She’s Next Talks with Aleksandra Simoni

With an academic background in political science and international relations, Aleksandra Simoni seemed set on a traditional, predictable path in academia and corporate marketing. Yet, driven by a creative spark and a desire for personal agency, she left a comfortable role to launch Green Lining, a design and product venture based in Montenegro. Recently named Young Woman Entrepreneur of the Year 2026 at the RCC Western Balkans Women Entrepreneurs Awards, Simoni’s trajectory shows the power of stepping outside prescribed boundaries.

Simoni’s decision to pivot into entrepreneurship surprised her colleagues and family, whose views were shaped by generations focused on traditional job stability. But for her, true safety lay in autonomy rather than a predictable routine. “For me safety isn’t about like getting the paycheck at the end of the month,” she explains. “For me safety is actually taking control and taking charge of how things will flow”.

Building that control required overcoming initial anxieties about fitting in. She fondly recalls showing up to a startup accelerator event expecting an informal gathering, dressed in a summer dress and slippers, only to discover a formal black-tie affair where she was called on stage first to pitch her concept. Stepping up to speak anyway transformed her perspective on risk. “I will survive. It’s really not that serious,” she realised. That moment solidified a core piece of advice she shares with aspiring founders: “You don’t need to wait for everything to be perfect… You just need to be able to afford to fail”.

For Simoni, entrepreneurship is about turning ideas into tangible reality and treating setbacks as valuable feedback rather than defeat. “For me, success is the ability to actually see in person something that you once imagined,” she reflects. As she prepares to scale Green Lining into international markets and explore new techniques like 3D printing on textiles, she credits her growth to lessons passed down by her grandmother Meera. By viewing every challenge as information, Simoni continues to build a resilient, purpose-driven business on her own terms.