Selma Prodanovic

Named the “Startup-Grande-Dame” by international media, Selma Prodanovic is a social futurist, visionary speaker, award-winning ecosystem investor, and one of Europe’s most influential women in startups and VC.

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For over two decades, Selma has shaped entrepreneurial ecosystems across Europe and beyond, founding global impact platforms, influencing early-stage investment policy, and supporting thousands of entrepreneurs and investors.

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Today, she is the founder of The Selma Effect, a female-led growth platform helping women scale wealth, influence, and legacy on their own terms. Through her signature coaching, keynotes, and the 100 Influentials mastermind, Selma redefines leadership as bold, joyful, and unapologetically human.

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A globally recognized keynote speaker, Selma has delivered over 2,000 talks on some of the world’s most influential stages, from TEDx to international leadership summits. Her story and insights have been featured in media across more than 40 countries, including Forbes, Financial Times, Bloomberg, and Elle.

 

As a board member of GBAN, EBAN, and Invest Austria, Selma actively drives systemic change across the global early-stage investment landscape. She is the initiator of the EBAN Manifesto for Gender Balanced Investing and the creator of “Invest Like A Girl,” a visionary TEDx talk and strategy challenging bias and reshaping startup investing.

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She is the founder of 1MillionStartups, supporting SDG-driven entrepreneurs worldwide, and the initiator of the Global Entrepreneurship Declaration, calling upon the international community to support entrepreneurs in creating solutions to the grand challenges of our time. She has launched more than a dozen purpose-driven brands through her boutique firm, Brainswork—always with a focus on creating systemic change.

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Selma's impact goes beyond boardroom decisions, ecosystem leadership, and policy initiatives. She is known for something even rarer: the power to inspire and empower others. To learn from her is to embark on a transformative journey, guided by someone who has walked the path herself.

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A lifelong advocate for women’s empowerment, a gender-balanced future, and the normalization of mental fitness, Selma’s work is both visionary and deeply human. 

 

She received numerous awards for her innovative approach to business and commitment to entrepreneurship and social change, such as the Veuve Clicquot Business Woman Award, EBAN Best Pioneering Investment Initiative, and EBAN Ecosystem Changemaker.

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An Austrian born in Sarajevo (Bosnia-Herzegovina), Selma was raised in several countries in Europe and North Africa and was formally educated in 4 different languages. She studied at the University of Sarajevo, Saint Louis University in Madrid, and Vienna University of Economics and Business.

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Above all, Selma is happily married to her first & and only love and the proud mother of two fantastic Gen Z young adults.

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Selma’s work is guided by one principle:

"We don't need louder leaders. We need leaders who can build the future with empathy, boldly, together".

 

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