Optimism, Opportunity Unite Women Owned Businesses at Dell India 2012 Event

According to a new study commissioned by Dell, the ideal country to be in if you’re a woman starting a business in 2012 could well be India, the location of its upcoming Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network (DWEN) event taking place in New Delhi, June 17-19, 2012.

At the event, Dell will be releasing the results of its Women’s Global Entrepreneurship Study, examining indicators of business confidence among women entrepreneurs in different countries, along with their motivations, financing options and sources of support.

Early results show tremendous optimism on the part of women entrepreneurs in India. When asked about expectations for business growth, women entrepreneurs in India anticipate an average of 90 percent growth over the next five years. When you consider that India has a projected GDP growth rate of 8.2 percent in 2011-2012, according to the Indian Economic Outlook Report, women entrepreneurs in India have good reason to be feeling bullish.

Previous DWEN events in Shanghai (2010) and Rio de Janeiro (2011) brought together female global entrepreneurs to share best practices, build business opportunities and celebrate female influence in the global economy. Together, DWEN members and Dell chose India for this exclusive event because of its role as one of the largest emerging markets, as well as its influence on the world of technology.

Host Moira Forbes, publisher of Forbes Woman, will lead the two-day event around the theme “Innovation through Collaboration.” The agenda is structured as an exchange of ideas between female founders, CEOs, innovative leaders, business icons, experts and thought leaders who run businesses in top markets. With speakers representing Canada, the United States, Brazil, China, Japan, Australia, India, the United Kingdom, France and Germany, the Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network will address topics such as doing business in India, social entrepreneurship and strategic giving, sustainability, customer engagement, social media strategy, going global, and more. Speakers include:

• Susan Feldman, Co-founder and Chief Merchandising Officer, One Kings Lane
• Carley Roney, Co-founder and Editor in Chief, XO Group, Inc.
• Lola Ogunnaike, Today Show Contributor
• Martina Sandrock, General Manager, Iglo GmbH
• Jane Silber, CEO, Canonical
• Carolyn S. Miles, President and CEO, Save the Children
• Shoba Purushothaman, Founder, Training Ventures Ltd. & Founder, The NewsMarket
• Aishwarya and Amruda Nair of The Leela Group
• Kay Koplovitz, Chairman & CEO, Koplovitz & Co., Chairman, Springboard Enterprises
• Frédérique Clavel, President, Fédération Pionnières
• Tara Hunt, CEO and Co-founder, Buyosphere
• Sarah Prevette, Founder, Sprouter and BetaKit
• Danae Ringelmann, Co-founder, IndieGoGo
• Ameera Shah, Managing Director and CEO, Metropolis Healthcare Ltd.
• Lakshmi Pratury, Host and Curator, The INK Conference
• Michele Caminos, Managing Vice President, Gartner
• Terri McCullough, Executive Director, Tory Burch Foundation

“Women are playing increasingly important roles in leadership and we’re seeing some of the most exciting global growth coming from female-led companies,” said Forbes. “I recently traveled to Asia for the inaugural Forbes Forum: Asia’s Power Business Women and saw first-hand how the region’s female business leaders and entrepreneurs are changing the face of business and India is at the forefront of this phenomenon.”

Dell Women’s Global Entrepreneurship Study, Key Findings:

The agenda for the event will be supported by data uncovered as part of the Dell Women’s Global Entrepreneurship Study, which highlights positive growth trends for female entrepreneurs in India including:

• Business is Booming: 71 percent of female entrepreneurs in India say their business is very successful, and eight in 10 female entrepreneurs in India say they are hiring.
• Opportunity for Technology: 74 percent of female entrepreneurs in India say their technology needs are getting more complex.
• Don’t Quit Your Day Job: 90 percent of female entrepreneurs in India started their business while maintaining their day job.
• Positive Social Impact is Important: 85 percent of female entrepreneurs in India believe it is very important that their business has a positive social impact.

“Dell recognizes how critical entrepreneurs are to global economic recovery and job creation and our commitment to their growth goes well beyond the products and solutions we sell,” Karen Quintos, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, Dell Inc. “The Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network celebrates the unique perspective and approach that women bring to business—and reinforces the role of technology in enabling these women to reach new markets, expand their companies and provide value to their customers.”

Women leaders are invited to join in the conversation and share who and what inspires and motivates them as entrepreneurs and leaders via the Women Powering Business Network group on LinkedIn.

DWEN is supported by Endeavor, Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneurial Winning Women and the Kauffman Foundation. Content about the event can be found on Twitter via @DellBizWomen and by following #dwen.

About Dell

As the visionary outcome of a true entrepreneur, Dell (NASDAQ: DELL) is committed to help power the success of entrepreneurs by developing technology solutions that help their businesses increase productivity and grow. Through the Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network, Dell supports and nurtures the community of female entrepreneurs by helping provide access to knowledge, networks, and capital. Learn more at www.dell.com/women.

Dell is a trademark of Dell Inc. Dell disclaims any proprietary interest in the marks and names of others.

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