Resilience and Adaptation: The Journey of the Female Entrepreneur

In this panel discussion and networking event, we’ll explore how a combination of obstacles can make it especially challenging for women_ to launch impact-driven businesses – but through resilience and adaptation, it can be achieved. Our panellists will discuss what resilience and adaptation looks like in practice, sharing stories from the perspective of entrepreneurship, social impact and psychology.

The event will be in-person, with a livestream of the panel discussion on Zoom.

Agenda:

19:00 – Welcome and Introduction

19:10 – Panel discussion Resilience & Adaptation: The Journey of the Female Entrepreneur

19:40 Q&A with panellists

19:50 Introduction of EmpowHER founders

20:00 Networking Apéro

Women are still highly underrepresented in the startup sector with a share of around 20% – looking at science and tech-based startups the share is even 10% female founders. The reasons for these disparities are complex, but women clearly have to overcome a whole range of obstacles on their way to the top. This underrepresentation is not only a societal and systemic issue for gender equality, but also a missed opportunity for the economy. Furthermore, in a 2018 article in the Harvard Business Review (Why Social Entrepreneurs Are So Burned Out) the authors report study results that show ‘when trying to achieve commercial goals and give back to the community at the same time, these entrepreneurs are likely to overload themselves with too many responsibilities and, consequently, deplete their personal resources.’

Panellists:

Dr. Mariana Christen Jakob has over 20 years experience in social innovation, CSR and impact entrepreneurship. Mariana is an expert within impact investing as well as non-financial support for impact entrepreneurs, and she founded SEIF in 2011.

Doris Erne is the co-founder of Wheycation, a Swiss company that upcycles food waste from side streams of food production into drinking shakes. She worked in the food industry for 12 years before trading her corporate life for entrepreneurship, and endured her fair share of challenges, but has persevered and adapted her businesses along the way.

Roxana Cristina Petrus is a coach, psychologist and consultant with a background in cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy and transformative coaching. She has been a start-up and an NGO co-founder, in addition to working with numerous female entrepreneurs over the years.

Event moderator:

Kate Bottriell is a program manager for the EmpowHER program, as well as an entrepreneur and founder of Möbel Kollektiv Basel. She has worked as a senior project manager for 15+ year on implementation of sustainability with corporates and international development agencies.

Through this event, run as part of the EmpowHER program, we aim to create and inspire change, and bring together women_ to connect and support each other on their entrepreneurial journeys. While this event has been developed with female_ founders in mind, everyone is welcome.

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Please note that by registering and participating in this event, you agree to the recording of your appearance and/or your voice, which Verein Impact Hub Basel can publish in photos, videos and accompanying sound recordings via online and offline media and for marketing purposes.

EmpowHER is a six-month inner and outer journey designed to support development for early-stage female founders. It is run by the Impact Hub Basel and Thrive with Mentoring, is part of the Female Founder Initiative, and supported by the Arcas Foundation.

Female Founder Initiative is run by the Impact Hub Zurich, and aims to tackle underrepresentation of women in the startup scene, which is not only a societal and systemic issue for gender equality, but also a missed opportunity for the economy. It aims to alter the narrative about women entrepreneurs in Switzerland.

The Impact Hub is a community of purpose-driven members working towards the Sustainable Development Goals and making a positive impact in the world. In Switzerland, there are five Impact Hubs. The EmpowHER program is run by the Impact Hub Basel (in collaboration with Thrive with Mentoring).

Thrive with Mentoring is a global network of women for women by women that catalyzes and sustains successful mentoring relationships.

Arcas Foundation promotes innovative, impulse-giving and entrepreneurial approaches with a sustainable impact with the aim of strengthening the social fabric in Switzerland through integration and greater equality of opportunity.