DELL To Bring Women's Funding Event To Dublin

Irish businesswomen will attend the meeting of female entrepreneurs of the technological giant this week, writes Samantha McCaughhren.

 The Dell Women's Entrepreneur Network (Dwen) is bringing a global funding event to Ireland next year after a survey found that Dublin was a relatively poor place for women entrepreneurs.

Last year Dublin ranked 34th in 50th in the annual Women Entrepreneur Cities Index of Dell (WE Cities), the only gender-specific global index that analyzes a city's ability to attract and foster growth in women owned businesses. It examines access to capital, talent and culture for women.

Dell, which is organizing its annual global summit this week in Canada, is currently holding a global series of events on 'women financing women' that will arrive in Dublin in January, said Ingrid Devin, director of Dwen.

"Last year we made seven cities around the world, this year there are nine and we chose Dublin as one of those cities," said Devin, who is from Bray, Co Wicklow.

The vast majority of venture capital funds go to men and Devin said that while Dell can not "fix" it, it is trying to offer some solutions to women entrepreneurs.

"One of the ways in which women obtain financing is through investors and we are trying to highlight the stories of these women investors and encourage more women to obtain investors: many women do not know how to do it," he said.

"The other side is that many women who seek financing think that the reason why they do not get financing depends on them, without realizing that this is a gender challenge, that there are a lot of prejudices, conscious and unconscious" .

During the event in Dublin, women will share stories about how they found funding as entrepreneurs or agreed to provide funds as investors.

Devin said some women entrepreneurs were "terrified" that investors would join them.

"But the reality is that if you're really going to grow in scale and internationalize, you're probably going to need financing at some point."

There will also be some pitching opportunities in the Dublin event.

Devin took over from Dwen last year and told the Sunday Independent that the network was developed nine years ago after Dell observed research that constantly highlights how difficult it is for women entrepreneurs, particularly when it comes to funds.

"In some countries, you have the cultural challenge of being a woman, and that varies around the world, and then there may be an economic challenge."

"And women still tell me that when they plan to seek funding, they are advised to bring a man with them."

She said that this is a current problem, not one of 10 years ago.

"We wanted to unite the women so that they could help each other and bring in the experts to help solve some of the challenges they face," Devin said.

The world summit, which takes place annually and begins tonight in Toronto, continues to be an intimate event attended by 130 businessmen and investors from 17 countries.

Last year was the first time that Irish women attended and two entrepreneurs will participate in this year's event.

This year, Julie Brien and Dr. Roisin Molloy, co-founders of Trimedika, the medical devices firm based in Belfast will attend for the second time.

Devin said Ireland was chosen to participate due in part to Dell's participation in Ireland, but also because the entrepreneurial scene here is strong.

"There are a lot of really fantastic entrepreneurs in Ireland who are under the radar," he said.

"Ireland needs to do a better job of shaping some of our really good businesswomen and entrepreneurs.

"There are fantastic women we do not know."

Devin joined Dell in 2005, having previously worked for Accenture, leading the diversity and inclusion of Dell in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

His date with Dwen marked the first time that someone from outside the US UU He has directed the network and Devin works to expand the number of countries involved.