Women entrepreneurs remain underrepresented in the startup ecosystem because they often lack access to the resources they need. The pandemic has amplified these structural barriers and have made it even harder for women-led businesses to access capital and scale. But that doesn’t stop us! Women have a remarkable ability to persevere and innovate through challenging times.
At Google, we created the Google for Startups Accelerator: Women Founders program to help address gender disparity in the tech startup ecosystem. We’ve made a conscious effort to connect these founders with other women in leadership positions and venture capital, in order to help build and scale our community of women leaders in Canada.
My advice to women entrepreneurs – build your network, lean on your network and support your network. Seek mentorship and tap into the relationships you’ve built as you continue to overcome obstacles and unlock new opportunities. Don’t go it alone!
A special IWD message from Ashley Francisco Click To Tweet
Ashley Francisco
Head of Startup Developer Ecosystems, Google Canada
Ashley Francisco, Head of Startup Developer Ecosystems, Google Canada, is based in Kitchener-Waterloo. She manages all Canadian and the North American Women Founders accelerators, scaled startup ecosystem events, and Canadian partner engagement at Google. Her goal is to help bring the best of Google’s people, programs, products and technology to startup teams across the country. Francisco is a professional marketer by trade with a diverse background in local and global brand building for companies including Google, Visa, Mondelez and Kraft Foods.
