New mentoring scholarships available for migrant women entrepreneurs

Funded under Australian Government’s Women’s Leadership and Development Strategy, the scholarships are aimed at female business owners who will embark on a 12 month journey with their mentor, spending four hours per month together.

Businesswoman Div Pillay - SBS Source: SBS

More and more Indian women in Australia are today running their entrepreneurial ventures and small businesses. And mentoring can often fill the missing link between business and success.

Div Pillay, CEO of MindTribes & Co-Founder of Culturally Diverse Women who was also a Telstra Business Award Finalists, Victoria in 2016 says mentoring is very important specially for migrant women entrepreneurs.

“The right mentoring for migrant female start-ups and business owners is critical as these women experience a double-jeopardy where their gender and culture combine to create reduced backing for funding and slower progression than Australian born entrepreneurs.

"Mentors of migrant women need to understand this double-jeopardy and the path they need to walk to reach their commercialization of ideas.

"In addition, they need to play a practical role, like facilitating networking to support migrant women who leave their network behind. These connections are critical to their commercial success, in terms of buying their products and services or even getting through procurement and onto the supplier lists.”

Now special mentoring scholarships are available to support aspiring female entrepreneurs in Australia.

Inspiring Rare Birds

, a global hub supporting aspiring female entrepreneurs, has launched its Entrepreneur Mentorship Program which will provide 100 scholarships to women business owners.

Funded under the Australian Government’s Women’s Leadership and Development Strategy, the scholarships are aimed at female business owners in regional areas, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and women from low socio-economic backgrounds.

The scholarships will match recipients with high calibre mentors to help them grow their business and be successful entrepreneurs.

In partnership with the Office For Women, The Inspiring Rare Birds mentoring program provides high calibre mentors to entrepreneurs honestly seeking to advance their personal and business development by way of one-on-one mentoring. Entrepreneurs embark on a 12 month journey with their mentor, spending four hours per month together.

To be eligible for this

scholarship

you must meet the following criteria:

– The majority shareholder and owner of the business

– 18 years old or over

– The founder of the business

– Already in operation and have launched your business (it cannot be in ideation stage)

– A woman

– An Australian citizen

– Not employed by Inspiring Rare Birds, a selection committee member or direct partner of the scholarship program.

– Meeting one or more of the following demographic criteria:

A. Regionally, rurally or remotely located;