<p>This paper investigates the interplay between gender diversity and the modes of innovation in fostering innovation performance within medium- and large-sized enterprises in post-communist economies. In these contexts, innovation capacity has been driven by the acquisition, application, and adaptation of new technology through learning by doing, using, and interacting. Based on the data from the Business Environment and Enterprise Performance Survey (BEEPS), we extend and specify prior studies on the direct and indirect effects of gender diversity on innovation outputs, focusing on the Doing-Using-Interacting (DUI) mode of innovation as another side of the innovation coin. Employing multilevel mixed-effect models and generalized structural equation modelling, our findings reveal that gender diversity positively influences DUI drivers, particularly learning-by-doing and learning-by-using, thereby enhancing innovation performance of enterprises. As a result, the study documents the nuanced role of gender diversity in shaping innovation processes and offers insights for policymakers and managers aiming to leverage diverse team composition to foster innovation in post-communist economies.</p>