C4E 101: Series of Lectures in Innovation and Entrepreneurship - Spring 2025-2026

With Maria Lavithi Howard, Founder and CEO of Heroes Made - Mentor - Writer

When: Wednesday March 18, 2026, 16:30-17:30

Where: Room 008, Building XOD 02

Synopsis:

This lecture provides founders with a practical framework for turning an early-stage idea into an investment-ready company. It explores the modern funding and scape, covering both dilutive and non-dilutive funding options such as angel investors, venture capital, grants, accelerators, and crowdfunding.

Participants learn how funding sources align with different stages of company growth and how investors evaluate startups based on factors such as market opportunity, team strength, product differentiation, and traction. The session also introduces the core materials founders need before approaching investors, including an executive summary, pitch deck, financial projections, and a defensible valuation strategy.

The lecture also focuses on the realities of fundraising, explaining how founders can build an investor pipeline, secure warm introductions, and prepare for due diligence. The key takeaway is that fundraising is a structured process that requires clarity, persistence, and consistent progress in order to build investor confidence.

The Speaker, 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.

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