The Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network (DWEN) has been empowering women entrepreneurs for over 15 years. It provides a global platform to overcome challenges like limited funding and smaller business networks. DWEN bridges the gap between entrepreneurial intent and ownership, creating opportunities for women worldwide.
On a global scale, 17.6% of women express the intention to start their own business, which is only slightly lower (by about four percentage points) than the percentage of men with the same intention. In low-income countries, more women, about 37.8%, plan to start businesses, likely as a way to improve their financial situation. However, only 6.2% of women globally own established businesses compared to 9.5% of men. In India, only 14% of entrepreneurs are women and manage just 20% of MSMEs among 58.5 million enterprises.
The gender parity in entrepreneurship highlights the challenges women face in turning their plans into reality. These challenges include limited access to funding, smaller business networks, and societal expectations that often discourage women from scaling their businesses or succeeding as entrepreneurs.
Initiatives like the Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network (DWEN) are making a significant impact in addressing these challenges. DWEN provides a global platform for women entrepreneurs, offering access to valuable resources such as the latest technology, funding opportunities, and connections to a supportive network of experts. Through this community, women gain the tools and knowledge they need to start and scale their businesses, helping bridge the gap between intent and ownership in the entrepreneurial world.
Inside Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network Mission
Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network (DWEN) was created in 2009 to build a global network offering resources, mentorship, and opportunities for women-led businesses. Backed by Dell Technologies, DWEN has spent over 15 years empowering women entrepreneurs worldwide. In 2020, the launch of the DWEN.com digital platform strengthened its community, most recently surpassing the 100,000-member mark, connecting through events, networking, and resources.
DWEN membership includes three main groups. First, it supports women founders and business owners who want to grow their businesses, products, or services. Second, the initiative welcomes aspiring women entrepreneurs who are building or starting their ventures. Finally, DWEN champions, who are investors, partners, and Dell Technologies team members, actively support women entrepreneurs.
Building networks for women entrepreneurs
Structural bias heavily affects funding opportunities for women entrepreneurs. Women are about 10% less likely than men to personally know an entrepreneur, limiting access to crucial networks. Additionally, they are 30% less likely to have invested in a business recently, highlighting their underrepresentation among both informal and formal investors. These gaps make it harder for women to secure the resources needed to grow their ventures.
DWEN addresses these challenges by building a strong community of women entrepreneurs who support, inspire, and uplift each other. It connects entrepreneurs, business leaders, policymakers, and influencers through in-person and virtual events designed for networking, knowledge-sharing, and collaboration. DWEN offers Empower Hours, a series of online sessions led by consultants, experts, and partners that provide practical insights and guidance. This approach helps women entrepreneurs expand their networks, access resources, and find solutions to funding hurdles.
Tech talks: Tech solutions for women entrepreneurs
Digitalisation is essential for businesses to stay competitive today. However, women business owners use digital tools at lower rates than men. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, women were about 10% less likely than men to adopt digital tools. The reasons for this include challenges around access, affordability, and the varied digital needs across different industries.
Technology plays a crucial role in both startups and established small businesses. From improving efficiency to driving innovation, using the right digital tools can help companies to scale. That’s why Dell Small Business Advisors, along with experts and partners like Microsoft and Intel, offer insights on how to use technology effectively through their Tech Talks series.
As part of DWEN, members also receive special offers on Dell products, access to a range of technology solutions, and small business advisors. This support ensures that women entrepreneurs can use technology to grow their businesses and achieve long-term success.
DWEN also launched the Dream Tech contest, designed to offer significant support with tech resources worth over $60,000 to the winners. Launched in 2021, the contest took place in India, the U.S., Germany, the U.K., and Australia. The first year saw four women entrepreneurs emerge as winners.
The final thoughts
According to Bain & Co.’s Women Entrepreneurship in India report, women-owned businesses employ millions and could create up to 170 million jobs by 2030. However, challenges persist for women founders, including limited access to capital, networks, and technology. In 2022, TechCrunch noted that all-women startup teams received less than 2% of venture capital funding. Programs like DWEN are essential to ensure women entrepreneurs get the support they need to grow and start their businesses.
Such programs not only empower women entrepreneurs but also contribute to a more inclusive business ecosystem. At ChangeinContent, we believe that such initiatives can create a ripple effect, inspiring more inclusive efforts and empowering countless women to lead, innovate, and grow.
References
Score.org: The State of Women Entrepreneurs
Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM): 2023/24 Women’s Entrepreneurship Report
Dell Technologies: Celebrating Women’s History Month with DWEN
Bain & Co.’s Women Entrepreneurship in India
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are based on the writer’s insights, supported by data and resources available both online and offline, as applicable. Changeincontent.com is committed to promoting inclusivity across all forms of content, which we define broadly to include media, policies, law, and history—encompassing all elements that influence the lives of women and gender-queer individuals. Our goal is to promote understanding and advocate for comprehensive inclusivity.
