Perspectives and learnings from local female founders at the second ever Electrify conference.
Recently, three women currently in Startup Dunedin’s Distiller Incubator had the unique opportunity to attend Electrify Aotearoa, presented by the good folks at Ministry of Awesome.
A quick recap in case you didn’t know: Electrify Aotearoa is a national conference celebrating female founders, and is designed to address the unique challenges faced by Kiwi women in entrepreneurship.
Amongst the three women that attended is brand-new incubatee, Angela from Glorious Lands.The Glorious Lands team are making Soju from local, pure, and quality ingredients - hand distilled from natural wheat grain grown in the Canterbury region of Aotearoa.
Another was Katie from Luni, a startup providing pregnant people with a beautiful rental maternity wear service. Katie also took part in the national Electrify Accelerator this year.
Laura from Skillzea was also in attendance this year - her startup is a platform making the process of finding gig work for one-off jobs easy and secure.
An uptick in inclusivity and equity is something we’re keen to see more of in the startup world (did you know every team in our Distiller Incubator has a female founder?), and conferences like Electrify are a part of that solution. Just as a series of amazing wāhine took the national stage to share their wisdom, we’re excited to see how our local startups take that knowledge and turn it into real and tangible progress here in Ōtepoti.
Let’s recap some of that wisdom!
1. You’ll learn you’re not alone out there.
When making the decision to attend Electrify Aotearoa, Angela noted that she attended last year and found it inspiring to be around people like her - founders who have similar goals, and are trying to build a business on top of their day job.”.
Likewise, Laura said she “had major FOMO” when she checked out Electrify online. It can be a pretty lonely journey at times to be an entrepreneur, so an opportunity like this to share goals and inspiration with fellow female founders doesn’t come around that often. Katie affirmed this too, saying “it was a powerful collective affirmation of what this space can look like if we keep the doors open and have brave conversations.”
2. The wisdom alone is worth it.
There’s much to be learned from the amazing wāhine who have come before you. Katie noted Frances Shoemack from Abel Odor had a pretty standout few quotes - in particular “the juggle is real” (talking about parenting), and “assumption is the mother of all fuckups”. Knowing there have been others that have come through similar challenges and gone on to achieve in their fields is what inspires and encourages Katie.
Angela found wisdom in Janine Grainger's journey as CEO and co-founder of EasyCrypto. Janine's quote about “focusing on just a select few ideas” resonated with Angela, showing her that concentrated energy can lead to big things, as opposed to trying to do everything at once.
Also of Janine Granger (EasyCrypto) and Laura Bell (SafeStack), Laura noted that “Hearing about their challenges put some of ours in perspective. Sheer grit and elbow grease got them to where they are and they’re nothing short of inspirational.”
3. Do some solid networking, make some lasting connections.
Laura’s perspective is that even within that large national conference, meaningful networking was possible. Electrify Aotearoa’s networking exercise led to genuine connections and helpful leads, highlighting the potential for lasting relationships beyond the event.
Katie specified that she “made a lot of great new connections, and solidified several relationships begun through the Electrify Accelerator and previous Electrify conference last year”. We know networking can be challenging at times, but if it’s done right - with purpose and intention - it can be really affirming.
4. Takeaways worth taking away
Before Electrify, Laura had not grappled with the startling gender gap in startups. Though confronting, this was not demoralising - in fact, the way that Electrify Aotearoa presented these issues as work to be done has just fueled her determination to contribute to a more diverse and inclusive entrepreneurial landscape.
Katie said she “took home some very practical techniques for responding to potential investor questions”, which she looks forward to putting into practice in the near future as Luni begins the process of getting ready for investment!
Angela noted that she “came away with a new go-to-market strategy, as well as some skills around storytelling which will be invaluable.”
The journey of being a female founder in Aotearoa is unique, just as every startup is too! If you’re looking for support in beginning your business journey here in Dunedin, Startup Dunedin can help.
We can connect you to the right people, the right events, and the right stepping stones to guide you through whatever challenges might come your way.
Meeting with us is always free - take a look at www.startupdunedin.nz/meet for more.