Bright business ideas can benefit the whole of society. In order to make a difference, however, these ideas must first be recognised and nurtured. The Success Written in Lipstick Foundation was set up to encourage female involvement in business, entrepreneurship and science, and to strengthen the position and appreciation of women in Polish social and economic life.
The Foundation’s president and co-founder Olga Kozierowska is a business coach, journalist and mentor. Success Written in Lipstick has 3 key objectives:
•    to inspire women to undertake challenging activities
•    publicise achievements nationwide
•    provide women with professional knowledge for personal and career development

Bringing out the best
A highly successful Foundation programme has been the Businesswoman of the Year National Awards, which has been running for the last 10 years. The event not only recognises excellence in business, science and the arts; it also provides entrepreneurial women with the opportunity to network and to find new business partners and investors.
Another interesting initiative is Success IS ME, a nationwide empowerment programme to help women build their self-esteem and strengthen business and life competencies. The programme engages with local communities and focuses on the following themes:
•    women planning on running their own business
•    women looking for a job or planning to change careers
•    women who need inspiration and motivation

Fighting for equality together
Success Written in Lipstick recognises that the active involvement of men is crucial to achieving gender equality in as short a timeframe as possible. The innovative Champions of Change Club recognises men in influential roles who have helped to make a positive difference through, for example, increasing the number of women in senior leadership positions.
Another area of concern is the challenges facing young Poles entering the jobs market. The YEP.academy, an innovative online platform for young people seeking a career guidance, was established specifically to address this challenge through offering practical career advice, salary indicators and job offers.