{"id":459,"date":"2020-07-18T08:19:00","date_gmt":"2020-07-18T08:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/enlightenment-demo.onedesigns.com\/blog\/?p=459"},"modified":"2021-04-08T12:15:42","modified_gmt":"2021-04-08T12:15:42","slug":"the-ripple-effect-of-investing-in-women-and-tech","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/enlightenment-demo.onedesigns.com\/blog\/2020\/07\/18\/the-ripple-effect-of-investing-in-women-and-tech\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ripple Effect of Investing in Women and Tech"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Investing in women is an investment in the world, and fortunately, the majority of investors recognize the importance of investing in gender-balanced teams. But achieving gender equity calls for more than agreement. Less than 10 percent of these same investors build a strategy or set targets to fulfill this belief, and only 10 percent of women are in senior decision-making positions. In 2017, less than 3 percent<\/a> of global venture funding went to female-led teams. However, at MIT Solve<\/a>, we believe in putting women\u2019s great ideas into action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With 62 percent women-led startups, our 2018 Solver Class strikes more than balance. To highlight this impact, we\u2019re featuring four of our women-led 2018 Solver teams who advance the UN Sustainable Development Goal #5 for gender equality<\/a>, empowering women and girls worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From upskilling garment workers, to improving maternal healthcare, to documenting sexual violence, these four startups are using tech to change lives and empower women in innovative ways. Each drives us further toward reaching gender equality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Shimmy UpSkill<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Women make up approximately 80 percent<\/a> of the garment factory workforce. As factories shift toward automation, many of these women will be forced to look for new jobs. That\u2019s where Shimmy Upskill<\/a> comes in. Shimmy Upskill\u2019s learning software uses game mechanics and AI to teach digital pattern making and 3D modeling \u2014 both in-demand skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt takes a worker from zero to digitally literate in about four hours,\u201d says Sarah Krasley, CEO of Shimmy Technologies. \u201cIf a worker shows aptitude in digital pattern making, they can move into a higher-skilled, higher-paid position in a factory where they\u2019re already employed.\u201d The program builds on skills workers already mastered from sewing experience to accelerate the learning process. The result is a win-win system for both women workers and apparel brands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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