Empowering Women Entrepreneurs

On May the 30th/31st 2022 Women2027, an initiative of Unioncamere, and the Eurochambres Women Network in collaboration with Unioncamere Lombardia, Piemonte and Veneto hosted an online event featuring various female entrepreneurs on the topics: economic transition, digital transition, green transition and social transition.

Dr. Gabriele Lang presented best practise learnings in the area of social transition.

The following questions were addressed:

What kind of support do female entrepreneurs need?

  • Substantial support for topics outside of production, deep tech, fin tech
  • Leadership support for topics around emotional intelligence & soft skills
  • Concrete ESG action plans – how to improve collaboration, networking, conflict resolution development
  • Role models within companies (and politics)

What obstacles do they need to overcome?

  • Mere short-term goal setting
  • Prejudice towards the effects of prioritizing emotional skills
  • Old school recruiting (Mini-Mes; ignoring personal/social competences)
  • Unclear purpose

What activities could be implemented in order to create a level playing field for women who are doing business?

  • True respect, acknowledge and promote the potential (also financially) of diverse teams (also introvert, reflected and quiet personalities)
  • Exposure of business angels truly interested in “female” topics
  • Female managers actively promoting female workers (role models, mentoring)
  • Employer branding (retaining employees) with female career stories
  • Harmonising payment schemes (equal pay)
  • Less hierarchy
  • Family support (flexibility, …)

What changes need to be applied to their business models in order to adapt to a fast-developing business world?

  • making it hybrid/digital
  • standing out in a world of information overload
  • learning how to cope with ambidexterity
  • consistent promotion and support for network structures
  • continuous personal development in the area of personal, social and creative skills

View the agenda for a complete speakers’ list.