The event also witnessed the release of a research study titled, ‘Navigating Challenges and Breaking Barriers: Women social entrepreneurs in India and Their Resilience in establishing their startups’ in collaboration with University of Texas. Unveiled by Paresh Kumar Vaish, Senior Partner at EY (Performance Improvement Markets). The research study has been authored and contributed by Bonita B Sharma, Ph.D Assistant Professor, University of Texas at San Antonio, Akshay Bapte, Program Associate at STEP, Reinu Shah, Founder and CEO at STEP, and Eusebius Small, Ph.D. Associate Professor, University of Texas at Arlington.
Additionally, STEP announced its strategic partnership with FICCI FLO to empower women entrepreneurs across the country. By combining STEP’s expertise and experience with FLO’s extensive network and presence, the program aims to make a significant impact on women entrepreneurs by providing them with top-quality training, mentorship, and networking opportunities. The partnership intends to equip aspiring and established women entrepreneurs in various cities with the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in their ventures. This initiative will not only benefit individual entrepreneurs but will also contribute to the overall economic development of their respective communities.
Commenting on the launch of the study, a spokesperson from University of Texas, said in a statement, “Our research suggests that several factors such as the geographical location, legal structure, age of the founder, and whether the founder is a first-generation entrepreneur have a notable impact on both the business operations and policy hurdles faced by startups.”
Speaking on the partnership, Sudha Shivkumar, National President FICCI FLO, said, “FICCI FLO has been working for 40 years to empower women entrepreneurs and professionals to become leaders in their fields and make a positive impact on society. We do this through various initiatives and programs focused on skill-building, mentorship, networking, advocacy, and community outreach. This partnership with STEP is to build on our mission and work with industry partners. “
Sharing a comment on the partnership, Aarti Gupta – National Head, FICCI FLO Startup, said, “Under FLO’s Startup initiative we envision to take a step forward to create a more equitable, accessible, and empowered startup ecosystem for women in India. Along with STEP we intend to leverage our network in 19 cities and help create access, learning opportunities, and funding for women entrepreneurs.”
Speaking on the impact of the initiative, Reinu Shah, Founder and CEO, STEP, said, “STEP’s mission is to transform the landscape of women entrepreneurship in India and knit a supportive ecosystem for aspiring women entrepreneurs to thrive and lead. We are thrilled to have extended a platform to 30 potential entrepreneurs who showcased their disruptive ideas and startups to a panel of investors and mentors. We are grateful to our partners who supported us to provide wings to the promising entrepreneurial journey of these entrepreneurs. Resonating with our vision, we are glad to ink a strategic partnership with FICCI Flo to reinforce our commitment to give headway to women across India. It is part of our continuous initiatives to create a collaborative community for female entrepreneurs and encourage gender diversity in Indian enterprises. We carefully work to help women-owned businesses by offering grants, mentoring, and other forms of assistance.”
