Qonto, Europe's leading business financial management solution for SMEs and freelancers with more than 500,000 customers, presents the third and revamped edition of StrongHer, the business training program specifically designed for women entrepreneurs who want to focus on digitizing their project.
The project stems from the need to accompany in their development path female-led businesses that are continuously growing in the market, as shown by the latest Unioncamere data according to which there are 1,325,000 of them in Italy, 22.2% of the total national production fabric. A path in which they face crucial challenges, such as limited access to financing, the persistence of gender stereotypes, and the difficulty of reconciling work and family. These barriers affect their ability to get ahead and gain visibility in the business world.
“This year,” commented Mariano Spalletti, Qonto's Managing Director for Italy, ”we decided to renew the StrongHer project, expanding its impact in favor of women entrepreneurs with three-day learning sessions, quarterly workshops and mentorships in collaboration with strategic partners to provide them with all the tools they need to grow their businesses. Our goal is to promote their success stories while fostering networking opportunities, providing educational resources and promoting gender equality. This is an initiative that concretely demonstrates our commitment to closing the gender gap in the world of entrepreneurship and positioning ourselves alongside women entrepreneurs in this mission, with the aim of increasingly meeting their needs and confirming our market leadership.”
The selections for female entrepreneurs and freelancers who have already launched or are about to launch their own business are open until February 16, 2025, and are aimed at those who wish to pursue a path of growth in their business, focusing especially on digitization. In March, the StrongHer Night event will be held in Milan to announce the participants and officially kick off the project, which this year includes a two-day business training for 40 selected female entrepreneurs, as well as a series of informal networking meetings and several master classes with specialized mentors that will be held through November and, for the first time, will also be open to the public.
The third edition of StrongHer follows the success of last years' membership, which involved more than 60 women entrepreneurs who were able to attend free training sessions held by expert mentors on digital innovation topics such as digital marketing, financial and accounting management, and eCommerce creation. In addition, selected participants were involved in one-on-one meetings with mentors and networking events, becoming part of an active community that supports women doing business in Italy.
The StrongHer project involves the collaboration of Cofoundry as main partner and Latuta, Bugnion, B Heroes, Bridge for Billions, B4I, GLOW, GRLS, Hi!Founders Srl, I3P, InnovUp, LifeGate Way, SheTech, SocialFare, Sprintaly Lab, Startup Geeks Vento, Terziario Donna di Confcommercio Milano, Lodi, Monza e Brianza, The Ideas Lab, YoRoom, Zest Group and 360 Capital as partners.
“Cofoundry is proud to be the main sponsor of StrongHer, an initiative that fully reflects our values of inclusiveness, innovation and support for women entrepreneurs,” the company commented. “We want to send an unequivocal message that a female entrepreneur, executive, or employee possesses the same skills and potential as a man and should have the same chance; gender collaboration is the key to building a more balanced and successful business.”
Full details are available on the official Qonto website, where entrepreneurs can apply by February 16 for selection and participation in the project.
