Vilnius, Lithuania — The IMPACT Talk 2025 held at ISM University’s Main Hall, brought together a global lineup of entrepreneurs, young founders, investors, professionals, and students — on-site and online — for one unfiltered question: “How do you fail a startup?” because behind every successful venture lies a trail of experiments, missteps, and lessons that quietly shape its triumphs.
Hosted by scholars of the Erasmus Mundus Master in Impact Entrepreneurship (EMMIE), the Ted-talk-like event turned the conventional startup narrative on its head. Instead of celebrating flawless unicorn stories, the event celebrated imperfection — the setbacks, stumbles, and second chances that quietly power every meaningful success. It showcased a global generation of entrepreneurs who view failure not as an endpoint, but as a catalyst for growth. The talks progressed into 3 different stages of start-up failures segment with networking sessions in between.