WE Convention 2025: Mila Semeshkina, CEO, Lectera and Founder of WE Council and WE Convention "The meaning of life is to leave it as a more advanced version of yourself than when you entered it. To me, the purpose of life is a kind of spiritual upgrade. We evolve not just for ourselves, but to light the path for others."
By Tamara Pupic
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This article is featured in our special WE Convention 2025 supplement, a collaborative publication by the WE Council and Entrepreneur Middle East.
Mila Semeshkina is the founder and CEO of Lectera.com, a pioneering global learning platform serving over 7 million users across 60 countries. A serial entrepreneur, bestselling author, and venture investor, she is dedicated to democratizing education and making learning more efficient, practical, and accessible to all.
Driven by her mission to empower women both professionally and personally, Semeshkina founded the Women's Empowerment Council, which organizes the globally recognized WE Convention. Her leadership and contributions have earned her a place among the Top 100 Women in EdTech by the British HolonIQ agency, Arabian Business's "100 People You Must Know in Dubai," and CEO Middle East's "Top 50 CEOs in the Middle East."
A dynamic speaker with an international presence, Semeshkina has shared stages and conversations with figures such as Maye Musk and Carla Bruni, and has delivered keynotes at major global events including the Women in Tech Global Summit in Paris. She is also a member of the Forbes Business Council and has built a powerful online community of 8.5 million followers on Instagram, reflecting her influence across both the educational and entrepreneurial landscapes.
CAREER "Looking back, one of the achievements I am most proud of is founding the Women's Empowerment Council and the WE Convention. This initiative is not about business or profit; it is about giving back, creating opportunities, and serving the world in a meaningful way. Watching it grow year after year, with more and more people joining the movement, is some- thing that fills me with pride. Every new voice adds strength. Every woman who rises becomes a light for others — a remind- er that impact multiplies when it's shared. For me, it repre- sents impact beyond business, and that is deeply important.
MONEY "I am a very financially conscious person. There is a phrase I like, "Cut your coat according to your cloth." I follow it strictly. If I have certain priorities in life, I distribute my budget ac- cording to those priorities. For me this is a law. I will never spend my last money on a fancy bag if I have other priorities. I know exactly where my money goes and how I spend it. I invest a lot, and I also have clear rules for investing. At the same time, financial discipline is one of my life prin- ciples. I treat money very pragmatically because money is a tool. For me, it plays an important role as an instrument to realize my dreams, my goals and my plans. That is why for me discipline comes first, and the rule of "earn, save, multiply" is the second very important point. Money, when treated with respect and intelligence, becomes a quiet partner in your purpose — a tool that multiplies not only wealth, but freedom and impact."
LIFE "I always say that protecting your well-being while giving your all starts with clarity. You need a roadmap: a clear vision of where you are going, why you are going there, and what steps will take you forward. When you understand the path, the milestones along the way, and the actions required, you can move forward with confidence. I often say that "life is not a bed, it is a ladder". A career is the same — you climb it step by step, day after day. That climb requires discipline, dedication, focus, and the ability to hold yourself accountable. And discipline is not punishment — it's power. It's what lets you expand your limits without losing balance. For me, the principles are simple but powerful: clear planning, serious discipline, unwavering focus, nonstop learning and absolute confidence in victory. When clarity meets discipline, you create momentum — and momentum protects you. It keeps you strong, focused, and unshaken no matter how steep the climb becomes. These are what keep you balanced, moti- vated, and able to sustain the intensity that success requires."
SUCCESS "Today, my definition of success is constant movement toward my own ideal. And this ideal is set up extremely high. When I see that my goals are being achieved, that I am growing, that I am stronger and more capable than yesterday — that is when I feel successful. And when I slow down, I remind myself to keep moving, to pick up the pace, to stay in motion. I also believe success goes beyond career and money. The meaning of life is to leave it as a more advanced version of yourself than when you entered it. To me, the purpose of life is a kind of spiritual upgrade. We evolve not just for ourselves, but to light the path for others. When one person grows, it becomes easier for the next to believe that growth is possible. In the end, success is not about having everything. It's about becoming everything you are meant to be."
