Collective Gathering 2024

Separating signals from sounds: Female founders in an accelerated world

At the Collective Gathering 2024 in Bern, 120 women and men from research and business came together to promote the advancement of women in entrepreneurship. Input on artificial intelligence and modern innovation thinking provided impetus for the future of the Swiss startup scene.

In 2023, it was just a breakfast together. This year, 120 women met for the first Collective Gathering on 29 May 2024 as part of the Swiss startup days in Bern. They are women from management or research, entrepreneurs, investors, board members and thought leaders.

Founding and goals of the Collective

The Collective 2022 was founded by Dr. Cornelia Gut from SICTIC and Dr. Dominik Isler from startup days. It aims to bring more women into the Swiss startup scene and promote exchange between them. On the day before the startup days, which were dedicated to deep and applied tech, the Collective also focused on the topic of artificial intelligence. Marisa Tschopp, Rita Sevastjanova and Isabelle Siegrist discussed how knowledge is created and how trust can be gained in a technology that is so new and transformative.

Focus on fempreneurship and networking

The focus was on knowledge exchange and networking, the promotion of “fempreneurship”. An integral part of the Collective are three task forces that address key areas for the promotion of women in entrepreneurship. One task force links initiatives and institutions and thus increases public support. A second is dedicated to raising funds so that promising ideas can be implemented. Finally, the third task force brings together role models to inspire young female founders and create more visibility for female founders.

Systemic Thinking in Innovation

One such role model is undoubtedly keynote speaker Ursula Oesterle. The physicist is Vice President for Innovation at the renowned EPFL in Lausanne. Before that, she worked for twenty years in Swisscom’s innovation centers in Silicon Valley and Asia.

Her physics degree taught Oesterle one thing in particular: how to separate signals from noise using systemic thinking. This also helps in the rapidly accelerating global venture economy. In Silicon Valley, you are well advised to recognize the truly disruptive among the latest gadgets. In the midst of the flood of information, it is worth taking a look at the big picture: “You have to ask yourself on a meta-level whether you are even looking at the right problem. Once you understand the system, you can solve problems in detail.” This is how you recognize what is really needed. If Henry Ford had asked his future customers, they would probably have initially wanted faster horses. But all they really wanted was to get from A to B faster.

The systemic approach is also needed at a national level. Switzerland is strong in niche technologies, it has money, an excellent infrastructure and top universities. But it needs to move forward if it wants to maintain its leading position in the face of emerging countries such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Agility and flexibility in implementation

Oesterle calls for more agility, more flexibility: “In the USA, new ideas are being implemented while we are still thinking about the risks.” Start-ups are just one of many funding models. The aim is to drive innovation forward quickly and collaboratively. This includes not only supporting start-ups with research funding, but also supporting them early on the path to business. Translating an idea into a product requires a good team and a business plan.

Role of Universities and industry

Oesterle sees the responsibility here on the one hand with the universities, which should promote business development alongside research, and on the other hand with industry, which must take up ideas more courageously. Switzerland is like a perfect machine, says Oesterle. The only problem is the power transmission. As in tech centers such as Boston or Atlanta, industry, research and the state need to strengthen each other symbiotically in Switzerland in order to remain fit for the future.

Challenges for women entrepreneurs

The Swiss social contract also needs to become sustainable. Women still have a hard time building a business. Family and career are difficult to reconcile. There is also a lack of networking among female founders, says Maria Luisa Fuchs. The entrepreneur worked in several large companies before setting up her own e-commerce company. When she came to Switzerland, the Venezuelan-born mother of two noticed that mothers were automatically expected to abandon their careers. What’s more, at the University of St. Gallen, where Fuchs is co-head of the Startup@HSG innovation program, only ten percent of all female students dare to found a company.

The Collective’s impact and future

That’s why the Collective is needed. Fuchs was involved in its creation and is proud of what has been achieved so far: “With the task forces and the Gathering, the Collective is becoming a reality.” Fuchs hopes that as many women as possible will become active in the task forces and that the movement will gain momentum.