The Journey of Women Entrepreneurs:  Success Stories and Lessons

Julia is the head of the global community of the New Champions at the World Economic Forum. This group gathers innovative & forward-looking mid-size companies, mindful of their impact on society and aspiring in building a better future.

Julia is a French national who started her career working for Major Events. Her first role was with Atos, a French IT company sponsor of the Olympic Games. She was responsible for their marketing and communications programs during the Athens, Torino and Beijing Olympic Games. In 2009 she switched career and assumed a leadership role in a media buying company where she steered the company towards regional development and growth by leveraging her deep understanding of the Asian market.

Julia's journey with the World Economic Forum began in 2017, when she managed Asian Strategic Partners from Beijing. Now, at the helm of the New Champions community, she guides mid-size companies that care about their impact on society and the world. These companies aren't just focused on profit – they're working to create a better future for everyone.

Julia's personal life reflects her global perspective. She's lived in Italy, Greece, China (for 15 years), and now Switzerland, adapting to each culture with ease. Married to an entrepreneur, she's raising three sons in Geneva, passing on her values of innovation and excellence.

Petra Posselius is an engineer by background, a brand builder by early career choices and since a decade a successful female entrepreneur. In 2014 Petra, and colleague Ellen Berg, founded NonStop Gym, a launch that would come to change the well-established but outdated Swiss fitness market. NonStop Gym’s focus on relevant member benefits and saving on the rest has enabled the growth to 40 clubs in just over 10 years.

A sociologist, working and researching at the intersection of gender, leadership, and empowerment, Dr. Eleanor T. Khonje is a Professor at Business School Lausanne (BSL) and is the Founder and CEO of ETK Leadership Solutions, a leadership training and communications firm driven to build a new generation of leaders who walk authentically in the totality of whom they were meant and dare to be.

Her research interests include gender, diversity, and inclusion in business; women’s economic empowerment through entrepreneurship; social entrepreneurship; public-private partnerships; corporate social responsibility; leadership; personal branding; and international business etiquette. An idealist, Dr. Khonje believes that our sense of fulfillment as people is embedded in our service to humanity. She serves through leadership in action, knowledge sharing, cooking, poetry, and speaking to motivate and encourage individuals. 

Rasha Hammad is the Board President and Founder & CEO of Youth Underground, a global initiative dedicated to educating youth and raising awareness about human trafficking. She previously served as Senior Advocacy & Communications Manager at End Human Trafficking now (EHTN), where she led public relations efforts and expanded youth engagement programs. Her career also includes serving as Speechwriter & Policy Adviser to the Executive Director of UNAIDS and holding senior communications roles across various organizations.

A founding Board member of Libertà association, the first helpline in Geneva for victims of human trafficking, Rasha has published extensively, contributing to the Harvard Series on Population and International Health and Wiley’s Encyclopedia of Global Environmental Change. She holds a BA in International Studies and Business Management (Honors) from Webster University, Geneva, and an MA in Mass Communication from the American University in Cairo, where she was awarded a Fellowship for academic excellence.

Recognized globally for her commitment to social impact, including partnering with CNN to launch their first My Freedom Day project, Rasha was named a Global Changemaker Founder and Ambassador for Together4Impact in March 2025. She is also a recipient of the Together for Peace Award (Rome, Italy) and FIDIC’s 2023 Certificate of Recognition. A member of The Worldwide Association of Female Professionals and Worldwide Who’s Who, Rasha is dedicated to empowering the next generation—encouraging youth to "speak without a filter!"