RELEVANCE
RELATIONSHIPS
RECOGNITION
REWARDS

PANEL

The Relationship Between Big Brands and Female Small Business Owners

Our belief is that women-owned small businesses may not receive the same respect, treatment, and understanding as their male counterparts. Given the fact that 39% of all businesses are owned by women and this number is growing, this poses a problem and an opportunity for big brands to learn from and improve on. We will explore the current realities and gaps to ideate solutions to better support female small business owners.

This is a unique opportunity for passionate, expert professionals to join 20+ panelists to advance the thinking in this field. This engagement is moderated by an expert Facilitator and is open asynchronously, around-the-clock for your convenience.

Every two weeks, the facilitator will introduce a new subtopic – each theme exploring a new facet related to the women business owners.

Activities include:
1. Explore a variety of themes
2. Map the competitive landscape (i.e. emerging trends, disruptive tech, etc.)
3. React to the latest media/reports in this space
4. One-to-one engagement with other panelists

peopleExpert participation

- Women Small Business Owners (WSBOs) from the US and Canada
- Heads of Partnerships
- Business Coaches and Consultants
- Investors & Venture Capitalists

Applicants
Bev Gun-Mu
CEO/Founder at SaveARescue, Inc. & America Loves Dogs, Inc.
I have started, on my own, 8 small businesses for several decades. I now have a huge OnLine Search Directory and struggle as an older woman to get the respect or younger generations wanting to be involved b/c of my age and gender. Even with a business that clearly will bring serious ROI ~ I find that investors, etc., and other cos., would rather work with inexperienced young men, with no proven experience vs. me who has been involved in numerous aspects including inventions, manufacturing, import/export, wholesale, nationwide distribution, wholesale and retail experiences. I've seen it all my life. Not bitter. Realized the reality and still optimistic at overcoming these hurdles/walls that are at the beginning of every business I have started, and even the current business I am working to build.
Brandi DeCarl
Founding Partner of Farm from a Box | Speaker
As a female founder of an agtech startup company, I have firsthand experience with challenges women face raising capital through traditional channels. One of our greatest strengths, has been through building partnerships/alliances with global companies that have played, and continue to play, a big role in our product development and growth. Our company is small, but growing, with 2 full time employees and 4 part-time contractors. Our staffing needs have been offset with the expertise provided through some of our partnerships. In addition to my personal business experience, I also see the monumental gender gaps present in the market we serve. More than half of the world's food grown by women that do not receive equal access to the technology, training, or financial services that could increase their productivity. We are working to help fill those gaps and empower those that do not have access to the systems or support they need to fully realize their economic potential.
Natalie Sharma
Scalable Design Systems for Startups & Tech
Where I live, women in technology and design are considered so rare they have been referred to as 'unicorns'. This is not too far from the truth, and as a female business owner of a creative studio that equally straddles design & tech while living in Mississippi—I would say I'm extra rare. (An extra unicorn?) I have a unique perspective on this issue because it is one that I am consistently trying to correct in my industry. I specifically run a Meetup group for women in design & tech to help change the tide of our tech business owner demographic, and I am an outspoken advocate for representing more women and women of color in business and tech.
Caroline Jost
Co-founder - iNNERSHiP - Change through empowerment
I am a female owner of a small growing business and actively engaged on the topic of women entrepreneurship in tech. We operate in Canada, US, and Europe, with most of my customers being large groups.
Felicia Brown
Author, Speaker & Consultant
I have owned several small businesses over the last twenty five years and currently employ 31 people (unfortunately furloughed due to COVID-19 until we can re-open.). I have owned three spas and also work as an international educator, speaker and consultant in the massage and spa industries. Though I am in a female dominated industry, I still see preferential treatment given to male counterparts in a variety of situations.
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“I like that I can do this when I have time,
and there is no set schedule.”


Eric Allen, Senior Manager, Supply Chain at EY

“I find the topics engaging and I love the
flexibility of checking in and providing insights
at my convenience.”

Kimberly Underwood, Consultant at Underwood Consulting

“Great platform, great questions and topics.
The potential to earn a little more money for
participating is nice as well.”

Oren Birks, Sr. Director of IT at PBI-Gordon

“I really enjoy being on the panels, sharing
information and reading the perspective of the
other panelists. It is quite intriguing and most
all of the panelists are quite bright.”

Patty Soltis, CX Strategist at Kinetic Edge Consultants

“Very interactive, informative and without
any inherent bias. This is as good a collaborative
platform as you can get.”

Pinaki Banerjee, Program Director at ITC InfoTech

“It is a perfect platform not just to share
but to learn and stay updated.”


Armando Leyva, HR Director at 360º HC

FAQ
  • add remove What is Currnt?
    Currnt is a “Knowledge Networking” platform where companies and professionals come to stay relevant on the latest advances in their industries in the face of the increasing pace of change. Companies sponsor panels to learn about where markets are headed or how to leverage new capabilities. Professionals join to demonstrate and develop their passions with equal caliber peers in expert-only facilitated online engagements. On Currnt, we take our passions seriously and ourselves lightly. See our Community Guidelines, to learn more of the rules of the road, here are some highlights

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  • add remove How do Panels work?
    The panel is like a facilitated forum of hand selected experts on a topic sponsored by a company that wants to learn fast. Panels are organized in chapters called Themes that focus on one subtopic at a time. In some panels Themes are only 24 hours in duration, in others they are a week long, and in some they are two weeks long. When one Theme closes, a new one begins. You come in when you feel like it, but try to come in twice per Theme. You earn points from your peers and the facilitator when they react to your ideas. Likewise, others earn points when you interact on their posts. The more we discuss and debate, the better the insights, the more points earned by all.

  • add remove Why should I apply? Do I get paid?
    Professionals join Currnt because they want to remain relevant on subjects they’re passionate about and subjects that are shaping the future of their industry. They also:

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  • add remove Are there specific times I need to participate?
    There are no set times for calls or meetings. Participation is 100% online on the Currnt platform and engagement between the all expert panelists is asynchronous in written form. Just come in twice per Theme, at your convenience.

  • add remove How do KnowledgeStreams and DesignSprints work?
    Streams are ongoing online engagements for exploration or working iteratively with a panel, and Sprints are on-demand engagement to get to actionable insights quickly. Both are facilitated and are always-on for participants to engage at-convenience. The conversations are segmented into Themes which are subtopics which are like chapters in a book. In a 4 Day Sprint, Themes are 24 hours, whereas a Theme in a Stream is every two week. Throughout the discussion, the facilitator highlights and categorizes the “key takeaways” to be voted and distilled into a summary report. It’s also common that other pieces of content (whitepapers, blogs, podcasts) are also prepared from the distilled insights.

  • add remove I’ve applied. Now what?
    Your application will be internally reviewed in the following 24-48hrs and screened for any conflict of interest, and general fit. Next your application will be shortlisted for the sponsor to accept, bookmark or reject. You will receive a notification each step of the way, but expect this may take a couple of days, or even weeks if the panel is new. Nevertheless, in addition to the notifications, you can always go back to the Apply page to view the status of your application.

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  • add remove If I have other questions or issues, what should I do?
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The Relationship Between Big Brands and Female Small Business Owners