Speaker: Maria Lavithi Howard, Founder and CEO of Heroes Made – Writer

Maria Lavithi Howard, a graduate in English Literature with a focus on Creative Writing, has over 15 years of experience in business development, storytelling and a passion for helping others succeed. She is the Founder of MGD HEROES MADE, a start-up that uses state-of-the-art technology and a SaaS platform that helps young children develop self and social awareness, relationship skills, self-management and responsible decision-making skills. The company raised seed funding and has launched version 1.0 of the platform, currently being piloted in multiple private schools. Maria has been coaching start-ups in Cyprus for the past four years, mentoring young entrepreneurs and giving talks at local universities and workshops on innovation and entrepreneurship. She represented Cyprus in the Creative European Cup in Denmark in 2019 and was appointed as Vice President of the Parallel Parliament's Entrepreneurship Committee in 2020. Maria's vision is to contribute to creating a world where the next generations of adults navigate their lives in improved societies with genuine effectiveness, being resilient and competent, capable of standing up to things in the face of difficulties and fear and keep moving forward on their own volition.