Meet the AmCham EU YEA 2026 Finalists 

Elenya Spiteri is the Founder and CEO of Medilert — Europe’s first AI-powered smart pill dispenser, built to help older adults manage their medication safely and independently. The idea did not come from a lab. It came from a living room in Malta, where Elenya watched her own grandparents struggle with complex daily prescriptions and realised that technology had so far failed the people who needed it most. Medilert combines voice-assisted AI, automated dispensing, and real-time caregiver alerts into one accessible, GDPR-compliant ecosystem. It is already partnered with Malta’s leading connected-care provider and is navigating CE Marking for EU healthcare compliance. A young female founder leading in a male-dominated technical space, Elenya is proof that a JA experience can become a mission-critical business.

In 2010, Marija Ručevska discovered her passion for entrepreneurship through the JA Student Company Programme in Latvia. Fifteen years later, she is one of the youngest female General Partners in Europe — managing a €21M venture capital fund and building the infrastructure for the next generation of Baltic and Nordic founders. Outlast Fund backs pre-seed and seed-stage technology companies across the Baltics and Nordics, with a portfolio of 11 investments growing at an average of 19.27% net revenue MoM. Beyond capital, Marija co-founded Shipyard, a hacker-space in Riga for AI-native first-time founders — compressing the path from idea to VC-backed venture. From co-founding TechChill to building and exiting Helve to launching Outlast, Marija has spent her entire career doing one thing: making sure the next generation of European founders has what it needs to build.

Bora Selenica’s story with JA has come full circle. She joined JA Albania as a student through the Company Program, Leader for a Day, and Debating Economics, before becoming part of the JA Europe team and later giving back as a mentor, trainer, and jury judge for young entrepreneurs across Europe. Beyond JA, Bora has built experience across education, marketing, partnerships, and fintech — working with organisations such as Save the Children and Colliers, and today heading the Myiute app at iute Albania, a leading fintech company. Together with Irena Matraku, her lifelong friend and fellow JA alumna, Bora co-founded Pigi — the first financial education app children grow up with. Designed for kids aged 5–14 and their parents, Pigi combines a Duolingo-style learning hub, parent-assigned missions, and goal-based saving, with payments for kids on the way in collaboration with banks and fintechs. Today Pigi counts 3,000+ users, 7 loyalty partners, and is recognised by the Bank of Albania and in active discussions with Visa. Because financial literacy is not just a subject — it is a life skill. And it starts early.