A podcast for entrepreneurial women: founders, builders, changemakers shaping the world we live in.

Female founders, investors and startup ecosystem enablers share their stories, knowledge, fears and failures, moments of growth and pieces of advice.
With these conversations, we want to inspire more women to build their own businesses.

#34: Out of natural habitat as a founder - Alina Bassi
Darya Kamkalova Darya Kamkalova

#34: Out of natural habitat as a founder - Alina Bassi

How do you launch an innovative business in uncharted territories? Alina Bassi realised she could apply principles of coffee waste management to recycle textiles into… plastics. A chemical engineer, she launched Kleiderly in a foreign country, with no language skills, and out of network. She masterfully addresses challenges of two industries simultaneously: cloth waste management and manufacturing plastics.

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#31: What is your weapon of choice to drive change? - Jacqueline van den Ende
Darya Kamkalova Darya Kamkalova

#31: What is your weapon of choice to drive change? - Jacqueline van den Ende

#31: What is your weapon of choice to drive change? - Jacqueline van den Ende

‘Be the change you want to see in the world’ sounds like a fulfilling life motto. But how do you put it into practice? How do you leave a positive mark in the world *and* enjoy the ride along the way? Ultimately, we all have just one life to experiment with.

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#28: Build an ideal team of investors and treat this as an alliance - Sonia Weymuller
Darya Kamkalova Darya Kamkalova

#28: Build an ideal team of investors and treat this as an alliance - Sonia Weymuller

Can FOMO (fear of missing out) be a market opportunity? Sonia Weymuller realised many people were seeking ways to invest into tech startups and be a part of the startup buzz. Yet, there was no platform in the MENA region to do so.

Sonia Weymuller is a Co-Founder and General Partner of VentureSouq (VSQ), a MENA-based venture capital firm, and Partner Lead for the VSQ Conscious Collective, its global impact-focused investment and educational platform.

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#22: Business angels’ wings and money for startups - Rita Vilas-Boas
Darya Kamkalova Darya Kamkalova

#22: Business angels’ wings and money for startups - Rita Vilas-Boas

9 out of 10 startups die, and the first years of any startup existence are the most challenging to navigate. This is where business angels can offer invaluable support to founders along with so much-needed capital.

Rita Vilas-Boas is a marketing professional, entrepreneur and angel investor focusing on consumer-centric startups. She is particularly interested in impact and women-led startups. In the last 20 years, she held top-tier roles at major global brands like Procter & Gamble and Coca-Cola as well as family businesses. Rita shares a moving story of fear, flight and growth that brought her to work and live in 7 countries across 3 continents.

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#17: Who should or should not raise venture capital? And how? - Gesa Miczaika
Darya Kamkalova Darya Kamkalova

#17: Who should or should not raise venture capital? And how? - Gesa Miczaika

Despite the glamorous image of venture capital, it's not a funding source that fits all. Who should and who absolutely should not raise venture capital to finance their business? How can you make the fundraising process less painful? And finally, is there a way for an outsider to break into the VC industry? Dr. Gesa Miczaika offers straightforward and deep answers to these questions.

Gesa is the founding partner at Auxxo Female Catalyst Fund, a venture capital firm co-investing in startups with at least one female founder in Europe.

This episode has many practical tips for women founders!

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