Championing Women with your Startup
Updated: October 16, 2024
Originally Published: April 3, 2020
Live Twitter #StartupChats discussing championing women with your startup
Q&A with Startup Canada Guest Advisor Christine Whone
Want to shatter expectations and the glass ceiling at the same time? Simple: employ and empower more women. Join #StartupChats for how ‘Championing Women With Your Startup’ can lead to better organizational performance and productivity.
The event had 50 contributors, 26.8 million impressions and the Wakelet can be found here.
Q1 Let’s begin! Why is it important for entrepreneurs to champion, hire and empower women with and through their businesses?
A1 Well-rounded economic development. Women are activators for change, social good, and B-corp business initiative, a theory of change for the greater good.
Q2 What are some of the persistent barriers women continue to face as entrepreneurs and employees?
A2 Assuming a woman’s ability to complete a task has something to do with her appearance. I see a lot of objectification still happening in business networking, where a woman’s appearance is valued publicly versus her intellect or achievements.
Q3 How can building a more diverse and inclusive team impact growth for startup businesses?
A3 Diversity allows us to design solutions together, to mix individual life experiences together with collaboration to make a product/service that has been well-thought stronger, and better.
Q4 What are some excellent examples of businesses that truly champion and promote women in their organizations?
A4 Canada Learning Code truly is a champion that promotes women in their org and serves women and equality with Ladies Learning Code learning experiences: day workshops and 7-week courses for women who want to learn about STEM and entrepreneurship.
Q5 What are the ways in which entrepreneurs can build more equitable and inclusive businesses from day one — from hiring and equal pay to building a safe culture and championing leadership?
A5 Women have different life experiences, and barriers men have likely never gained life experience with, so key to build teams who understand this. Hiring culture: adaptive attitude mindset, disposition & perception to discern information for the best outcome for all.
Q6 How can entrepreneurs build a women-focused employee and HR strategy?
A6 Understanding the barriers women have that differ from men in all aspects. Be thoughtful. Review one’s assumptions of challenges women may or may not have. It’s key for self to double-check for a logical fallacy.
Q7 What are the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles and how can entrepreneurs get involved in signing onto the Principles?
A7 The UN Women’s Empowerment Principles intro statement says it all 'take action across all seven Principles with the goal for corporate action to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment.' Practice it daily because ‘practice makes perfect!’
Q8 What are some ways in which startups and small businesses can impact disadvantaged women in their communities and the world?
A8 Implement education, training & professional development opportunities created & designed for women. If you are a leader business sector why not establish a B-corp? Profit for your social good project and be a well-rounded leader balancing profit and purpose.
Q9 What more can be done by every business in Canada to elevate women and promote equality?
A9 Develop & implement B-Corp (social good, a theory of change) for business empowering equality, incorporates ecology, the highest good for self (business), good for others (employee, customer, investors, partners, stakeholders), & good for the world around you and planet.
Q10 What support, tools and resources are available to every entrepreneur to build a more inclusive organization?
A10 Connect with your local #StartupCanada community to help, support, discover, and build tools and resources to create an inclusive business. B Lab Canada has resources, also visit pages of the Certified B Corporation website.
Q11 What is your final piece of advice for championing women entrepreneurs and women on your team?
A11 Be you.
