Enhancing the Entrepreneurial Experience: A Supportive Environment For Sustainable Entrepreneurship Development In Slovenia

Lea Ulčar is completing her master's degree in Organization and Management of Human Resources and Educational Systems at the Faculty of Organizational Sciences, University of Maribor. Her research interests include entrepreneurship, project management, leadership and organization. She gains practical experience by working on various projects, and she has upgraded her knowledge by participating in the Erasmus+ project management training and the AmCham Young Professionals program.

Kranj, Slovenia. E-mail: lea.ulcar@student.um.si

Dejan Marinčič, Master of Health and Social Management, is currently a doctoral student at the Faculty of Organizational Sciences, University of Maribor. He is employed as an advisor to the Director for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Regional Development Agency of the Ljubljana Urban Region (RRA LUR). As the project manager of the PONI LUR (Enterprising Above Challenges) project, he is a key mentor for the participants of the program, helping them develop entrepreneurial ideas and enter the market. Under his leadership, the program has achieved high success, with 43 out of 98 participants establishing their own company or activity. Dejan is also active in promoting entrepreneurship in the region, which includes participating in events such as the Traveling Funds Office of the European Union, where he presents the success stories of the PONI program. His dedication and professionalism have contributed to the development of numerous innovative entrepreneurial initiatives in the Ljubljana Urban Region.

Ljubljana, Slovenia. E-mail: dejan.marincic@rralur.si

Dr. Miha Marič is a researcher in the field of leadership, management and organizational sciences. He received his PhD from the Faculty of Economics, University of Ljubljana. He is currently employed as an associate professor at the Faculty of Organizational Sciences, University of Maribor. His research interests are power, leadership, organizational behavior, human resources management, organization and management. He is the author of numerous original scientific articles, scientific monographs and chapters in scientific monographs, as well as professional articles and contributions at scientific conferences. He is a member of the editorial boards of journals, has been an editor and reviewer, and a member of the program committees of several international conferences. He also participates in research projects and consulting work.

Kranj, Slovenia. E-mail: miha.maric@um.si

Dr. Maja Đurica graduated from the Faculty of Economics, University of Belgrade, where she also completed her master's degree and successfully defended her master's thesis entitled "International Direct Marketing". She defended her doctoral dissertation entitled "Strategies of Financial Services Marketing" in 2009 at the Faculty of Organizational Sciences in Belgrade, Serbia. Her research interests include: marketing, services marketing, strategic marketing and digital marketing. Since 2004, she has been employed as a professor at the Belgrade College of Arts and Business, located at Kraljice Marije 73 in Belgrade, Serbia. She has independently and co-authored numerous scientific articles in journals and conference proceedings, as well as textbooks with the titles: *Marketing* (Belgrade, Serbia, College of Business and Arts for Applied Studies, several editions of the textbook), *Service Marketing* (Belgrade, Serbia, College of Business and Arts for Applied Studies, several editions of the textbook), *Marketing in Tourism* (Belgrade, Serbia, College of Business and Arts for Applied Studies, 2017) and *Market Research* (Valjevo, Serbia, College of Business and Arts for Applied Studies Valjevo, 2010).

Belgrade, Serbia. E-mail: maja.djurica@bpa.edu.rs