We are currently seeking funding for this training programme.
If you are interested in our current offer for entrepreneurs, see Entrepreneurship Essentials for Women.
Entrepreneurs’ Training and Mentoring Circle for Women is a concept for a year-long innovative, flexible training programme for women based in Brussels, who want to launch a social or environmental impact business, a social enterprise or a non-profit project.
About
Entrepreneurs’ Training and Mentoring Circle for Women (ETMCW) has been designed to support a diverse group of women living and working in Brussels in becoming economically empowered through entrepreneurship. It will provide them with solid and actionable skills, which will increase their initiative’s likelihood of success.
It is not a general business or entrepreneurship course – instead its design allows participants to focus specifically on their idea for an impact project that they bring to the table.
The skills curriculum is strengthened by a strong ICT element, as today’s entrepreneurial success strongly relies on proficiency in digital skills.
The curriculum also addresses systemic challenges encountered specifically by women and teaches specific leadership and professional skills needed to overcome them on the entrepreneurial journey.
Innovative, responsive and inclusive
ETMCW provides a set of directly actionable skills for women, specific to their project. The participants immediately apply the business or project development principles, concepts or tools explained by a tutor to the project they wish to launch.
The progress of each participant is monitored and the content of classes is adapted and tailor-made to the individual’s needs. This markedly differs from a majority of classroom and online-based business and entrepreneurship courses, which teach a variety of principles that may or may not be relevant to a specific project, context, background or situation.
The responsive design of ETMCW also means that the course can address many important aspects that hold women back in addition to their gender, such as race, origin and class, making the programme truly intersectional.
The course departs from the traditional top-down, classroom-based approach to education, applying instead a mix of teaching methodologies that are highly empowering. It is interactive and participative, and includes circle discussions that build on emergent collective knowledge, experience exchange and mutual support.
The concept has been developed from our experiences gained through the Beginner Entrepreneur Mentoring Programme for Women, which provided solid insight into the needs of women with entrepreneurship aspirations.
Participants
The training will be offered to 10 participants who are local, migrant and expat women living in Brussels, who wish to start or develop a social or environmental impact business, a social enterprise or a non-profit project.