INVESTIGATING FUNDING FEMALES - is it enough?

Today I met David B Horne and discussed his new book and the launch of a vital fund for female founders this November in the City of London. I invite you to read his book FOUNDING FEMALE FOUNDERS and explore more my question “Is it enough?”

?The notion of “Is it enough?” is born of my simple observations that women are increasing a major force for good – in business and social/family life – and YET women and men do not have #JointCustody of our world/s …and this has been going on too long.

?My perspective covers 7 decades of changes in the workplace, in business ownership, social media and technology evolutions and soon AI (and who knows where that takes us!)??

I have worked with clients in most sectors, and across UK Europe, SE Asia and now US and online globally in all countries.?My own enterprise (Female Founder) Corporate Heart International provides facilitated experiences supported by unique tools and techniques that help individuals and groups through self-development awareness to elevate performance cultures at work. From CEOs to front line staff, women are under-represented especially as one studied higher management and board positions. In developing and under developed countries, female entrepreneurs/business owners suffer most marginalization and especially surviving through this pandemic.

Here you see me presenting to 1500 female entrepreneurs in Delhi Women Economic Forum 2015 and I observed the talent and growth in just one female global network was magnificent and vibrant. Every year this increases exponentially.

There are a million more networks that empower women across the globe yet we still don't have that illusive #JointCustody.

WOMEN ARE DEFINITELY WORTH FUNDING. My mission is bring women and men together to seed a new landscape where funding female founders would occur naturally as the best option for investment ever. I need to hold that dream as it is very slowly emerging. I joined G100 with it's mission for one million women in one network alone creating a new era of women's leadership. This is a movement for 'gender equality' as it invites male advocates to join at all levels. Real synergy in progress yet maybe still dividing women and men. Let's check out the news.

Notable good stories are growing - Alison Rose CEO of Nat West Bank an excellent example of female leadership that benefits an entire work culture and her engagement in the dialogue about female funding is a step forward.

Note this is not about placing women at the top, it is about the well managed synergy of the best variable mix of players, across all diversities and the principle that by adding a flexible #PositiveFeminity to the necessary #PositiveMasculinity gender dynamic mix that can accelerate to #AuthenticHarmony engagement of men and women together for future prosperity.?

There are already millions of women running their own businesses, their families and their lives - often against all odds!

Say goodbye to EQUALITY and hello to HARMONY is my message. The benefits of real synergy working between men and women and all diverse factors are massive sustainable growth and multiple level prosperity - not merely financial wealth but emotional stability and the growth of dynamic heart centered healthy economies, communities and societies across the globe..

Some companies are notably ahead of the game regarding women as in our NAT WEST example above. Now regard Patagonia and Virgin as these come to my mind as examples where both are led by intuitive visionaries – feelings-oriented wise MEN. These FOUNDERS seeded their culture of #AuthenticHarmony right from the get-go. In in these organizations women and men seamlessly work together across all sectors and all functions – and I am sure all conversations. These companies employ thousands of happy people. That’s a lot of enough-ness in our world!

So back to my quest of why FUNDING FEMALE FOUNDERS is so pressing an issue today and "is it enough?"

Having worked with and transformed individuals and company cultures over 30 years, I see the imbalances and struggles women have had and of course all marginalized groups and individuals have in our chaotic post lockdown economies.

As Chairperson of the WUSME Commission for Female Entrepreneurs, I have just submitted my compilation of perspectives from my commission members, female in developing countries who live every day with obstacles that stop anyone in their tracks, yet they persevere.?Women do.?One of the major obstacles is lack of funding.

?Our report will be submitted to the UN though?www.wusme.org to go towards the enormous stream of submissions and evidence that is studied in March every year around International Women’s Day. “Is it enough?” I ask you.

?The facts are so blatantly obvious and damaging to the sustainable lives of these women owned businesses who are the game changers and employers of the present and the future in their local and national communities.

We are draining the potential enterprise expansion of females in Africa, India, and SE Asia where micro financing made its debut so long ago. The fact that funding for female founder in the supposedly developed nations of our world is quite backwards, is shocking!?

?Gita Patel BSc(Econ),FCA Patel BSc (Econ),FCA?was - and still is - a pioneer Stargate's Trapezia EIS Fund, which launched and raised Europe's first venture fund, targeting only women-focused businesses, a sector vastly underserved by The City – this was over a decade ago. The city was not obliging in their support. Maybe now, post lockdown, we can truly value the rising significance of women owned enterprises and expand economic growth in these times of uncertainty. In my experience, women manage uncertainty better than men in general as they combine business and life in every heartbeat

?I’m not suggesting that the SDGs on Gender Equality Policy are failing however I do challenge the speed of transformation that we can achieve by using our ‘knowledge, experience and imagination’ and ask “how can we invest in female founders NOW?” and raise the bar on awareness for men and women to merge our magnificent talents and traits on a new landscape of authentic harmony.

I believe that once we stop fighting for equality and ask for accountability in #JointCustody and consciously build a new model of enterprise that embraces operation excellence and people harmony, we will quickly notice an increase in funding, access to technology and support networks because these are already available only not yet redirected to female founders.

?Maybe the fastest route to our future is to say “Goodbye Equality Hello Harmony” – and gather around the table of #AuthenticHarmony abundance without judgement or recrimination, forgiving past traumas for the gain of future blessings.

This is my passion, my purpose and my legacy. This is not all about WOMEN - it is about a new narrative for WOMEN and MEN of all diversities and experiences. Join me to discover more.

#GenderDynamicsIntelligence #G100GlobalChair #PositiveMasculinity