Thank you for hosting such an inspiring group of women entrepreneurs Leena Nair!
“I want to be part of what’s next” is one of Gabrielle Chanel’s most famous mottos. Embracing her audacious spirit, we are constantly reinventing ourselves and connecting with new ideas and partners. We've been building an innovation ecosystem across the House with top academic institutions, start-ups, Big Tech, and other innovators, to prepare the House for the future. One example is our partnership with StartX, an accelerator program for Stanford alumni. This collaboration was initiated by the Chanel Open Innovation team to explore forward-thinking topics such as longevity, generative AI, the future of work, social impact and sustainability. We’re also deeply committed to supporting women founders, who remain underrepresented in the world of entrepreneurship. Last week, I visited StartX in California and met inspiring women entrepreneurs. We discussed courageous career pivots, new business models, the ups and downs of fundraising, importance of mentorship, and how to envision a brighter future for women founders. Their drive and creativity were awe-inspiring - from inventing solutions for neurodivergent populations, enterprise AI platforms, quantum mechanics for modelling climate change to wearable robotics and technology to support mental well-being. I left feeling more knowledgeable and optimistic, knowing these pioneering women are shaping a better future! Mary Zhu, Develop for Good, College students and industry mentors building software for nonprofits. Kathryn Zealand, Skip, Powered wearable technology dedicated to helping people move with joy. Xuan Zhao, PhD, Flourish Science, Science-based, AI-powered solution for everyday mental health and well-being. Sharon Zhou, PhD, Lamini, Giving enterprises the ability to turn proprietary data into the next generation of LLM capabilities. Christine Irish, TryTo.ai, Resources and tools designed to support neurodiverse individuals in their job search journey.