Recent testimonies of successful business networking - Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme
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New entrepreneur:
Candela Franco (Spain)
Age: 21
Company name: Start-up Lab (Start-up)
Sector of activity: Community, social and personal services
Candela Franco (Spain)
Age: 21
Company name: Start-up Lab (Start-up)
Sector of activity: Community, social and personal services
"The exchange at Charge gave me the skills clarity and support to transform my idea into a concrete project. I return to Spain with a new partnership an expanded network and the confidence and knowledge of how to develop the impact I want to create."
Host entrepreneur:
Susana Meza (Norway)
Age: 45
Company name: CHARGE AS (25 years of experience)
Sector of activity: Community, social and personal services
Susana Meza (Norway)
Age: 45
Company name: CHARGE AS (25 years of experience)
Sector of activity: Community, social and personal services
“Supporting Candela through the EYE program reaffirmed how powerful cross-border collaboration can be. The exchange strengthened CHARGE’s mission while helping shape a new impact initiative in Spain.”
Period of exchange: 08/2025 until 09/2025
Duration of exchange: 1 month
Results and benefits
1 new company created
1 new contract
1 new country reached
1 new country reached
15 new contacts
Business support
Susana Meza, CEO of CHARGE, a non-profit organisation based in Oslo, joined the EYE programme to share her expertise in inclusive entrepreneurship and support emerging ecosystem builders. Susana saw the exchange as an opportunity for mutual learning: she provided guidance on programme design and impact measurement tools, while gaining valuable insight into the Spanish context through the activities carried out during the stay.
Candela Franco is an entrepreneur working on the creation of an inclusive startup incubator. She discovered the EYE programme online and decided to participate in order to understand how successful European incubators operate from the inside. Her goal was to learn how to design effective programmes, reach underrepresented audiences, and build impactful ecosystems. She chose to collaborate with CHARGE because of its strong expertise in supporting immigrant and underrepresented founders. Through the exchange, Candela expected to learn new methodologies, gain international exposure, and strengthen her project ahead of its launch.
During her exchange, Candela worked closely with Susana and the CHARGE team, participating in internal workshops, programme planning meetings, and research tasks. She analysed CHARGE’s core programmes (Changemaker and LEAP Fremtiden), studied their tools and methodologies, and adapted selected elements for potential implementation in Spain.
She also attended networking events such as the NorBAN Angel Mixer and the BSR Founders Dinner, where she engaged with investors and startup founders. Throughout the exchange, Candela collaborated with the team in coworking spaces, documented her learnings on a weekly basis, and developed her own incubator proposal inspired by CHARGE’s insights. The relationship was collaborative, supportive, and highly enriching for both sides.
As a result of the exchange, Candela was able to transform her incubator idea into a solid and well-structured project. She strengthened her skills in programme design, recruitment strategies, impact measurement, and workshop facilitation, and learned how to structure inclusive entrepreneurship initiatives using real demographic and market data.
One of the most significant outcomes of the exchange was the creation of a new association in Spain, founded by Candela with Susana’s involvement, aimed at supporting underrepresented entrepreneurs and improving access to entrepreneurial opportunities. This partnership, together with the contacts, tools, and experience gained in Norway, has given Candela the confidence and network needed to begin building a long-term initiative with meaningful social impact.
For more information, please contact the local contact points involved in the exchange:
New entrepreneur's contact point:
UNINOVA - Sociedade para a Promoción de Iniciativas Empresariais Innovadoras, M.P., S.L. (Santiago De Compostela, Spain)
Host entrepreneur's contact point:
NORBAN NORWEGIAN BUSINESS ANGELS NETWORK (Oslo, Norway)
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