During women's month, the Inova Unicamp Innovation Agency and Unicamp Ventures, a group of entrepreneurs linked to the State University of Campinas (Unicamp), held a free meeting dedicated to entrepreneurship and female leadership. The Women's Entrepreneurship and Leadership Meetup aimed to promote the topic of women's inclusion and the expansion of interpersonal connections to strengthen incentive actions, especially in careers in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (Steam). .
The activities that resulted in the event began in February, when Inova Unicamp started a series of four free and virtual mentoring meetings for Unicamp students in partnership with the University's Entrepreneurial League and the Unicamp Ventures group. The meetings sought to introduce the topic of entrepreneurship to the University's students, covering topics such as the problem identification phases, business validation, ways of structuring a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and attracting investment.
Despite advances in women's participation in science and technology-based businesses in recent years, female leadership is still a minority in innovation ecosystems. Data Female Founders Report 2021 show that only 9,8% of startups have women among their founders, with only 4,7% being founded exclusively by women.
Women in the Unicamp ecosystem
In the Unicamp ecosystem, 21,6% of Unicamp's daughter companies have women among their founding partners. The data was released during the presentation given by professor Ana Frattini, executive director of Inova Unicamp and president of the Unicamp Ventures Advisory Board, during the first part of the Meetup program, held in the LIB building of the Unicamp Scientific and Technological Park.
“We recorded a 16,7% increase in the presence of women at the head of daughter companies, in relation to 2020 and 2021, as a result of Inova’s efforts to expand mapping and give visibility to women based on Inova’s innovation and entrepreneurship programs. Unicamp, such as the Unicamp Challenge, which is open for registration, and the Unicamp Entrepreneur Award, both organized by the Innovation Agency”, said Frattini.
Mariana Zanatta Inglez, coordinator of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Environments at Inova Unicamp, introduced listeners to the Unicamp Scientific and Technological Park, with its incubator and opportunities for startups, research laboratories and nascent companies, founded or led by women and capable of enhancing technological development and innovation within the University. “Incamp [Unicamp’s Technology-Based Business Incubator] is a program to startups in an initial stage that has several partners”, he commented.
The challenges of female entrepreneurs
Autocoat is an example of a startup incubated at Incamp, which has a woman at the head of the business. The company was founded in 2020, based on the results of Viviane Nogueira's doctoral research and already has its product on the market. One of Viviane's biggest challenges was being able to balance business with motherhood. “I opened the company the same year I had my second daughter and I just thought: 'This has to work!'”, said the CEO of Autocoat. “My two daughters are my inspiration.”
For Kátia Zanatta, CEO of the Instituto da Cerveja do Brasil and winner in the Female Leadership category at the Unicamp Entrepreneur Award in 2022, support networks are very important, especially in environments that are unwelcoming or unfavorable to women, as is the case in the sector brewer. “Although we still feel there is so much difference between the feminine and masculine universe, we need to focus on the positive points, unite and seek help to conquer our space”, she commented in a video shown at the event.
Opening her own business was the way found by Dayse Alexia, serial entrepreneur and advisor to the Unicamp Ventures group, to put her ideas into practice and, of course, make money by leading her own project. At the head of WeBee, a spin off from Unicamp who received the Unicamp Inventors Award 2022, she says: "Sometimes the help we need is on our side.” That's why, today, she dedicates herself to serving as a mentor to other entrepreneurs.
Programs to encourage female entrepreneurship
More than attracting women to careers linked to science, technology and innovation, ensuring that they remain there is the greatest difficulty. “In technology, there are very few women,” acknowledged Cibele Coscione, manager of the Software Research and Development Program Eldorado Research Institute. “That's why we have several internal initiatives, from affirmative internship programs for girls, support networks and support for women, to mentoring programs,” she said.
Large technology companies are also creating specific programs to encourage entrepreneurship and female leadership. The Siemens Foundation, for example, has an acceleration program for women. “We believe that through learning we can break labels”, commented Bianca Talassi, Head of the Siemens Foundation.
“Women represent 50% of the population, and should be represented everywhere, including the startup ecosystem,” said Keroline Lima, from We Impact, a Venture Builder dedicated to startups led by women. And this access, according to her, goes far beyond the issue of equality. “Research shows that the presence of women entrepreneurs increases the profitability of companies.”
“It’s not a competition”, defended Tayana Massari, from Rede Mulher Empreendedora, which encourages female leadership in entrepreneurship and helps those who want to undertake and those who want to enter the job market. Expanding access to female leadership spaces requires opening up dialogue. “For women to take the stage more, men need to be on the other side, sitting in the stands, being part of these women’s support network.”
Organizations that promote female entrepreneurship have played a central role in this scenario, going beyond technical content. “We need to create and maintain engaged communities that generate opportunities for women,” said Gabriela Aguiar, Leader of the Community and Partnership Development area at Plug and Play Brazil, an open innovation platform.
“The Women's Entrepreneurship and Leadership Meetup was a great opportunity to promote this dialogue about women's access to entrepreneurship and discuss their importance in the areas of innovation, science and technology. We need to continue and expand this dialogue”, concluded Rose Ramos, president of Unicamp Ventures and CEO of MatchIT.
The second block of the event was held at the Eldorado Research Institute, where participants had the opportunity to take a guided tour.
