Second founders' breakfast: Women strengthen the economy in Steglitz!

Second founders' breakfast: Women strengthen the economy in Steglitz!

On Friday, September 12, 2025, the second founders' breakfast took place at Gutshaus Steglitz, an event that brought together around 60 entrepreneurs, founders and committed women from the Steglitz-Zehlendorf district. The aim of this meeting was to exchange ideas, strengthen each other and create impulses for the participants' professional development. The event was organized by the Berlin Südwest regional incubator, the district's women's and equal opportunities representatives and the start-up center, which focus on women in business.

The event was opened by Lalida Große, project manager at the Regional Incubator Berlin Südwest. She presented current projects and events and presented three female entrepreneurs from Steglitz-Zehlendorf who shared their experiences. She also reported on her involvement as a mentor in the “Side by Side” project and invited the participants to also get involved as mentors.

Important speeches and networks

The second speaker, Madalina Draghici, women and equal opportunities representative of the district office, emphasized the importance of equality in the world of work. She introduced the “Connecting Women” network and provided information about the newly founded women’s advisory board, which is intended to support women in taking active roles in the economy. Interested women can contact the women's representative at Frauenopfer@ba-sz.berlin.de put in touch.

Beate Roll, chairwoman of the regional association Berlin UnternehmerFrauen im Handwerk e.V. (UFH), also presented her network and referred to various projects such as “Women strengthen the crafts – 125 ways & opportunities” and the “Crafts for Girls” initiative. She also reported on the support for the “Maternity Protection for All!” campaign week. in October, which reminds us of the importance of maternity leave in the trades.

The current status of the founders

The event highlighted the need for greater networking among women in business, an issue that is also receiving significant focus at the national level. According to the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWE), the proportion of women starting their own companies increased from 38% in 2020 to 44% in 2025. Young women in particular are increasingly deciding to start their own businesses. In addition, 25% of craft businesses are founded by women, which represents a significant contribution to professional equality.

In the freelance professions, the proportion of companies founded by women is as high as 54%. Nevertheless, an analysis shows that women's teams made up just under 19% of start-ups in 2024, which represents a decline since 2020. A study by KfW shows that it is crucial to create equal opportunities between men and women in the start-up process and to examine institutional obstacles, such as childcare offers or the structure of parental allowance.

Funding offers and training initiatives

The BMWE has launched the “WOMEN’S ENTREPRENEURSHIP” initiative, which includes over 250 volunteer role model entrepreneurs. They report on their careers at various events and motivate other women to start businesses. In addition, there is support from an office that supports the role model entrepreneurs in placing them in educational institutions.

The BMWE and KfW start-up platform offers a wealth of information for those interested in starting a business, including over 2,000 regional networks and mentoring. Another important program is “EXIST Women”, which has been specifically supporting female founders at universities and research institutions since 2023. This program provides important resources and enables aspiring female founders to build a network.

The founders' breakfast at Gutshaus Steglitz was not only a platform for networking, but also an important step towards strengthening women in business. The importance of such events is particularly clear given the increasing proportion of female founders and initiatives aimed at supporting and promoting women in their entrepreneurial careers.

For further information about women in business, those interested can read the reports bundeswirtschaftsministerium.de and the findings of the KfW see.