We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands and waters of Australia, and pay respect to all Ancestors, Elders and families – past, present and emerging. We recognise the unique place held by First Nations Peoples as the original custodians across the continent with histories of continuous connection dating back to over 60,000 years.
The State of Bla(c)k Women and Women of Colour Founders in the Start-up Ecosystem in Australia
An independent research report by The Creative Co-Operative, March 2022
What are the opportunities and challenges of the Australian Start-up Ecosystem for Bla(c)k Women and Women of Colour founders?
The CCO is delivering a project called Anyone Can (AC), the first startup program by and for Bla(c)k Women and Women of Colour in Australia.
Backed by the federal government, this project aims to create more access for Bla(c)k Women and Women of Colour founders in the startup ecosystem in three phases: Identify, Inspire and Activate.
This report is the output of the Identify phase of the AC Project. It provides analysis, insights and recommendations in relation to the state of Bla(c)k Women and Women of Colour founders in the start-up ecosystem in Australia.
This report:
- highlights barriers faced by Bla(c)k Women and Women of Colour in the start-up ecosystem, particularly with regard to their access to funding,
- offers recommendations and opportunities for Co-Conspirators - funders, investors, policymakers, and the wider community - towards addressing these barriers
- features eight Founder profiles of Bla(c)k Women and Women of Colour founders, literature review & content analysis
The ultimate goal of the report is to drive more funding to BIWOC start-up founders in Australia.
Please note that this is where you can download the complimentary Executive Summary for our report.
The FULL Report is available to download via a donation below.
This project is supported by the Australian Government Department of
Industry, Science, Energy and Resources through the Women in STEM and Entrepreneurship program.
Who are The Creative Co-Operative?
The Creative Co-Operative is the first 100% migrant Woman of Colour owned, led and operated social enterprise in Australia that is dedicated to challenging the economic and social access barriers experienced by (migrant) Women of Colour as a result of systemic racism. We are a startup delivering professional services and employing people and engaging third party suppliers who identify as BIWOC in performing our work. Revenue generated is re-distributed to support community projects or fundraisers to raise awareness of and/or address systemic racism.