Powerhouse of networking
The Collective Gathering is THE rendezvous for female and male decision-makers, thought leaders, investors, board members, entrepreneurs, and researchers.
Our aimed goals are to unlock female entrepreneurship and drive impactful change in Switzerland’s startup landscape.
A day before the startup days event during the afternoon, we gather to:
- inspire more women to start and scale their ventures.
- strengthen connections across the ecosystem — between startups, investors, academia, and corporates.
- shift mindsets, because progress happens when everyone is part of the transformation.
Program
1:30 – 2:00 p.m.
Registration & Welcome Coffee
2:00 – 2:10 p.m.
Welcome Note by Isabelle Siegrist and Gioia Deucher
2:10 – 2:40 p.m.
Keynote by Friederike von Waldenfels and Q&A
7 Years of Change: Corporate, Startup, Exit, Climate to AI
What if reinvention isn’t a crisis – but a strategy? Friederike von Waldenfels has lived by an unconventional rhythm: every seven years, a conscious reset. From corporate life to co-founding and exiting Swisscommerce, from climate tech with Forestrock to navigating the age of AI – each chapter a deliberate leap into the unknown. In this keynote, she shares the hard-won lessons from a life of bold transitions: what it really takes to let go, rebuild, and lead with purpose across radically different worlds.
2:40 – 3:10 p.m.
Interview with Christa Bösch and Cosima Gadient and Q&A
From Switzerland to the World: How to Bootstrap Your Fashion Empire
Join Christa Bösch and Cosima Gadient as they reveal the blueprint behind Ottolinger. Discover how two designers turned their Swiss roots and a raw, deconstructed aesthetic into a global cult brand.
3:15 – 4:00 p.m.
Networking Break with curated Roundtables
4:00 – 4:45 p.m.
Breakout Sessions
The parallel program
Founder
Hard Decisions, Hard Pivots: The Uncensored Reality of Product-Market Fit
Every scale-up founder knows the secret that the tech press ignores: Product-Market Fit isn’t a finish line; it’s a moving target. And sometimes, hitting it requires tearing down the very thing you spent years building. Forget the linear success stories and sanitized case studies. In this session, we are stripping away the PR fluff to talk about the brutal, high-stakes decisions required to keep a company alive and growing.
Investor
Beyond the Pitch: Building Funds and Backing Women
Despite driving exceptional returns, women-led startups still receive a fraction of global venture capital. This isn’t just a diversity issue; it’s a massive missed financial opportunity. Join fund builder Arijana Walcott, investor Aimée Leifer, and SICTIC Managing Director Steffen Ehrhardt for an actionable discussion on changing the funding landscape. This panel will break down the mechanics of investing in female founders, how to identify hidden potential, and what it takes to build funds and angel networks that actively close the gender funding gap.
4:45 – 5:00 p.m.
Wrap up and Farewell
5:00 – 6:00 p.m.
