Iwona Kieda, WE Lead Food Alumna, became facilitator of the main course and organiser of local WE Lead Food workshops in Poland
Feeling the power of belonging to a global network of female leaders driving food system transformation, Iwona wanted to help women in Poland access this community.
Iwona, can you tell us about your academic and professional background?
Iwona Kieda: ‘I was born and raised in Poland, where I also obtained my Master’s in English linguistics at the University of Warmia and Mazury.
I was trained to be a translator: enabling dialogue and creating mutual understanding is what I love. It is something I pursue in my professional career.’
What is your current job and how is it related to food system innovation?
‘I’m working at the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research (IARFR), Poland’s leading research centre in the areas of food, nutrition and reproductive biology. With our interdisciplinary research, we enable the design of innovative health-promoting solutions.
As Head of Communications & International Affairs, it is my job to make sure our knowledge does not stay within the labs but is delivered to the public, industries and organisations where we can make an impact on society, optimising consumers’ and animals’ well-being.’
How did you get you involved with EIT Food and the WE Lead Food programme?
‘My Institute has been one of the founding partners of EIT Food. From the very beginning I got involved in the management of multinational projects such as #AnnualFoodAgenda and Health Claims Unpacked, aiming to bring food researchers closer to consumers and engage them in the co-creation of food innovations.’
‘I was also supporting professional development initiatives that EIT Food facilitated to boost competences of agri-food stakeholders. That’s how I got to know the WE Lead Food programme. The background and ethos really resonated with me.’
What inspired you to apply for WE Lead Food yourself?
‘I was championed by the programme’s coordinator, Shima Barakat.
We had been working together in entrepreneurship projects like EIT Food Venturing School.
She suggested I joined but I had the same doubts as many WE Lead applicants – am I the right fit for the programme?
I think at that time I had trouble owning my leadership – which was exactly why it was a good idea to join…’
“After finishing the course in 2021 I really felt part of the global collaborative network of women who want to have a say in the food system transformation. And it was important to me that women in Poland have access to this community as well. So my Institute became a WE Lead Food project partner and I became the facilitator of the main programme. Plus, we launched WE Lead local workshops in Poland.”
What is the link between the main programme and the local workshops?
‘The main WE Lead programme is an online eight week autumn course for women all around the globe. As a prelude to this, the one-day workshops are organised locally in different countries, with local coordinators. The workshops give the local women leaders a taste of what to expect in the autumn course – we definitely hope to engage them for both. That way, they can also connect with the global network of women leaders in the agri-food sector.’
What are your own learnings gained from the WE Lead Programme?
‘I learned a lot about the importance of having your own leadership style. You have to be authentic, own your voice, and feel OK about feeling awkward sometimes or asking uncomfortable questions.
Also, never underestimate the power of collaboration. Being part of a multinational community means that your local actions can have a global impact.
How did the WE Lead Food course influence your own career path?
‘I used to have trouble owning my leadership, although I had many achievements to be proud of. I was ‘the driver from the back seat’. After the programme, I did get into the driving seat. In order to structure communications and international affairs at the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research, I set up a new office and took the lead. Our goal is facilitate collaborations that bring together research, industry, policy and consumers to deliver impactful solutions for the food system.’
When did you kick off the local WE Lead workshops and how many participants have joined so far?
‘The first workshop took place in 2022, so this year the fourth one is ahead.
We usually schedule them before the summer holidays to give participants the time to for the main autumn course with the early bird rates.
In Poland, we reached over 120 women so far – scientists, managing directors, startup owners, NGO leaders, and other change makers in our local food sector .
After two workshops held in Olsztyn, the city where my Institute is seated, we expanded with the event to Warsaw, getting support from other professional women networks.
This year it would be organised at the French Embassy in Poland – our newest partner to the locals, represented by our last year’s alumna. Keeping it collaborative – that’s what we aim for.’
What do you see as the key value this workshop brings to local women leaders in the food sector?
‘For the women leaders in Poland, the workshop is a chance to gain visibility in the local food ecosystem. It brings together women from different areas, including researchers, business owners and policy makers. They don’t have many occasions to connect and network, so it’s a unique and valuable occasion to see what others are doing.
The workshop’s programme contains three blocks:
- an inspiration session, where participants can meet local role models who are transforming the food system in their region and beyond. They talk about how they pursued their goals and overcame challenges. For example, one of the speakers was a lady who gave up her position as a lawyer and started a footwear company making shoes with plant-based leather.
- The second block are training sessions, offering the opportunity to reflect on their own goals and make a plan to deliver impact, and
thirdly there is the chance to network, get to know each other and discuss doing things together.
We always emphasise it’s about connection, co-creation and collaboration, not competition.’
What are some of the challenges for Polish women leaders in the food system?
‘The main challenge really is owning their leadership. These women have everything it takes to call themselves a leader but often don't think of themselves that way.
Also, the organisations where they work are sometimes not articulate enough in recognising them as a leader.
The workshops can be a breakthrough for them.
I’m convinced the women-only approach has huge added value.
We also see that participants are recommending the workshop to their colleagues.
The biggest reward is to see them claiming their space.
One of our alumna is now head of a big research group. It is great to see how the local women lift each other up to make a global impact.’