The 'The Break' program has established itself as one of the most powerful initiatives supporting female entrepreneurship in Spain, with a particular focus on technology and social impact projects. Valencia and Extremadura have emerged as two key regions where this initiative is taking shape, creating real opportunities for women who want to launch or accelerate their businesses.
With a combination of intensive training, specialized mentoring, and international connections , 'The Break' strengthens the role of women entrepreneurs within local ecosystems that are committed to innovation and the knowledge economy. In both the Valencian Community and Extremadura, the program is integrated into broader public strategies that aim to attract talent, foster collaboration, and support initiatives with the potential for economic and social transformation.
Second edition of The Break in Valencia: female leadership at the center
Valencia has launched the second edition of 'The Break' aimed at women entrepreneurs , coinciding with World Entrepreneurship Day. This new cohort has welcomed twenty participants, adding to those from the first edition, bringing the total to 40 women who have already participated in the program in the city.
The opening session was held at Les Naus, one of the emblematic spaces of the Valencian innovation ecosystem , while the bulk of the training and support will take place at La Farinera. These two centers have established themselves as key hubs for collaborative work, networking, and experimentation in technology- and social-based projects.
During the welcoming ceremony, Paula Llobet, the Councillor for Tourism, Innovation, and Investment Attraction for the City of Valencia, greeted the group of female entrepreneurs. The councillor emphasized that female talent in the technology sector is considered a key driver of change and modernization for the local economy.
According to Llobet, the City Council's objective, through València Innovation Capital, is to enable these women to develop their projects with the support of an international professional network, capable of accompanying them in the long term and generating concrete opportunities for growth, financing and collaboration between cities and organizations.
An intensive program with training, mentoring, and international outreach
The Valencian edition of 'The Break' is organized in collaboration with the School of Industrial Organization (EOI) and is structured as a 14-week program. Throughout this period, participants access over one hundred hours of training content and specialized mentoring sessions at La Farinera, combining group sessions with more personalized tutoring.
The training program focuses on key areas for launching and consolidating startups , such as business model development, defining value propositions, female leadership, measuring social and environmental impact, and international scaling strategies. The goal is for the entrepreneurs to leave the program with stronger, more connected projects, better prepared to compete in demanding markets.
One of the program's distinguishing features is its international dimension, which includes a two-week stay in Vienna . This component allows female entrepreneurs to connect directly with one of Europe's most active startup ecosystems, gain firsthand knowledge of how other innovation hubs are organized, and explore partnerships with women-led organizations and projects in other countries.
This international perspective not only expands the network of contacts but also helps to compare business models, identify collaboration opportunities, and attract talent and resources to Valencia. In this way, 'The Break' becomes a gateway to European entrepreneurship networks and a tool for positioning the city on the map of inclusive innovation.
Councilor Llobet emphasized that, with this second edition, Valencia is reinforcing its commitment to female leadership and a growth model based on technology, sustainability, and social impact. The city's intention is to consolidate the program over time and continue integrating it into a broader strategy to support startups and emerging projects.
Valencia Innovation Capital: a strategy for an inclusive ecosystem
'The Break' is part of the València Innovation Capital strategy , a roadmap that aims to build a more inclusive and connected entrepreneurial ecosystem with a real impact on the local economy. Under this umbrella, both in-house programs and initiatives in collaboration with public and private stakeholders are designed.
Among the proposals promoted directly from València Innovation Capital, initiatives such as EOI Coworking, focused on artificial intelligence, gaming and inclusive impact , the Agro·lab program, EOI The Break, Seed Startup Program, Early Stage Startup Program or the GovTech accelerator, focused on solutions for public administration, stand out.
In parallel, the city participates in collaborative projects such as the Cybersecurity Startup Program, in partnership with Startup València and INCIBE ; the SKYLAB program with Cámara València, CEEI, and Startup València; and Climate Launchpad, promoted with EIT Climate-KIC and AVAESEN. All of this creates a network of opportunities focused on technological niches and emerging sectors.
According to the most recent data, this set of programs has helped launch 80 startups and support 237 entrepreneurs in the last year . Of these, 162 have used the hotdesk workspaces at La Farinera, a format that facilitates collaborative work, the exchange of experiences, and access to advanced services at the Valencian technology hub.
The combination of physical infrastructure such as La Farinera and Les Naus with structured training programs, mentoring, and international connections positions Valencia as a hub for innovative projects led by women. In this context, 'The Break' acts as a key element in reinforcing this commitment to being a city open to talent and collaboration.
The Break Extremadura: female innovation with an impact on the territory
The philosophy behind 'The Break' has also reached Extremadura with the launch of 'The Break Extremadura', a program specifically designed to promote innovative projects led by women in the region. This first edition culminated in Demo Day in Cáceres, an event where participants presented the results of several months of work.
The Extremadura itinerary is promoted by the Regional Government of Extremadura in collaboration with the EOI (School of Industrial Organization) and focuses on initiatives related to digitalization, industry, energy, agri-food, health, smart tourism, and the green economy. These are sectors considered strategic for transforming the regional business fabric and generating quality employment.
During Demo Day, the acting Minister of Economy, Employment, and Digital Transformation, Guillermo SantamarÃa , expressed the regional government's support for the participants, highlighting the positive reception and results of this first edition. He indicated that the demand shown by the female entrepreneurs and the program's impact were key factors in launching a second edition.
The regional representative noted that promoting female entrepreneurship is part of the regional strategy to improve the presence of self-employed and executive women in Extremadura. In this regard, 'The Break Extremadura' complements other initiatives such as 'Ellas dirigen' (They Lead), which focus on raising the profile of, empowering, and supporting women in positions of corporate responsibility.
Throughout the program, participants have combined online training sessions with in-person workshops in cities such as Cáceres, Badajoz, and Mérida, in addition to a personalized mentoring process. In total, the program includes more than one hundred hours of work in areas such as business development, women's leadership, impact projects, and a regenerative approach.
Demo Day, talent selection and European connection from Extremadura
At its launch, 'The Break Extremadura' received fifty applications from female entrepreneurs interested in participating. After the selection process, fifteen were chosen, and ultimately, thirteen successfully completed the entire program, presenting their projects at the Demo Day held in Cáceres. This number reflects both the participants' level of commitment and the growing interest in this type of specialized support.
One of the program's distinctive features is its international component, which also includes a two-week stay in Vienna . As with the Valencia edition, this experience abroad allows the women entrepreneurs from Extremadura to connect with other European ecosystems, expand their network, and discover new ways to collaborate and secure funding for their initiatives.
The connection with European entrepreneurship organizations strengthens 'The Break Extremadura's' position as a gateway to international networks , while also acting as a catalyst for attracting talent and projects to the region. In this way, the program not only supports participants in developing their ideas but also generates a ripple effect across the entire regional ecosystem.
The institutional origin of this initiative lies in an agreement between the Regional Government of Extremadura and the EOI (School of Industrial Organization) , with a budget of €360.000 for two editions, co-financed through the European Social Fund Plus and the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan. This funding allows for completely free participation for women entrepreneurs.
In addition to 'The Break', the region has launched complementary programs such as 'Ellas dirigen' (Women Lead) , aimed at creating spaces for professional networking, sharing experiences, and strengthening women's business leadership. Since the end of 2024, several events have already been held, with hundreds of attendees and registrations, demonstrating a growing interest in these types of initiatives.
Overall, the expansion of 'The Break' into regions like Valencia and Extremadura demonstrates how a single philosophy of supporting female entrepreneurship can be adapted to diverse local realities, combining training, mentoring, international networks, and institutional support. The sum of these elements is helping more women launch innovative projects with the real potential to transform their economic and social environments.