With a focus on women’s entrepreneurship

Smaiyra Million, Director of Strategic Initiatives for Babson College’s Center for Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership (CWEL), kicking off the Diana International Impact Day.

Having spent the last two days (Monday and Tuesday) at Babson College outside of Boston and the Diana International Research Conference has been terrific. It is almost 16 years now since the first Diana research conference was organized.

I still remember how I, together with Professors Candy Brush, Nancy Carter, Betsy Gatewood, Patti Greene and Myra Hart, rearranged furniture, printed papers and prepared binders for the first meeting held during the mid-summer weekend in 2003 in Stockholm. I don’t think anyone of us could imagine that it would be the start of something that would grow and become the research conference with a focus on gender and women’s entrepreneurship.

Since 2003 there has been 15 conferences including this one at Babson. More than 600 researchers from more than 40 countries have participated over the years. In 2003, we had less than 20 people from 12 countries coming together to discuss women entrepreneurs and financing in their respective countries. Over the years, the conference has broadened its scope and now all kinds of topics related to women’s entrepreneurship and innovation has a place.

Something that is very gratifying to see, is that the atmosphere still is very warm and that everyone is welcome – from early PhD students to the top professors in the field.

Today, Wednesday, I am looking forward to the Diana International Impact Day where we will focus on discussing women’s entrepreneurship and financing – and how to develop that.

/Magnus