Frane graduated from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture in Split and completed his postgraduate specialist studies in Financial Institutions and Markets at the Faculty of Economics and Business in Zagreb. He was appointed to the rank of Lecturer by the Rector’s Conference and regularly features as a speaker at numerous tech and entrepreneurship conferences. He is the initiator of several international events, including the Zagreb Connect startup conference and the Startup Europe Regatta—a conference specializing in sustainable greentech and fintech solutions.

He established Startup Factory, Croatia’s first acceleration program, initiated Global Growth and Tech Transfer, and launched financial instruments for startup grants and investments. He actively works on connecting stakeholders across society to build a thriving startup ecosystem. Through ZICER, he leads the largest startup hub in the region.

Tomislav is responsible for drafting the company’s business plans, strategies, and reports. He prepares ZICER’s annual Business Plan and the proposed financial plan for the fiscal year. He also authors the Semi-Annual and Annual Corporate Reports detailing achieved objectives and the company’s overall status. Tomislav manages the company’s finances and accounting, generating financial, audit, and performance reports. Additionally, he oversees financial management for specific European projects implemented by ZICER, working in close coordination with the City Office for Economy, Environmental Sustainability and Strategic Planning, as well as other municipal administrative bodies.

He graduated from the Faculty of Economics and Business in Zagreb, earning a Master’s degree in Economics. Since graduating, his professional career has been fully focused on corporate finance and accounting.

Vini holds a Master’s degree in Economics (specializing in Sustainable Tourism Management) and a Master’s degree in International Relations and Diplomacy, supplemented by an EMBA from the Cotrugli Business School. She earned her first degree from VERN’ University and her second from Libertas International University, effectively combining expertise in economics, sustainable development, international relations, and strategic management.

She began her professional career in the financial sector, spending three years in corporate credit risk with a focus on financial statement analysis. Parallel to this, she has maintained a continuous, long-term hands-on presence in the tourism industry.

At ZICER, she manages and executes public procurement processes, including drafting annual procurement plans and launching both small and large-scale tender procedures. She is also responsible for facilitating collaborations with partner institutions and external stakeholders on both a local and international level, alongside managing space expansion, layout development, and facility optimization projects.

She has actively participated in the implementation of several EU projects, most notably the EIT Climate-KIC Accelerator, and is currently involved in preparing and executing active EU initiatives, including AI4HEALTH and DIGITRANS.

She has organized and coordinated numerous hackathons and innovation initiatives, such as Kultura na dlanu, Gradski proračun na dlanu, Sport na volej, the Booksa Hackathon for Writers, the ZICER–HPB Financial Hackathon, and the Cassini Hackathon, alongside a wide array of other hallmark ZICER events.

Tamara organizes an operational network with other business support institutions to streamline the flow of information regarding founders’ obligations, rights, and opportunities. Through seminars, workshops, and individual consultations, she guides entrepreneurs in planning and financing their business ideas. Professionally, her focus lies in creative accounting and development project financing models, though she dedicates most of her energy to closely tracking evolving tax and legislative regulations. She actively promotes an entrepreneurial culture, creating micro-oases where founders can thrive and scale without friction.

Lidija organizes, oversees, and aligns operations related to planning, preparing, and implementing EU-funded projects as well as other program and support initiatives. She delegates tasks to project managers and provides operational directives, supervising project execution in coordination with City of Zagreb departments and other external bodies. She is responsible for aligning resources, providing expert assistance to project managers during implementation, and ensuring the timely delivery of project performance reports.

She graduated from the Faculty of Economics and Business at the University of Zagreb. Over her 16-year tenure at the Technology Park and Development Agency (now ZICER), she has managed financial functions, led public procurement, executed entrepreneurial support initiatives, and driven domestic and European projects.

Ana coordinates ZICER’s acceleration programs, leveraging nearly a decade of experience in mentoring and supporting over 150 startups. She holds a degree in Economics from The City University of New York (CCNY), after which she worked with US non-profits focused on culture and language, and contributed to a USAID healthcare program in Africa.

Željana coordinates ZICER’s mentor network, designing and executing educational tracks, workshops, training sessions, and advisory activities tailored to program participants. For over a decade, she has coordinated acceleration cohorts and mentored startups, offering structural support across various growth stages. She also actively shapes and executes EU and national projects, managing the complete project lifecycle from planning to monitoring, activity coordination, and reporting. She brings extensive experience in managing initiatives funded by EU frameworks (ESF, ERDF, Horizon, Erasmus+, Europe for Citizens) as well as national and local programs aimed at scaling the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Holding a degree in Political Science, she began her professional path as an expert associate for the City Assembly and its working bodies, while her first independent project focused on the civil sector. She has pursued advanced training in fields such as public relations, soft skills development, and video production to refine her skillset and integrate it seamlessly into daily operations.

At the ZICER Blue Office, Lena is responsible for organizing training tracks, sourcing top-tier speakers, and developing new educational curricula. She specializes in training and advising business owners on flat-rate crafts (paušalni obrt) and internationalization strategies.
After graduating with a degree in Economics, she worked at a freight forwarding company, managing international operations. Additionally, she oversaw human resources and handled day-to-day operational issues. Concurrently, she ran a small family business, navigating all operational cycles from initial setup to eventual closing. She holds a certified state license in freight forwarding. She has worked extensively with exporters, helping them navigate regulatory frameworks to position goods and services across international markets.

Barbara has more than fifteen years of experience in communications, education, and content development, with a career spanning the corporate sector, entrepreneurship, and educational programs. At ZICER, she is responsible for public relations, content creation, and messaging for startups and innovation ecosystem partners. She coordinates PR activities, writes articles and feature profiles about ZICER cohorts, runs communication campaigns, and organizes signature events.

Since 2022, she has been designing and implementing training tracks, workshops, and educational assets centered around storytelling, communication, and personal growth. As an NLP Master Coach, she engineered proprietary writing and communication frameworks that merge cognitive psychology, authentic communication, and core business strategy.

Barbara holds an MBA in Marketing from the Zagreb School of Economics and Management (ZŠEM) and has advanced training in NLP, coaching, and emotional intelligence.

Ivana manages public and media relations alongside ZICER’s marketing initiatives. She plays an active role in organizing conferences, panel discussions, media appearances, and creating content for ZICER’s communication channels, as well as executing acceleration cohorts and other programmatic efforts.
Ivana graduated with a degree in Tax Law from the Faculty of Law at the University of Zagreb and a degree in Marketing from the Faculty of Economics and Business at the University of Zagreb. She is also a graduate of the London School of Public Relations. She built her marketing expertise within full-service media agencies, planning and executing multichannel campaigns across traditional and digital advertising networks, while driving strategic PR initiatives for corporate clients.

At the ZICER Blue Office, Marina oversees legal affairs and project management. She has dedicated the past 11 years to mentoring and educating small business owners. Her core focus involves providing legal counsel to founders and advising them on funding models via grants, financial incentives, and commercial loans. As part of the Startup Academy, she trains entrepreneurs on business formation, labor relations, and commercial law.

She first navigated the complexities of EU projects a decade ago while contributing to CARDS and INTERREG initiatives. After earning her law degree, she built a solid foundation in legal affairs working at a law firm. For the past 11 years, she has focused on advising and training SMEs while preparing and executing national and EU-funded projects. Every facet of her career has centered on direct human connection, and client satisfaction remains her driving motivation.

Klementina is responsible for the company’s financial analytics and accounting operations, bookkeeping records, payroll processing, and filing tax returns. She manages the preparation of year-end accounts and annual financial statements, co-authors proposed fiscal plans, and monitors overall operational expenditures.

She completed professional studies at the Faculty of Economics and Business in Zagreb. Prior to joining ZICER, she spent thirteen years in the private sector refining her expertise in accounting and corporate finance.

Ivo participates in executing business support initiatives and organizing commercial consulting and educational tracks. Communicating daily with founders, he monitors contractual compliance and provides tailored assistance across various stages of their development. He also collaborates with municipal administration departments, institutions, and ecosystem partners to implement programs and projects aimed at strengthening the regional startup landscape.

He holds a Master’s degree in Economic Policy and Financial Markets from the University of Split. He acquired his professional experience within a global FMCG corporation and the banking industry, where he managed projects and actively drove financial market product development.

With a versatile portfolio spanning graphic design, UX/UI, web development, and digital marketing, Maja leads creative direction and multimedia content at ZICER.
Through years of hands-on experience in the IT sector, she has developed a sharp understanding of technological trends and best practices in visual communications design. She graduated from the Zagreb University of Applied Sciences (TVZ).

Željko is an IT graduate from the College for Information Technologies, bringing extensive experience in systems administration. He specializes in maintaining and optimizing IT infrastructure and currently delivers technical support at ZICER. He is dedicated to resolving technical challenges and ensuring seamless system uptime.

Dino Kalac serves as a Senior Infrastructure Support Specialist at ZICER, where he focuses on developing and enhancing infrastructural capabilities—ranging from office layouts and hardware to shared amenities that enable entrepreneurs to work and scale effectively. In his daily operations, he actively participates in planning and executing public procurement processes and other facility-related initiatives.

He holds a Master’s degree in Public Sector Management, backed by years of hands-on experience in structural and operational projects. He contributes to drafting internal policies, implementing public procurement procedures, and coordinating entrepreneurial ecosystem initiatives.

Dino is also widely known for fostering a positive workspace environment; his approachable nature and sharp sense of humor make daily routines more engaging, boosting overall team spirit within ZICER.

Ivan is part of the ZICER team as an Infrastructure Support Specialist. Leveraging his background in sales, procurement, and commercial operations, he contributes to initiatives that sustain daily functionality and the continuous development of ZICER’s physical environment.

Throughout his career, he has built extensive expertise in sales management, supply procurement, and core business processes. Having held various commercial and operational roles, he honed his organizational skills, coordinated complex corporate workflows, and collaborated closely with clients, partners, and suppliers.

He graduated from the Faculty of Economics and Business at the University of Zagreb, earning a Master’s degree in Economics. Sports have shaped a significant part of his life and continue to hold a special place among his personal interests.

Anita serves as an Expert Advisor and Health and Safety Coordinator at ZICER. She is a certified youth career counselor, mentor, and featured lecturer for initiatives like EDUBIZ, ZgAktiv, and ‘A gdje si ti?’ among others.

Over her twenty-five-year tenure at ZICER, she has consulted and trained entrepreneurs and veterans, served as an expert advisor for marketing and educational tracks, and structured corporate educational modules alongside executing domestic and EU-funded initiatives. She has organized 480 seminars and lectures, training over 9,600 participants. She acts as a HAMAG-BICRO mentor for the Student Business Incubator Network project, serves as an e-Business coach, and co-authored the entrepreneurial guidebook *Preparing IT Professionals for Entrepreneurship*.

She formerly directed the Technical Secretariat of the Local Employment Partnership of the City of Zagreb.

Committed to continuous professional development, she followed her degree in Economics by graduating from the London School of Public Relations.

Nikolina is responsible for event logistics support, coordinating venue scheduling, and general administrative duties.

She graduated from the Faculty of Textile Technology in Zagreb, though career opportunities ultimately guided her along a different path. For over 10 years, she has built deep operational expertise in administrative roles, including serving as a call center office manager, overseeing retail branches for a major children’s toy chain, and managing financial administration workflows.

Mateja works on tasks related to EU projects where ZICER features as a partner. She is responsible for project execution, compliance administration, event logistics, performance reporting, progress tracking, and facilitating internal team communications.

Mateja graduated with a degree in Public Administration from the Faculty of Law in Zagreb. Prior to joining ZICER, she handled administrative, regulatory, and corporate finance tasks in the private sector.

Viktorija is zadužena za operativne računovodstvene i knjigovodstvene poslove te administrativne i tehničke poslove u sklopu vođenja društva.

Diplomirala je na Ekonomskom fakultetu u Zagrebu, smjer Financije. Tijekom višegodišnjeg staža u međunarodnim tvrtkama u računovodstvenom odjelu stekla je iskustvo i znanje na području financija i računovodstva.

Katarina is responsible for executing procurement procedures for the Company and driving collaboration with partner institutions and City of Zagreb administrative bodies. She also participates in organizing and coordinating various ZICER programs and signature events.

She graduated from the University of Dubrovnik with a degree in Tourism Destination Management. She built her professional foundation through 15 years within Croatia Post (Hrvatska pošta), holding positions as a sales representative, coordinator, and product manager. Throughout her career, she refined strong sales, negotiation, presentation, and organizational skills through targeted professional tracks focused on corporate and digital communications.

Ljubica is the first person you will meet or speak with over the phone for any information regarding the ZICER Blue Office. She is responsible for onboarding potential entrepreneurs, detailing active initiatives, and delivering essential administrative and technical support. Additionally, she manages training registrations, educational materials, and coordinates speaker logistics.

She has been dedicated to serving ZICER members and visitors daily for ten years, spending the last four specifically supporting aspiring business owners at the ZICER Blue Office.

Vedrana is responsible for the operational execution of business support initiatives—specifically the City of Zagreb Self-Employment Programs, the City of Zagreb Innovator Support Program, and the Proof of Concept (PoC) scheme driven in collaboration with HAMAG-BICRO. She also participates in public procurement processes and project performance analysis.

Throughout her sixteen-year career, she has viewed operations through the precise lens of processed invoices, bank statements, and audit reports. Our program coordination team has seen her path bring her to the ZICER Blue Office, where she continues to acquire new expertise and professional experience.

Ksenija is responsible for operational accounting, bookkeeping workflows, and general administrative and technical tasks within corporate management.

Over her multi-year tenure in the private sector, she has built deep expertise in office administration.

 

Nora delivers support to entrepreneurs through strategic advisory tracks, interactive workshops, and educational programs. She participates in executing projects that drive entrepreneurship and innovation, collaborating closely with institutions and partners to build new growth avenues.

She completed her Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Management in English at the Zagreb School of Economics and Management (ZŠEM) and expanded her international experience at the Toulouse Business School in Barcelona. She has built her career path across the public, banking, and consulting sectors.