I was talking to a female entrepreneur recently. I can’t say who because, in that self-effacing way that women do so well, she had reservations about criticizing Michigan’s entrepreneurial ecosystem without the protection of anonymity. She suggested I look up a picture of the recent winners of the Great Lakes Entrepreneur’s Quest to see that only two of them are companies founded by women. (Two of the women pictured aren’t founders.) “There’s definitely a bias, especially in the Midwest, but it’s everywhere,” she told me. “I wish that gender wasn’t ‘a thing.’ It’s pretty classic, the lack of diversity. I don’t think anyone goes in and says ‘I’m only going to fund white guys,’ but people go with what’s familiar, maybe more so in high risk endeavors.”
The persistent gender disparity in local startups has led to two new initiatives in Michigan that aim to reverse the trend, or at least to entice more women to throw their hats into the entrepreneurial ring. Inforum, an organization dedicated to the professional development of women with 1,800 members statewide, will take the lead on the new programs, which will launch at the end of summer.
The first program, Activate, is a series of classes meant to help women turn ideas into viable businesses and develop existing businesses. Accepting applications until August 1 and launching August 28, Activate will be split into two halves, with each half containing 20 classes. The first 20 classes are dedicated to developing a business concept, crafting a personal mission statement, due dilligence, and exploring the target market and its avenues of monetization. The second 20 classes cover the specifics of developing a business plan and financing structure, with the ultimate goal of a viable business plan that can move forward. The program runs from late August to the following June, with a break between January and February.
“We’re really looking at innovation-based entrepreneurial ideas and companies that are tech-based or tech-enabled,” says Kathleen Mechem, Inforum’s executive director of entrepreneurial strategies, adding that the program is geared toward mid-career women with at least five years of experience in science, tech, or business development. “The ultimate goal of the Activate program is to help develop innovative, high-growth companies that can contribute to the revitalization of Michigan’s economy.”
Mechem says that 2010 census information shows that women now earn 58 percent of the nation’s bachelor’s and advanced degrees, outpacing men for the first time in history. Despite that high rate of education, only about 3 percent of tech companies are founded by women. The way to turn that around, Mechem says, is through business development programming and access—to mentors, to networks, and to investment capital.
Which brings us to our second program: a collaboration with Astia, the San Francisco-based global non-profit that works to to ensure access to capital for women-led companies, offer intense mentorship to develop the executive leadership skills of female founders, and increase the likelihood that the client
