Projektbeschreibung
The FE+MALE Think Tank has designed The Beat Funding Bias Initiative (BFBI) to lead efforts to push and build the institutional capacity for a gender-bias-free systematic approach to help remove funding barriers for female entrepreneurs in Switzerland. Specifically, this innovative initiative was designed to address those gender biases or stereotypes that women are likely to face during the screening stages, vetting interviews, or ‘funding rounds’ that either qualify or disqualify them for potential funding. To this end, the FE+MALE Think Tank conducted a series of expert interviews from May to June 2022 (which included representation from well-known institutions from within the Swiss start-up space, including ‘Angel’ investors, VCs, prospective entrepreneurs, etc), to better understand the underlying dynamics where gender bias is occurring or where it was likely to be exhibited during the various vetting rounds. FE+MALE Think tank found there is not a systematic approach to avoid biased processes in the funding settings, hence there is no sharing of best practices or learning from each other.
To goal of the implementation orientied project is to:
1) Raise Awareness on the topic,
2) Conduct targeted stakeholder workshops,
3) Design & develop & test toolkit with partners to build institutional capacity,
4) Validate to scale it up.
Stand/Resultate
FE+MALE Think Tank anticipates deliverables towards the development of scalable toolkit that could provide a systematic approach to outline processes, systems, and best practices with the aim to build institutional capacity to avoid gender biased approaches in funding. The specific toolkit could consist in an online tool that might include, guidelines describing how bias may affect investment decisions - and how to avoid them, or could provide examples of non-gender biased questions for training purposes and offer a tested/optional framework and/or step-by-step approach to help investors and entrepreneurs better overcome bias.
Main Partners involved in the project are SICTIC, Venturelab, Startfeld, SwissEF, Startup days
The iniative is supported by a number of GREAT female founders.
Am Projekt beteiligte Personen
Patricia M. Montesinos, project leader
Nicholas McCoy
FE+MALE Think Tank members collaborate actively in the project (development and execution) as well as external consultants.
Letzte Aktualisierung dieser Projektdarstellung 30.01.2023