GUILD Women in Entrepreneurship Program
DWIH San Francisco welcomed an inaugural cohort of 100 women who took part in an eight-week hybrid program (April 1, 2024 – May 24, 2024) for entrepreneurship that focused on German researchers. The ten finalists were invited to San Francisco in September for an in-person summit.
Although the number of women entrepreneurs is slowly rising, there are still structural barriers. DWIH San Francisco, with its aim to foster German-American research and innovation, designed this program in collaboration with the GUILD Academy. It offers German scientists and researchers an opportunity to develop their business skills and join a network of women-entrepreneurs in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Of the one hundred participants, we invited ten finalists who came to the San Francisco Bay Area from September 2nd-6th for the in-person summit. They include Christina Port (2NA FISH), Komali Valishetti (BioBeacon), Mariana M. (Reprochip), Micaela Piscione (HeidiMed), Imene Abid (Goodle), Camila Quintero (MediOwl), Svenja Zihsler (Mentalee), Dana Pietralla (paged), Doreen Kästner (Familia), Dorothea von Griessenbeck (GRANTORING).
The in-person summit features personalized meet-and-greets with investors and startup leaders and helps them deepen their understanding of the innovation ecosystem in our region. Some highlights were visits to the Stanford d.school, UC Berkeley Skydeck, and the chance to hear from Peter Hazelhurst (CEO, Synctera). This visit catalyzes the exchange of ideas and knowledge between the participants and successful women entrepreneurs who transitioned from scientific backgrounds to lead innovative tech companies and startups and build their transatlantic network. Participants will have lifelong access to the GUILD network.
The outcomes of the program include a cohort of women empowered with an entrepreneurial mindset and equipped with the knowledge to navigate commercialization strategies in Germany and the United States. Participants joined an established network, cultivated connections with successful entrepreneurs and gained exposure to cutting-edge innovations in Silicon Valley. In addition, they have an improved understanding of their career opportunities as founders and realize the potential of their innovation to create female-led businesses.