The event delved into key topics related to gender diversity in start-ups and provided a great forum for important discussions, with expert panellists sharing valuable insights on the challenges and opportunities in fostering inclusivity. Excellent progress can be seen in this area through the BioEscalator's recent annual review, reporting that 48% of the companies located within their labs have a female CEO or Founder, however, panellists emphasised that more work is needed within the broader startup ecosystem to ensure greater representation and support for women in leadership roles.
Gender diversity in startups
Panel one explored the importance of gender diversity in startups, discussing how diverse teams drive innovation, improve decision-making, and enhance overall business performance. Panellists included:
- Sarah Haywood (Chair) - Managing Director, Advanced Oxford
- Danuta Jeziorska - Biotech CEO, Serial Entrepreneur, Inventor, Angel Investor & Gene regulation/Functional genomics for drug discovery expert
- Mira Kassouf - Scientist at the University of Oxford & Director at Innovation Forum Oxford
- Annelise Vuidepot - Chief Technology Officer & UK Site Head at Immunocore
- Pete Wilder - Head of Property, Operations, & Portfolio Management at Oxford Science Enterprises
- Simonetta Manfredi - Director of Research, Innovation and Enterprise Oxford Brookes University
The starting point for discussion centred around the recent Advanced Oxford report: Gender Inclusivity – A Catalyst for Innovation, with key insights including:
- Culture as a key driver to support diversity and gender-inclusive innovation
- Establishing strong values for your organisation and communicate openly
- Policies alone don't create an inclusive environment
- A masculine culture negatively impacts innovation and decreases career satisfaction
Challenges and opportunities for women entrepreneurs
Panel two focused on the challenges and opportunities for women entrepreneurs, exploring ways to encourage more women to launch their own ventures, and shared insights on overcoming barriers, accessing funding, and building supportive networks.Panellists included:
- Sasha Graham (Chair) - CEO of Equality Group (EG)/ Inclusion Advocate/ Strategic Leader for Asset Management, Tech, Corporates and Public Sectors
- Emilie Syed - Senior Investment Manager, Life Sciences and MedTech at Zinc
- Lian Ni L. - Co-founder & VP Preclinical, Infinitopes Precision Immunomics
- Kylie Vincent - Professor of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Oxford
- Katrina Kutchinsky - Founder of AKA Communications
- Katharina Ramshorn - Life Sciences Investment Associate, OSE
The panelists shared their journeys to becoming founders, highlighting the unique challenges they faced as women in business - from overcoming unconscious biases to balancing entrepreneurship with childcare. The discussion covered key topics such as how to inspire more women to take the leap into entrepreneurship and the role investors play in fostering greater diversity among founders. A recurring theme was the vital importance of a strong support network, with panellists emphasising the impact of both male and female mentors who helped shape their success.
Advice from Female Founders
On the weeks preceding the event, we were also lucky enough to hear from some of the BioEscalator's female founders, who shared words of wisdom and tips for women looking to begin their journey in entrepreneurship. Click on each image below to discover more about each founder, their journey into entrepreneurship and hear their advice.