These days, expectations are high for female business leaders. There is an increase in news about the increase in the percentage of female executives at listed companies, and an increasing number of companies are promoting new business development and hiring of female business managers. I also had the opportunity to consult with a listed manufacturing company with high technical capabilities about hiring a female business manager.
It is said that women’s ideas will have an impact on the world in the future, and there are female entrepreneurs who start businesses through in-house entrepreneurship systems or start their own businesses independently. For example, many companies have introduced in-house entrepreneurship systems, such as Recruit’s “New Business Development Program” and Softbank’s “Innovation Program,” providing opportunities for female employees to realize their own ideas. There are an increasing number of cases where female employees bring their own ideas and develop them into new businesses.
Tokyo’s female entrepreneur growth promotion program, APT Women, was launched in 2017 and has supported 240 female entrepreneurs over the past eight years. APT Women has raised over 19.8 billion yen in funding and collaborated with over 743 large companies (achievements and results achieved by 240 companies in the first to eighth periods). A three-month program provides growth-oriented female entrepreneurs with the management knowledge, skills, and networks necessary for business management and scale-up. It has increased the success rate of participants’ businesses.

APT Women program participants utilize domestic and international networks, and with an eye toward expanding into overseas markets, the number of innovative businesses that utilize the unique perspectives and sensibilities of women is increasing. They use their own experience and expertise to discover new markets, meet needs, and increase their competitiveness.

Let’s also look at examples from overseas. According to the “We Cities Index 2023,” London and New York have particularly favorable environments for supporting female entrepreneurs. The government and local governments provide training programs and mentoring to develop female leadership, and there are a variety of fundraising options, as well as a well-developed network of venture capitalists and angel investors, making it easy for female entrepreneurs to obtain funds. There are also many networking events and communities, and it is said that information exchange and collaboration between female entrepreneurs is progressing.
Increasing the number of female role models is also extremely important. The presence of successful female leaders is a great encouragement for the next generation of women and serves as a guide for them to build their own careers. In fact, in companies and regions with many female role models, women’s empowerment is more likely to progress, which also leads to the development of female leaders.
These efforts have led to an increase in the number of situations in which women are active as top managers and business leaders both domestically and internationally, which is a tailwind. However, the number of female leaders is still insufficient. Further improvement of policies and support programs, promotion of the appointment of women within companies, and understanding and awareness change in society as a whole are necessary. In the future, we can expect to see more female business leaders leading the business world with innovative ideas.

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