Press Release

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August 17, 2022

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The Ester Foundation in partnership with MTI Investment advisory arm launches an accelerator program for female entrepreneurs with a foreign background.

 

The Ester Foundation in partnership with the Investments advisory arm MTI Investment launches an Accelerator Program with a mentoring component for female entrepreneurs with a foreign background who already run their own scalable companies. The goal is to help participants and their businesses grow through a tailored training and individualised mentoring program. 

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The Ester Foundation is a non-profit and award-winning foundation established in 2012. The foundation helps foreign born women who want to develop their skills as entrepreneurs. Participants are supported through proven entrepreneurial and mentoring programs that draw inspiration from Muhammad Yunus' model. Ester's target group have both drive and potential, but lack the support and resources needed to take their own business to the next level.

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Female entrepreneurs are in a unique position; they are role models for children and young people, they employ other women and their entrepreneurship creates a ripple effect in society that reaches far beyond their own business venture. When a woman has the power over her own life, the ability to support herself financially, and access to the right networks not only does her family´s situation change but the entire local community reaps the benefits.

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"In Sweden, we urgently need the active involvement of different actors in order to work together and make real and lasting change for individuals and for society. Foreign born women have an abundance of competencies, experiences and networks from their home countries that should be highlighted and materialized. New jobs need to be created to break the increase of exclusion and marginalization in society. We are in dire need of small businesses that can provide women with these types of opportunities. If women-led companies are given the opportunity to scale up, women´s life-stories are spread. With Ester's tailor-made support, these entrepreneurs are given the tools they need to succeed." Sofia Altafi, chair of the Ester Foundation.

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In partnership with MTI Investment, a Nordic investment and venture building company that invests in scalable companies with the potential for significant positive societal impact Ester Foundation will implement an accelerator program in 2022/2023. The program has a unique mentoring component designed for those who are ready to take the next step and grow their enterprise. These entrepreneurs can act as role models and build bridges for other women who have ambitions of their own to start their own business.

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MTI is providing support in terms of designing and implementing the accelerator program through its advisory unit. The program is a unique opportunity for ten to twelve female entrepreneurs to participate in a tailormade venture-building program. Each participant will receive access to a team of mentors that have been chosen based on the specific needs of that particular company. Our mentors are specialists in the fields of finance, sales and marketing, business development, legal services, HR and programming/IT as resources to the participants over the duration of the program.

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In order to better understand the success factors that affect the targets groups entrepreneurship and their chances of expanding, the entrepreneurs will be followed by Professor Miriam Bird and PhD student Luise Kaufmann from TUM School of Management, Technical University of Munich. Their analysis and conclusions will contribute to an increased understanding of the target groups entrepreneurship and an improved accelerator program.

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Thanks to our partners, participants will have the opportunity to be nominated for a place on the accelerator program which is offered free of charge. More information about the program can be found on our website www.stiftelsenester.se

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Are you one of the candidates we are looking for? Or do you know someone who would be a good fit for the program?

 

We welcome all expressions of interest to info@stiftelsenester.se

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Press contact Sofia Altafi, Chair of the Ester Foundation Board

Email: info@stiftelsenester.se

Phone: 0704 934 695

 

Pontus Engström, CEO, MTI Investment

Email: pontus.engstrom@mti-investment.com

Phone: 070-716 55 38

 

Download the full press release here: Press release – Accelerator program