If there is one common attitude in the stories of BOOKR Kids, the educational startup, BeHive, the behavioral research company, and Bátor Tábor, it is that each leader had an idea, a dream they believed in so strongly that they pursued it against all odds. 

Dorka Horváth founded BOOKR Kids ten years ago together with her husband, a startup that supports children’s language learning and reading skills. Today, their app is used by half a million children in 36 countries, but the road to success was not so easy: “as a female startup leader, I still encounter a lot of stereotypes from investors. We are constantly trying to raise capital for the business, and for a long time I literally had to hide the fact that I had given birth to my second son. Most investors, knowing that, would not have trusted me.” 

The head of BOOKR Kids specialized in corporate finance at Corvinus, and looking back, she sees systems thinking as the most important skill she learned at the university. Later, when they started building their educational startup, she also returned to Corvinus for doctoral studies, and she still has strong ties with the university: from time to time she contributes as a mentor to support Corvinus students preparing for entrepreneurial careers. 

Erna Kindli, currently on maternity leave, is the head of Bátor Tábor and graduated from Corvinus with a degree in management and organization. She attributes the good community, the leadership mindset that has defined her career so far, and her international outlook to her years at the university. 

“I have worked in very male-dominated industries – technology and software – where I was often the only woman in the meetings, and my mind can also function in a very ‘masculine’ way: thinking in frameworks, strategically, with determination – qualities we tend to associate more with men. I noticed that when there are no women at all in a leadership team, these stereotypically masculine traits really become amplified. The majority will always be the dominant voice, and that is not so easy to break,” says Erna. 

 As an alumna, she also strives to give back to her alma mater, and she admits that meeting inspiring young people is something that energizes her personally as well. 

Noémi Molnár, one of the founders and professional directors of BeHive Consulting, a startup focusing on behavioral science, graduated in Business and Management in English at Corvinus. She later complemented her economic studies with a master’s degree in behavioral economics and neuroscience in the United Kingdom. After that, together with two partners, she established BeHive Consulting, which has become an internationally successful behavioral science consultancy. 

“With BeHive, I regularly return to the university to give lectures. Today’s Corvinus students will be the entrepreneurs of tomorrow, and I believe it is important to stay connected with them,” she says about the importance of maintaining strong ties with the university. 

You can watch our video featuring these three inspiring female leaders here: https://youtu.be/T5itF1BcBAA