This document discusses challenges faced by women entrepreneurs and efforts to promote more women in business leadership. It notes that women are less likely to receive funding from venture capitalists due to biases, both implicit and explicit. However, businesses led by women have been shown to outperform those led by men in terms of returns. The organization ARIS is working to enable more women to participate in its startup accelerator program, with over 50% of current resident teams being led by women. The document advocates for starting with education to empower more girls and women to become visionary business leaders.

1. Women as Changemakers
In an ever-changing global environment
Monica Ioannidou Polemitis, 2018

2. Presentation title
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© 2016 ZAO Deloitte & Touche CIS 2
Where are
the women?

3. Why are there not more women entrepreneurs?

4. Why are there not more women entrepreneurs?Why are there not more women entrepreneurs?
• Women are less likely to have information about how to
become an entrepreneur and to have female role
models.
• Differences in the way women experience failure,
stress / emotional tax, family obligations?
• Lack of confidence.
• Biggest problem – lack of funding.

5. Women aren’t being funded equally – why?
7.2% 7.9% 8.3% 9.4%
11.4%
14.2% 15.1% 16.0% 16.5% 16.8%
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Percentage of global VC deals for companies with at least one female founder
• VCs are overwhelmingly male, and men tend to have social networks filled with men. So due to the VC
firms’ composition, they tend to fund individuals like themselves.
• The historical minority of female founders means a historical minority of female-entrepreneur successes,
which makes it harder for women to get funding (investors have trouble thinking of too many successes,
and thus automatically bias against).
• Studies have also found that VCs talk about men and women entrepreneurs differently, and that they ask
them different types of questions, which can ultimately affect the funding they receive.

6. But they are winning…
Companies with female founders
performed 63% better than all-male
founded teams
Women-led startups have a 35 percent higher return on investment (ROI.)
Women’s lack of financing means they end up owning more of
their company and may get to profitability sooner than if they had
all the capital in the world.
Three out of the ten top 10 investments of all time based on value created
for investors, have at least one female founder.
They are less likely to create a product simply because it’s feasible or
technology suddenly allows them to do so. Instead, they focus on
addressing real issues or problems they’ve observed or experienced.
Enterprises founded by women, employ more women.
Women know they’re likely to start with less funding, but determined to scale
their companies, they generally learn early to be capital efficient.

7. At ARIS, we want to actively and
practically enable both sides of the
population to join our accelerator
and work towards launching
successful startups.

8. ARIS was founded by Deloitte and the Bank of Cyprus in February 2017. It was
launched in February 2018.
ARIS is an acceleration programme. The programme is open to all
entrepreneurs and teams who are passionate about solving today’s problems through
innovative solutions and by utilizing technological means.
The accelerator is targeting tech startups in order to assist them to
commercialize a new innovative product or service.
Introducing ARIS

9. How are we doing so far? 8 resident teams – 50% women led!
We make an effort and it’s paying off. Join us!

10. Little girls
with dreams
Become
women
with vision
Lets start with education

11. © 2018 Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited

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