Female founders the focus of Entrepreneurship Week

Bond University produces more successful start-up founders than almost any other Australian university according to new data published this week.

It’s an achievement which Bond University student and entrepreneur Lilliana Swainson is particularly proud of, and one that she says can be built upon.  

“There is a significant under-representation of female entrepreneurs in the start-up ecosystem,” says Ms Swainson. 

“If we want more women in entrepreneurship, we need initiatives which are designed to attract, involve and support female founders.

“This means creating spaces for women to learn about opportunities, develop new skills, and network with like-minded people.” 

Next week, Miss Swainson in collaboration with the Bond Business School and Transformer Program will host Bond’s inaugural ‘Celebrating Women in Entrepreneurship’ event.

The event will see three of Australia’s most inspiring female entrepreneurs take to the stage to share their start-up stories of success and provide tips and tricks on how to take business ideas to the next level.

“Over the past few months, I have been working on creating an event to inspire the next generation of women in entrepreneurship,” says Ms Swainson.

“Next Wednesday, in line with Global Entrepreneurship Week, Bond will host the inaugural Celebrating Women in Entrepreneurship event – an opportunity to network with and hear from an impressive panel of established entrepreneurs.”

Speakers at the event include Larissa Rose – Director and Founder of GG Enviro, an environmental consultancy firm, and Amelia St Baker – a founder of multiple businesses and member of the Queensland Chief Entrepreneur’s Innovation Advisory Council.

Former Chancellor of Bond University and pioneering businesswoman, Imelda Roche AO, will take part in an online Q&A session as part of the event. Named one of the world’s 50 leading female entrepreneurs in Paris in 1997, Dr Roche was the first woman and first Australian appointed Chair of the World Federation of Direct Selling Associations.

“It’s so important to find the confidence to pursue your ideas,” Dr Roche says.

“That’s why these events are so valuable.”

The event coincides with Women’s Entrepreneurship Day – a globally recognised day supported by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5 (achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls).

“I know a lot of female students who are sitting on great ideas and concepts but don’t have the confidence to take these ideas to the next level,” says Ms Swainson.

“We hope this event gives students and attendees the confidence to back themselves and their ideas. We want this to become an annual celebration of women in entrepreneurship at all levels.”

Ms Swainson is currently studying a Bachelor of Law and International Relations and is one of about 100 students who has taken part in Bond’s entrepreneurship program, Transformer, since it began in 2017. 

Transformer is an Australian-first entrepreneurship program which is offered as a fee-free, extracurricular option to undergraduate and postgraduate students from all disciplines to pursue entrepreneurial endeavours. 

Global Entrepreneurship Week is run by The Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN). Celebrating Women in Entrepreneurship is a registered event with the Global Entrepreneurship Network.

For more information and to purchase tickets to Celebrating Women in Entrepreneurship, click here.