Past Event
events
15 September 2021 – Women In Technology and Innovation
Wednesday 15th September 2021, 16:00-17:00
Research repeatedly shows that women are underrepresented in roles such as founders, CEOs and MDs of organisations, and this is true also in businesses operating in the stereotypically female fields of health and care.
In the spring of 2021, Future Care Capital published the report “Enterprise in Health” which highlighted that, in a sample of health enterprises linked to clinicians and academics, only a fifth of companies were linked to a female ‘person with significant control’. These types of organisations lead innovation in health and care technology, and it is acknowledged that a lack of diversity among people with controlling stakes in such companies may skew innovation in health and care in a way that disadvantages women and minority groups. The majority of frontline staff in both the NHS and in social care are female, and many degree programmes with a focus on medicine and life sciences have a predominantly female student intake – yet the businesses operating in this space tend to be largely male dominated.
It is recognised that people working on the frontline can make a valuable contribution to innovation in health and care, and this is part of the rationale for initiatives like the Academic Health Science Networks. At the Women in Technology and Innovation Event, we want to explore both how women can be encouraged to get involved in health tech innovation generally, and how the sector can draw on the expertise of female frontline staff.
What will you discover at the webinar?
At the Women in Technology and Innovation webinar we will explore why relatively few women compared to men are involved in health and care enterprise, what the opportunities are, and the unique insight female leaders in this space can provide. We will hear from successful female health and care tech entrepreneurs and will discuss the role of universities in supporting women to develop ideas into viable businesses.
The panel will discuss:
- What are the challenges of being a female entrepreneur working in health and care tech in 2021?
- How are current gender norms being challenged and where should efforts be focussed in the future?
- How do universities support female students and staff to develop ideas into spin-out companies?
- What unique insight can women provide for the health and social care tech sector?
- How can female frontline staff in health and care be encouraged to participate in enterprise activity?
Panelists:
- Josefine Magnusson, Senior Research Officer, Future Care Capital
- Lise Pape, CEO, Walk With Path
- Jenny Thomas, Programme Director, Digitalhealth.London
- Marianna Obrist, Professor of Multisensory Interfaces & Deputy Director (Digital Health), UCL Institute of Health Care Engineering
