1st EEA Learning Lab | Sofia Edition
The first EEA Learning Lab took place on 3 November in Sofia, bringing together innovators, educators, and founders from across Europe for an inspiring day of dialogue and exchange. From fireside conversations on the female founder journey to hands-on collaboration on the future of learning, the Lab showcased the power of community and shared expertise in shaping Europe’s EdTech landscape.
Designed as immersive, expert-led programmes, the EEA Learning Labs equip professionals and policymakers to navigate the intersection of education, technology, and workforce transformation.
Perspective Presentations
The dynamic half-day event started with a series of keynote presentations and fireside chats focused on the following themes and featuring speakers from across the industry and founders from the EEA Female EdTech Fellowship programme, including:
Sustainability for EdTech Growth, Michał Kruszyński from KPMG
Localisation vs. Internationalsation, Farida Danmeri, Learning Connected and Mihaela Kawinska, Bloomcoding
Fireside chat, Emilia Kruszewska, Founder of RecruitHer
AI in Practice
The second part of the session featured a participatory context keynote from EEA Managing Director Beth Havinga exploring a multi-dimensional overview of AI in practice. The presentation also invited participants to collectively reflect on a series of questions including:
What role does AI play in your work?
Where are you using AI in your work?
How is AI being integrated into your product or services?
Do you feel you need to include AI?
Do you feel confident assessing areas of risk?
AI Risk Assessment & Trust Vetting Exercises
An AI Risk Assessment Framework tool was then presented with the goal of participants being able to work through an interactive Miro board that presented six key steps applicable to their individual businesses / personal contexts.
Similarly, risk needs to be viewed in parallel with trust and transparency. The key to building trust is transparency and you need to be intentional with what you are transparent about and trust any partners that you are building with and on. Participants were then invited to engage with a complementary Miro tool - a trust vetting exercise to be utilised when evaluating current and future partners, suppliers, clients and tools for your particular business.
Empowering EdTech Growth
The final session focused on participants selecting one focus area related to the themes explored across all presentations - sustainability, scaling, or AI/partnerships. They then prepared a short 3 - 4 minute pitch to explain:
One related action they will take in the next 90 days
How it positions them for growth and credibility
This pitch presentation was also an example format celebrating innovation, growth and collaboration connected to the EmpowerED project. Winners across three categories where then spotlighted during the EmpowerED Keynote at the Sofia Empowering EdTech summit the next day - categories included:
Most short-term impact
Most actionable plan
Most engaging narrative
A big thank you to all our speakers, workshop leads and engaged participants for helping us kick off the first Learning Lab with such a wonderful event!
Be part of the next Lab and join the community driving innovation in European EdTech — learn more and sign up here.