IT Entrepreneur Sergey Tokarev on SheLeads 2.0 for Girls

On 16 February 2026, the second cohort of the free SheLeads programme will begin for girls who strive to realise themselves in STEM. Anyone aged 16 to 22 can register. The founder of the Tokarev Foundation and IT entrepreneur Sergey Tokarev reported this on his LinkedIn page.

The second wave of the free SheLeads 2.0 initiative is aimed at supporting girls in mathematics, engineering, technology, and science. The programme will last three months. Participants will become more familiar with modern technologies and will be able to realise their own startup.

“I have always believed that there should be more women in STEM, business, and leadership. Programmes like SheLeads are aimed at creating an environment for growth and gaining real experience,” says Sergey Tokarev.

SheLeads 2.0 Details

The second cohort of the free accelerator has expanded significantly. Participants are offered educational modules on mentoring from women leaders in STEM, practical AI workshops, learning to work with uncertainty, and mental health blocks to maintain resilience. Girls will work on their own ideas or build their career growth. Seventy per cent of the learning will take place online, and 30 per cent offline.

Twenty of the best participants will be invited to the final forum in Kyiv, which will last three days. They will be able to receive internships at partner companies, introductions to potential employers, mentoring support from practitioners in STEM, as well as grants to launch their own startup.

Girls aged 16–22 from all over Ukraine are eligible to take part in SheLeads 2.0.

What Results the First Cohort of the Programme Brought

“SheLeads was created thanks to the collaboration between the public organisation uBoost and the technology philanthropy foundation Tokarev Foundation. It is an effective tool that delivers real results,”Sergey Tokarev noted.

The programme is a direct response to problems in education and the labour market, which are felt especially acutely during the military actions in Ukraine. SheLeads is already demonstrating results:

• At the age of 20, Anastasiia Kurmanova developed Spotoria. It is a mobile app that allows users to find and book parking spaces. Anastasiia received a grant and also won UAH 1 million at a startup pitching event.
• Rita, 19, gained real experience working as a graphic designer at OBRIO. She completed her first internship and worked on projects with deadlines.
• At the age of 22, Valeriia Pyliuk created Teploria, a building energy-audit service. She also developed a brand identity and won a competition run by Huawei.

IT entrepreneur Sergey Tokarev assures that thanks to initiatives such as SheLeads, girls will gain real knowledge and experience in STEM. In addition, thanks to mentoring and a safe environment, they can bring their own ideas to life.