Data shows that only 4% of Australia’s $3.5 billion in startup funding in Australia was directed toward all-female led businesses last year — despite achieving superior economic, social and environmental outcomes.
Aiming to address this disparity, Ithaca Impact has launched the ‘Get Set for Impact’ program to support purpose-driven women-led ventures in Queensland. Supported by Advance Queensland, a Queensland government initiative, the program is aimed at empowering Queensland’s female entrepreneurs to drive meaningful social and environmental impact.
The Get Set for Impact program is designed to help female founders secure the investment they need by clearly demonstrating their impact with real-world data.
It will provide critical resources to help purpose-driven female founders capture, showcase, and leverage their social and environmental impact to drive investment, and offers tailored support through bespoke tools, branded impact dashboards, and direct exposure to impact investors.
For Ithaca Impact, the program holds a special place in its portfolio of projects, reflecting its dedication to advancing impactful and innovative ventures.
Ithaca Impact Managing Director, Dr Elizabeth Armstrong, herself a female founder, said, “To help innovation thrive, we need to shift the needle on backing for female founders. We designed the Get Set for Impact program to help female founders tell their impact story in unequivocal, highly visual ways. It is aimed unapologetically at investors, sharing data that informs investment screening and due diligence.”
Get Set for Impact program highlights:
- Customised Impact Tools: Participants will receive guidance and have access to tools to measure, manage, and report their impact.
- Personalised 1-1 Support: Small cohorts of six will work closely with the Ithaca Impact team to develop a Theory of Change, implement evidence collection strategies, and create customised online impact dashboards.
- Showcase Event: The program culminates in a high-profile showcase event with Queensland’s leading impact investors, providing participants with valuable exposure and networking opportunities.
This initiative is part of the broader Accelerating Female Founders Program (AFFP), which provided over $2 million in funding from Advance Queensland to support female entrepreneurs across the state.
Minister for the Environment and the Great Barrier Reef and Minister for Science and Innovation, The Honourable Leanne Linard, praised the AFFP initiative, stating, “The Miles Government is committed to building a well-connected, inclusive and thriving innovation ecosystem and this cannot be achieved without women.”
Seats are limited, with only four cohorts available. For more information or to express your interest, please visit www.ithacaimpact.com/get-set-for-impact or contact info@ithacaimpact.com.