When you ask somebody where big decisions in society are made, the likely answer will be: in politics and in business. As of today, not enough women are part of these decision-making processes, neither in politics nor in business. 

Even in startups, considered to be the drivers of future business, the picture does not look much different. We, as the Innovation Office of the University of Basel, have acknowledged this lack of female voices in the start-up ecosystem, be it on the supporter’s side, the investor’s or in the start-ups themselves. That is why we, together with our partners, launched the FEMtrepreneurs initiative in 2019 to reach gender equality by promoting female entrepreneurship and enabling women to found their business.

We define FEMtrepreneurs as female entrepreneurs and women holding leadership positions in organizations. The initiative has now grown and through Pupella, we focus on supporting innovative, research-based projects & startups, with a main focus on life-sciences, social innovation and sustainability projects. 

What we do:

• Visibility: Give the FEMtrepreneurs visibility by creating a community of peers, future employees, supporters and advisors that is well connected with the current ecosystem (i.e. Entrepreneurs Club University of Basel, Impact Hub Basel). 
   

• Empowerment: By creating input sessions and workshops, we are empowering FEMtrepreneurs to implement their ideas. 
   

• Mentoring, sponsoring and training: At different stages of the entrepreneurial journey, we enable them to perform at their best. 
   

• Opening the world: As an opportunity to expand their horizon and open themselves up to different perspectives, we open the door to the world through our global partners. 

In order to drive gender equality and female entrepreneurship forward in an impactful way, we aim to deliver high-quality content and excellence on all levels and programs. This is made possible through constant improvement and learning how FEMtrepreneurs are supported best. 

In a nutshell

• Education: 50+ women* supported in trainings

• Visibility: 20+ women on the pitching stage

• Community:

  • 500+ women* reached in live events

  • 2000+ followers on Social Media