IT Entrepreneur Sergey Tokarev on Recruitment for the SheLeads Programme for Girls in STEM

SheLeads for Girls in STEM: Sergey Tokarev Announces Applications for the
Second Cohort

IT Entrepreneur Sergey Tokarev on Recruitment for the SheLeads Programme for Girls in STEM

Registration has opened for the second cohort of the free SheLeads 2.0
initiative for girls aged 16–22. Investor, founder of the Tokarev
Foundation, and IT, made the announcement entrepreneur
Sergey Tokarev.

“I believe there is a significant shortage of women in business,
leadership, and STEM. That is why we created the free SheLeads
accelerator, which aims to support girls in engineering, science,
technology, and mathematics. This environment is focused on real growth,
not just skills development,” said the founder of the Tokarev Foundation.

The SheLeads 2.0 programme is designed to run for three months. It was
created in partnership by the Ukrainian organisation uBoost and the Tokarev
Foundation. The programme will launch on 16 February 2026.

Results of the First Cohort

Participants from the first cohort have already achieved strong results.
For example, Valeriia Pyliuk, 22, created Teploria, a service for building
energy audits. The programme helped her develop a brand identity and win a
Huawei competition.

Twenty-year-old Anastasiia Kurmanova developed Spotoria, a mobile app for
finding and booking parking spaces. During SheLeads, she received a grant of
UAH 60,000 and later won UAH 1 million at a startup pitch event. Spotoria is
now launching in the Polish market.

Rita, 19, has gained experience as a graphic designer at the tech company
OBRIO. She completed her first internship working on real projects with real
deadlines.

SheLeads for Girls in STEM

What SheLeads 2.0 Offers

The three-month programme is designed for girls aged 16–22 who want to
build skills and experience in technology. The accelerator provides an
opportunity to develop STEM competencies and launch a startup project.

“SheLeads has expanded significantly and now offers a range of learning
tracks, including mentoring, hands-on AI workshops, mental health support,
and leadership development. Participants will learn resilience, how to
work under uncertainty, and how to develop and implement their own
product,” added
Sergey Tokarev.

Most of the programme will take place online. The three-day finale will be
held in person in Kyiv. The top 20 participants will be selected and will
receive:

  • Mentoring support
  • A grant to launch their own project
  • Introductions to potential employers
  • An internship with a partner company

    How to Apply

    The free accelerator is open to girls and young women from all regions of
    Ukraine.

    The organisers are also inviting businesses to get involved: companies can
    support the programme by offering mentorship, internships, job
    opportunities, and partnership initiatives.

    Sergey Tokarev emphasises that SheLeads was created in response to systemic
    challenges in education and the labour market. The main goal is to ensure
    that participants not only gain knowledge and experience, but also have a
    safe environment, experienced mentors, and the opportunity to realise their
    potential.

    Leave a comment