About
Adela founded ZÉLIE to put the people back into business. For years she has worked where women build, lead and invest, and she kept asking why their stories were so rarely told in full.
No impact happens separate from the people who create it.
Adela founded ZÉLIE out of an interest in the relationship between people and the work they do to build, lead and change things. Revenue, growth and reach are integral to making that work possible, but work does not start there. It starts with a person, shaped by her history, her relationships and her choices.
ZÉLIE brings these dimensions into the conversation, exploring women’s experiences of entrepreneurship and impact through their own perspectives, while connecting their knowledge with the questions of aspiring women.
Five themes.
Cases of women entrepreneurs
As a research assistant at the University of Auckland, Adela developed case studies on women running businesses in construction, marketing, wellness and climate technology. She analysed interviews to compare how women and men entrepreneurs describe their work, and presented the findings in Stockholm.
Financial confidence among women
At EWA Global in Brussels, Adela carried out pilot research on women’s financial confidence with 150 students, which the team later extended to an additional 300, and supported international financial education programmes for women.
Investment readiness
At New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, Adela supported start-ups in technology, healthcare, consumer products and climate, helping develop the materials and research used to introduce them to overseas investors.
Community development
At the University of Auckland Women in Business, Adela led and developed professional events for women students, from panels with corporate speakers on leadership, finance and technology to a forum for 200 people on authentic leadership and growth. Across the events, more than 400 people took part. At Manzana, a co-working space for women and under-represented business owners, she ran daily operations and organised events and monthly meetings.
Entrepreneurship education
Adela is an Erasmus Mundus Scholar on the Master in Impact Entrepreneurship, taught across Croatia, Lithuania and Belgium.
ZÉLIE
In October 2026 Adela started ZÉLIE, an independent organisation dedicated to women of impact worldwide, starting with Europe. She is sitting down with 100 women of impact. An online community, in-person events and co-creation retreats follow.
If you run a business or lead something that matters, Adela would like to hear from you.