The seventh annual Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network Summit (DWEN), a global gathering of 200 of the top female entrepreneurs, business leaders, media and Dell partners, has kicked off in Cape Town.

The theme for this year’s summit is “Innovate for a Future-Ready World”, as it explores how women can grow and scale their businesses in tangible ways through keynotes, panel discussions, interactive breakouts, workshops and community engagement.

“Innovation and job creation by women entrepreneurs is critical for a thriving global economy, yet our research shows some cities and countries are doing far more than others to encourage and support this important subset of the startup community,” said Karen Quintos, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Dell.

“This event intends to move the conversation with policymakers and city leaders from awareness to action and, in turn, to empower women entrepreneurs to have the greatest economic impact on the world.”

A key focus is in the area of technological innovation, as this allows entrepreneurs to share globally  at an unprecedented scale, but this growth is dependent on access to the right technology, capital, markets, talent and networks.

Access to these enablers is imperative for women entrepreneurs who are historically challenged to a far greater degree in these areas than their male counterparts – especially in the developing world.

“Women entrepreneurs are our Country’s best bet for economic growth,” said Elizabeth Gore, entrepreneur-in-residence for Dell.

“It’s time for women to be politically engaged to ensure the right ecosystems are in place for them to scale. If politicians and entrepreneurs partner, dynamic policies can be put in place to close the circle and enhance the process from idea to enterprise. WE Cities can be used as a diagnostic tool to help ensure lawmakers are listening to their needs.”

At the Summit Dell is exploring how women can grow and scale their businesses in tangible ways through keynotes, panel discussions, interactive breakouts, workshops and community engagement.

The conversation centres on how women are innovating to drive change, including sessions on:

  • Emerging technology trends like augmented reality
  • Challenges and needs of the future-ready workforce
  • Building a brand with purpose

The event also includes a Girls Track for girls ages 13-18 who are interested in learning the basics of entrepreneurship, and offers a small group of girls the opportunity to meet successful women entrepreneurs from around the world and gain meaningful business and technology skills and insights.

Image courtesy of Elizabeth Gore.