India Accelerator and USAID DAI Join Forces to Empower Women Entrepreneurs with WEScale Accelerator Program
- ByStartupStory | July 28, 2023
India Accelerator, in partnership with USAID DAI, has successfully conducted the WEScale Accelerator Program for Women Entrepreneurs (WEs) in the technology sector across South Asia. The collaborative initiative brought together esteemed organizations, including Accelerating Asia, Lankan Angel Network, Bangladesh Angels, and SAFAL Partners, to identify and scale the journeys of 120 impactful women entrepreneurs in the region. The program concluded with a three-day event at Le Meridien, Gurgaon, from July 11th to 13th, 2023.
The 12-week cross-country, regional initiative aimed to equip the WEs with the knowledge, resources, and a robust support network needed to scale their ventures locally. The program also focused on making the women entrepreneurs funding-ready through various masterclasses organized during the event. Mona Singh, Co-founder of India Accelerator, expressed excitement about the collaboration, stating, “It was one of its kind initiative which focused on providing a platform for women founders across Asia to equip themselves with the best of learning opportunities and network with each other.”
The WeScale Accelerator Program reached its pinnacle with the highly impactful WeScale+ Symposium, where participants gained comprehensive insights into the program’s objectives, dynamic activities, and networking opportunities. This initiative reaffirms India Accelerator’s commitment to fostering gender diversity and inclusivity in the technology industry, empowering women entrepreneurs with tools and opportunities to thrive and strengthen cross-border relations.
The symposium featured captivating sessions and a thought-provoking panel discussion on the Indian startup landscape, shedding light on key practices essential for scaling businesses effectively. Additionally, the event provided continuous consultation opportunities with the Entrepreneur in Residences of India Accelerator and Accelerating Asia (EiR).
Tina Jabeen, Technical Advisor and Mentor in Residence, WeScale, USAID DAI, expressed delight about the strong bonds formed during the initiative, stating, “The WEScale initiative, funded by USAID DAI, promotes gender-inclusive agendas, empowering women to participate in the digital economy safely and effectively. We are delighted by the strong bonds formed and anticipate a robust network for replicating best practices and fostering cross-border trade along with many success stories coming out of WEScale.”
The 3-day event also featured valuable pitch practice sessions, mentorship opportunities, and an investor showcase, where participants presented their ventures to potential investors and networked with industry professionals.
About India Accelerator:
India Accelerator is the first GAN partnered accelerator in India, providing 360-degree cross-functional mentorship, business growth, and funding support to entrepreneurs. Recognized as the ‘Best Accelerator of the Country’ by Startup India, Government of India, India Accelerator has created a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem in the country. With over 200 startups in its portfolio and a network of 1600+ mentors, including IA Impact Labs that focuses on United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and impact-centric ecosystems, India Accelerator collaborates with corporates and academia to promote entrepreneurial mindset and generate innovative solutions to real-world problems.
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