Venturing Women

Despite the advancements of the #MeToo movement, we are still far away from eradicating sexual harassment. Dependent on the type of incident recorded, half of women in the EU have experienced at least one form of sexual harassment. In the US, about 80% of women and 40% of men have faced it in their lifetime. Only around 10% of incidents get reported which indicates, targets do not feel safe to do...

The pandemic seemed to have made remote work a common place. It even felt like the world would never be the same again. Yet, some companies including tech giants like Google announced returning their workforce back to offices. Others introduce a hybrid mode that requires presence in the office a few days a week. Remote work, inevitable for many in times of crisis, turned out to be hard to embrace...

Our decision making heavily depends on the information we consume. Should I get vaccinated or not? Is climate change real or a hoax? Is quinoa as healthy as advertised (seriously, is it)? With time, our worldview crystallises and it seems nearly impossible to break free from our personal echo chambers that often offer so much comfort. Jenny Romano, co-founder and CEO of The Newsrooms, elaborates h...

Can we go cold turkey and move away from the crude oil dependence? Will we one day start making food from non-food grade sources like cellulose? How about pasta with a wood-derived Bolognese sauce? Yucky or yummy? Together with Florence Gschwend, co-founder and CTO of Lixea, I’m looking into how biochemistry may help solve the problems of food scarcity and accelerate transition of our civilisation...

Worldwide, 80% of wastewater receives minimal to no treatment before being discharged to the environment. This practice has a ruinous impact on the environment as well as on public health. Wastewater treatment is also a energy-intensive process. It can account for up to 5% of the country’s annual electricity load being a significant driver of climate change. In this episode, we will hear from Oria...

How many podcasts and podcast episodes do you think are available globally? 1 million podcasts and 30 million episodes! For many podcast producers, it is nothing else but an unusual hobby coupled with an improvised 'recording studio' in the closet. Yet, the global podcasting market was valued at slightly above 12 billion euros in 2021. It’s serious money, baby! Or maybe not? To examine t...

The story of Alexandra Pastollnigg sounds like a movie plot. An established banking and wealth management professional, she went on holiday to Africa to climb Mount Kilimanjaro and write a book. This trip marked the beginning of her journey to social entrepreneurship.   Topics we discuss:   Abandoning an ambition to build a unicorn, re-connecting with personal mission and pivoting to make a real i...

Educational technology has been on the rise for the last 15 years. Yet, completion rates of online courses range between 5% and 15%. Online learning seems to lack powerful engagement mechanisms and impact in students' lives. EdTech companies also receive a very modest portion of the global venture capital pie compared to startups in other market segments.   For a deep-dive into the world of o...

The world of startup investment may look mysterious and impenetrable, accessible only to the ultra-wealthy individuals seeking x10 returns. It is not for ordinary people who should rather stick with other asset classes. Or is it?  To demystify startup investment, I invited Svenja Lassen , managing director of primeCROWD Germany, a venture capital and private equity firm, and founder of Female Inve...

Enjoining our morning coffee, we rarely think about the journey that coffee beans make to end up in our cup. Even more rarely do we associate coffee and the energy boost that it brings with artificial intelligence. My guest in this episode is Darina Onoprienko, the founder and CEO of Agrivero.ai. It's a technology company that develops solutions for quality control and traceability of green c...

Many women diligently save money but never take that next step into investment. If women do not invest in companies, they gain no power to direct projects and co-create the future. Money is closely connected with power, and power brings opportunities and choices. In this episode, I talk to Leitha Matz, an entrepreneur, an advocate of financial independence for women, and a startup mentor.  Topics...

Female founders, investors and 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 and invest as well as support them on this journey.  Why should you care about this matter? Why should anyone care about it? Find the answer in the trailer.  About the host...