On the occasion of the sixth edition of Digital November [Novembre Numérique], the celebration of digital cultures, Institut français de Norvège organizes in collaboration with Institut français du Danemark, Institut français de Finlande and Institut français de Suède, the webinar «Women, crowdfunding and creative entrepreneurship: a French-Nordic perspective».
This webinar will take place on Thursday, November 10th at 2pm on Zoom and aims to provide an overview of the crowdfunding sector in the Nordic countries and in France. Platform managers, projects leaders and researchers will meet to discuss the role of women in the crowdfunding market.
Click here to register! (mandatory registration)
In recent decades, gender inequalities have been decreasing, yet certain cultural and historical barriers remain within the entrepreneurial sphere. Indeed, women are confronted with the traditional financing circuit, made up of banks and professional investors, a major obstacle on the path leading to business creation.
The numerous crowdfunding platforms are, particularly through social networks, the reflection of great creativity, and highlight the dynamism of the sector. We find that a good part of the projects supported have a cultural dimension – 73% of the projects financed by a donation with reward in 2014 – and the platforms dedicated to specific topics are multiplying. Of the 300 European platforms, 90 of them are French!
At the heart of this booming system, women are performing better and raising more funds than men. Today, at least 50% of the projects financed by platforms are led by a woman. Crowdfunding allows gender diversity and equality in financing by shaking up the codes. Until 50 years ago, a woman could not open a bank account without a man to guarantee it. Today, she has dedicated platforms. Thus, crowdfunding seems to abolish inequalities in favor of gender diversity. It conveys values of sharing, support, trust and transparency.
Webinar participants:
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Marie Ballarini (moderator / France) Marie Ballarini has a PhD in Information and Communication Science from the University Sorbonne Nouvelle and is a research professor at the University Paris Dauphine – PSL at MOST laboratory. Her thesis work, carried out with the support of Laboratoire d’Excellence Industries Culturelles et Création Artistique and directed by Fabrice Rochelandet (Sorbonne Nouvelle) and François Moreau (Paris Nord), is related to participative sponsorship in the museum and heritage sectors. She is notably the author of Musées et financements participatifs published in the journal Réseaux in 2020. Her current work focuses on the ecosystem of art history mediation on socio-digital networks and on the reception of immersive devices in the museum sector. |
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Cécilia Adam (France) After studying literature and a career in publishing, Cécilia Adam went back to study information and communication sciences and became a consultant, trainer and teacher in communication. In 2014 she created the agency CAP! which today relies on a team of ten people to support all kinds of crowdfunding campaigns, around the two axes of financing and communication. |
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Alice Guillemet (France) Alice Guillemet holds a degree in Political Sciences and a master’s degree in International Relations from the University Jean Moulin Lyon 3. Alice Guillemet has a background in engineering and management of cultural projects. Her experience in the Cultural Affairs Department of Tournefeuille has given her a knowledge in cultural project management. For the past six years, Alice has been in charge of the project leader support department within the proarti endowment fund. She trains and advises all project leaders in the definition and implementation of their fundraising strategy. |
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Natalia Mæhle (Norway) Natalia Mæhle is a Professor at the Mohn Centre for Innovation and Regional Development, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences. She is doing teaching and research in the field of digital innovation, sustainability, and marketing. Prof. Mæhle is an expert in crowdfunding and has been involved in several international research projects on crowdfunding funded by the Research Council of Norway. She currently leads the research project “Crowdfunding in the Culture Sector: Adoption, Effects and Implications”. She also co-edited a special issue on advancing crowdfunding research with Emerald’s Baltic Journal of Management (Vol. 15 Issue 2). Prof. Mæhle has widely published in the highly ranked international journals and is a regular presenter on international conferences. |
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Kristian Roed Nielsen (Denmark) Kristian Roed Nielsen is an Associate Professor at Copenhagen Business School. His research is at the intersection of sustainable consumer behavior and innovation, where he is focused on uncovering what role the consumer could have in enabling and financing sustainable innovation. |