The year 2020 is a year like no other. While data shows the pandemic hasn’t affected the overall amount VC dollars invested in tech companies (on par with previous years; US), it has already had a disproportionate effect on the funds allocated to women-led businesses. Venture checks for female founders are at their lowest since 2017. The broader picture is even grimmer, with a real threat to roll back the last 30 years of economic progress for women (according to the International Monetary Fund).

A certain male news anchor once said: "What the hell is diversity?" Little did he know that the woman who entered the room in the next six seconds would be the best news anchor he ever met. A lot has happened since the Sixties, Seventies, Eighties and Nineties and we as a society are better for it.

It is no secret by now that we are huge supporters of encouraging more females into the tech industry, and closing the gender equality gap. We have recently released out latest issue all about Women in Tech, where we spoke to some amazing females and heard some empowering stories from both males and females in the industry. However, to hear from some more inspiring females and males about the tech industry, and particularly the role women have within it, then head along to the 4th annual conference from Women in Electronics.

Resilience and Recovery, a new report from the Female Founders Forum - a project by think tank The Entrepreneurs Network, in partnership with Barclays - has revealed that female-founded, equity-backed businesses have been worse affected by the COVID-19 pandemic than their male counterparts.

Startups Magazine and Fiverr have come together to bring Female Founders a Micro-Grant, to win £5,000 Fiverr credit. This competition has now closed for new entries.

A woman’s work is never done. This phrase is now more poignant than ever as we grapple with the new realities posed by the current pandemic. It is, however, especially true for successful female entrepreneurs who are left dealing with the struggles of everyday life whilst trying to run a thriving business.

Hopefully, it goes without saying that women are vital members of any team in business. The best ideas are conceptualised and executed by groups with a variety of backgrounds, skills and opinions - homogenised teams will lead to unexciting products.

In my previous blog, I considered the steps necessary for business leaders to close the gap between rhetoric and reality on racial equity at work. This time, I wanted insight on what is actually happening on the frontline. I sat down with award-winning business strategist and founder of The Black British Business Awards, Melanie Eusebe. She has risen to the upper- echelons of the corporate world, and in our broad conversation offered her perspectives on corporate responsibility, solidarity, and how we sustain the current momentum.

Some people are doing very well out of the pandemic - the fraudsters. That’s because the chaos COVID-19 has caused makes it far easier for them to operate. Have you increasingly been asked to provide personal data to strangers since March? Have you changed any of your habits? Gordon Ramsey himself couldn’t have created a more perfect recipe for rising fraud. How can you make yourself as safe as possible and if you have been a victim, what should you do next?

Only one in five women in the UK hold investments... why? In the first of this three-part series I’ll be exploring this question and sharing some of my experience working in the male-dominated world of finance.

As part of our 'Women in Tech' focus we got the chance to speak to Lisa Krapinger, CMO at breathe ilo, who started working in marketing at Red Bull, leading the sampling and promotion team in order to combine her passion for sports with her career. Krapinger then moved to Heineken in brand management, where she was responsible for promoting the cider brands in Austria through sponsorships and events. Krapinger said: "What I realised from these two roles was that I loved working to build new brands and products up from scratch - hence why Carbomed Medical Solutions GmbH was the perfect next step in my career path."

In September 2020, Citigroup bank appointed a female CEO. Why is this big news? Because in doing so, the firm became the first big Wall Street bank to do so. Barriers are being broken down by female trailblazers in all walks of society and even traditionally masculine environments are being transformed into more balanced ones where everyone, regardless of their gender, has an equal chance at success.

UK-based social media and creative boutique for women, WE ARE F is celebrating the launch of its sister agency, WE ARE FEMALE ATHLETES. This powerhouse of female talent and global stars will represent, manage, and fight for, the underrepresented athletes at the forefront of the women’s sporting movement.

An organisation supporting underrepresented Founders in London and connecting them with opportunities in tech called OneTech is expanding its efforts to support and diversify London’s entrepreneurial community. Addressing systemic racial and economic barriers to entrepreneurship highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic, in collaboration with JPMorgan Chase.

For years, if not decades, being a ‘woman in tech’ has been seen as the exception to the rule and for many, a career path that’s littered with challenges. According to a Women in Tech report from PWC, only 5% of leadership positions in the tech sector are held by women, a paltry 3% of females say a career in tech is their first choice and only 16% of females have had a career in tech suggested to them (vs 33% of males).

The only virtual conference you need to attend surrounding Diversity and Inclusion in the workplace in 2020, the 'This Is Us Virtual Conference' is fast approcahing, taking place 20-21st October. We caught up with Meena Chander, founder of the conference.

Wonder Women Tech (WWT), a global ecosystem that serves women and underrepresented groups in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math), announced today the lineup for the organization’s first-ever virtual summit, taking place September 16-19th, 2020 from 9-5:30pm (PT).

With the upcoming issue focusing on Women in Tech and Female Founders, we decided to speak to a few females in the industry on their journey and experiences. Starting with Franziska Kirschner, Research lead at Tractable. "When I was a child, I wanted to become a dog when I grew up. I genuinely believed that science would progress far enough that I could change species by the time I reached adulthood. Unfortunately,  the world’s scientists had other ideas and their endeavours focused elsewhere, such as on making computers reason like humans. 

Businesses, whether they’re established, starting up or looking to grow, all have one thing in common. The need to be agile and aware.  And, if the pandemic has taught us anything it’s that businesses can adapt to a changing market and they can do it very quickly.

A campaign to identify Britain’s 100 most inspiring and multi-achieving female entrepreneurs has officially kicked off, with dynamic businesswomen across the country encouraged to apply to join the ranks of the f:Entrepreneur #ialso 100.