The Croatian legacy flourishes between Colombia and Croatia

The award, which is presented in Zagreb on International Women's Day, recognizes the impact of leadership, innovation and community engagement.

For her, the award's significance is even deeper. It's a tribute to her family, to the story that began with her father, and to the values ​​she learned at home, where Croatian culture wasn't a distant idea, but a way of life and a way of understanding the world. Married and a mother of two, she finds in her family the inspiration to continue leading with purpose. In them, she sees the continuation of that legacy she now promotes from an institutional perspective: the possibility for new generations to understand that having roots in two cultures is not a division, but a strength. Her work leading the Colombia-Croatia Chamber of Commerce has demonstrated that binational organizations can go far beyond facilitating business. In her vision, these entities are platforms of trust, spaces for economic and cultural diplomacy, and engines of sustainable cooperation. Colombia and Croatia are not just countries with shared trade opportunities; they are communities that can grow together based on common values, human talent, and strategic complementarity. In this process, entrepreneurship has been the key tool. This is not understood solely as the creation of projects, but as the ability to identify opportunities where structures previously did not exist, to articulate wills, and to build solid networks that transcend the immediate. This same logic gave rise to the CroActivas representation for Colombia, an initiative that promotes female leadership and active community participation, generating spaces where identity becomes action and action becomes impact.

“My selection as Croatian Woman of Influence in the entrepreneurship category sends a clear message: diasporas are strategic players in the contemporary world, and female leadership is essential for their development. My career demonstrates that when one woman advances, she paves the way for many more, and that true success lies not in individual recognition, but in the opportunities created for others,” emphasizes Ángela Sankovich.

Her journey sends a clear message to new generations of women of Croatian descent who dream of starting their own businesses.

– Her advice is direct and stems from experience: “Know your roots and use them as a strength, not a limitation. Cultural heritage is a competitive advantage when it is understood and projected with discernment. Entrepreneurship is not about copying other people's models, but about adapting your own values ​​to current challenges. And, above all, don't go it alone: ​​networks are as important as ideas,” says Ángela Sankovich.

These words encapsulate a leadership philosophy that blends identity, strategy, and a sense of community. Because if anything defines her path, it's the conviction that individual success only has meaning when it opens opportunities for others. Joyful, visionary, and deeply committed, she firmly believes that everything dreamed of with the heart can become reality. This conviction, far from being merely an inspirational phrase, has been the driving force behind a management style that today connects two countries, strengthens a community, and projects a legacy into the future. The award ultimately signifies the celebration of a story that began within the family and now has an international reach. It is recognition of a woman who has made entrepreneurship a form of service, identity a platform for action, and dreams a long-term strategy.

“In this trajectory, the legacy is not preserved: it is set in motion. And in this movement, Colombia and Croatia are closer today than ever before,” emphasizes Ángela Sankovich, president of the Colombia-Croatia Chamber of Commerce.