Ottawa, ON —
Today, NFTC’s Global Innovation Forum (GIF) released a new report on how women are leveraging digitally-enabled networks to manage uncertainty and how governments can support women’s entrepreneurship through COVID-19 economic recovery efforts.
The Power of a Global Network: How women are leveraging digitally-enabled networks and how governments can help through COVID-19, produced with support from Intuit, features lessons from women leading small businesses in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Europe, Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America, and draws on third party data and commentary from experts and small business advisors.
It explores the value for women entrepreneurs of building and leveraging a global network of digitally-enabled peer, professional and government advisors to overcome challenges and build an international brand.
“The COVID-19 crisis has made it more urgent for small businesses to adopt digital tools to stay connected with global communities,” said Jamaica Gayle, Deputy Director of the Global Innovation Forum. “These digitally-enabled networks are particularly important for women entrepreneurs, who rely on technology tools and global communities to manage uncertainty and make their businesses more resilient.”
Intuit Canada and the Global Innovation Forum hosted a private, high-level discussion on women’s entrepreneurship with Canada’s Economic Development Minister Mélanie Joly and select Canadian business leaders on June 26 to build on the themes outlined in the report and highlight how the Government of Canada is continuing to drive women’s entrepreneurship during its economic recovery.
“Intuit was pleased to collaborate with the Global Innovation Forum to elevate the experiences of globally-engaged women business leaders,” said David Marquis, Country Manager, Intuit Canada. “In response to the COVID-19 crisis, it is more important than ever to support the long-term success of women entrepreneurs and help power prosperity around the world.”
Drawing on these lessons, GIF offers recommendations for how governments can utilize public policy to reduce barriers and connect with public, private sector and peer advisors.
“Governments have an opportunity to make policy support for women’s entrepreneurship and digitally-enabled trade core to economic recovery efforts,” said Jake Colvin, Executive Director of the Global Innovation Forum. “Countries should look to leverage opportunities to support digital trade and women’s economic empowerment at the World Trade Organization and through free trade agreements and regional trade forums,” he added.
The Power of a Global Network: How women are leveraging digitally-enabled networks and how governments can help through COVID-19, can be downloaded at http://globalinnovationforum.com/power-of-a-global-network-for-women-entrepreneurs
About the Global Innovation Forum
The Global Innovation Forum is a nonprofit effort to connect startup, small business, development, and university communities with policymakers and select corporations to explore the opportunities and challenges of engaging in the global marketplace. GIF serves as a hub for business, university and development communities around the world to communicate with officials and corporations, discover public and private resources to help them succeed, and improve the public policy landscape to enable global innovation. GIF is a project of the 501(c)(3) National Foreign Trade Council Foundation.