A major international conference in Auckland is exploring how to better support female founders and highlighting wāhine Māori perspectives on entrepreneurship.
A statement from the University of Auckland’s Business School says a couple of the big questions to be tackled at the world’s leading research conference on women’s entrepreneurship, which is being held in New Zealand for the first time in July are: what do female entrepreneurs really want and why is the system still stacked against them?
The Diana International Research Conference from 1-4 July, brings together top researchers and industry experts from around the world to tackle funding inequities, structural barriers and discuss the future of women-led enterprise, with a spotlight on te ao Māori perspectives.
Professor Chris Woods, the University of Auckland’s Business School’s Theresa Gattung Chair for Women in Entrepreneurship, and Diana Conference co-chair, says this is the only conference that focuses solely on women’s entrepreneurship, and that it’s an opportunity to garner insights from interested attendees, researchers and founders.
“We’ll be asking: What do women entrepreneurs want? How do we bridge the gap between academic research and industry, and how can we tackle the barriers women face when building businesses?”
Hosted by the Business School’s Aotearoa Centre for Enterprising Women, the conference includes keynote talks, academic sessions, and a public-facing Impact Day on Friday July 4, a one-day forum featuring panels on capital access, wāhine Māori leadership, and entrepreneurial futures.
