Conference Presentation, Fireside Chat, Panel
MI Forum - Innovating Women - The Changing Face of Technology
Milken InstituteSharon Vosmek, Dane Stangler, Anousheh Ansari, Vivek Wadhwa, Farai Chideya, Mindy Silverstein
- The Milken Institute has scheduled a series of upcoming events including a London summit later this month, Partnering for Cures and California summits in Santa Monica next month, and a forum featuring Wesley Clark next Tuesday that is nearly at capacity.
- Vivek Wadhwa expects a new paper on gender and entrepreneurship with the Kauffman Foundation to be finalized soon and anticipates that the cost of creating world-changing companies will drop exponentially due to technology, removing past disadvantages for women.
- Wadhwa predicts women are primed to own the future as tech adoption evolves, views crowdfunding as hugely transformative and the most successful funding method for women, and expects the book "Innovating Women" to serve as a powerful innovation tool without receiving negative reviews.
- Anusha Ansari forecasts entrepreneurship will become easier for women in certain global regions than corporate advancement due to government restrictions, expects 62% of educated women in Iran to pursue entrepreneurial opportunities despite legal hurdles, and plans to actively engage young girls in science and technology.
- Ansari predicts technology will play a significant role in humanity's future that changes completely with increased female involvement, warns of a scary future due to current lack of participation, and expects young girls to need role models proving women in STEM do not need to be outcasts to succeed.
- Dane Stangler predicts fields where women are underrepresented are most exposed to entrepreneurship and anticipates the next wave of U.S. economic growth will come from horizontally extending women's participation in high-growth entrepreneurship.
- Stangler suggests building exposure and interaction in STEM fields where women earn degrees will widen the funnel for everyone and referenced $2 billion in foundation capital directed toward women-led startups.
- Sharon Vozmek expects 8,000 globally available deals with women on founding teams ready for investment at any time and predicts shifting wealthy women from philanthropy to angel investing will change the system.
- Vozmek expects venture capital firms to be pressured to disclose gender data to remove window dressing, anticipates foundations can direct capital into sensible investments in women-led startups, and expresses skepticism that crowdfunding is a panacea due to online deals mirroring traditional VC biases.
- Vozmek predicts the excuse regarding the computer science degree pipeline is invalid as companies like Google no longer require bachelor's degrees, expects women to reach executive ranks as society becomes more comfortable with intimate business across genders, and is bullish on entrepreneurship as a shortcut to power, equity, and influence.