beeEffect Programme 2024: Connect. Act. Impact.
A Year of Leadership, Collaboration and Regional Transformation
The beeEffect Programme 2024 has successfully concluded, marking another impactful year of empowering young professionals across the Western Balkans. Grounded in the values of connection, action, and impact, this year’s edition emphasized leadership, mentorship and regional cooperation.
Connect:
A Dynamic Cohort and Regional Exchange
The 2024 cohort brought together 12 diverse participants (Albania, Turkey, Cyprus, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Greece and Serbia) united by a shared vision of positive change. Through high-level discussions, cross-border collaboration and community-building activities, participants forged strong connections, both professional and personal,that transcend borders.
The programme fostered:
- Community-building among current and future alumni;
- Cross-regional networking to strengthen strategic partnerships;
- Interpersonal and professional ties that will support a generation of changemakers.
Act:
Learning by Doing
With hands-on training and real-world challenges, participants enhanced their leadership capacity, developed actionable social impact initiatives, and engaged with mentors and experts from the region. The beeEffect Programme actively supported the development of future leaders in the Western Balkans and helped shift power to individuals and institutions driving transformation in their communities.
Specifically, one of the priorities of the group sessions this year targeted the development of social impact initiatives, allowing mentees to work together under the guidance of their mentor. This setup not only enhanced teamwork skills but also accelerated the progress by combining the strengths, skills and creativity of all involved. The mentors facilitated this process, ensuring that each mentee’s contributions were valued and that the initiative is both innovative and achievable.
Impact:
A Growing Community with Purpose
At the heart of beeEffect is its vibrant alumni network. This year’s participants were guided by mentors from previous cohorts, ensuring knowledge-sharing, continuity, and long-term impact.
This year, we were excited to introduce a new mentorship model to enhance collaboration and maximise the impact of our program. Instead of the traditional one-on-one mentor-mentee pairing, each mentor worked with two mentees. The mentorship meetings included individual sessions between the mentor and each mentee, as well as joint sessions with both mentees together. During the joint sessions, participants focused on developing their social impact initiative, leveraging the diverse strengths and perspectives within their group to create meaningful change. This collaborative approach succeeded to foster deeper connections, enriching the learning experience, and amplifi ng the overall impact of the program.
The Closing Ceremony
Held from December 13–15, 2024, in Thessaloniki, Greece, the Closing Ceremony brought together participants, mentors, the programme team, EFB Board Alumni, and past generations of beeEffect graduates.
Event Highlights:
- Participants showcased their growth, teamwork, and lessons learned.
- Thought-provoking discussions on mentorship and leadership strengthened the community bond.
- Recognition of Excellence:
- Best social impact initiative: Pair: Georgiana Horobeanu (Romania) & Tijana Savić (Serbia),mentored by Faris Godinjak (Bosnia and Herzegovina).
- Best Mentorship Pair: Georgiana Horobeanu (Romania) & Tijana Savić (Serbia), mentored by Faris Godinjak (Bosnia and Herzegovina).
- Social Media Bee Award: Stephania Zourka (Greece).
Twelve new graduates offi cially joined the EFB Alumni Network and the Robert Bosch Alumni Network, further expanding the beeEffect community.
Looking Ahead
The beeEffect Programme continues to thrive as a platform for empowering young leaders, strengthening regional cooperation, and driving meaningful change. With every cohort, its impact multiplies, fostering a future where the Western Balkans is shaped by visionary, connected, and action-oriented individuals.
Stay tuned for future editions and ways to get involved in this dynamic and purpose-driven community.
