Events and Initiatives for Women Founders All Month Long [Closed]

We're dedicating the month of November to women founders! If you're a woman founder or entrepreneurial leader, expect a string of exciting events and initiatives exclusively for you.

• SEA Checks: Women Founders Edition - Throughout November
• Fireside Discussion on Navigating Startup Risks - November 15, 2023
• 20-Minute Virtual Office Hours For Women Founders - November 20 - 24, 2023
• The Highs & Lows of Being a Woman Founder in Southeast Asia - November 30, 2023

Why are we doing this?

The founder experience is challenging, nuanced and unique to every individual, and it's especially true for women founders who are historically and severely underfunded. We want to create spaces for women founders and investors to speak candidly about their experiences, learn from one another, and build authentic connections.

Why this month?

The better question is: why not this month? We don't want to wait until International Women Day, nor do we want this to be a one-off initiative. Our commitment to supporting women founders in Southeast Asia is strong and ongoing. This is just the beginning, with more Women Founders-focused initiatives to come from Iterative.

So what's happening?

We have a list of in-person events and virtual initiatives - sign up for any (or all!) that you're interested in.

We’re thrilled to have teamed up with Uncommon, a community learning and development platform for female leaders, to create these events specifically for women founders.

More Details on Each Initiative

SEA Checks: Women Founders Edition

Throughout November

To help founders fundraise, we launched SEA Checks - a common application for startups to submit a pitch deck to a group of active investors. During the month of November, we’ll prioritise applications from women founders. All founders need support, but we know women founders are severely under invested compared to men founders.

How it Works

1. Submit Your Deck – Go here, submit your deck and some basic contact information.
2. Distribute to Everyone – Every other week, all of the submissions will be sent to all of the investors on the list.
3. Investors Contact You – If an investor is interested, they will contact you directly.

Submit your SEA Checks pitch deck here.

Fireside Discussion on Navigating Startup Risks

‍Wednesday, November 15

Location: CBD, Singapore

Iterative, together with Uncommon, is hosting an exclusive in-person event for women founders.

Join us as we delve into the world of risk-taking in entrepreneurship. Discover the art of calculated risks and learn invaluable strategies to de-risk the process of launching your startup.

During this fireside discussion, expect honest dialogue and practical advice to help you embark on your entrepreneurial journey with confidence. You’ll hear from:

• Yolanda Lee, founder of Uncommon (Moderator)
• Alexandra Zhang, co-founder of Factorem
• Yuying Deng, founder of Esevel
• Shiyan Koh, Managing Partner of Hustle Fund

After the fireside discussion, you’ll have the opportunity to connect with like-minded women. Light refreshments will be provided.

• Date: Wed, 15 Nov 2023
• Time: 6-8pm SGT
• Location: CBD, Singapore

This is an in-person event with limited capacity. You must be approved to attend this event.

Register for Navigating Startup Risks in-person event here.

20-Minute Virtual Office Hours For Women Founders

‍November 20-24

Working on a problem and want some guidance from an experienced founder? Sign up for 1-on-1 support from the Iterative team. It doesn't matter what stage, whether we or anyone else has invested, or what the problem is, we want to try to help.

Participating Iterative team members:

• Hsu Ken - Managing Partner‍
• Sylvia Yin - Director of Founders Team‍
• Cathy Guo - Principal

As slots are limited, we can't guarantee everyone who signs up will get a spot. You’ll receive a confirmation email and calendar invite by Thu 16 Nov if you have secured a spot.

Sign up for Virtual Office Hours here.

The Highs & Lows of Being a Woman Founder in Southeast Asia

November 30, Thursday

Location: Zoom

In collaboration with Uncommon, Iterative is hosting a virtual panel event to support women founders of Southeast Asia. We think it's important for women to come together to share their triumphs and challenges - expect candid conversations, practical advice, and honest sharing on what it means to be a woman leader. For women founders, by women founders.

This virtual panel event features 4 women founders of Iterative:

• Cathy Guo, Principal at Iterative (Moderator)
• Yolanda Lee, founder of Uncommon
• Steffina Yuli, co-founder of Kipin
• Vivien Bresson, co-founder of Scarlett Panda

We'll cover key topics, from fundraising as a woman founder to managing stress, expectations and double standards.

If you're a woman founder, whether new to the startup world looking for advice or a veteran looking to connect with other women, this event is for you.

• ‍Date: Thur 30 Nov
• ‍Time: 6-7pm SGT
• ‍Location: Online

Register for The Highs and Lows of Being A Woman Founder virtual event here.

We hope to see you at any (or all) of these initiatives. If you have any questions, please email melissa@iterative.vc or yijun@Iterative.vc.