Press Play is a pre-accelerator program for women looking at stepping outside their corporate, scaleup or startup jobs to become a startup founder.
It’s designed to take them from employee to entrepreneur in 12 weeks. Thanks to the support of LaunchVic and several other supporters there are 100 scholarship, valued at $4,700 each, available for women keep to give it a crack. It gives women access to the entrepreneurial mindset, fundamentals of building a scalable tech startup and the networks to help them succeed.
But hurry, applications for cohort two of Press Play close this Wednesday, May 15. Apply here
Last week Press Play celebrated the graduation of its first 50 founders. Those who took part said it helped them understand the entrepreneurial mindset and boost their confidence.
“The program sessions have been simple to follow and extremely actionable, so I walk away each week with something tangible,” participant Aniya Roslan said.
“This has helped me to get more clarity from my thoughts, and I feel more confident from all the progress I’m seeing.”
Sophie Carns agreed, saying the biggest impact Press Play had for her was on her confidence.
“By going though the program I feel as though I am on the right track, asking the right questions and have a foundational knowledge to build from,” she said.
“This has made me go into meetings and conversations with confidence in myself and my idea which has had great results. No more “who am i to be doing this” thoughts.”
Rebecca Bayly appreciated the Press Play team, which includes Jumpstart Studio’s Sangeeta Muchandani and 3x founder, angel investor Preethi Mohan from Nice To
“The Press Play team is very positive and experienced, understands the ups and downs of a startup and brings that knowledge and expertise to the program, Rebecca said.
“The team empowers everyone that things are possible if you are persistent, do the hard work and provide you with great contacts that enable us to tap into – we are served with a lot of great content and connections!”
Muchandani also understands the specific issues women face as founders.
“Launching a startup is challenging, particularly for women balancing family, personal health, and corporate jobs,” she said.
“In the early days, it is crucial that they are supported with a structured environment that accommodates their needs, provides flexibility, offers education, mentorship, and connects them with the startup ecosystem to advance their entrepreneurial ideas.”
The challenge, Muchandani adds, is immense with just 1000 women in Victoria, out of a population of 6.5 million, identifying as startup founders.
“With this limited representation, women face ongoing hurdles in attaining equality in their business journey – like funding and market share,” she said.
“Only by bolstering the pipeline of women entering the startup ecosystem at the grassroots level, can we change the narrative and unleash even greater potential for innovation and societal impact.”
They’ll also be investing in them through Press Play’s Founder Alumni Fund.
LaunchVic CEO Dr Kate Cornick said they’re pleased to back Press Play and its mission to help women in corporate roles transition into the startup sector.
“Research by LaunchVic reveals one-third of Victorian startups now have at least one woman founder, up from 20% in 2020,” she said.
“But the figure is still outpaced by the growth of male-only firms, suggesting further support is needed for women-led startups at those crucial early stages.”
More on how to apply at pressplay.ventures
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