
Gold Sponser
Women in STEM Cyprus Summit 2025: Voices of Change
The 2nd Women in STEM Cyprus Summit explores the status quo of female representation in STEM at a critical time when DEI initiatives are being challenged. The 2025 edition goes beyond inspiration — it is a call for systemic change, ensuring women’s voices are heard where it matters most: in parliaments, boardrooms, labs, and classrooms. The Summit serves as a platform that unites leaders from politics, business, and academia to confront barriers, amplify diverse perspectives, and advance policies and practices that enable true equality.
Empowerment
Providing women with the tools, resources, and opportunities needed to succeed in the tech industry.
Advocacy
Raising awareness about the challenges women face in tech and advocating for greater inclusion and diversity.
Support
Facilitating professional growth for women in tech and female entrepreneurs through targeted workshops.
Networking
Creating a platform for women to network, collaborate, and share experiences.
Venue
Loft Restaurant & Bar, Nicosia (UNIC Campus Rooftop)
Full Agenda
A series of thought-provoking speeches, and engaging discussions featuring distinguished speakers including government officials, tech ambassadors and thought leaders.
Welcoming Speech
Speaker:
Tanya Romanyukha, General Manager, TechIsland & Director, Women in Tech® Cyprus
Opening Speech TBA
Keynote Speech: “Reaching for the Stars”
An inspiring address by a Cypriot astronaut, sharing her journey in STEM, the challenges she overcame, and the importance of representation in space exploration.
Speaker:
Eleni Charitonos, 1st Cypriot Female Analog Astronaut
Keynote Speech: “Embracing Neurodiversity in STEM”
A talk highlighting the value of neurodiverse perspectives in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and how they drive innovation.
Oxford Debate: What’s next for women liberation?
At a time when global DEI initiatives are losing momentum and new cultural trends - such as the rise of “trad wives,” online hate speech, and anti-feminist rhetoric - are gaining ground, the future of women’s empowerment is at a crossroads. This Oxford-style debate will explore whether today’s efforts are sufficient to counter these challenges or whether they risk being too limited in the face of growing backlash.
Moderator:
Chrysanthos Tsouroullis
Research Findings: Women in STEM – Where do we stand?
Presentation of the key findings of the national survey by IMR/UNIC on the current representation of women in STEM fields.
Speaker:
Christina Kokkalou, CEO, IMR/UNIC
“Women in Politics – The Unspoken Truths of Pro-Female Policy Making”
A relaxed conversation with female MPs about dual career challenges, invisible labor, and the importance of women’s presence in parliament and politics in order to achieve policymaking that truly supports gender equality and equity.
Speakers:
Christiana Erotokritou
Moderator: Natasa Pilides
“Boardroom Revolution: Getting Women Where Decisions Are Made”
A discussion on women in corporate boards and leadership roles, addressing barriers and strategies for ensuring equal representation in decision-making spaces.
Speakers:
● Ugne Buraciene, Group CEO, payabl.
● Evgenia Herodotou, CEO, Energy Intel
● Joanna Saunders-Hare, Executive Director, Talent Acquisition, MUFG Investor Services
Moderator: Cleopatra Kitti, INSEAD Certified Independent Director and Advisor
“AI as the Great Equalizer?”
An exploration of whether AI can truly serve as a great equalizer for gender equality, addressing its potential to remove bias as well as the risks of existing biases.
“Holistic Approach to Women’s Wellbeing: Why Inclusivity Matters”
To enable girls and women to pursue their dreams and reach their goals, it is not enough to provide equal opportunities; there must be a culture of support where their bodies, hormonal changes, and emotional cycles are not stigmatized but understood, accepted, and accommodated.
Speakers:
● Gala Grigoreva, Co-founder at Integrated Professional Growth
● Biljana Kocevska Adam, Senior Associate Director, Talent Acquisition, MUFG Investor Services
● Kathy Kattashis, Founder & Director of MITRA - Cyprus Menopause Center
Moderator: Katya Solov, Founder of Miranna
Networking
Workshops
To Be Announced Soon
Workshop 1
How to get employed in tech and AI particularly?
Workshop 2
How to navigate career advancement and ask for pay rise?
Workshop 3
How to build your personal brand in tech?
Workshop 4
Empowering Your Voice
Our Speakers
Tanya Romanyukha
General Manager, TechIsland | Ecosystem Strategist | Women in Tech Leader
Tanya Romanyukha
General Manager, TechIsland | Ecosystem Strategist | Women in Tech Leader
Tanya Romanyukha transforms Cyprus into a thriving tech powerhouse. As General Manager of TechIsland, ...
Christiana Erotokritou
Member of the Parliament of the Republic of Cyprus
Christiana Erotokritou
Member of the Parliament of the Republic of Cyprus
Christiana Erotokritou grew up in Nicosia and graduated from the English School in 1991. She studied law at the University of Wolverhampton and obtained the title of Barrister at Law at Lincoln's Inn in London.
Since her youth, she has been a member of the Democratic Party. She was elected to the Democratic Party Executive Office in 2003, a post she has held ever since. She was elected Party Spokesperson in January 2014, a position she held until 2016.
In the parliamentary elections of 2016, she was elected Member of the House of Representatives for the District of Nicosia with the Democratic Party and subsequently elected as the Party’s Parliamentary spokesperson, holding the post until 2018. Since then, she is Deputy Chairperson of the Democratic Party, as a result of internal elections.
In 2021 she was re-elected as Member of the House of Representatives. She is the Chairperson of the House Standing Committee on Financial and Budgetary Affairs since 2020, a member of the Selection Committee, the House Committee of Foreign and European Affairs and the House Committee on Legal Affairs since 2016, and was a member of the Committee on Human Rights and Equal Opportunities for Men and Women between 2016-2024.
She is also Head of the House delegation to the Interparliamentary Conference on Stability, Economic Coordination and Governance in the European Union, member of the House delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and to the Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs of Parliaments of the European Union. She was also a member of the Ad Hoc Parliamentary Committee on the Compliance of the Parliament's Rules of Procedure.
Gala Grigoreva
Co-founder of Integrated Professional Growth | CMO at Adsterra | Community Leader, Women in Tech Cyprus
Gala Grigoreva
Co-founder of Integrated Professional Growth | CMO at Adsterra | Community Leader, Women in Tech Cyprus
Gala Grigoreva brings over 14 years of experience in high-pressure industries and more than a decade in team leadership, including C-level expertise driving growth in tech companies. Currently serving as Chief Marketing Officer at Adsterra, she combines her corporate leadership background with her work as co-founder of Integrated Professional Growth, where she designs training programs on resilience, growth mindset, and workplace well-being.
A certified yoga and well-being coach, Gala integrates self-regulation and stress management techniques into corporate training to help leaders and teams thrive in high-performance environments. As a community leader of Women in Tech Cyprus, she actively champions diversity and inclusive leadership.
Eleni Charitonos
Cyprus’ first female analog astronaut
Eleni Charitonos
Cyprus’ first female analog astronaut
With a strong background in mathematics and a passion for space exploration, Eleni has completed two internships at NASA, at the Glenn Research Center and the Johnson Space Center, working on projects such as optimizing software for future lunar missions and developing strategies to reduce space debris. She is also Cyprus’ first female analog astronaut, having participated in two international analog missions, including one on the Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii.
Eleni is deeply committed to promoting STEM through public awareness, education, and outreach initiatives. Among her long-term goals are contributing to research programs for long-duration space missions and, ultimately, applying to become an astronaut herself.
Ugne Buraciene
Group CEO of payabl.
Ugne Buraciene
Group CEO of payabl.
Ugne Buraciene is Group CEO of payabl., a European financial technology provider helping businesses take control of their money flow. Since joining in 2021, Ugne has led the company through a period of rapid growth, expanding its reach across Europe and broadening its product suite with payabl.one, the unified financial platform that brings acquiring, business accounts, and card issuing together in one connected view.
With almost 20 years of leadership experience in fintech and banking, Ugne has built her career on navigating complex regulatory environments and scaling cross-border operations.
Beyond payabl., Ugne actively champions the growth and innovation of the payments industry. She serves as a board member of TechIsland and CYENS Centre of Excellence, an advisor to Bivial AG, the Cyprus Country Ambassador for the European Women Payments Network, and a Money20/20 Europe RiseUp mentor.
Natasa Pilides
CEO of Med Enegrywise Ltd & Ex Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry, Republic of Cyprus
Natasa Pilides
CEO of Med Enegrywise Ltd & Ex Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry, Republic of Cyprus
Natasa Pilides served as Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Cyprus between July 2020 and March 2023. During her term, she implemented a multifaceted strategy for green energy transition and support and promotion of entrepreneurship, industry and exports, securing €590m in funding for the period 2021-2027 and issuing funding programmes of more than €265m in the years 2021 and 2022 for business competitiveness, technological and energy upgrades.
Previously, she served as the first Deputy Minister of Shipping of the Republic of Cyprus, a role which she took up with the inception of the Shipping Deputy Ministry on 1 March 2018. Natasa has also served as the Director General of Invest Cyprus, the arm of the government responsible for investment promotion, investor support and facilitation of reform.
Natasa's work experience includes more than fifteen years in the private sector. She served as a Director and Regional Chief Operating Officer at Baker Tilly in South East Europe, while for 9 years she worked at PwC, in Cyprus, Milan and London in the areas of audit and tax consulting.
Natasa graduated from Oxford University with a first-class honours degree with distinction in Modern Languages and Literature (French and Italian). She is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales (ICAEW) and a member of the Certified Public Accountants of Cyprus (ICPAC).
Natasa has recently been appointed as the CEO of Med Energywise Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Petrolina (Holdings) Public Limited, and is a non-executive member of the Board of Directors of AstroBank in Cyprus. She also serves on the Board of Directors of Karaiskakio Foundation and the Board of Trustees of the Cyprus Institute.
Eugenia Herodotou
Co-Founder and CEO of EnergyIntel
Eugenia Herodotou
Co-Founder and CEO of EnergyIntel
Eugenia Herodotou is the Co-Founder, Co-Owner, and CEO of EnergyIntel Services Ltd, where she has been steering the company’s vision, strategy, and operations since its inception in 2006. Her academic foundation is solid, with an MSc in Finance and Management from the University of Bristol and a BSc from the University of Indianapolis.
Her career is driven by a fervent commitment to innovating and advancing the energy sector on both local and international stages. She has effectively forged significant contracts and partnerships with a range of strategic partnerships, factories, suppliers, and clients, and has played a pivotal role in orchestrating EU-funded projects and research initiatives. Her leadership extends across all corporate divisions, including human resources, marketing, and product development.
She thrives on collaborating with a diverse, skilled team of experts and professionals, continually pursuing new opportunities and challenges in the energy industry to drive forward-thinking solutions and growth.
Cleopatra Kitti
INSEAD Certified Independent Director. Advisor to International Organizations and Governments
Cleopatra Kitti
INSEAD Certified Independent Director. Advisor to International Organizations and Governments
Cleopatra Kitti is an INSEAD-certified independent director and board member with 30 years of experience advising corporations, governments, and international organisations across EMEA, the US, and the UK with an expertise in governance, geo-economics, and global affairs.
Her boardroom experience includes heavily regulated industries and publicly listed companies, particularly in financial services and travel and tourism. Over the past decade, she has served as an independent director on multiple boards, including more than seven years with a Eurozone systemic bank. She has chaired key committees such as Nominations, Internal Governance, and Sustainability, and contributed as a member of Risk and Audit Committees.
Cleopatra maintains an active portfolio of advisory roles for US and regional energy companies, as well as other corporate clients. She also serves as a senior policy advisor at ELIAMEP - Greece’s leading European think tank - where she co-founded the Mediterranean Programme. In addition, she is a member of the International Crisis Group’s International Advisory Council, actively supporting peacebuilding efforts and drawing on her hands-on experience volunteering in conflict zones across Africa.
A founder of several impactful multi-stakeholder initiatives, Cleopatra launched the Mediterranean Growth Initiative (MGI) - the only data analysis and forecasting platform for investors and policymakers in the Mediterranean - as well as Queens of Money, a UN seed-funded financial education programme for women in the Mediterranean.
Chrysanthos Tsouroullis
CEO at DIAS Media Group and SIGMA TV
Chrysanthos Tsouroullis
CEO at DIAS Media Group and SIGMA TV
Mr. Tsouroullis studied Law and Journalism at the University of Athens and obtained diplomas in ‘Crisis Management and Communication Management in the Media’, and ‘Leadership in the Development of Economic Reforms' from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. After his studies, he worked as a journalist in the local newspaper ‘Politis’. In 2000 he presented the night news bulletin at Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CyBC). In 2002 he became the editor-in-chief and presenter of a daily news show at CyBC and right after became the anchor man of the Main News Bulletin while continuing to publish articles in local newspapers.
In 2007, he started working with DIAS Group (the largest Mass Media Group in Cyprus) as editor-in-chief and presenter of a daily news show on SIGMA TV. Also presented ‘60 Minutes’ a very successful investigative news magazine (2008-2014). Soon he became the anchor man of Sigma TV Main News Bulletin (20:00) as well as the political editor of the SIMERINI newspaper. Since 2012, he has also taken over the management and editor-in-chief of the Group's news department. In 2014 he was appointed CEO of the DIAS Group and SIGMA Television, a position he still holds.
Christina Kokkalou
CEO, IMR/University of Nicosia
Christina Kokkalou
Managing Director, IMR/University of Nicosia™
Christina Kokkalou is the founder and Managing Director of IMR/University of Nicosia™, a leading market research and strategic consultancy firm based in Cyprus, with recognized expertise in corporate branding, economic foresight, and investment intelligence. With over 25 years of industry expertise, Christina has partnered with top-tier organizations, including major banking and investment institutions, to deliver high-impact insights that guide investment strategies, inform policymaking, and strengthen competitive positioning in rapidly evolving economic landscapes.
Under her leadership, IMR/University of Nicosia™ has been at the forefront of digital transformation, establishing a Market Business Intelligence unit that streamlines data processing and enhances the delivery of customised, sector-specific intelligence. This innovation enables clients to anticipate shifts, benchmark performance, and respond proactively to emerging challenges, positioning IMR as a key player in connecting the private sector with emerging opportunities in new economies.
Dr. Maryam Kazemi Manesh
Senior Project Delivery Manager at GILAWA Ltd
Dr. Maryam Kazemi Manesh
Senior Project Delivery Manager at GILAWA Ltd
Dr. Maryam Kazemi Manesh is a highly accomplished professional known for her expertise in managing large-scale projects, driving operational efficiency, and delivering high-value outcomes in the technology and innovation sectors.
As Senior Project Delivery Manager at GILAWA Ltd, she oversees strategic initiatives, ensures timely project execution, and leads cross-functional teams to achieve organizational goals. With a strong academic and professional background, Dr. Kazemi Manesh continues to inspire and empower others through her leadership and dedication to excellence.
Anna Gurina
Startup Mentor at ULTRA.VC
Anna Gurina
Startup Mentor at ULTRA.VC
Anna Gurina is an experienced startup mentor and innovation advisor with a proven track record in guiding early-stage founders toward sustainable business growth.
As a Startup Mentor at ULTRA.VC, she helps entrepreneurs refine their business models, attract investors, and scale their operations through strategic planning and execution. Anna’s passion lies in empowering founders, fostering innovation, and building strong startup ecosystems.
Kathy Kattashis
Founder & Director, MITRA
Kathy Kattashis
Founder & Director, MITRA
Kathy Kattashis is Founder of MITRA, leading advocacy and workplace training on menopause in Cyprus and across Europe. She is developing menopauseOS, an AI-powered support and compliance platform, currently in the CyEC Accelerator 2025. Kathy also runs the MENOWISE-CY national menopause survey, active until the end of 2025, and continues to drive systemic change through education, policy, and digital innovation.
Biljana Kocevska Adam
Associate Director, HR & Talent Acquisition
at MUFG Investor Services
Biljana Kocevska Adam
Associate Director, HR & Talent Acquisition at MUFG Investor Services
Biljana Kocevska Adam serves as the Associate Director of Human Resources and Talent Acquisition at MUFG Investor Services. With a strong background in strategic HR management and recruitment, she plays a key role in attracting, developing, and retaining top talent within the organization. Her leadership supports MUFG’s mission to foster a culture of excellence, innovation, and inclusivity across its global workforce.
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Organizers
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Sponsors
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Partners
Ecosystem Partners
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