Meet Madina
Madina Turava is the CEO of the International Women’s Finance and Education Foundation and the co founder of Finansowe Latte. Based in Krakow, Poland, she has built a career across sales, marketing, IT, and leadership before dedicating her work to helping women gain the financial knowledge and confidence to shape their own futures. Today, she brings together the worlds of technology, finance, and education to create opportunities that extend far beyond professional success.
Choosing Curiosity Over Comfort
Some careers are carefully mapped out years in advance. Others are built through curiosity, courage, and a willingness to embrace uncertainty. Madina Turava belongs firmly to the second group.
She has never measured success by staying within the boundaries of one profession or one industry. Instead, she has spent her life following questions that challenged her to grow. Every new chapter began not because it felt comfortable but because it promised a different perspective.
Looking back, what stands out most is not the number of roles she has held but the consistent thread connecting them all. Whether she was working in international sales, navigating the fast moving world of technology, or creating educational initiatives for women, her motivation remained remarkably similar. She wanted to understand people, solve meaningful problems, and leave every place better than she found it.
Curiosity has never been a passing interest for her. It has become the foundation upon which she has built both her professional life and her personal values.
That curiosity eventually led her toward a mission that feels larger than any single career. Today she works to ensure that women feel just as confident discussing financial wellbeing as they do discussing professional success.
A Childhood That Taught Her Possibility
Long before she became a business leader, Madina learned one lesson that would quietly shape every decision she made.
She grew up in Abkhazia during the difficult years following the Georgian Abkhaz war and the collapse of the Soviet Union. Opportunities were limited, uncertainty was part of daily life, and the future often seemed defined by circumstances beyond anyone’s control.
Many people would have accepted those limitations as permanent. She chose not to.
Even as a child, she looked for ways to create value. At just nine years old, she earned her first money, an experience that taught her something far more important than financial independence. It showed her that action creates opportunities.
Rather than waiting for ideal conditions, she began discovering that every small step could lead somewhere unexpected.
Educational initiatives organized by the United Nations soon opened another door. As a teenager, she participated in youth peacebuilding programs that eventually brought her to the United Nations headquarters in New York.
For someone who had grown up believing the world was much smaller, the experience completely transformed her perspective.
Different cultures, different languages, and different ideas suddenly became part of her everyday experience. Instead of reinforcing the limits she had known, the world revealed possibilities she had never imagined.
Those early experiences taught her that geography does not determine potential. Circumstances may influence the beginning of a story, but they do not have to decide its ending.
At sixteen, she moved to Europe to continue her education, carrying with her a quiet confidence that she would find her own path, even if she did not yet know exactly where it would lead.
That belief became one of the defining characteristics of her life.
Learning Through Reinvention
Many professionals spend decades mastering one discipline. Madina approached growth differently.
Her career began in international sales, where she learned how relationships are built across cultures and how communication often matters more than technical expertise.
From there she entered marketing, discovering how ideas can influence behavior when they are rooted in genuine understanding rather than persuasion.
Digital marketing followed, opening the door to technology and innovation. Eventually she moved fully into the IT industry, one of the fastest evolving sectors in the world.
Each transition demanded new skills. Every move required her to become comfortable with being a beginner again.
Instead of seeing reinvention as a risk, she began viewing it as an investment in her own development.
Technology especially appealed to her because it rewarded continuous learning. Nothing stayed the same for long. New challenges appeared every day, requiring adaptability instead of certainty.
Working alongside international teams also reinforced another belief that would later become central to her leadership. Different perspectives rarely create confusion. More often, they create better solutions.
Throughout these years she became increasingly involved in supporting other women entering technology.
As one of relatively few women working in many technical environments, she understood both the visible and invisible barriers that could discourage talented professionals from pursuing leadership opportunities.
She chose to become a mentor, speaker, and advocate, encouraging other women not simply to enter the industry but to believe they belonged there.
That work proved deeply meaningful, yet over time another pattern emerged.
She noticed that many accomplished women who confidently led projects, managed teams, and solved complex technical challenges still felt uncomfortable discussing money.
Professional confidence and financial confidence were not always growing together.
That realization stayed with her.
When Success Revealed a Different Problem
Career achievement is often seen as the finish line.
For Madina, it became the beginning of an entirely different question.
She met women who had impressive careers, advanced degrees, and respected leadership positions, yet many hesitated when conversations turned toward investing, wealth building, or long term financial planning.
The issue was rarely intelligence or capability.
Instead, it reflected something deeper. Financial education had simply never become part of the conversations many women were encouraged to have.
The more she listened, the clearer the gap became.
She realized that professional empowerment without financial confidence leaves people with only part of the freedom they deserve.
That insight gradually reshaped her priorities.
Rather than leaving technology behind, she began asking how her experience there could serve an even broader purpose.
Her answer became the foundation for everything that followed.
As she explains,
“Technology attracted me because it’s one of the most dynamic industries, constantly evolving and challenging you to grow. Over time, I realized that career success alone isn’t enough. I met many brilliant women with successful careers in technology who still didn’t feel confident talking about money, investing, or planning their financial future.”
That realization was not simply another career move.
It was the moment when years of international experience, leadership, education, and personal growth finally came together around one shared mission.
Instead of choosing between technology and financial education, she discovered that the greatest impact could come from connecting both worlds.
That decision would eventually lead to the creation of communities where women could ask questions openly, learn without judgment, and begin building a different relationship with money.
For Madina, the goal has never been to tell people what choices they should make.
Her purpose is far more lasting than that.
She wants to ensure they have enough knowledge and confidence to make those choices for themselves.
Creating Spaces Where Conversations Can Change Lives
The decision to focus on financial education was not about leaving one career behind in search of another. For Madina, it was about connecting everything she had learned throughout her professional journey and using it to solve a problem that had remained hidden in plain sight.
Together with Maria Ożóg, she co founded the International Women’s Finance and Education Foundation and Finansowe Latte. Both initiatives were created with a clear purpose. They would become places where women could develop confidence around money in an environment built on openness rather than pressure.
For many people, conversations about finances are uncomfortable. They are often surrounded by uncertainty, misconceptions, or the fear of asking questions that seem too basic. Madina wanted to change that experience completely.
She believes education should never leave people feeling intimidated. Instead, it should create clarity, encourage curiosity, and give individuals the confidence to make decisions that reflect their own values and goals.
This philosophy shapes every conference, workshop, networking event, and educational initiative that she helps create. Rather than presenting financial knowledge as something reserved for specialists, she encourages practical conversations that people can apply to their everyday lives.
Her work is based on a simple but powerful belief that knowledge creates freedom.
Financial confidence does not appear overnight. It grows through understanding, thoughtful decision making, and access to reliable information. When people understand the choices available to them, they become better equipped to build the future they want.
She also believes leadership plays an essential role in making that possible.
Instead of leading through authority alone, she focuses on creating environments where people feel respected, trusted, and encouraged to contribute their own ideas. She understands that innovation rarely comes from control. It grows where people feel psychologically safe enough to think differently and speak honestly.
This approach has become one of the defining characteristics of her leadership. Whether she is working with volunteers, experts, partners, or conference audiences, she strives to build communities where collaboration comes before hierarchy and learning becomes a shared experience.
Bringing Technology and Finance Together
One of the defining moments in this chapter of her journey came with the creation of the Money Talks zone during the Women in Tech Summit.
One of the defining moments in this chapter of her journey came with the creation of the Money Talks zone, which she co-created with Maria Ożóg for the Women in Tech Summit. The initiative reflected everything Madina had been working toward. Instead of treating technology and financial wellbeing as separate conversations, it brought them together in one space.The initiative reflected everything Madina had been working toward. Instead of treating technology and financial wellbeing as separate conversations, it brought them together in one space.
More than twelve thousand people attended the summit, and the response to the financial education sessions exceeded every expectation. Throughout the event, women engaged in discussions about investing, financial planning, entrepreneurship, and long term security with remarkable openness.
For Madina, the success of the event was measured by something much deeper than attendance numbers.
It demonstrated that people had been waiting for spaces where these conversations could happen without embarrassment or judgment.
The experience confirmed what she had believed all along. Financial education is not simply about numbers. It is about confidence, independence, and the ability to make informed choices throughout life.
Every initiative she leads continues to build on that idea. By bringing together professionals from technology, finance, business, and education, she creates opportunities for collaboration that might never happen within traditional professional boundaries.
She has learned that the most meaningful ideas often emerge when different experiences meet. Innovation rarely belongs to one industry alone. It grows through conversations between people who see the world from different perspectives.
That belief continues to guide the growth of both the Foundation and Finansowe Latte.
Leadership Begins With Inner Growth
While many people see leadership through the lens of strategy or business results, Madina speaks about it in much more personal terms.
She believes the greatest challenges are rarely external.
As Madina reflects,
“The biggest challenges in my career and life have never been external, they’ve always been internal. Every new stage of my career has required an upgrade of my own operating system. To grow, I’ve had to let go of beliefs and habits that once served me but no longer did.”
That mindset has shaped the way she approaches both leadership and personal growth. Rather than seeing change as something to resist, she views it as an essential part of becoming a more effective leader, mentor, and advocate for others.
Every stage of growth has required her to examine her own beliefs, strengthen her resilience, and become more self aware. The higher the level of responsibility became, the more she recognized that effective leadership depends on continuous personal development.
From the outside, confidence can appear effortless. Few people notice the quiet work that happens behind the scenes.
Learning to stay calm during uncertainty, responding thoughtfully instead of reacting emotionally, and letting go of habits that no longer support growth all require discipline that cannot be measured on a résumé.
She has also learned not to depend on motivation alone.
Instead, consistency has become the principle that carries her through difficult seasons. Showing up each day, remaining committed to meaningful work, and trusting the process have proven far more reliable than waiting to feel inspired.
Over time, she has also redefined what balance means.
Earlier in her career, success often meant working longer hours and placing constant pressure on herself. Experience gradually taught her that sustainable leadership requires something different.
Taking care of personal wellbeing is not separate from meaningful work. It is what allows meaningful work to continue over the long term.
Looking Beyond Borders
Although the Foundation and Finansowe Latte began in Poland, Madina has always imagined their future reaching much further.
Her vision is international because the challenges surrounding financial confidence are not limited to one country or culture.
She hopes to build stronger partnerships with organizations, educators, and experts around the world while creating opportunities for meaningful conversations across industries and communities.
She believes the future belongs to collaboration rather than isolation.
Throughout her own journey, every important opportunity has emerged through people who shared knowledge, opened doors, or believed in a common purpose. That experience continues to shape the way she approaches growth today.
Several new initiatives are already in development, all connected by the same mission of helping more people gain the confidence and knowledge needed to make informed financial decisions.
Rather than expanding simply for the sake of growth, she wants every new project to create lasting value for the communities it serves.
Choosing Freedom Again and Again
When Madina reflects on success, she does not begin with titles, recognition, or milestones.
She thinks instead about freedom.
For her, success means having the courage to make decisions based on personal values instead of fear. It means choosing work because it feels meaningful rather than remaining in familiar situations simply because they feel safe.
That philosophy has guided some of the most significant decisions in her life, including moments when walking away from certainty opened the door to something far more meaningful.
She continues to believe that confidence is created through action rather than waiting for the perfect moment.
As she says,
“Don’t wait until you feel ready. In my experience, confidence doesn’t come first. It grows through action. Success is not about becoming someone else. It’s about becoming more of who you truly are.”
Those words capture the spirit of her journey.
From a childhood shaped by uncertainty to international leadership, from technology to financial education, and from personal reinvention to building communities that empower others, every chapter has been connected by the same quiet conviction that circumstances never have the final word.
Madina Turava’s story is ultimately about possibility.
It is about believing that learning never ends, that courage grows through practice, and that real leadership is measured not by the number of people who follow you but by the number of people who leave believing more deeply in themselves.
Through every initiative she creates, every conversation she encourages, and every opportunity she helps others discover, she continues to remind women that financial confidence is not reserved for a select few. It is a skill that can be learned, a future that can be shaped, and a freedom that every person deserves to pursue on their own terms.
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