Encubay launches Fempreneurs Upskilling Program with US Consulate General, StrongHer Foundation, and MyStepUp

Encubay, a global diversity-focused network, has joined hands with the US Consulate General, StrongHer Foundation, and MyStepUp to launch ‘Fempreneurs Upskilling Program’ in India.

It is touted as the first, one-of-a-kind extensive growth programme to help women entrepreneurs acquire critical skills beyond fundraising to grow their businesses. A sector-agnostic programme for early-to-growth-stage women founders from across the country, entrepreneurs with the programme will get mentorship from industry experts, according to a statement.

The four-month-long programme will provide holistic support to women entrepreneurs to scale up their businesses in a sustainable manner. It consists of curated sessions focusing on vision, scaling up, brand building, and fundraising.

Commenting on the program launch Deeksha Ahuja, Founder of Encubay said, “In the past five years, female founders have grown by 300 percent, both in India and globally. More women are becoming entrepreneurs each year, but they are still receiving only 2% of VC money. Encubay was started with a mission to support the women entrepreneur ecosystem across the globe. Through this programme, we are hopeful to navigate critical fundraising journeys for female founders and help their businesses generate sustainable ROI."

“We know what can happen if we bring more women into the workforce and lift them up through the ranks,” said Rob Anderson, Cultural Affairs Officer at the US Consulate General in Mumbai. “Beyond the values our two countries share of inclusion and opportunity for all, empowering women in the workplace makes economic sense for a company’s – and a country’s – bottom line. The US Consulate General will continue to advocate for women’s economic empowerment through programmes like this that help female founders grow their networks and their businesses.”

Ankita Vashistha, Founder, StrongHer Ventures said, “Unfortunately, there's always been this bias that women don't necessarily build scalable businesses or that they may be doing a hobby or a lifestyle business. However, women have proven that they can build successful businesses and there is capital available for women. So, when you are pitching to a VC investor, you have to change that mindset of the VC investor as well. We need many more inclusive funds out there that give equal opportunities to women founders and women-focused businesses. Through this collaboration, our aim is to help as many women”.

Through this programme, Encubay aims to have a productive and execution-oriented direction so that the journey of women entrepreneurs is supported by Venture Capitalists worldwide.

The Fempreneurs Upskilling Program will choose 30 women entrepreneurs to be a part of the programme through an application process. The last date to apply for the program is 15th November 2022.