National Academies Press: OpenBook
« Previous: 6 Panel IV: Alternative Forms of Entrepreneurships in Sustainable Technologies: Intrapreneurship in Corporations and Government, Social Entrepreneurship, and Traditional Entrepreneurship
Suggested Citation:"7 Themes from the Workshop and Closing Remarks." National Research Council. 2012. From Science to Business: Preparing Female Scientists and Engineers for Successful Transitions into Entrepreneurship: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13392.
×

7

THEMES FROM THE WORKSHOP AND CLOSING REMARKS

In closing, Lydia Villa-Komaroff identified some of the issues raised by various speakers and workshop participants. She began by reflecting that the younger generations have grown up differently than those previous, and therefore one can anticipate changes in the data presented throughout the workshop regarding women’s involvement in various entrepreneurial careers and fields as the women who are in their 20s and 30s make decisions as to where to go in their career pathways.

She noted that while a great deal of data was presented and more is always helpful, there are sufficient data upon which to begin to act. Specifically, in order to ensure that individuals of all backgrounds utilize their talents, it may not be enough to show people the data about how it is beneficial to have women actively involved, we may need to mandate change in behavior first and then buy-in will follow. Villa-Komaroff reminded everyone that we also need to be aware of our own biases and, perceptions of ourselves, and how these biases and perceptions can interfere with the ability to use our own talents. Courage, she stated, is not an absence of insecurity or fear, it is action in the face of those insecurities and fears.

Villa-Komaroff concluded by suggesting actions that could follow from the workshop:

•  sharing the presentations and data presented at the workshop

•  informing our own activities based on what we have learned

•  remaining a group that can continue to remind people of the importance of these issues

•  developing incentives and disincentives that can change behavior in the short term

•  bringing people to the table to demonstrate how the inclusion of women will benefit our entire collective efforts

Members of the audience then offered their personal and professional experiences that enriched this session. Some of the points made by various participants include the following.

•  Significant commonalities exist between women in technical fields of academia and entrepreneurship, e.g., the positive impact for women of the presence of females on hiring/tenure committees or funding interview boards, the exclusion from formal and informal networks that women experience; and the lower dollar amounts for grants and funding levels sought by women.

•  There is a need to emphasize the value of productive mentors and networking.

•  It is important to include careers as entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, and social entrepreneurs in graduate and postdoctoral education and training.

Suggested Citation:"7 Themes from the Workshop and Closing Remarks." National Research Council. 2012. From Science to Business: Preparing Female Scientists and Engineers for Successful Transitions into Entrepreneurship: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13392.
×

•  Promotion of training programs of shorter length that allow women to gain new skills and experiences on a relatively short timeline that complement more formalized programs.

•  Although national data on gender issues do exist, more regional data on female technical entrepreneurial activities may help focus policy-making efforts on this subject.

•  It would be valuable to explore effective ways to incorporate venture capitalists into the discussion of gender inequality and women in entrepreneurship.

•  The impact of lifestyle and family configuration on gender differences warrants further investigation.

•  Effective change can occur by promoting public benchmarking of larger firms and creating policies to tie mentoring to promotional advancement and economic gain.

The final discussion highlighted the wide range of career opportunities available to women in scientific and technical areas beyond traditional academic careers. Through meetings and workshops such as this one, these careers can be better understood and many important lessons can be learned from those who have been successful in entrepreneurial careers. Further, as many of the presenters articulated, careers vary and change over time, so women entrepreneurs should feel free to exit and enter a variety of opportunities as they arise over the span of their professional lives.

Suggested Citation:"7 Themes from the Workshop and Closing Remarks." National Research Council. 2012. From Science to Business: Preparing Female Scientists and Engineers for Successful Transitions into Entrepreneurship: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13392.
×
Page 33
Suggested Citation:"7 Themes from the Workshop and Closing Remarks." National Research Council. 2012. From Science to Business: Preparing Female Scientists and Engineers for Successful Transitions into Entrepreneurship: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13392.
×
Page 34
Next: Appendix A: Workshop Agenda »
From Science to Business: Preparing Female Scientists and Engineers for Successful Transitions into Entrepreneurship: Summary of a Workshop Get This Book
×
Buy Paperback | $32.00 Buy Ebook | $25.99
MyNAP members save 10% online.
Login or Register to save!
Download Free PDF

Scientists, engineers, and medical professionals play a vital role in building the 21st- century science and technology enterprises that will create solutions and jobs critical to solving the large, complex, and interdisciplinary problems faced by society: problems in energy, sustainability, the environment, water, food, disease, and healthcare. As a growing percentage of the scientific and technological workforce, women need to participate fully not just in finding solutions to technical problems, but also in building the organizations responsible for the job creation that will bring these solutions to market and to bear on pressing issues. To accomplish this, it is important that more women in science and engineering become entrepreneurs in order to start new companies; create business units inside established organizations, mature companies, and the government; and/or function as social entrepreneurs focused on societal issues. Entrepreneurship represents a vital source of change in all facets of society, empowering individuals to seek opportunity where others see insurmountable problems.

From Science to Business: Preparing Female Scientists and Engineers for Successful Transitions into Entrepreneurship is the summary of an August 2009 workshop that assesses the current status of women undertaking entrepreneurial activity in technical fields, to better understand the nature of the barriers they encounter, and to identify what it takes for women scientists and engineers to succeed as entrepreneurs. This report focuses on women's career transitions from academic science and engineering to entrepreneurship, with a goal of identifying knowledge gaps in women's skills as well as experiences crucial to future success in business and critical for achieving leadership positions in entrepreneurial organizations.

From Science to Business makes the case that in addition to educating women scientists and engineers in rigorous problem solving, it is equally important to provide exposure and training to impart the skills that will enable more women to move from the role of expert to that of leader in dynamic new business enterprises. This book will be of interest to professionals in both academia and industry, graduate and post-graduate students, and organizations that advocate for a stronger economy.

  1. ×

    Welcome to OpenBook!

    You're looking at OpenBook, NAP.edu's online reading room since 1999. Based on feedback from you, our users, we've made some improvements that make it easier than ever to read thousands of publications on our website.

    Do you want to take a quick tour of the OpenBook's features?

    No Thanks Take a Tour »
  2. ×

    Show this book's table of contents, where you can jump to any chapter by name.

    « Back Next »
  3. ×

    ...or use these buttons to go back to the previous chapter or skip to the next one.

    « Back Next »
  4. ×

    Jump up to the previous page or down to the next one. Also, you can type in a page number and press Enter to go directly to that page in the book.

    « Back Next »
  5. ×

    Switch between the Original Pages, where you can read the report as it appeared in print, and Text Pages for the web version, where you can highlight and search the text.

    « Back Next »
  6. ×

    To search the entire text of this book, type in your search term here and press Enter.

    « Back Next »
  7. ×

    Share a link to this book page on your preferred social network or via email.

    « Back Next »
  8. ×

    View our suggested citation for this chapter.

    « Back Next »
  9. ×

    Ready to take your reading offline? Click here to buy this book in print or download it as a free PDF, if available.

    « Back Next »
Stay Connected!