Startup Global Women: Harnessing the Power of Global Markets for Women-Owned Businesses

On March 18, 2021, the Global Innovation Forum (GIF) and the International Trade Administration (ITA) hosted a Startup Global webinar to share insights and advice from women-led small businesses, technology providers and trade experts to help small businesses go global.

The event was held in support of the Startup Global initiative, a public-private partnership between ITA and GIF to help small and early-stage American businesses discover the tools and resources to participate effectively in the global marketplace. In celebration of Women’s History Month, the session highlighted stories of inspiring women entrepreneurs, advocates of women’s economic empowerment and trade experts to share advice, steps and strategies to enter new markets.

Conversation with Global Women Startups

The opening panel featured lessons learned and best practices from three women entrepreneurs who have launched and grown global businesses. The women are leading Cloud to Street, a New York City-based platform for analyzing flood risk, around the world for the most climate-vulnerable communities, Marjani Beauty, a Washington, DC-based inclusive cosmetics e-commerce boutique, and Webee Corporation, a Mountain View, California-based tech company focused on streamlining knowledge through data automation.

Advice and Resources for Going Global

The following panel included speakers from Vital Voices, a global organization that works with women leaders to scale and accelerate their impact, UPS and Mastercard to emphasize the importance of leveraging peer and professional networks and resources to succeed in the global marketplace.

Government Resources for International Growth

The final panel brought together a variety of trade experts from the public sector to share the unique opportunities offered by their organizations. Whether businesses are new to exporting or expanding into new markets, there is government support to help during the process. Representatives from the U.S. Commercial Service, Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Network and Michigan Economic Development Corporation shared their insights into how to take advantage of the many resources available.

Watch the Full Recording