What’s Ahead for Women in Entrepreneurship?
Thursday, Mar 7, 2024
Join us on March 7th as we celebrate International Women’s Day
On the occasion of International Women’s Day 2024 we are co-hosting with our international partner organizations a panel discussion with accomplished women entrepreneurs, sharing their journeys and successes, and reflecting on the distinctive perspectives women bring to the entrepreneurial landscape. Reception to follow-up the panel discussion.
Date: Thursday, March 7th, 2024
Time: 6 pm – 9pm (Panel Discussion & Networking Reception)
Location: Fort Point Room, 290 Congress St, Boston, MA 02210
Tickets: GABC members: $25 | Non-members $40
Tickets are still available. Email info@gabc-boston.org or call (617) 870-3400 if you would like to purchase one.
Speakers
Floris Engelhardt, Co-Founder and CEO, Kano Therapeutics
Floris is Co-Founder and CEO of Kano Therapeutics, a biotech startup and MIT spin-out based in Cambridge, MA where she leads Kano’s corporate strategy and technology development. She holds a PhD in Physics from the Technical University of Munich, with a focus on DNA nanotechnology. Most recently, she was a postdoctoral researcher in Mark Bathe’s BatheBioNano lab at MIT. Floris was awarded with a founder stipend from Activate Global as part of Cohort 2, Pillar VCs Founder to watch in Biotech award 2021, The wave summit 21 emerging woman founders award, and MIT’s 2020 Innovative Woman in Entrepreneurship award.
Kaarina Kvaavik, Principal, Growthimpact
Kaarina has more than 25 years experience in the language & high-tech industry and solid experience managing Startups from scratch through securing funding. She is a regular guest speaker and mentor at Boston University Questrom School of Business, where she shares her experience around startups, funding and women in business. She’s also been the Chapter Manager for Women in Localization Northeast 2019-2021, a global community for the Advancement of Women and the Localization Industry.
Marie Meslin, Managing Director, Center For Entrepreneurship Education at Northeastern University
Marie Meslin is Managing Director at the Center For Entrepreneurship Education & Global Entrepreneurship Leadership Team at Northeastern University in Boston. She has lead non-profits and worked in the entrepreneurship and international innovation industry for 15+ years, including most recently as the Executive Director for The Capital Network, where she pivoted this 25+ year old 501c3 by pioneering programming and structures for female founders to raise capital and create more equity and access in a notoriously inequitable space. In 2020 Marie created the Investment & Inclusion Series in collaboration with Brown University’s VC Inclusion Lab to provide an open forum for investors and entrepreneurs looking to change the status quo, and build a capital ecosystem that works for everyone. Marie is a startup and accelerator consultant, advisor, mentor, judge and board member and was recognized in 2022 as a top 25 Women Movers & Shakers Of The Greater Boston Community by Boston Startup Week.
Darlene Hollywood, Founder and Principal, Hollywood Agency
For more than 25 years, Darlene has helped consumer goods, business services, technology, and not-for-profits gain visibility with thoughtful marketing campaigns. As principal of Hollywood Agency, which she founded in 2011, Darlene, with a staff of experienced social media and press pros, sets the strategic direction for how clients’ stories are told and measured. Darlene is a prior president of the Boston Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), one of the nation’s largest chapters. In 2017, the chapter bestowed her with the Diane Davis Beacon Award, its most prestigious honor for extraordinary achievement. That same year, Darlene was nationally recognized as a Champion of PR by PRWeek, the industry’s leading trade publication. Currently, Darlene sits on the executive committee of the South Shore Economic Development Corp, is the former president of the British American Business Council of New England, and participates as a cabinet member for the Norwell Visiting Nurse Association. Darlene is a member of Toastmasters International, and holds a B.S. in Mass Communications from Emerson College.
Kara Lund, Founder and CEO of Lund Global Coaching & Consulting (Moderator)
Kara Lund, a trailblazer in the business coaching and consulting arena, will guide the panel discussion, bringing her wealth of experience and expertise to the forefront. As Mental Fitness Coach, Guest Lecturer and Coach at HEC Paris, and Founder and CEO of Lund Global Coaching & Consulting, Kara has been a driving force in supporting individuals and businesses to reach their full potential.
