UIIN Conference Report – 2024 Proceedings

Investor Q&A has been included in the Academic and Practitioner Proceedings of the 2024 UIIN Conference, held in Madrid, Spain.
The paper, authored by Ellen Farrell, PhD, presents a research-based perspective on improving women entrepreneurs’ access to venture capital by equipping them with competencies to address investor questions with confidence and clarity.

The report highlights the gender gap faced by women founders in Canada, the US, and Europe, and presents evidence that structured, science-informed training—rather than coaching or mentoring—helps women navigate investor conversations more effectively. The InvestorQ&A program, grounded in behavioral research, supported over 200 women founders and had contributed to more than $20M in funding secured at the time of publication.

Since then, the program has continued to grow and evolve, with women founders collectively securing more than $30M to date.

The publication outlines insights from ecosystem partners, including venture capitalists, incubators, accelerators, and entrepreneurship centres, and offers recommendations at the macro, meso, and micro levels for supporting women-led ventures.