…acknowledging the fact that women innovate differently and especially the way HOW they innovate, uncovers why it is necessary for sustainable businesses to include women in the right places.

I am a former software consultant, founder for two years and together with a group of dedicated businesswomen, I am set out to help companies to build better businesses. We think this is possible by fostering an entrepreneurial mindset in companies, but not just entrepreneurial. A FEMININE entrepreneurial mindset. One of the key moments of my life as a founder was a speech, I was listening to at the „Hello Diversity“ conference, organized by Janina Sundermeier at Freie Universität Berlin. At this conference Prof. Dr. Stephanie Birkner ignited my obsession of the necessity of feminine mindsets in innovation. I personally do not come from the realm of innovation, but the aspect of women having a different take on it is plausible and makes for a central argument about why feminine mindsets have to be represented in places where they create life, business and society. To me, acknowledging the fact that women innovate differently and especially the way HOW they innovate, uncovers why it is necessary for sustainable businesses to include women in the right places.

In her speech, Prof. Birkner introduced a 3D-sense of innovation with which women naturally and generally invent other kinds of products – better products for volatile times. A feminine mindset has a tendency to take more social groups into account when it comes to making new products. But innovation doesn’t just happen by offering more diversity or let’s say hiring more women. It is certainly not enough to merely HAVE women in these places. They and in the end everyone needs the right environment to be innovative. A work environment where they can be their best selves, be self-learners, self-managers, self-creators and (this is the hardest one) be self-starters rather than wait their turn.

„Intrapreneurs add value to their workplace via their innovative thinking in the same way entrepreneurs add sustainable value via new venture creation and job creation“ (DCU Business School, 2018)

European Entrepreneurship Competence Framework

An entrepreneurial mindset helps us think forward, wanting to progress within our possibilities, wanting to improve and to solve problems and being resilient when it comes to challenges as they are more perceived as natural and solvable. Last year, another great scientist in the field, JuanFra Alvarado, researcher in entrepreneurship, made us aware of EntreComp, the European Entrepreneurship Competence Framework, which guides in determining and fostering an entre- and intrapreneurial mindset for employees but also for individuals.

„The entrepreneurship competence is increasingly recognized as a competence for life, relevant to personal development and fulfilment, finding and progressing in employment, as well as initiating new ventures ranging from community campaigns, social enterprises to new start-up businesses.“ (European Commission, 2018)

Making Business Female

Having an entrepreneurial mindset doesn’t mean you have to build your own business. As founders however, we learn entrepreneurial thinking and acting the very hard and fast way. Because we have to, in order for our company to survive. But we know at the same time, that these outcome focused and solution-driven skills help us in numerous other ways of life and business. And we experience at the same time, that a feminine entrepreneurial mindset IS a different one – using a different set of values. Coming back to the 3D-sense of innovation: Companies do not just need employees with an intrapreneurial mindset, they need a diverse and inclusive one.

We start with a feminine one. At making business female we guide businesses and organizations in building a more inclusive work culture for by and with women. Women make business more diverse not just by taking part, but because they bring a 3D-sense of innovation to the table, that has a broader more inclusive audience in mind when they build products or culture. This is why companies should see and use their female talent in order to foster innovation and build an environment that is (psychologically) safe for feminine entrepreneurial thinking and acting. We are fascinated by fostering a female entrepreneurship mindset in companies and we put it in the center as one of the criteria of our consulting at making business female.

In the end, business ownership and business success are a mindset game! So let’s help people live a free entrepreneurial mindset. And let’s count on women to help foster it.