About
Who we are
The Accelerator for Enterprising Women is a national initiative designed to support and empower women (or those who identify as female) aged 18+ to create self-made career paths in entrepreneurship. The program is funded under the Australian Government’s Women’s Leadership and Development Program.
The program seeks to build an industry alliance of Australia’s digital leaders, education professionals, entrepreneurial organisations as well as large and small businesses, to ensure Australia’s next generation of businesswomen have the skills to run their own businesses or transform the industries in which they work.
Did you know…
Only 8% of Australian start-ups are female-led.
In Australia only 17% of people working in STEM-skilled professions are women.
Women only make up 21% of tertiary graduates with a STEM-related degree.
Women earn less than their male counterparts in science, IT and engineering.
We’re on a Mission to change that
The Accelerator for Enterprising Women brings together the collective might of an industry alliance on a mission to accelerate change in women’s lives! The four key program offerings are aimed at empowering and supporting young female entrepreneurs and job makers to achieve success and have a positive impact on their futures.
FAQS
The Accelerator for Enterprising Women Female Founder Festivals are held across the country each year. These FREE events bring together an invaluable alliance of industry partners offering female entrepreneurs and women who are interested in starting a business, with access to a network of resources and connections.
The events offer practical workshops, as well as a panel discussion with women who are successfully running their own businesses to share their insights and experiences. Subscribe to our newsletter to make sure you don’t miss an event near you.
The Accelerator for Enterprising Women Kickstarter Challenge is designed to give female entrepreneurs the financial push they need to bring their new business ideas to life, through a pitch style competition. Women are encouraged to submit their business idea for the chance to share in $60k worth of equity free funding. Five finalists will be selected to pitch their idea in person at the Grand Final event in Canberra, with support, tools and resources from our experts to assist with pitch preparation. For key dates and information check out our Kickstarter pages (hyperlink these) on the website.
The Accelerator for Enterprising Women program runs FREE Incubator Workshops right around Australia. These workshops are made up of four mini-masterclasses in key areas that will help refine your business idea and build your submission for the Kickstarter Challenge. Register your interest via the Incubator Workshop page here on our website.
Evidence shows people learn 4x faster in a VR environment. With over 23 million jobs depending on VR by 2030, the Accelerator for Enterprising Women developed Archer’s Lab, a safe and immersive virtual reality learning environment designed to build confidence in female entrepreneurs.
Archer’s Lab was named in honour of Mary Ellinor Archer, an innovative trailblazer and the first female scientist and chief librarian at the CSIRO. It includes a variety of activities to help you become ‘pitch perfect’:
- Co-working space – Meet your host, create your avatar and get prepped with the Pitch Perfect video series
- Elevator Pitch – Come face-to-face with an investor and pitch your business idea in 15 or 30 seconds (in a virtual elevator!)
- Pitch Room – Pitch to a panel of four experts ‘Shark Tank’ style – get ready for their questions
- Perspective Shift – Watch and listen to your pitch, tick off the pitch essentials you successfully included
To enquire about an Archer’s Lab workshop please contact us.
Yes, the Accelerator for Enterprising Women program is funded under the Australian Government’s Women’s Leadership and Development Program. It is part of a broader initiative to inspire the next generation of female entrepreneurs available free to women and girls through the Academy for Enterprising Girls, the Accelerator for Enterprising Women and Enterprising ME.
Lots of ways, follow us on social @AcceleratorforW
Or get in touch via the Contact Us form here.
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