Creative Thinking with Oksana Sedashova, EIT Red Kalyna Awardee

Transforming Business, Education — and Herself — Through Creative Thinking
An interview with Oksana Sedashova, Creativity Ambassador and EIT Red Kalyna Awardee

“Creativity is my way of contributing to society.”

These words reflect the personal and professional philosophy of Oksana Sedashova, a psychologist, educator, and one of the laureates of the EIT Red Kalyna initiative — a European programme celebrating Ukrainian women driving innovation.

“Never underestimate your significance. What you’re doing is important — and the world deserves to see it. When they hear our stories, they hear Ukraine’s story,” she says.

“I’m a psychologist by training, but creativity is my professional and personal passion,” says Oksana Sedashova, one of the laureates of EIT Red Kalyna — an initiative by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) empowering Ukrainian women in innovation. Her story blends academic expertise, business practice, and deep personal motivation to make the world a better place through the power of ideas — while directly tackling key societal challenges and contributing to the Union of Skills Strategy through a human-centred lens.

“Creativity isn’t a talent — it’s a skill that can be developed.”

With over 25 years of experience in psychology and adult teaching, Oksana helps teams unlock their innovation potential through structured communication, conflict resolution, and values-based collaboration. Working as an associate professor at the KROK Business School on master’s programs for managers, she has designed tailored methodologies to assess and grow innovation in corporate environments, helping even traditional institutions, such as banks, by organising the effective work of innovative project teams, were able to launch customer-oriented products thanks to her approach. Her work echoes the goals of the STEM Education Strategic Plan and supports the broader EU vision of developing a highly skilled workforce.

“My achievements are measured by how much I have been able to help people see their own resources and turn them into action. My mission is to help everyone become who they potentially are through the activation of creativity.”

Oksana is also Ukraine’s national ambassador to the World Creativity and Innovation Week, a global initiative endorsed by the UN. She serves on both the European and Global Boards, representing Ukraine alongside over 160 countries and advocating for creativity as a tool for sustainable and inclusive growth. Her leadership is an example of how gender equality can translate into systemic innovation and resilience, particularly in Widening countries.

For her, EIT Red Kalyna marked a symbolic and practical breakthrough:

“It was recognition — not for a flashy product, but for years of consistent work. It opened doors to new platforms, connections, and opportunities.”

The EIT Red Kalyna initiative is more than an award — it’s a gateway into Europe’s innovation ecosystem. It combines entrepreneurship, training, mentorship and visibility, enabling women innovators to scale their ventures and act as local change-makers. This unique integration of education, business, and public impact makes Red Kalyna a model of how EU innovation policy — including the Start-up and Scale-up Strategy, AI Continent Action Plan, and European Commission’s Competitiveness Compass — can empower people, especially women, on the ground.

“Ukrainian women are creative and resilient. The world should see us not only as survivors, but as architects of the future.”

– Oksana Sedashova

She is currently seeking new creative and artistic avenues — not as a career change, but as an expansion of her mission. Her goal? To tell human stories about creativity, resilience and transformation through women’s eyes.