


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.

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


2021 SPEAKERS
























