SIADUS

03/06/2026

Last week, we presented SIADUS at a poster exhibition organized by the University of Zagreb.

It was a great opportunity to attend valuable lectures, exchange perspectives, and speak with people working on topics closely connected to inclusion and accessibility in higher education.

We are especially grateful that our poster received special recognition for the best poster, giving SIADUS additional visibility and motivation to keep moving forward.

More information is available on the official University of Zagreb website:
https://www.unizg.hr/nc/vijest/article/dvodnevni-strucni-skup-inkluzija-i-razlicitost-osnazivanje-akademske-zajednice/

Thank you to Valentina Novak and the University of Zagreb for the invitation and recognition.

18/05/2026

Last week, we attended the PODIM Conference in Maribor.

During the three-day event, we had the opportunity to listen to inspiring lectures, meet other entrepreneurs, speak with potential investors and representatives of the education sector, and present SIADUS to people from Slovenia and beyond.

It was a great experience, full of useful conversations, new contacts, and encouraging feedback about the importance of building more inclusive, accessible, and supportive higher education.

Thank you, PODIM, for the opportunity.

30/04/2026

🚀 Prijavite se na ZICER akcelerator – ne propustite rok do 7. svibnja u 12:00!

„Sudjelovanje u programu Startup Factory omogućilo nam je da od početne ideje razvijemo konkretno i tržišno validirano rješenje koje danas pilotira na Ekonomskom fakultetu Sveučilišta u Zagrebu te je u procesu širenja na druge fakultete. Kroz program smo stekli znanja o svim ključnim aspektima razvoja startupa, od validacije ideje, izrade poslovne dokumentacije i razumijevanja pravnih aspekata, preko razumijevanja tržišta i prodajnih aktivnosti, do marketinga i pitchiranja, uz kontinuiranu podršku mentora i stručnjaka iz različitih industrija“, ispričali su nam Fran Krasnić i Leon Benković, suosnivači startupa SIADUS.

SIADUS je digitalna platforma koja rješava problem nedostatka strukturirane i pouzdane podrške za studente s invaliditetom u visokom obrazovanju. 🎓

„To postižemo povezivanjem studenata s invaliditetom s njihovim kolegama studentima-asistentima koji su im voljni pružiti podršku. Dugoročno razvijamo SIADUS kao cjelovit sustav koji će, uz postojeće funkcionalnosti, uključivati i povezivanje studenata s invaliditetom s poslodavcima, čime želimo omogućiti kontinuiranu podršku od obrazovanja do zapošljavanja“, pojašnjava Fran.

Iz tima SIADUS poručuju i pozivaju na prijavu u ZICER akceleratore: „Posebnu vrijednost programa čini zajednica ljudi koja potiče međusobnu podršku i razmjenu iskustava, neovisno o fazi razvoja u kojoj se pojedini startup nalazi. Upravo zbog toga, sudjelovanje u programu pokazalo se kao jedna od najboljih odluka na našem poduzetničkom putu.“

✨ Inspirirajte se SIADUS-ovim iskustvom i razvijajte svoju startup priču uz ZICER akcelerator!

⏰ Prijave su otvorene do 7. svibnja 2026. u 12:00.
🔗 https://www.zicer.hr/akcelerator/

27/04/2026

Chapter 29 – The First Interview (Part One)

It all started with a meeting with Kosjenka Dumančić, professor at the Faculty of Economics & Business, University of Zagreb.
Since she’s a lawyer, Leon Benković and I met with her to discuss the legal aspects of developing SIADUS.
Naturally, we arrived a bit early to prepare.
After a while, two people approached us and asked if they could briefly record us for a video marking the 105th anniversary of the faculty.
Of course, we agreed.
Shortly after, Professor Dumančić arrived, and after a short planned discussion, she asked us a completely unexpected question:
“Guys, would you be up for an interview with Irina, where you’d briefly share your experience as students and present the SIADUS project you’re working on?”
We immediately said yes.
We went over all the details and gave a short overview of what we were working on. Soon after, we also learned what the interview would be about.
While preparing, we noticed in the email with the questions who we’d actually be working with, Irina Čulinović, a communication expert with remarkable experience gained through years of work in radio and television, numerous collaborations in the business sector, and involvement with our faculty.
I thought to myself: “Okay, this is getting pretty interesting…”
That evening, Leon and I prepared everything for the upcoming interview.

If you want to learn more, contact us at: [email protected], leave a comment, or visit our website www.siadus.com, or visit our other social media channels.

P.S. In the next chapter, I’ll be writing the second part of this story.
Other chapters can be found in the posts on my personal profile, as well as on the SIADUS project profile.

20/04/2026

Chapter 28 – Another LEAP Forward

It all started with an invitation from ZICER to participate in the LEAP Summit, an event that brings together more than 1,500 participants from over 30 countries.
It would’ve been foolish to miss such an opportunity.
Joining me, of course, were Leon Benković and Hrvoje Pažin, who by now had already become our go-to photographer for all kinds of events, and I have to say, working with him is always a pleasure.
We set up all the promotional materials and started presenting.
Throughout the day, we had the chance to meet many kind and inspiring people, both from Croatia and abroad, and introduce them to SIADUS.
We also spent time socializing and exchanging experiences with other participants from ZICER, whose initiatives were truly interesting and inspiring.
Naturally, Hrvoje captured all of it through his lens.
Later that day, a networking gathering was organized for the participants, and as it often goes, the evening ended with a drink, conversation, and great company.

If you want to learn more, contact us at: [email protected], leave a comment, or visit our website www.siadus.com, or visit our other social media channels.

P.S. In the next chapter, I’ll be writing about an interview.
Other chapters can be found in the posts on my personal profile, as well as on the SIADUS project profile.

15/04/2026

Chapter 27 – The First Trip (Part Two)

The next morning, we met up with Professor Jakša Krišto and set up our booth together.
Throughout the day, we presented SIADUS to many interesting people, from those in the education sector to the business world.
Some of them expressed interest in further collaboration and even suggested specific opportunities they believed could be valuable for us.
During moments when we weren’t talking to visitors, I noticed that the booth next to ours belonged to Ana.
Little by little, we started talking about the projects we were working on, and she not only showed genuine interest but also shared plenty of helpful advice and insights she had gained throughout her entrepreneurial journey.
Yet another reminder that entrepreneurs truly do help one another.
After a while, we attended a few discussion panels, one of which featured Professor Krišto as a speaker.
He talked about what’s most important for innovation development and said something I completely agree with, that the key elements needed to foster innovation shouldn’t be viewed in isolation, but rather as an interconnected mechanism where the educational, financial, and business sectors must continuously collaborate.
When the official part of the evening was over, the informal one began.
A dinner for participants was organized, where, in a relaxed setting, we connected with even more people and talked with Professor Krišto about our impressions of the event and the next steps ahead.
Of course, it wasn’t all business, we had a great time, too.
This was one of those experiences I’m sure all of us will remember for a long time.

If you want to learn more, contact us at: [email protected], leave a comment, or visit our website www.siadus.com, or visit our other social media channels.

P.S. In the next chapter, I’ll be writing about one of our jumps forward.
You can find the previous chapters in the posts on my personal profile, as well as on the SIADUS project profile.

06/04/2026

Chapter 26 – The First Trip (Part One)

It all started with yet another meeting with Professor Jakša Krišto, which ended with a simple question:
“Guys, would you like to come with me to Split for the NXT Innovation Future Forum? I think it could be interesting and useful for SIADUS.”
Naturally, we said yes right away.
Over the following days, we booked a hotel and took care of all the necessary preparations.
One thing we found particularly fun was creating flyers, business cards, and other promotional materials, because we later found out that we’d actually be presenting SIADUS at our own booth, which was something completely new and exciting for all of us.
On the day of the trip, the entire team was in high spirits.
After arriving at the hotel, we put on our freshly printed SIADUS T-shirts and headed to the event we had been invited to.
It was part of the Digital Dalmatia program, which proved that inspiring and valuable entrepreneurial initiatives are being developed all across Croatia, something that’s always wonderful to see.
One of those initiatives was led by Ana Bedalov, someone we had no idea would soon become such an important supporter.
After the program ended, we took a short evening walk through Split, which, of course, ended with a drink.

If you want to learn more, contact us at [email protected], visit www.siadus.com, or check our social media.

P.S. In the next chapter, I’ll be writing the second part of this story.
Other chapters can be found in the posts on my personal profile, as well as on the SIADUS project profile.

04/04/2026

Sretan Uskrs!

Blagdani su prilika za kratki predah i novi pogled na ono što gradimo.

Želimo vam mirne i ugodne blagdane.

02/04/2026

30/03/2026

Chapter 25 – How I Became a Speaker
It all started one morning while scrolling LinkedIn, when I saw a post about Zagreb Slush’D, a conference bringing together entrepreneurs and startups. I immediately sent Leon Benković a message: “Interested?” His reply was expected: “Of course.”
The next day, we contacted the organizers and spoke with Filip Bzik, who shared all the details. Soon after, we received an unexpected email inviting us to send a pitch deck and present SIADUS at the conference.
At first, we weren’t sure if we were ready, but we quickly realized this was an opportunity we couldn’t miss.
A few days later, we arrived at the Zagreb School of Economics and Management for a networking event, where we met many interesting people. I even ran into Antun-Gustav Kos, one of the StartTalks lecturers, who turned out to be part of the organizing team.
The next day, as we entered the presentation hall, an organizer greeted us: “You’re presenting SIADUS, right?” In that moment, it hit me, this was real.
When our turn came, I took a deep breath, looked at Leon, and started pitching. The feeling was incredible. When we finished, the room filled with applause, followed by conversations with both local and international participants. It was another confirmation that we were building something meaningful.
Later, we attended another networking event, where we even saw SIADUS featured in a post by the organizers.
This experience was truly unforgettable.
If you want to learn more, contact us at [email protected], visit www.siadus.com, or check our social media.
P.S. In the next chapter, I’ll be writing about a trip.