This year’s International Women’s Day revolves around the ‘Give To Gain’ theme, which champions collaboration and the idea that giving – whether it’s time, knowledge, or resources – helps create opportunities for all.
To honour this year’s theme, we are highlighting four inspiring women within the NATO DIANA Mentor Network who are giving their time and expertise to enable DIANA innovators to accelerate their technology into capability.
The NATO DIANA Mentor Network provides a pool of leading experts from across the Allied ecosystem. This support can range from advising innovators on the defence landscape and technology development, to guiding them on legal, financial and business matters.
In addition to the NATO DIANA Mentor Network, DIANA innovators can also benefit from the NATO DIANA Legal Connect Network, which provides specialist legal advice to help navigate any regulatory hurdles.
Championing Women in Defence Innovation
To shine a light on the value provided by these mentors, we spoke to four of them who shared insights and advice, especially for women in the field of dual-use and defence innovation:
Tiina Laisi-Puheloinen, is Lead Business Mentor within the DIANA network at VTT in Finland. As the CEO of FiBAN (Finnish Business Angels Network), Tiina draws upon her experience from her leadership role within the Finnish start-up ecosystem to advise innovators. Prior to her work with angel investors and entrepreneurs, Tiina also served in the Finnish Defence Forces:
"When I first joined the Army, there were no role models for women – it was an intimidating environment, but I soon realised you don’t have to be a ‘superwoman’ to thrive. We all have our own unique strengths, and by recognising and leveraging those strengths, you can make a difference. This is the advice I share with women considering opportunities in the military, defence sector, or any sector that may feel daunting: it's not as difficult as it seems, and there is a place for you here,” says Tiina.
"In the defence and dual-use sector, female founders and team members are still a rarity. At FiBAN, we've worked hard to boost the number of women angel investors, and we're now starting to see real change – but we still need to encourage more women to become entrepreneurs in this field,” she added.
Embracing Challenges to Grow
Building on Tiina’s message about creating space for women and leveraging individuals’ unique strengths, Laura Anitori, Lead Technical Mentor at Dualtech by Takeoff in Italy, also reflected on the importance of stepping outside one’s comfort zone to succeed.
As a senior researcher and project manager in radar systems, as well as a NATO’s Science and Technology (STO), Laura brings a wealth of technical expertise to DIANA’s Mentor network. Before moving back to Italy, Laura worked in the Netherlands for many years, where she contributed to the technology roadmap of the Royal Dutch Navy for the development of radar sensors:
“My advice to young women entering defence innovation? Seek mentors who believe in you and aren’t afraid to challenge you. Growth comes from stepping outside your comfort zone and being patient with your own journey. Recognition will come when you’re ready, but the most important thing is to keep learning and persevering,” she said.
"Sometimes the most valuable thing a mentor can do is challenge you and help you see your own potential. In this way, mentoring changed my life and career. Now, I hope to give back by offering perspective and encouragement to other innovators and scientists, especially those new to the defence world,” she added.
Laura has been part of DIANA’s Mentor network since 2025, having previously worked with innovators like Mantacus – a U.S.-based security technology company working on advanced detection systems capable of identifying concealed threats from a distance – and will be mentoring Space Solar this year.
Selling Ideas to Investors
Anna Ambroszkiewicz, currently based in Warsaw, is Lead Business Mentor at Fort Krakow. With years of experience leading communication efforts for Poland’s first astronaut mission in four decades with the European Space Agency, Anna draws on her diverse background in business development, marketing, and communication in both the public and private sector to advise innovators. She often provides them with guidance on effective pitching, noting the importance of presenting ideas clearly to potential investors and other backers of their technologies:
"As a founder and communications professional, I can help innovators polish their pitches. I can help them tell a story that resonates with investors, partners, and end-users. Translating their vision into language others can understand and believe in is a vital skill,” says Anna.
Reflecting on the Give to Gain theme, Anna added:
“By giving to others, we not only help them succeed, but also enrich ourselves. It’s very rewarding when you can contribute to somebody else’s success, but mentoring is more than that – it’s a path to both personal and collective growth.
The advice I would give to any person considering entering the defence innovation ecosystem is to not let self-doubt hold you back. Even if you’re new to a sector or field, trust in your abilities and strengths, and make an effort to take part, just do it – most of the time, we underestimate what we’re truly capable of.”
Interdisciplinary Collaboration to Unlock Innovation
Anja Hoffmann, another DIANA mentor and evaluator collaborating with innovators via the BioInnovation Institute in Denmark, has over fifteen years of expertise in commercial business model innovation, with a particular focus on deep tech. She currently operates her own consulting company and she is actively involved in Denmark’s deep tech ecosystem through DTU, Denmark’s leading technical university, where she also acts as a mentor.
Within the NATO DIANA programme, Anja has already contributed as an evaluator, supporting panels on critical infrastructure and logistics, energy and power, and resilient space operations for DIANA’s 2026 Challenge Call. Continuing the theme of mentorship and the importance of bringing together not only diverse individuals and experience, but also diverse sectors, Anja said:
“Innovation demands that we share knowledge and solutions across sectors - be it defence, space, energy, or health. To see real progress, we need to embrace cross-sector and interdisciplinary collaboration. There’s so much to learn when we look beyond our usual fields. True innovation happens at the intersection.”
“This year’s Give to Gain theme for International Women’s Day is a reminder that collaboration and diversity aren’t just valuable - they’re essential, especially when it comes to unlock the full potential of innovation.”
Fostering a Collaborative Ecosystem through NATO DIANA’s Networks
Reflecting on the value of NATO DIANA’s Mentor Network and Legal Connect Network, Jyoti Hirani-Driver, Acting Managing Director at NATO DIANA, said:
“Mentor and support networks like NATO DIANA’s Mentor Network and Legal Connect are fundamental to NATO DIANA’s mission. We rely on experts from across the Alliance to enable DIANA innovators to accelerate cutting-edge technology converting it into capability which will strengthen the Alliance’s deterrence and fighting power. It is through the ‘Give to Gain’ theme and this spirit of mentorship and collaboration across sectors, that we will build a safe and secure future for the Alliance.”