Supporting women entrepreneurs to empower society

For the fourth consecutive year, the Women Entrepreneurs for Good (WE4G) program finalists took center stage at the 2024 Women’s Forum for the Economy & Society Global Meeting on October 23-24 in Paris. These initiatives are closely aligned, as both HEC Paris and the Women’s Forum believe that supporting women is about more than individual empowerment—it's about shaping our collective future and fostering sustainable progress

seven smiling women pose together at the Women’s Forum event. They are dressed in professional attire and wear accreditation badges around their necks. Behind them, a purple backdrop features a large screen with the text 'GOOD: Reweaving the Fabric of Society, One Venture at a Time Pitching Contest.' The women are standing close to each other, conveying a sense of camaraderie and positivity

"I will do a lot of publicity about this event to make sure that more men will join you."

This was the opening statement by Jean-Luc Allavena during his keynote speech at the plenary session on "Collective Engagement: The Heart of Reconciliation." The Chairman of Institute Aspen France, a prominent HEC Paris alumnus renowned in global investment finance and non-profit sectors, addressed the Women’s Forum Global Meeting audience. While the forum's attendees were primarily women, he emphasized that, "This event is not only about you women, but mostly about us. We are here not because of laws or standards, but because we believe in reconciliation, in working together to be better together and bring value together. This, to me, is the most important thing."

Promoting inclusive growth has become essential for sustainable progress, and women entrepreneurs are uniquely positioned to drive this change. By bringing diverse perspectives and solutions, they tackle today’s most pressing economic, social, and environmental issues.

Jean-Luc Allavena, dressed in a dark suit, speaks at the Women’s Forum for the Economy & Society. He stands behind a purple podium displaying the event details: 'Global Meeting, 23-24 October 2024' and the Women’s Forum logo

"When you support women in their projects, you also uplift all those involved in it and connected to their vision," said Marcelle Laliberté, HEC Paris Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer, after the WE4G pitching session. "The Women Entrepreneurs for Good program is not just about women; it impacts society as a whole. We empower society and elevate everyone together."

Marcelle Laliberté giving a presentation in a softly lit room. She is dressed in a light cardigan and blouse, holding a small device in one hand and gesturing with the other

Transforming The World, One Venture At A Time

The Women Entrepreneurs for Good (WE4G) program is a unique initiative by HEC Paris Innovation and Entrepreneurship Institute, launched in collaboration with the Women’s Forum for the Economy & Society, HEC Foundation, Bank of America Business, and Bredin Prat. Since its inception in 2021, WE4G has supported between 100 and 200 early-stage women entrepreneurs each year by providing business coaching, resources, visibility, and a network of stakeholders and global partners to drive their social and environmental ventures forward. The selected women address overlooked problems across fields such as health, tech, climate, finance, and education.

Each year, ten finalists are chosen from hundreds of applicants worldwide to join the HEC Incubator for a four-month online program during which the entrepreneurs have access to more than 1000 experts to help them bring to life their impact-based project.

For these women, the Women’s Forum Global Meeting is the pinnacle of their entrepreneurial journey—a platform to gain visibility and connect with investors through a high-stakes pitching competition.

group of women attentively watching a presentation or event. One woman in the foreground is smiling and wearing a blue jacket with a white scarf, while another woman beside her, dressed in an embellished beige outfit with a beige hijab, looks on with a focused expression. Other women in various attire are visible in the background, creating a vibrant and multicultural scene in a warmly lit room with modern decor.

World-Class Exposure To Make Change Happen

The WE4G 2024 finalists' journey began the day before the Paris gathering opened, at Station F, Europe’s largest startup campus. They connected with volunteers from Bank of America and Bredin Prat, partners of the WE4G programme, who were joined by participants from our women’s leadershipprogram from Saudi Arabia , staff from the HEC Paris incubator, HEC Paris professors, including Shaheena Janjuha-Jivraj, and HEC Paris executives including Inge Kerkloh-Devif, the Senior Executive Director of HEC Paris Innovation and Entrepreneurship Institute, its Director of Strategic Projects, Emma Cochrane and Marcelle Laliberté, our Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer.

In the evening, they gathered at Bredin Prat’s headquarters to practice their pitches and receive valuable feedback from lawyers, bankers and experts in entrepreneurship.. This supportive environment helped them boost their confidence and refine their presentations, preparing them for the competitive stage.

group of professionals poses together in a well-lit event space with wood flooring and modern lighting fixtures. They stand in front of two large screens displaying the text 'PITCH SESSION, Mardi 22 octobre' and 'Merci d’avoir participé à notre Pitch Session.

Stimulated by these exchanges, the finalists took to the stage at the Women's Forum for the Economy & Society global meeting in Paris on day 1, October 23rd, and pitched their ventures to an esteemed panel of judges from Bank of America, SISTA, Bredin Prat, Publicis, FemTech School and the HEC Paris Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute alongside a global audience of leaders, investors, and change-makers.

Nannette Lafond-Dufour, President of the Women’s Forum, delivered an inspiring speech that encouraged the finalists to pursue their goals, highlighting the role of women as catalysts for societal change.

Following this pitching contest, Marcelle Laliberté shared with a mix of emotion and conviction: "I'm proud of our institution to be able to put forward those projects and all the tremendous topics being covered that we usually just don't see. Making these projects visible and supporting each other is part of changing the dynamics."

Rewarding Transformative Ventures

Day 2 of the Women’s Forum Paris Global Meeting culminated in the announcement of three WE4G laureates: 

Jury Prize: Mathilde Janicot, founder of Revolty, whose project aims to democratize residential storage through sustainable battery solutions. 
Audience Prize: Justine Pelisson, founder of WIP (Women in Progress), an orientation and recruitment platform empowering young female engineers. 
Women's Health Prize: Elsie Amoako, founder of Mino Care, a virtual perinatal health center offering culturally safe healthcare services to support reproductive and perinatal health.

Presenting the jury prize, CEO of Bank of America Securities Europe and Country Executive France, Vanessa Holtz, highlighted the importance of women’s entrepreneurship as a transformative force for economic growth and equity. She remarked: "When women take the lead in businesses, they bring with them diverse perspectives and new ideas that fuel innovation, create jobs, and promote equitable growth."

Meet the Laureates

Selection for the WE4G program has always been rigorous, focusing on innovation, impact, social and/or environmental challenges, and the strength of the team. This year, 10 outstanding projects from 7 different countries have been recognized as laureates.

Yummy Greens: “Yummy Greens is empowering emerging communities across West & Central Africa through easy access to fresh, healthy and delicious food, while addressing youth & female unemployment and environmental sustainability…” Ruti Ejangue from Cameroon

Understand Your Cycle: “Understand Your Cycle is a medically verified platform that teaches us everything about the menstrual cycle, and how to work with it.” Capucine Cogne & Tara Margulies from the United Kingdom

Oly: “Oly is the B2B saas platform that accelerates and enhances product listings between fashion second-hand sellers and marketplaces.” Paula Menéndez Pausa from France

Akofresh: “Akofresh is a Green Cold Chain Enterprise offering smallholder farmers practical and affordable preservation services to put an end to post-harvest losses with Ghana as a pilot country.” Georgina Yaa Kwartemaa Boamah from Ghana

Revolty: “Revolty is democratizing residential storage with a sustainable & profitable battery.” Mathilde Janicot from France

Mino Care: “Mino Care is a holistic virtual perinatal health care center. We offer access to a range of customized, culturally safe health care services and social support to help patients navigate reproductive and perinatal health.” Elsie Amoako from Canada

WIP (Women in Progress): “WIP is an orientation and recruitment platform targeted to young female engineers—still in education or already professionally 'active'.” Justine Pelisson from France

BuriCare Limited: “BuriCare deals in the production and manufacture of eco-friendly baby products, not limited to the KangaCare Carriers but also knitted baby sweaters, stockings, etc.” Comfort Ayikoru (Uganda)

Pépite Raisin: “Pépite Raisin boosts the environmental performance of the wine industry through grape circularity.” Célia Roussin (France)

Plas-Tech Energies: “Plas-Tech Energies Limited converts plastic waste to clean cooking gas and helps reduce energy poverty, plastic waste pollution, and deforestation.” Zubeda Khalifa (Kenya)

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