Very happily, this past week has been packed to the gills with women-focused forums and gatherings. Our news bites below pretty much speak for themselves but here's a brief overview:

The Women Founders at the Capital Club raised important talking points around the struggles that persist for female entrepreneurs; the Jerusalem Model United Nations (JLMUN) 2021 conference weighed in on new levels of diplomacy between Israel and the UAE and the importance of innovative diplomacy, and then the Women of the Abraham Accords celebrated all the pioneering projects each member is involved with. As ever, we are proud to be sisters in arms and leading the charge in taking up greater space in the world of business.

In 'Shaping Tomorrow' we delve into the global food security crisis, look at which countries have full equal rights for women (any surprises there?) and who is leading the charge on the 5G patent race.

And after three decades later, 'Coming To America' the hit cult comedy is joined by a sequel. But is the humor 2021-appropriate as it was in 1988? The BBC put a critical lens on the newly released follow-up film.

While we are still in the spirit (and always will be!) of women supporting women, our chosen quote for the week is by Sheryl Sandberg. We all have so much untapped potential. Sandberg would say lean in and we agree. But we say, step in.

Go forth and do great things!

Team E.

HOW CAN IT BE BETTER?

According to McKinsey and Pitchbook, female founders are the fastest growing segment of entrepreneurs representing 38% yet they receive less than 5% of venture funding. And according to First Round Capital, female founded companies outperform all male founding teams by 63% and there is a 21% increase in likelihood of out-performance for companies with more gender diversity.

To mark International Women's Day, Women Founders held a conversation at the Capital Club Dubai to discuss some of the struggles, challenges and opportunities that female founders are facing while running businesses and homes and what can be done to overcome them. Guest experts included: Nyla Khan, a keynote speaker and Forbes 30 under 30, Anuschqa Iqbal, Chief Executive Officer, spotii.com and Nadine Mezher, the co-founder of Sarwa.

JLMUN 2021

Kicking off the JLMUN 2021 – the international conference which strives to be unorthodox, daring and original in its thoughts and ideas – Our Managing Director, Leah Tedrow, was a guest speaker during the opening ceremonies and participated in the conversation around innovative diplomacy and how the historic peace-building concept has evolved and updated over time. 

Another important topic during the conference, was in the ECOSOC committee on how Social Media has facilitated fresh conversations and new levels of awareness for both sides where information, the commonality of cultures and mutual understanding is building for the greater good of tolerance and bridging gaps – whether that is between governments, business and people. It is important to be adaptable, flexible and an active listener for peace through prosperity. But more importantly, the young leaders discussed how we can regulate social media in the future and stem the impact of fake news pervasive in social media today and our accountability in that arena as individuals...

SHAPING TOMORROW

We’re always on the look out for dynamic change makers, disruptors and new information to fuel our own dexterity and creativity. So, this section sees a few of our recent picks on how the world’s outlook is changing. We hope these little nuggets will help you land on that 'aha!' moment you were looking for!

OUR DIVERSIONS

We know everyone says it's not all work, it's about play, too – and as much as we don't want to sound like a broken record, there is truth in the truism. Like we said earlier, we are all about ingesting the complex and the trivial in equal measure. In fact, we love nothing more than thinking deeply about the more 'playful' things in life. Read ' em and ponder away.

NOW PLAYING

Sweet as nectar. Smooth as silk. The one and only, Miss Holiday...remixed.

TODAY'S QUOTE

In the spirit of International Women's Day, believe in yourself and then own that success.

THE OUTLOOK

Are you more of a lark or an owl?