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Women InNovation 2021 was a global 1-day virtual conference bringing together women and men - policy makers, investors, and entrepreneurs - around the world to inspire through sharing and conversation how we can collectively support women entrepreneurs.
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2021 AGENDA

Model Sustainability

9:00 am EST

We learn from three women-led start-ups who developed sustainable solutions for the food and restaurant sector.  Each in a different phase of growth, they’ll share their experiences launching products, creating a sustainable business models, and striving to have a positive impact on the environment.

 

Speakers:

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Hege Barnes, Director - Americas, Innovation Norway / moderator

Jessica Li, Co-Founder & CEO, Savvie

Elsa Bernadotte, Co-Founder & COO, Karma

Maija Itkonen, Co-Founder & Chief Innovation Officer, Gold&Green Foods

Education for Next Gen

10:00 am EST

Whether it’s learning how to tackle raising capital, growing a new market, or reaching back to encourage the next generation, education is foundational for success of women entrepreneurs.

 

Speakers:

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Bunmi Esho, Endless OS Foundation / moderator

Idunn Jonsdottir, Chief Executive Director, ​IESE Business School

Michelle Greenwald, CEO, Catalyzing Innovation

Vicki Saunders, Founder, SheEO

Lessons from the Executive Suite

11:00 am EST

Things look different from 30,000 feet and the executive suite is no exception. We hear what some of the brightest minds in the corporate world have to say about the issues around supporting women entrepreneurs and how some of the ideas that work for large organizations might be applied to help female founders.

 

Speakers:

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Susanne Hannestad, CEO, FinTech Mundi

Angenette Meaney, Director, Start Path Mastercard Labs

Solving for Equality

11:30 am EST

Hala Hanna of MIT Solve brings solvers together to discuss the different angles of supporting women entrepreneurs.

 

Speakers:

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Hala Hanna, Managing Director, Solve, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Nicole Bassett, co-founder, The Renewal Workshop

Rudayna Abdo, Founder, Thaki

The Funding Question

11:30 am EST

Women-led startups can’t grow without capital. The funding gap persists and in fact has worsened over the past year.  Mobilizing both the public and private sector around solutions to providing greater access to capital leads to greater successes.

 

Speakers:

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Geri Stengel, President, Ventureneer / moderator

Jennifer Tegan, Managing Director, NY Ventures

Anna Ratala, CEO & Co-Founder, Zvook

Karen Cahn, CEO, iFundWomen

Van Tucker, President & CEO, Launch Tennessee

Sarah Kunst, Managing Director, Cleo Capital

Data & Diversity

12:00 pm EST

We look at the hard numbers based on data-centric research that allows us to quantify the cost of discrimination and gender inequality.  We explore via a US-Nordic conversation exchange the obstacles, findings, and potential solutions for addressing ways to support women entrepreneurs.

 

Speakers:

Vivienne Ming, Founder, Socos Labs; Chair, StartOut

Kristoffer Buch, Deep Tech Entrepreneurship, DTU Skylab Incubator

Opening Remarks

12:30 pm EST

Opening remarks by dignitaries and speakers.

 

Speakers:

Hege Barnes, Chair, Women InNovation

Eliza Reid, First Lady of Iceland

Peter Haas, Acting Assistant Secretary of State

Thomas Blomqvist, Minister for Nordic Cooperation and Equality

Mika Koskinen, Consul General in New York, Ambassador, Finland

Hlynur Gudjonsson, Consul General in New York, Ambassador, Iceland

Harriet Berg, Consul General in New York, Ambassador, Norway

Annika Rembe, Consul General in New York, Ambassador, Sweden

Lars Johansson, Chairman, Silicon Vikings

Growing Impact

1:00 pm EST

Supporting women founders with access to capital, networks, and knowledge isn’t enough.  How do we come together to raise up role models, develop initiatives in public and private sectors to continue to support sustained growth, and tackle barriers to success?

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Speakers:

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Megan Williams, Advisor FDI, Business Finland / moderator

Anna Felländer, CEO, ​AI Sustainability Center

Rasmus Bruun, Co-Founder & Managing Director, Inch-by-Inch

Jennifer Brown, CEO & Founder, Jennifer Brown Consulting

Advocating for Equality

1:00 pm EST

In all of our roles – founder, investor, community leader, or corporate intrapreneur - there are opportunities to support women entrepreneurs.  We explore the different facets of support that can empower each of us to become advocates for female founders.

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Speakers:

 

Brian Ellner, EVP, Growth & Marketing, BCW Global / moderator

 

Jeanette Carlson, Founder & CEO, Tech Nordic Advocates

Thea Sommerseth Myhren, Co-founder & CEO, Diwala

Ecosystems for Success

2:30 pm EST

Success for startups takes more than capital; it takes a community and ecosystem of support. NYC has developed a network of support for women-led startups and this is growing in other markets as well. It’s important to support models for ecosystem development.

 

Speakers:

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Therese Klasson, Senior Project Manager, Business Sweden / moderator

Fredrika Wessman, Strategic Partnership Manager, Norrsken Foundation

Ellen Bateman, Director for U.S. Ecosystems, Global Entrepreneurship Network

Karen Kerrigan, President & CEO, Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council

Caroline Healey, Recruitment Manager, Antler

Gayle Jennings O'Byrne, Co-Founder, WOCstar Fund

Partnerships for Good

3:00 pm EST

How do private-public partnerships lead support for women  entrepreneurs? We explore how leaders from the public sector support greater investment in women entrepreneurs through innovative partnerships with executives, investors, and partners.

 

Speakers:

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Rana Abdelhamid, Global Marketing & Partnerships Lead, Google

Dr. Beeta Ehdaie, Senior Advisor,  US State Department

Building Back for Female Founders

3:30 pm EST

As we emerge from the damage from the COVID-19 pandemic, how do we rebuild for sustainability, inclusiveness, and equality?  What are the keys to building trust in a system that is fair, transparent, and responsible?

 

Speakers:

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Halla Tómasdóttir, CEO & Chief Change Catalyst, The B Team

Robert Clauser, Founder & CEO, Ampersand Solutions

Our Supporters

In Cooperation With:

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Sponsored By:

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Community Partners:

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2021 SPEAKERS
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