First International She’s Next Hackathon to Culminate in a Public Online Grand Finale on October 3

Tbilisi, October 1, 2025 — Visa, the global leader in digital payments, together with its partner Reinvantage, announces the Grand Finale of the first international She’s Next Hackathon, taking place online on October 3.

Organized under the global She’s Next Empowered by Visa initiative, the hackathon was created to empower female entrepreneurs across Eastern and Southeastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Caucasus to address the business challenges of tomorrow. Over the past month, participants from 17 countries engaged in interactive webinars led by industry experts, gaining essential entrepreneurial skills.

From this group, 10 female-led teams advanced to the hackathon phase, developing their business ideas under the guidance of seasoned mentors. They are now set to present their projects to a panel of professional judges at the Grand Finale.

Winners will be recognized in three categories with a total funding pool of $20,000:

  • Main Winner – $10,000
  • Most Innovative – $5,000
  • Best Social Impact – $5,000

The Grand Finale will gather successful entrepreneurs, thought leaders, and Visa executives in a dynamic event designed to spotlight women-led innovation and built around unique and thought-provoking questions about challenging notions of leadership. The program will include:

  • Pitch presentations by the finalist teams.
  • Panel discussions on women’s leadership and the strength of women-led communities: how to redesign work to ensure inclusion, outgrow old myths about success, and unlock the power of grassroots collaboration.
  • Fireside chats addressing key challenges for women entrepreneurs, including accessing financing, maintaining mental health and overcoming burnout, and balancing career, family, and cultural expectations.
  • A business quiz with prizes.
  • The winners’ award ceremony.

“The She’s Next Hackathon is a true testament to the creative power of women. More than 1,750 female entrepreneurs from 17 countries have joined the program to sharpen their skills and gain the knowledge needed to thrive in an ever-changing environment. Now, 10 remarkable teams are preparing to showcase their projects at the Grand Finale,” said Cristina Doros, Visa Senior Vice President, Group Country Manager for Eastern and Southeastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Caucasus. “I look forward to joining the dialogue on building workplaces where women thrive alongside other prominent international female leaders and seeing everyone live on October 3 to celebrate the ingenuity, resilience, and vision of women in business across our region.”

“Reinvantage is proud to host the hackathon, bringing together female leaders from across the region. Moments like this Grand Finale show us that when people have space to grow, their impact extends far beyond the room,” noted Andrew Wrobel, Chief Reinvention Officer, Reinvantage.

The event is open to all and requires no pre-registration. Join live on October 3, from 10:00 to 15:30 CEST to witness the future of women’s leadership, discover new ideas, and become part of a powerful entrepreneurial community. The joining link available on the hackathon’s landing page: https://shesnext.emergingeurope.org/hackathon2025/.

About Visa

Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at visa.com.ge.

About Reinvantage

Reinvantage is a strategic reinvention firm that helps people and organisations anticipate change, stay relevant, and design what comes next. It combines tailored advisory with forward-looking insight to support reinvention at every level—from mindset to strategy. Reinvantage also runs Emerging Europe, a long-standing initiative focused on innovation and sustainable growth in the region. Through Emerging Europe, Reinvantage powers the She’s Next platform. This integrated model ensures that every programme, partnership, or initiative is grounded in real-world relevance and long-term impact. Learn more at: reinvantage.org

Media Contacts

Mariam Gvaradze
Press Office of Visa in Georgia
Noblet Media Eastern Partnership
+99555449965
[email protected]