Annual Report 2024
01 BH Futures Foundation: Empowering Tomorrow’s Leaders – A Year of Impact
As we close another year, we are filled with pride as we reflect on the extraordinary strides made by the BH Futures Foundation in 2024. This year has been a pivotal one for our mission to empower the next generation of leaders, and we couldn’t be more thrilled with the lasting impact we’ve achieved.
From launching new scholarship initiatives to expanding our fellowship programs and supporting talented youth across Bosnia and Herzegovina, we've reached significant milestones that inspire hope and optimism for the future. Our commitment to nurturing talent and providing meaningful opportunities has never been stronger.
In 2024, we expanded our core programs to reach more youth than ever before. From our Futures Fellowship and scholarship initiatives to our work with young girls in STEM, our impact was deep and far-reaching. A particular highlight was the Future Leaders Summit, which brought together 500 brilliant minds from Bosnia and the diaspora — a true celebration of innovation, leadership, and collaboration.
As you explore this report, you'll see how our projects have created lasting change in the lives of hundreds of students, and how our partnerships continue to drive progress in economic development and education. This is only the beginning, and we are more excited than ever about what lies ahead!
Looking back on 2024, we are incredibly proud of what we've accomplished. Our programs have flourished, building on our legacy and creating a meaningful impact on our communities. We are thrilled to continue this momentum into 2025—a year of great significance, as we celebrate BH Futures Foundation’s 10th anniversary.
A decade of empowering young leaders, transforming communities and driving lasting change. We are excited to celebrate the profound impact we've made over the past decade and the lives we've touched along the way.
With an unwavering commitment to shaping a brighter future, we look forward to the next chapter in our journey, one where we continue to inspire, collaborate, and drive even greater change in the years ahead. We extend our deepest gratitude to our donors, partners, and volunteers whose unwavering support fuels our journey. Your contributions are instrumental in shaping a brighter tomorrow. Together, we are building a legacy of excellence and empowerment that transcends borders and generations.
We invite you to dive deeper into our accomplishments. Together, let’s celebrate a year of growth, collaboration, and a shared commitment to making a lasting difference.
02 BHFF 2024 Impact at-a-glance:
03 Our Programs - Futures Scholarship
The goal of our Futures Scholarship Program is to provide young people with access to tools, mentors, and educational and professional opportunities that are otherwise unavailable or out of reach. Through this support, we help them grow their personal and professional leadership skills to reach their full potential as leaders and changemakers in our society.
The Futures Scholarship Department consists of three programs tailored to the needs of our students: Ignite program for high school students, and the Incubation and Acceleration programs for university students.
Besides mentors and different educational opportunities that are provided, the main tool for development of students’ various transferable skills is the volunteering work itself. Students’ dedication and volunteering work contributes to the Foundation’s development as well. All activities are planned, implemented and monitored by volunteering teams, coordinated by our own scholars.
Mentoring Team – Matches mentors with mentees and monitors their progress.
Human Potential Team – Assesses scholars’ progress and provides feedback.
Education Team – Develops the annual curriculum, organizes workshops and webinars, and supports other teams in all educational activities.
Mobile Makerspace Team – Engages with local communities to organize 3D printing and Arduino workshops, as well as online workshops on web development, UX/UI design, and data science.
Volunteering Team – Coordinates various volunteer activities and monitors each volunteer’s experience and engagement.
In 2024, 35 Junior Scholars successfully graduated from the 2023/24 Incubation Program, out of 49 who initially enrolled. 20 Senior Scholars were awarded Alumni status in July 2024.
Junior Scholars successfully implemented 12 Passion Projects, while members of the 2024/25 Program launched 11 new projects in December 2024.
The Education Team organized 26 workshops for both Junior and Senior Scholars throughout the year, along with eight additional workshops as part of the Ignite Program.
The joint scholarship is a special professional development program that unifies non-formal education with the industry and aims to define a young professional with soft and hard skills that completely meet the needs and requirements of the industry. We implemented three Joint Scholarships in partnership with HTEC Group, Semblie, and Lanaco, benefiting 15 different scholars in 2024. In December, we confirmed our fourth Joint Scholarship with Indevitus, a company based in Bugojno.
The Critical Funding Initiative is a one-time financial support in amounts of up to 1.000 BAM for students with financial difficulties, and it can cover two categories of the costs: 1) Critical costs (transportation, dormitory, tuition, food, accommodation, and clothes requirements) or 2) Essential costs (books, laptop, online tools, the software required for learning tasks…).
In 2024, through our Critical Funding Initiative, we provided financial support to six scholars, distributing a total of 7,000 BAM.
Throughout 2024, scholars participated in nine local and international conferences and meetups, held in Budapest, Zagreb, Sarajevo, Vienna, Oslo, Berlin, Neum, and Belgrade. A total of 27 scholars took part in at least one mobility opportunity (excluding FLS 2024).
The Mobile Makerspace Team organized or collaborated on 15 activities, including 7 online events and 8 live workshops. These workshops, covering Arduino and 3D Printing, engaged 155 participants in person, while 46 participants successfully completed at least one of our online courses in Python, Web Development, or Game Development. In total, 200 high school students engaged with Mobile Makerspace in 2024.
We have officially launched the 2024/25 cycle with:
40 Junior Scholars (13 males, 27 females)
35 Senior Scholars (18 males, 17 females)
158 Alumni members (71 males, 87 females)
43 Ignite members (8 males, 35 females)
03 Our Programs - Research Program
The aim of the Research Program is to promote the importance of scientific research, and enable different researchers to network and collaborate together. There are three main activities within the Foundation’s Research Program:
Virtual School of Research Communication
Three Minute Thesis Competition (3MT Competition)
Vera Šnajder Award
Some of the key accomplishments of the Research Team in 2024 include:
The 3MT 2024 Competition received 29 applications, with 13 participants winning at least one award. The total prize pool was 16,500 BAM, of which Bosnian-Herzegovinian American Academy of Arts and Sciences BHAAAS awarded 6,000 BAM to PhD candidates. The goal of Three Minute Thesis Competition (3MT) is to provide opportunities for students (Ph.D., Masters & Undergraduate) to communicate the significance of their research projects to a non-specialist audience in just three minutes.
Not only do students benefit from this experience, but their respective universities/faculties have the opportunity to showcase their research and researchers through the Bosnia and Herzegovina network, as well as open doors to new collaborations and networks for both researchers and supervisors.
Research Team Chair, Kajs Hadžić, served as a moderator for ANuBiH’s (Academy of Sciences and Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina) panel on the return of educated young people from abroad to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
We established a partnership with dmBiH, which funded the Vera Šnajder Award. The Vera Šnajder Award enables an early career researcher from Bosnia and Herzegovina, who is passionate about the relationship between a personal quest for knowledge and its collective societal advancement to bring home new knowledge and perspectives and incorporate them into the advancement of our nation and society.
The Vera Šnajder award is presented annually in the form of a travel grant (up to 3000 BAM per person) to an outstanding natural/technical sciences student in Bosnia & Herzegovina (undergraduate, masters or PhD).
The 2024 Vera Šnajder Award winners were Hana Babić (Faculty of Science, University of Sarajevo) and Lejla Hrustemović (Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Sarajevo). Additionally, the Research Team organized five webinars related to researchers’ skills and new industry trends within the biomedicine fields.
03 Our Programs - Entrepreneurship Program
The IEEE Innovation Nation is a program designed to provide young people with an opportunity to develop transferable professional skills such as leadership, effective teamwork, digital literacy, an entrepreneurial mentality, and other similar abilities, in parallel to designing an innovative new product based on the Stanford Design Thinking Model.
BH Futures Foundation has been implementing the Innovation Nation Program since 2016 to help and support young potential innovators and entrepreneurs, by also positioning the Foundation as an Entrepreneurship ecosystem developer.
During this 12-week program, young professionals are formed into teams, and tasked with developing an innovative new product that aligns with a well-defined challenge and customer base. Every team is assigned with a dedicated mentor. In 2024, the Innovation Nation program ran from March to June 2024.
We received 46 applications, and 37 participants were enrolled in the program.
After completing the 12-week program, 26 participants across 7 teams successfully reached the final stage, where they pitched their projects to investors.
Six teams applied for BHFF financial support of 1,000 BAM to develop their project prototypes before the final pitch.
Final Pitch Selection Committee consisted of 10 judges/potential investors: Sabina Šajić (Vision Expo, Inc.), Nedžad Lomigora (387 Labs), Edin Skaljić (FabLab), Dražen Oreščanin (Poslovna inteligencija), Adnan Berberović (Slack/SEEBA), Haris Lizde (InSource Group), Edhem Čustović (Scientific Instruments of Australia), Senad Šantić (ZenDev), Amar Mahmutbegović (Semblie), Faris Začina (Ministry of Programming).
All the teams had 5 minutes to pitch their startup ideas demonstrating their learning outcomes, followed by 5 minutes of Q & A. They received valuable feedback and answered some tough questions before spending time with investors and further chatting about their ideas and next steps. Shortly thereafter, the winners were announced.
The top three teams were awarded a total of 2,000 BAM, distributed as follows:
1,000 BAM for first place - team Elbrus with their project TipTop 365
600 BAM for second place - team Apperturas with their mobile application for smart door and window actuator “Smart Control”.
400 BAM for third place - team Hiper with their project Hip Prosthetics
04 Our Community
Brčko Conference
In 2024, we have merged our Academy events (dedicated to internally learning days for our scholars where they prepare team building activities and soft skill workshops) with a one-day local conference Leaders of Tomorrow with each being in a different local community with an aim to inspire local communities with excellence and potential of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
During the conference “Leaders of Tomorrow - Brčko” accomplished speakers who originate from Brčko shared insights into the latest trends in technology, science, engineering, business, product development, and services. More than 300 attendees heard inspiring stories from young individuals who have transformed their lives and communities through volunteering and local initiatives.
The conference was organized on March 29th, 2024 in partnership with the Brčko District Government, and it was held at Dom Kulture in Brčko. Attendees had the opportunity to hear four inspiring presentations from individuals from Brčko who have built their careers worldwide. This initiative also provided a unique opportunity for members of the Bosnian diaspora to return to their hometown and share their experiences, knowledge, and career journeys with the next generation in their local community.
The following day our scholars participated in workshops organized by our Education Team, Volunteering Team, and Events Team, enjoying the city tour and learning more about cultural and historical heritage of Brčko region.
Banja Luka Conference
The conference “Leaders of Tomorrow - Banja Luka” was held on July 12th, 2024 and organized in partnership with the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Banja Luka. The aim of the conference was to promote career opportunities in various fields, highlighting the importance of volunteering engagement, and providing invaluable career counseling for high school students. The conference brought together accomplished professionals and eager young minds to foster a dynamic exchange of knowledge and experience.
Speakers shared insights into the latest trends in technology, science, business, product development, and innovation, emphasizing the role of volunteering and non-formal education in personal and professional growth.
The conference concluded with a vibrant networking session and expo, where guests had the opportunity to interact with companies, NGOs, industry professionals, and other students from across Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The following day, during our Academy event, our scholars participated in a company visit to Banjalučka Pivara, where they explored the science, engineering, and operations behind a modernized large-scale production facility.
Futures Leaders Summit
In December 2024, we organized the Futures Leaders Summit at Hotel Holiday and Burch University in Sarajevo. This annual conference brought together over 500 students, professionals, entrepreneurs, and researchers from various fields, offering them a unique opportunity to connect, learn, and build their future, both within and beyond the boarders of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
This conference took place for two days. The Summit welcomed 35 distinguished speakers from around the world, who shared their expertise on the latest trends in leadership, technology, and entrepreneurship. The attendees were offered hands-on workshops, and exciting company visits, all designed to help participants navigate ever-changing landscape of three tracks we featured. This commitment is reinforced by the continuous support of mentors, donors, ambassadors, and a passionate community of scholars, alumni, volunteers, and staff who propel our initiatives forward.
This year, we were especially grateful for the incredible support and involvement from the private sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with leading companies across various industries recognizing the value of investing in future leaders. Their engagement has been important in driving our mission, and we are excited to continue this collaboration as we prepare for our largest Futures Leaders Summit yet - celebrating our 10-year anniversary with an event that will set new benchmarks for impact and innovation.
The Future Leaders Summit '24 stood out not only for its strong educational and networking impact but also for its innovative and dynamic approach. With curated learning journeys, interactive workshops, company visits, and a diverse program, the summit received outstanding feedback, reflected in an impressive 97% overall satisfaction rate. As we move forward, our focus will be on enhancing team collaboration and optimizing logistics, ensuring an even greater impact and broader outreach in the future.
Professional Meet-ups
In 2024, we co-hosted nine professional meetups - two in Bosnia and Herzegovina and seven internationally - strengthening our community and encouraging collaboration.
One of the most memorable gatherings took place on September 14th in Vienna, where we brought together 20 of our contributors, volunteers, donors, mentors, and learning facilitators. This dinner was a way to express our gratitude to individuals who have played a crucial role in supporting the foundation over the past five years. These dedicated professionals have organized study tours, workshops, company visits, internships, and university collaborations for our students.
We discussed new ways in which we can support students in the coming years and connected with new partners, mentors and donors.
Beyond Vienna, our meetups in Oslo, Paris, Berlin, Sarajevo, Houston, Dallas, Austin brought together professionals from diverse industries, leading to new mentorship connections and collaborative projects. Looking ahead, we are committed to expanding these gatherings to more locations, providing even greater opportunities for people to connect, share knowledge, and grow together.
Tutoring Program
The Tutoring Program aims to help high school students to improve their knowledge related to the STEM and IT subjects.
In 2024, we included 112 high school students from all over Bosnia and Herzegovina in our Tutoring program. They were matched with 45 of our Scholars who tutored them online in various subjects (IT, Math, Physics, Chemistry, English language, etc).
Donor Relations
The contributions of our donors in 2024 played a key role in our success, enabling us to provide critical opportunities for our students. Thanks to their support, we’ve been able to create an environment where students can thrive, not only academically but also personally.
This year, we welcomed 166 new donors, with 38% from Bosnia and Herzegovina and the remaining 62% from 20 different countries. These donors have helped strengthen our global community and extend the impact of our mission.
Thanks to our donors' generous contributions, we were able to fund a variety of enriching activities for our students. We organized hands-on workshops and educational field trips that helped expand their knowledge and develop new skills. Additionally, donations provided critical funding scholarships to students facing financial challenges, ensuring they could continue their education and chase their dreams.
As a token of our appreciation, in August we sent out hundreds of personalized donor cards, each designed and handwritten by the students themselves. These cards are a heartfelt way to thank the donors for the opportunities they have made possible.
We are truly grateful for the continued support of our donors.
Their contributions are more than just financial, they are a catalyst for hope, growth, and a brighter future for all our students.
An in-kind contribution is a contribution of a good or a service other than money. In this report we are referring to an estimated amount contributed by various individuals through their time/expertise. It should be noted that BH Futures Foundation is a volunteer-based organisation. The entire Board of Directors and main execution committees are volunteer based, contributing thousands of hours annually to our mission and vision. The foundation employs 4 employees who oversee, manage and guarantee quality of or daily activities.
05 Finances
**Companies, governments and international partners which supported our cause in 2024 include: HTEC, Symphony, dm - drogerie markt, Ernst&Young, Setec, Salt Square, CORE, Authority Partners, SaasSolutions, Rolla, Visiot, Spektakl, Unicredit Bank, MonoDev, Semblie, DCCS, Monri, Klas dd Sarajevo, ZenDev, Zoran Djinjic Fellowship, Vitinka, Akta.ba, BHAAAS, FabLab, Mak Zara, Kent Elit, Banjalučka pivara, USAID Diaspora Invest Project, LANACO, Indevitus, We Are Developers, Government of District Brcko, City of Bijeljina, Falcon Ventures, Unipromet Hub, Mozaik Startup studio, International Burch University, Faculty of Electrical Engineering - University of Sarajevo, Faculty of Science - University of Sarajevo, Hulk Apps, Zira, DSC Europe, Munja Inkubator, BEST Mostar, One Thousand Berlin.
2024 IN A NUTSHELL
2024 was a year of significant growth and expansion for the Bosnia & Herzegovina Futures Foundation, where we successfully executed an array of impactful programs, events, and outreach initiatives that have deepened our connection with youth and stakeholders across the globe.
Our four core programs made substantial strides:
The Scholar Program and Ignite Program continued to provide invaluable educational and mentorship opportunities.
Innovation Nation flourished, encouraging young entrepreneurs to bring their ideas to life.
The 3MT Thesis Competition showcased the cutting-edge research of our scholars.
The Vera Šnajder Awards highlighted the achievements of women in STEM, inspiring future generations.
In addition to these programs, we organized
two Future Leaders of Tomorrow conferences, which were held in Brčko and Banja Luka, bringing together young leaders and inspiring them to take action in their communities.
Our academies for scholars in Brčko and Banja Luka offered essential professional development, while our
Mobile Makerspace Workshops reached over 200 students, providing hands-on learning experiences that sparked creativity and innovation in underserved communities.
We also brought the BHFF network together globally through nine Professional Meetups in cities like Vienna, Oslo, Paris, Berlin, Sarajevo, Mostar, Houston, Dallas, and Austin, strengthening connections and fostering collaboration among our alumni and partners.
This year, we celebrated the strongest network of partnerships, support, and collaborations with leading STEM companies and organizations in Bosnia & Herzegovina, whose dedication has played a crucial role in expanding opportunities for our youth. We are deeply grateful for their support and collaboration.
Finally, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to our donors, whose generosity continues to drive our mission forward. Their contributions—both financial and in-kind—are the backbone of our programs, and together, we are building lasting impact for the youth of Bosnia & Herzegovina.
2025 AND ONWARDS
Looking ahead, we are proud to be an organization that has earned the trust of a wide and diverse community—from youth in Bosnia & Herzegovina to professionals, companies, and individuals around the world. This trust is something we hold dear, and we are deeply grateful for the support we receive in various forms, whether it’s through financial contributions, expertise, or personal commitment.
We are constantly in awe of how many new people want to join our community and contribute their best to support the youth of Bosnia & Herzegovina. It’s truly inspiring to see the enthusiasm and dedication from individuals and organizations alike, and we continue to find new and meaningful ways for them to get involved. This growth and influx of support has been vital to expanding our impact, and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome even more members into our network as we move forward.
Many in our community are eager to make a real and meaningful difference, but often struggle to find the right avenues to do so. That’s where the Bosnia & Herzegovina Futures Foundation steps in, providing a trusted platform to connect those who want to help with the youth who are ready to learn, grow, and lead.
As we continue to grow, we remain dedicated to expanding these connections and finding even more ways for our community to contribute, ensuring the ongoing development of the next generation of leaders in Bosnia & Herzegovina.
07 Looking Ahead - Word of the Founder
Connecting Minds, Creating Leaders
Ten years ago, we embarked on a mission—to empower the brightest young minds of Bosnia & Herzegovina by connecting them with the best our global community has to offer. Today, that vision has become a reality. We have built bridges across continents, linking students with world-class mentors, industry leaders, and accomplished professionals—many of whom share a deep-rooted connection to Bosnia & Herzegovina. Our diaspora has been instrumental in this journey, proving that no matter where we are in the world, we remain bound by a common purpose: to uplift, support, and invest in the next generation.
A Decade of Transformation
Over the past decade, we have witnessed countless success stories—young people who have evolved from ambitious students into domain experts, community leaders, and professionals eager to give back. The spirit of mentorship and collaboration has become a defining characteristic of our network. No matter where we live, work, and thrive, we carry a collective duty to continue developing our homeland. This is not just a responsibility—it is a privilege, and we take immense pride in serving the greater community, working together, and striving towards our shared dreams.
To take our impact even further, we are launching an endowment fund (vakuf) that will secure the education and professional development of future generations beyond our lifetimes. This is a long-term investment in the future of Bosnia & Herzegovina, ensuring that opportunities continue to grow for years to come.
In addition, we are planning summer and winter programs designed to help the diaspora and their children engage more meaningfully when visiting Bosnia & Herzegovina. These programs will offer educational, social, sporting, cultural, and networking opportunities, strengthening the bond between youth born outside of Bosnia & Herzegovina and those who live there. There is no "us" and "them"—there is only one global Bosnia & Herzegovina community, united by our love and commitment to our shared homeland.
A Global Bosnia & Herzegovina Community
Looking ahead, the next ten years will be even more ambitious and impactful. We will not only continue supporting young talent in Bosnia & Herzegovina, but also expand our reach to connect and empower young people of Bosnian & Herzegovinian origin across the world. We are not just a foundation—we are a global Bosnia & Herzegovina community, and we must act as one.
We are launching a pilot mentoring program in Austria, with the dream of expanding similar programs across all major centers of our diaspora. Imagine a world where every young Bosnian & Herzegovinian, no matter where they live, has access to a mentor, a support network, and a pathway to success.
A Call to Action – Join Us in Shaping the Next Decade
To culminate this celebratory year, we are thrilled to announce that our largest-ever Future Leaders Summit (FLS) will take place at Hotel Hills, Sarajevo, from December 19–21, 2025. This landmark event will bring together global leaders of Bosnian origin, local changemakers, and our growing community to collaborate, learn, and set the stage for the next decade of progress. It will be a defining moment in our journey, reinforcing our commitment to empowering future generations and shaping Bosnia & Herzegovina’s global presence.
To date, our impact has been extraordinary. Collectively, we have volunteered the equivalent of nearly 80 years of full-time work—all powered by passion, dedication, and a belief in a better future. Yet, we have only activated less than 0.1% of our global community. Imagine the possibilities if we reached just 1%—the impact would be exponential.
This is our moment. This is our opportunity. Help us achieve this. Get involved. Be part of the movement that is shaping the future of Bosnia & Herzegovina—not just within our borders, but across the world. The next decade starts today, and together, we will make it remarkable.
