About women, innovation and finding inspiration
It has been an interesting and dynamic month in many ways. Apart from working on a number of exciting projects, I have also had the opportunity to attend some interesting events that have given me the motivation and the inspiration that I needed to keep going or kick start new initiatives.
"Zest" is a two day event organised annually by the Malta Communications Authority for the startup community in the Mediterranean and the region. It offers a dynamic and ideal environment for networking and the showcasing of disruptive tech innovations. This year, Zest delved into talks and debates about anything AI, block chain, food tech and 3D printing but also offered the right platform for learning, discussion, motivation and inspiration on startups, funding, innovation, content marketing and taking your business from startup to scale-up. It was inspiring to be there and listening to some amazing speakers from across the globe and their interesting stories. Among the most interesting talks was a review of the European startup eco system told through the story of a road trip journey across Europe of Samer Karam and his dog Lexie, that offered insight on the nature of the startup eco system.
I also had the opportunity to attend one of the satellite events to the 2-day conference, "Women- Zest Unbound". This event was organised by 100 Women in Finance and Malta Communications Authority; an event with the aim to inspire female entrepreneurs in the region. A discussion between two amazing women; Tugce Ergul (Co-founder at Angel Labs) and Bindi Karia (Innovation Expert, Advisor and Super Connector - London) touched upon the challenges faced by women in the startup world. The conversation between the two served as inspiration as we got to know more about their respective stories. One thing that kept me thinking from this session is how we as women seem to have to do that little extra effort to prove our worth, or that we're totally capable of doing what we plan out to do. Additionally, how we also need to close the 'confidence gap' between men and women in order to allow ambitious women to flourish.
This month also gave me the possibility to attend yet another event targeted for female entrepreneurs. "Women Mean Business" as part of SME Week 2017 organised by a number of local women organisations; Foundation for Women Entrepreneurs, National Council of Women and Business and Professional Women Malta together with the Ministry for the Economy, Investment and Small Businesses. The event brought together women of all ages who are entrepreneurs or wish to be. The event included a number of workshops on marketing and financing and provided easy access to support measures and services available for entrepreneurs. The beauty of this event was that it indeed served as a supportive environment whereby women of all ages came together to network, inspire and support each other. We all face the same issues, concerns and fears and we should be able to support one another.
And finally, while we're on the subject of women and business. I wanted to share this video of this inspirational woman who in the 1960s was a pioneer for women in business and tech. Enjoy listening to the inspiring story of Dame Stephanie Shirley.
You can find inspiration if you look for it. It is there for the taking and ready for you if you are ready for it. I think it is quite adequate to end this article with a quote, not from some philosopher or other but from a TV series which I enjoyed watching for many seasons - "How I Met Your Mother".
“You can ask the universe all signs you want but ultimately we only see what we want to see when we’re ready to see it.”
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