DLI Update – Winter 2023

The DLI Board are actively involved in outreach activities with partners and stakeholders around the world that promote ESTEAM* leadership by girls and women. Find out more below about our outreach activities in Winter 2023, including the 18 January meeting of 2023 W20 India, the first meeting of the G20 India Presidency with International W20 Delegates. For upcoming events by DLI and our partners please visit here, and have a look at our calendar.

*Entrepreneurship and Art powered by Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics


13-14 November 2022 –  G20 Women20 Indonesia Post-Summit Event (Bali & Online): On 13-14 November 2022, Cheryl Miller Van Dÿck, DLI Founding Director,  joined the G20 Women20 Indonesia Post-Summit Event, a G20 Leaders Summit Side Event, in her capacity as Co-head of the EU Delegation to the G20 Women20 engagement group.

12 December 2022 –  G20 Women20 Indonesia Handover to W20 India 2023 (India & Online): On 12 December 2022, Cheryl Miller Van Dÿck, DLI Founding Director,  joined the Handover Meeting of the G20 Women20 Indonesia to W20 India 2023 in her capacity as Co-head of the EU Delegation to the G20 Women20 engagement group.

20 January 2023 – G7 Women7 Germany Handover to W7 Japan 2023 (Tokyo & Online): Online on 20 January 2023, Cheryl Miller Van Dÿck, DLI Founding Director,  joined the Handover Meeting of G7 Women7 Germany to W7 Japan 2023 in her capacity as HOD ex officio of the EU Delegation to the G20 Women20.

18 January 2023 – G20 Women20 India Delegation Meeting (Online): Cheryl Miller Van Dÿck, DLI Founding Director,  joined the 18 January 2023 online delegation meeting of G20 Women20 India 2023 in her capacity as HOD ex officio of the EU Delegation to the G20 Women20.

24 January 2023 – G20 Women20 EU 2023 Delegation Kickoff Meeting (Online): On 24 January 2023, Cheryl Miller Van Dÿck, DLI Founding Director, joined the online 2023 Kickoff meeting of the European Union G20 Women20 Delegation in her capacity as HOD ex officio.

26 January 2023 – WEgate Community Council Meeting (Online): Cheryl Miller Van Dÿck, DLI Founding Director,  joined the 26 January WEgate Community Council Meeting in her capacity as WEgate Policy Chair, Community Councilmember, and Chair of the Digital Transition Thematic Group. 


To browse past activities with DLI and our partners, please click here. Be sure to also visit our calendar, sign up for the DLI Newsletter and follow us on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram in order to keep up with DLI events and activities!

Women STEM UP celebrates the International Day of Women and Girls in Science

On 11th of February, women and girls, alongside partners worldwide, celebrate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. The day focuses on the reality that science and gender equality are both vital for the achievement of internationally agreed development goals, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This day allows us to recognize the role women and girls already play in science, promote the idea of STEM careers to future generations of women, and educate men on their role in encouraging and mentoring women and girls in schools and the workplace to pursue their technical and scientific passions. Women’s ability to enter STEM fields offers them a wider variety of employment opportunities with higher pay than what is found in many other fields. The demand for STEM skills around the world continues to grow and it is up to us to ensure women and girls do not miss out.

Digital Leadership Institute joined Linköping University (SE), Stimmuli for Social Change (GR), University of Thessaly (GR) and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NO) to develop the Women STEM UP project striving to facilitate access and participation of young women and girls in education, training and science and technology, and promote their equal access to full employment and decent work.

To this end, it sets the following objectives:

To break down gender stereotypes in STEM higher education ecosystem by creating a Training programme for STEMeducators and staff offering concrete examples that can be used in teaching and supervision in the STEM-areas. This will build on ready-made gender sensitive guiding tools and resources to encourage University staff to use language and interaction patterns free of gender stereotypes and gender sensitive approaches when planning, teaching, assessing and collaborating with students. Professors, lecturers and lab assistants will be trained on how to create a more welcominglearning environment for undergraduate female STEM students.

To boost confidence and empower female students to continue their involvement in STEM during and after their studies. To achieve this goal a Leadership & Inspiration Academy will be developed, offering training, mentoring, inspiration and access to women STEM professionals acting as mentors and role models. Cognitive tools will be utilized to ensure that the resources match the needs and preferences of women. Female students will be exposed to role models and will be encouraged to question the perceived masculinity of STEM. They will be connected with women STEM professionals and receive mentoring and support to continue their studies and develop sustainable careers.

To boost women’s passion for STEM by assisting female students to explore and understand the creativity and social impact potential in STEM. A “Women STEM UP for GOOD” programme will be developed to encourage female students to design and develop state of the art projects for the STEM areas and to practically see the socio-technical importance of the implementation of gender issues in technical projects. To this end, we will follow an E-STEAM approach to extend the STEM skill set to include entrepreneurship and creativity (E standing for Entrepreneurship and A for Arts) as according to evidence ESTEAM has a stronger potential to increase women participation in these fields. Thus, women will be involved in hands-on problem-based learning activities to develop E-STEAM skills while addressing gender stereotypes.

Follow the developments of the Women STEM UP project at https://women-stem-up.eu/

SAVE THE DATE: Girls and Women Connecting for Environmental Change – Roundtable Discussions

Join us on the 16th of February 2023 for the event GIRLS AND WOMEN CONNECTING FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE – ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS to exchange ideas and best practices on how to foster girls’ and young women’s sense of initiative for environmental action and improve their active citizenship skills and social innovation mindsets. Ultimately, the aim is to create synergies and open up opportunities for collaboration among the participants.

What you’ll gain?

  • Brainstorm with experts and practitioners on key strategies promoting greater participation of girls and young women in strategic, innovative ESTEAM (Entrepreneurship & Arts powered by STEM) sectors.
  • Gain insight into the experiences and lessons learned by other organizations and stakeholders and take these best practices back to your community.
  • Find opportunities of collaboration with a wide network of similar organizations.

What is the format of the roundtable discussions?

There will be four discussion tables set-up, each covering a topic (explained below). Participants can chose the tables they want to join for a 30 minutes discussion, and share their knowledge and suggestions on how to empower girls and young women as changemakers in our society. Participants are encouraged to be as specific as possible, to raise issues that arise in their day-today activities, and actionable ideas for better paths forwards. A follow-up session will present the main takeaways from the roundtable discussions.

Key outcomes

  • Following the event, we will gather the key insights in a Recommendations Paper and share it with all participants and stakeholders in our network.
  • Engage and connect community members to collaborate for future initiatives for the benefit of girls and women.
  • Opportunities for networking with like-minded professionals.

Discussion topics

TOPIC 1: Skills development for youth towards the Digital and Green transformations

Questions to consider: as civil society organizations and providers of non-formal education, how can we ensure young people gain a swift access to the requisite skills to enable them to be part of the solutions and to navigate the social, economic, and environmental challenges the world faces? What kind of skills and knowledge should we focus on? And how to include the gender lens in this process?

TOPIC 2: Gender mainstreaming in youth strategies

Questions to consider: What are the main challenges and opportunities of gender mainstreaming? How to strengthen the dialogue between civil society and policy makers to integrate gender perspective into the preparation, design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies, regulatory measures and spending programmes?

TOPIC 3: Best practices for impact: Youth – Gender inclusion – Environmental action

Questions to consider: What actionable ways to build gender equality and sustainability? What are the practices and tools you identified in your activities to improve the capabilities of civil society organizations for supporting more effectively their target groups and increase their impact?

TOPIC 4: Opportunities for cooperation for organizations working on youth, gender and environmental topics

Questions to consider: what are the needs of civil society organizations in terms of skills development, engagement capabilities or funding? what opportunities for collaboration are there and how to ensure they are accessible for all stakeholders?

Agenda

5:00 PM: Welcome and presentation of the We4Change project

5:30 PM: Roundtable Discussions

6:00 PM: Discussion on the main takeaways from each roundtable

6:30 PM: Networking dinner

Registrations: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/girls-and-women-connecting-for-environmental-change-roundtable-discussions-tickets-526528419677

Download here the brochure of the event.

For more information about the “We4Change: Girls and Women Connecting for Environmental Change” visit the project website: http://we4change.eu/

Women Entrepreneurs and the Digital Transition

As Policy Chair and Community Councilmember for the WEgate project promoting women-led entrepreneurship in Europe, DLI Director Cheryl Miller also leads the WEgate Thematic Group on Women Entrepreneurs and the Digital Transition (“Digital Transition TG”).

Over the course of 2022, the Digital Transition TG gathered to analyse and synthesise the impact of the digital transition on women entrepreneurs in Europe. Outcomes and recommendations from this work which address Ethics in AI, Gender and Cybersecurity, Tech-readiness of Women-led Startups, and the Gender Gap in Digital Skills, are captured in a policy brief published by the WEgate project on 22 January 2023.

Congratulations for this terrific outcome to WEgate Women Entrepreneurs and the Digital Transition Thematic Group members, Leïla Maidane, Isabel Bustos and Ms. Miller, under project leadership by Emilija Andonova and Gabriela Kostovska Bogoeska.

From the WEgate website:

One of the aims of WEgate is to increase the visibility of women entrepreneurs and to promote discussion on important topics for improving the conditions for women’s entrepreneurship development. To address critical areas of interest in women’s entrepreneurship development, dedicated WEgate Thematic groups (TGs) are formed as ad-hoc groups within the WEgate Community. The third WEgate TG is dedicated to Digital transition, analysing the challenges faced by women in the digital arena.

This policy brief summarizes the findings of the WEgate thematic group on women’s entrepreneurship policy. It highlights the key challenges and recommendations for policy-making in four areas: gender mainstreaming, evidence-based policy-making, finance and funding for women entrepreneurs, and stakeholders engagement in policy development. For each policy area, recommendations are being proposed, targeting policymakers at the European and national levels.

Download the WEgate Women Entrepreneurs and the Digital Transition Policy Brief (PDF) here.

DLI Update – Fall 2022

The DLI Board are actively involved in outreach activities with partners and stakeholders around the world that promote ESTEAM* leadership by girls and women. Find out more below about our outreach activities in Autumn 2022, including the G20 Ministerial Conference in Bali where EU Commissioner for Equality Helena Dalli and DLI Founder and Head of the EU W20 Delegation, Cheryl Miller, represented the European Union. For upcoming events by DLI and our partners please visit here, and have a look at our calendar.

*Entrepreneurship and Art powered by Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics


13-14 November 2022 –  G20 Women20 Indonesia Post-Summit Event (Bali & Online): On 13-14 November 2022, Cheryl Miller Van Dÿck, DLI Founding Director,  joined the G20 Women20 Indonesia Post-Summit Event, a G20 Leaders Summit Side Event, in her capacity as Co-head of the EU Delegation to the G20 Women20 engagement group.

24-25 August 2022 –  G20 Ministerial Conference on Women’s Empowerment (Bali, Indonesia): On 24-25 August 2022 in Bali, Indonesia, Cheryl Miller Van Dÿck, DLI Founding Director,  joined the G20 Ministerial Conference on Women’s Empowerment in her capacity as Co-head of the EU Delegation to the G20 Women20 engagement group, and as member of the EU G20 Ministerial Delegation led by European Commissioner for Equality Helena Dalli.

20 September – Digital Inclusion, Policy and Research Conference (Online): Online on 20 September 2022, Cheryl Miller Van Dÿck, DLI Founding Director,  presented her forthcoming chapter on “Digital Equity and Women’s Economic Agency,” as part of the Gender and Digital Inequalities panel at the Digital Inclusion, Policy and Research Conference (DIPRC) hosted by the University of Liverpool,  Digital Poverty Alliance, and UK Digital Leaders network.

14 October 2022 – W7 Germany Outreach Event “We are Here! We are loud, united against the backlash!” (Berlin, Germany): On 14 October 2022 in Berlin, Cheryl Miller Van Dÿck, DLI Founding Director, joined the W7 Germany outreach event “We are Here! We are loud, united against the backlash!” where G7 Gender Equality Ministers met to discuss how to achieve a more equitable G7. Cheryl joined the event as Head of the EU Delegation to the G20 Women20.

17-18 October 2022 – WEgate Summit (Brussels & Online): Cheryl Miller Van Dÿck, DLI Founding Director,  joined the 17 October final event of the European WEgate project, the WEgate Summit, and contributed to a peer-learning session on “Reaching women’s economic independence through entrepreneurship and self-employment.”  On 18 October, Cheryl also joined a European Institutions study mission with representatives of women entrepreneurship organisations from across Europe in order to collectively advocate for a strong European policy framework supporting women entrepreneurs. 


To browse past activities with DLI and our partners, please click here. Be sure to also visit our calendar, sign up for the DLI Newsletter and follow us on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram in order to keep up with DLI events and activities!

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DLI Founder is Global Women in Tech Award Finalist

WomenTech Network announces Women in Tech Global Awards 2022 Finalists celebrating 100 000 women, minorities, and allies in tech. 

Cheryl Miller Van Dÿck, DLI Director, has been recognized as a Women in Tech Global Awards 2022 finalist by WomenTech Network, the world’s largest community for women in tech with more than 6000 ambassadors from 172 countries.

1247 Contestants from 142 Countries in 16 Categories

Cheryl Miller Van Dÿck, DLI Director, was named a finalist in the category Special Recognition: Women in ICT Award for her groundbreaking global work promoting digital equity and greater participation of girls and women in digital fields.

About her nomination, Cheryl says “doing good is its own reward, but it is a true privilege to bring recognition to our incredible DLI team, and to be showcased among such leaders in promoting digital equity and women in technology. Thank you WomenTech Network for this honor!

“We understand the value of recognizing small and major victories. This is why we shine a light on accomplished and aspiring women-in-tech leaders, who are working toward a more equitable and inclusive world,” says Anna Radulovski, CEO and Founder at WomenTech Network.

The Women in Tech Global Awards 2022 and Inspire Summit

The Women in Tech Global Awards 2022 and Inspire Summit is an annual celebration following the WomenTech Network global Women in Tech Conference, the world’s largest virtual conference for women in technology. It includes:

  • An entire day full of insightful talks and networking opportunities. 
  • Q&A with 20 keynote speakers from Intel, Airbnb, Meta, IBM, and more.

The virtual ceremony and summit will feature some of the most accomplished women in tech. The event will also offer 1:1 networking opportunities with finalists, winners and speakers. 

About the Digital Leadership Institute

The Digital Leadership Institute is a Brussels-based, international NGO and a  recognised world leader in promoting greater participation of girls and women in strategic, innovative ESTEAM (Entrepreneurship & Arts powered by STEM) sectors, through four areas of activity:

  1. Education and Skills Development: Providing young and career-age women leadership, business, personal- and professional-development and ESTEAM skills through direct access to experts and tools that encourage them toward entrepreneurship and leadership in ESTEAM studies and careers.
  2. Innovation and Entrepreneurship Support:  Cultivating an environment for generating the seeds of future enterprise in cutting edge ESTEAM fields for girls and women. Delivering digital, business and leadership expertise, tools, and access for girls and women to bring new discoveries and business seeds to market.
  3. Advocacy and Awareness Building: Promoting grassroots initiatives to create interest in and to provide skills to girls and women in ESTEAM, coupled with top-down advocacy to create conditions for increasing their participation and to foster female entrepreneurship and leadership in ESTEAM sectors.
  4. Research and Consultancy:  Increasing knowledge, fostering better understanding of the challenges, and promoting and implementing solutions to address the under-representation of girls and women in ESTEAM sectors and leadership.  Engaging in research actions and consulting services for individuals and organisations looking to benefit from our  knowledge and expertise.

About Cheryl

Cheryl Miller is a recognized leader in grassroots action and global advocacy to close the digital gender divide and promote women’s economic empowerment. In 2014, she founded the Brussels-based Digital Leadership Institute which has earned worldwide renown with a wide range of high-impact programs with an ESTEAM (Entrepreneurship and Art, powered by STEM) focus, and recognized by the UN in 2019 for its global leadership in inclusive digital transformation. In 2018, Google and the Financial Times placed Cheryl among the 100 Digital Pioneers of Europe for her work spearheading innovative skills programs, advocating for digital equity and women’s rights, and advising the European Commission on issues like technology, ethics, and diversity, equity and inclusion. Cheryl is a sought-after international speaker and thought leader regularly presenting at top global events on topics including inclusive digital transformation, digital equity and women’s entrepreneurship.  

About WomenTech Network

WomenTech Network is the world’s leading community for women in tech with more than 6,000 Global Ambassadors representing 172 countries. 70,000 tech leaders have collaborated with the network to date in order to cultivate a diverse global network that reaches 3.5 million people. WomenTech Network strives to empower women in tech through leadership development, professional growth, and mentorship programs. WomenTech Network hosts regular career networking events and a global tech conference for members to connect with like-minded professionals and learn about job opportunities at leading companies that value diversity.

Learn more about WomenTech Networks’ events and programs at www.womentech.net.

Save the dates: We4Change Changemakers Fest is coming to Belgium!

As part of the We4Change “Girls and Women connecting for environmental change” Erasmus+ international program, in November and December 2022, the We4Change Changemakers Fest is coming to Belgium! 

Three We4Change Changemaking events, will bring girls and young women together with experts, trainers and business coaches, in order to develop their digital and innovation skills, increase civic engagement and unlock their changemaking potential to address climate change and drive environmental transformation.

What are the We4Change Changemaking events?

We4Change Changemakers are “hack for good” events where young women with an entrepreneurial mindset, trainers and subject experts come together during a two-day intense marathon in order to solve specific challenges posed by climate and environmental change encountered in their communities. The events include hands-on activities, training on digital, innovation and environmental awareness skills, problem-solving and co-creation of prototypes, as well as a pitching session by the changemaking teams.

Who can participate?

The events are open to all girls and women* who want to contribute to prosperous, cohesive and sustainable societies! Participants are not required to have prior digital or innovation skills. Your curiosity and commitment to address the challenges posed by climate and environmental change are all you need!

*Anyone who identifies as a girl or woman.

How will you benefit from this event?

  • You will learn new skills and information to bring into your daily life: a mindset to stay open to change and innovate, learn about how climate change affects particularly girls and women, what solutions are out there to tackle them and how can you be more active in supporting your local community;
  •  You will acquire digital, business development and innovation skills through hands-on activities, co-creation of prototypes and pitching workshops;
  • Join an international community of like-minded girls and women, including experts, activists, coaches and mentors dedicated to supporting you to achieve your changemaking potential.

When are the We4Change Changemaking events taking place?

The We4Change Changemakers Fest is organized as a series of three events with specific themes linked to climate and environmental challenges:

  • 19-20 November 2022 – We4Change: Girls and Women Connecting for Sustainable Consumption
  • 26-27 November 2022 – We4Change: Girls and Women Connecting for Smart Cities and Mobility
  • 3-4 December 2022 – We4Change: Girls and Women Connecting for Clean Energy & Resource Efficiency

What is the format of the We4Change Changemaking events?

Below is the general format for each event. Participants will briefly receive the exact agenda with the name of the trainers and speakers for the event they register for.

Day 1

  • 9:30: Registration and coffee
  • 10:00 – 11:00 : Introduction of the event thematic by Digital Leadership Institute & inspirational speech
  • 11:00 – 13:00 : Workshop 1 on digital skills
  • 13:00 – 14:00: Lunch break
  • 14:00 – 15:00: Project proposals, ideation & team selection
  • 16:00 – 18:00: Project work

Day 2

  • 9:30: Registration, coffee & review of day 1
  • 10:00 – 12:00 Workshop 2 on Design Thinking
  • 12:00 – 16:00 Project work with coaches (1h of working lunch included)
  • 16:00 – 17:00 Project presentations with jury
  • 17:00 Feedback session and closing ceremony

How to participate to the We4Change Changemaking events?

The participation to the events is free of charge.

However, places are limited so you are required to fill-in this application form: https://forms.gle/YxPP1EV5kU8uqYQe9 

You can also register via the dedicated Eventbrire page here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/we4change-fest-girls-and-women-connecting-for-environmental-change-tickets-461175176367

The organizing team will send a confirmation email to confirm your participation. 

How else can you contribute?

If you would like to be part of to the organization of events, we are happy to receive your support! Below are some ways you can contribute:

  •  Be or suggest us an inspirational speaker
  • Volunteer to hold one of the workshops during the events (digital skills, business training, a training linked to the event thematic)
  • Volunteer to do business coaching during the hackathons
  • Volunteer as jury member for the pitching competition
  • Follow-up support: coaching and mentoring after the event for the winning teams.

Fill-in this partner application form and let us know how would you like to be involved: https://forms.gle/zcPnzppq1kjdm9He9

Selected organizing partners will receive a 1h online training on the main aspects of organizing a successful  We4Change Changemakers event.

Frequently asked questions

I can’t stay the whole time, can I still participate?

Of course! We realize that a weekend is a long time and people may need to attend to other commitments.

What if I don’t have any digital or business skills?

You are still welcome! We have dedicated digital and business skills development sessions, so you will be learning at the same time as the other participants. As long as you come willing to learn and contribute ideas.

What if I don’t have any entrepreneurial idea?

You are still welcome! During the event you will be inspired and learn from others what kind of entrepreneurial solutions are out there or need to be developed, and you could join one of the teams already working on an idea.

What do I bring?

Bring your laptop, mobile phone, scratch paper and curiosity. We will provide some food, some drinks, wi-fi, power and challenges.

How much it costs to attend the events?

The participation to the events is free of charge.

Can I attend more than one event?

Yes, you are more than welcome to attend several events and bring new ideas to the teams.

How do I register?

Fill-in this application form: https://forms.gle/YxPP1EV5kU8uqYQe9 

The organizing team will send a confirmation email to confirm your participation. 

We4Change: Girls and Women connecting for environmental change is funded  by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union and seeks to contribute to the EU Youth Strategy with a specific female-focused approach, that responds directly to the specific gender-based needs of girls and young women across Europe, offering thus an appropriate and innovative way to empower and engage them in their communities and society-at-large. You can find out more about the project here: http://we4change.eu/

The second edition of the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Women of Diverse Cultural Backgrounds

Athena Entrepreneurship Bootcamp 2.0 follows after a successful first edition being organized in June 2022, aiming to support women migrants or with migrant backgrounds to plan their entrepreneurial activities in Belgium. The focus is on creating a community of women (aspiring) entrepreneurs with diverse cultural backgrounds that face similar challenges in starting or growing their businesses, by connecting them with a network of professionals and organizations that can support to fully valorize their entrepreneurial potential.

The second edition of the bootcamp was organized on the 7th of October 2022, as a more compact one-day training with one session covering the main administrative aspects of doing business in Belgium, and a second one dedicated to working on the business ideas of the participants. The aim was to offer a comprehensive understanding of the business ecosystem in Belgium, while allowing the participants to discuss about the opportunities and challenges they encounter on their entrepreneurial journeys, and brainstorm on adequate solutions together with our performance coach, Ms Cécile Bonneton:

  • Hands-on business coaching: clarify your business goals and work on a concrete plan to advance your activity with the support of our coach, and the different resources and tools offered by the program.

The Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Women of Diverse Cultural Backgrounds was organized as part of the Athena project – Approaches To valorise the High ENtrepreneuriAl potential of migrant women to contribute to their social and economic integration – a two-year project funded by the AMIF Program. The overall objective of the project is to contribute to the economic and social integration of migrant women in the EU society by improving the services of entrepreneurship support oriented to migrant women and creating a specific entrepreneurial path for them.

The project is implemented by a consortium of six partners and covers five European countries , and will directly benefit a 210 migrant women, it will increase the capacities of more than 35 professionals working in entrepreneurship support roles, it will create synergies with several organisations and it will finally intend to influence policies through a series of policy recommendations. 

Here you can find more about the project: https://athenaproject.net/

Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Women of Diverse Cultural Backgrounds

While entrepreneurship represents a viable alternative of decent and sustainable employment for women migrants of diverse cultural backgrounds – a powerful way towards empowerment, self-realization, income creation and improvement of their social status – the potential contribution that entrepreneurship can bring to their lives and the economy of the host country is often hindered by a series of challenges ranging from traditional barriers to business creation – difficulties in accessing credit, overwhelming bureaucracy, and lack of familiarity with the (business) environment – to some more complex ones embedded in our social structures: cultural differences and stereotypes, gender biases and social norms social that pose unique barriers to business growth and profitability for female-run enterprises.

To support these entrepreneurs – and aspiring entrepreneurs – to navigate the challenges of starting or growing a business, Digital Leadership Institute organized between 17 and 19th of June 2022 the Athena Entrepreneurship Bootcamp, a free 3-day entrepreneurship program dedicated to third-national migrant of diverse backgrounds. The Bootcamp was structured in three interconnected modules that were also suitable to be followed independently according to each participant’s interest and need. The aim was to offer a comprehensive understanding of the business ecosystem in Belgium and to develop a community with a wide range of experience and expertise to support the participating entrepreneurs long-term.

The boothcamp was structured around three main topics:
Day 1- Administrative & Financial Skills: learning about the cultural diversity and business environment in Belgium, administrative and legal requirements when starting an entrepreneurial activity, and – very importantly – funding opportunities for female entrepreneurs launching or growing their businesses;


Day 2- Business Skills: a hands-on business training session where participants discussed about vision and mission, identifying limiting beliefs, and worked on designing theirs businesses using the Lean methodology.

Day 3- Digital Skills: participants learned what are the digital tools they can use to launch and manage their online businesses; how open a webshop and how to use digital marketing to optimize their online presence.

The materials* used during the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp can be found below:

Administrative and Financial Skills materials:

Business Skills materials:

Digital skills materials:

*The copyright of the materials belong to heir respective authors. No part of these materials may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form without the prior consent of the copyright holders, except in the case of brief quotations embodied permitted by copyright law.

Other Resources:

The Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Women of Diverse Cultural Backgrounds was organized as part of the Athena project – Approaches To valorise the High ENtrepreneuriAl potential of migrant women to contribute to their social and economic integration – a two-year project funded by the AMIF Program. The overall objective of the project is to contribute to the economic and social integration of migrant women in the EU society by improving the services of entrepreneurship support oriented to migrant women and creating a specific entrepreneurial path for them.

The project is implemented by a consortium of six partners and covers five European countries , and will directly benefit a 210 migrant women, it will increase the capacities of more than 35 professionals working in entrepreneurship support roles, it will create synergies with several organisations and it will finally intend to influence policies through a series of policy recommendations. Here you can find more about the project: https://athenaproject.net/

Capacity building of professionals supporting migrant women entrepreneurs

Part of the ATHENA initiative – Approaches To valorise the High ENtrepreneuriAl potential of migrant women to contribute to their social and economic integration* – Digital Leadership Institute organized on 24th of April 2022 a Lunch & Learn session , followed by a Peer-learning training for professionals and business support organizations working with migrant women to discuss about how to act and support the shift towards a cultural and entrepreneurial ecosystem that embraces the diversity and added value that migrant women entrepreneurs bring to the market, and, overall, to their host communities.

The session was addressed to professionals providing business support services to migrant or migrant-background women entrepreneurs or who aspire to be entrepreneurs in Belgium, both within public or private entities, as well as freelance or working in the non-profit organizations with the aim of building their capacities to deliver the services of entrepreneurial support by sharing knowledge and experiences on a variety of topics that cover both administrative and business practices for third-country nationals, but also social and cultural aspects.

The event began with the discussion of the importance of cultural diversity and the entrepreneurial business ecosystem in Belgium, this part brought forward two successful migrant women entrepreneurs to share their stories. The first speaker, Sana Afouaiz, the CEO and founder of the Womenpreneur and with Moroccan background , shared the story of starting her non-profit organization, with the mission of advancing women’s place on the entrepreneurial scene, technology, innovation & society in Belgium and in the MENA region.

Speaking about her own struggles to start a business in the fashion industry, Anna Boroshok, co-founder of Silk and Cotton Global, highlighted the importance of having a support network of other women entrepreneurs when you are coming from a diverse cultural background that can resonate and support with the challenges you face – be it administrative or cultural – as they might have experienced them as well. For this reason, Anna founded the Fearless Female Founders community for women entrepreneurs, based in Brussels.

Copyright: Digital Leadership Institute

Following this discussion, the peer-learning training for professionals and business support organizations working with migrant women aimed at going more in depth into the opportunities for these professionals to improve their skills and services offered to this specific target group.

The first aspect discussed with the participants was regarding the Cultural diversity and the entrepreneurial business ecosystem in Belgium, facilitated by Lien Warmenbol from #SheDIDIt, regarding the importance of being aware of the cultural differences that women from diverse background might experience .

Copyright: Digital Leadership Institute

Shifting perspective, trainer Sana Afouaiz facilitated a conversation on the psychological preparedness of migrant women to uptake entrepreneurship. In these discussion, certain aspects were identified as problematic for this target group, such as of marginalization, assimilation, and separation, but provided specific tips that professionals can use to support integration and enable multi-cultural needs: through active listening, creating a safe space in order for the person to feel welcomed, unleashing talents, providing targeted training, ensuring mental support and be able to defend the rights of these migrant women entrepreneurs.

Copyright: Digital Leadership Institute


Linking the previous two topics, Katja Legisa from the Digital Leadership Institute lead the discussion on understanding stereotypes and their impact on women entrepreneurs, emphasizing how important it is for professionals working in supporting roles to know how to identify and tackle the issues involving stereotypes and to be conscious of their own and shared biases.

Copyright: Digital Leadership Institute


Finally, considering the fact that access to finance is considered to be one of the most important challenges for women entrepreneurs in general, coach Jasper Verreydt gave an overview of diverse funding opportunities women can access depending on the development stage of their businesses, including: bootstrapping, crowdfunding and crowdlending, but also grant offered by the different regions of Belgium to SMEs.

Copyright: Digital Leadership Institute


Overall, the discussions among the participating professionals pointed to the fact that there is the need for a better cooperation between the different service providers and existing organizations that work specifically with this target group, and that indeed the cultural – and, many times, the psychological – awareness represent extremely important factors that should be part of the continuous development and growth of organizations when dealing with migrant women.

The Lunch & Learn session and the peer-learning training for for professionals and business support organizations working with migrant women was organized as part of the Athena project – Approaches To valorise the High ENtrepreneuriAl potential of migrant women to contribute to their social and economic integration – a two-year project funded by the AMIF Program. The overall objective of the project is to contribute to the economic and social integration of migrant women in the EU society by improving the services of entrepreneurship support oriented to migrant women and creating a specific entrepreneurial path for them.

The project is implemented by a consortium of six partners and covers five European countries , and will directly benefit a 210 migrant women, it will increase the capacities of more than 35 professionals working in entrepreneurship support roles, it will create synergies with several organisations and it will finally intend to influence policies through a series of policy recommendations. Here you can find more about the project: https://athenaproject.net/