Lilalab Incubator: Growing Heartful Entrepreneurs
A creative space where purpose-driven ideas took root, grew, and flourished.
Challenge
Many aspiring entrepreneurs—especially women and early-stage changemakers—had ideas with potential but lacked the confidence, structure, and support to bring them to life. Traditional business programs often focused narrowly on profit, leaving little room for personal values, creativity, and social impact. There was a need for a program that nurtured both the human and the business side of entrepreneurship.
Approach
The Lilalab Incubator was a six-month program designed for early-stage entrepreneurs who wanted to build sustainable, mission-driven ventures.
Rooted in Lilalab’s Mission-to-Impact Framework the program blended:
Six thematic workshops: Embodiment, Inner Flame, Flow, Money Mindset, Authentic Voice, and Community.
Mentorship from experienced facilitators and entrepreneurs.
Peer learning in a safe, supportive community.
The process mirrored natural growth -participants planted their ideas, grew them through creative and strategic development, and harvested concrete outcomes such as business models, prototypes, and public presentations.
Impact
By the end of the program:
Participants gained clarity of mission, defined their target audiences, and developed actionable business strategies.
Several projects moved from concept to pilot stage, including social initiatives, creative enterprises, and sustainability-focused ventures.
The incubator strengthened participants’ confidence, resilience, and entrepreneurial mindset, with many reporting they now felt capable of presenting and pitching their ideas to partners and investors.
The program fostered lasting connections - a community of alumni who continued to collaborate beyond the incubator.
Why It Mattered
The Lilalab Incubator demonstrated that entrepreneurship could be impact-driven, values-based, and creatively inspired. By focusing equally on inner work and outer strategy, the program equipped participants to launch ventures that reflected their personal values and created positive change.
Partners & Funding
The Lilalab Incubator was co-financed by the European Union and supported by local mentors and instructors, creative professionals, and community organizations.
Program was supported also by Impact Hub Slovenia and Telprom.
In the Media (In Slovenian)
Article: Inkubator, ki razvija podjetnika, ne ideje, Dnevnik, June 2025
What’s Next
The Lilalab Incubator inspired the creation of its second generation, enriched with additional workshops and the refined Mission-to-Impact Framework. The model is now being adapted for collaborations with NGOs, youth programs, and international partnerships.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or national agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
