HEC Paris, an international business school located in France, has decided to partner with the Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society and Procter and Gamble (P&G) to start an ambitious initiative called #WomenEntrepreneurs4Good accelerator program. This initiative is designed to inspire women to innovate, grow, and foster their female creativity by turning their big idea into a business that aligns with the European Green Deal.
This initiative was started for a multitude of reasons. First, the pandemic has magnified many economic obstacles faced by women worldwide. For example, many women have shut down their small businesses to provide the child care their families desperately need. So, this program is here to be used as a resource to help these women continue to pursue their dreams. Secondly, and most importantly, it is also meant to help increase gender equity in our future economy. COVID-19 is rolling back the economic gains women have made over the past decade, and this program is here to make sure women will still have a seat at the table.
Inge Kerkloh-Devif, Senior Executive Director of the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center at HEC Paris, says, “We are convinced there a lack of women entrepreneurs, and we want to provide the resources so these women can break the glass ceiling!” If you are a female founder/co-founder, your revenue is less 50,000 euros, and you have less than two people on your team, you can apply to be a part of this amazing initiative. The first edition of this initiative is looking for women entrepreneurs specifically located in Germany, Italy, or France.
The goal of this program is to increase the number of women entrepreneurs and encourage them to be fearless. Kerkloh-Devif says, “One of the sayings at our school is ‘Learn to Dare.’” In other words, don’t be afraid to take risks with your business. It is important to challenge your business, as well as yourself. Kerkloh-Devif also wanted to remind the young women who are going into business school or just starting their own business that entrepreneurship is a collective effort. So, she encourages young entrepreneurs to make sure to nurture their relationships and networks and carry these relationships throughout their journey as an entrepreneur.
