Bridging the Gap – A Supplier Diversity Event Uniting Women-Owned Businesses and Corporates

On February 29th, 2024, the VdU (Verband deutscher Unternehmerinnen) and WEConnect International in collaboration with Accenture hosted a Business Matchmaking Event. The event aimed to create meaningful business opportunities for women-owned businesses and corporates in the DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) region.

It focused on inclusive supply chains and corporate initiatives promoting inclusive growth. The event, held at Accenture’s office in Munich, featured welcome words from the organizers, an overview of VdU and WEConnect International’s work, presentations by Accenture, Intel and Bayer on the value of inclusive supply chains and how to driving real business opportunities for diverse vendors.

Amidst the event, women business owners had the opportunity to pitch their business in personalized slots with corporate representatives, crafting a narrative of empowerment and collaboration.

I’m proud to have been part of this event moderating the panel discussion where we heard from corporate representatives Nadin Salomon from IFF and Moritz von der Wehl from CBRE about their supplier diversity efforts in Europe. Nadin and Moritz were not only unveiling their best practices but also fearlessly unraveling the hurdles they faced and how they overcame them.

Among the panelists were also inspiring business owners, Sophia Hatzelmann from ahc GmbH and Magdalena Kurpierz from Kvalito. They gave insights into the challenges faced as women business owners, navigating biases, and how they got to where they are today.

This event in Germany was a powerful stride towards shattering barriers between corporates and women-owned businesses and another great step towards more gender equality.

Related Links: https://next.brella.io/join/weconnectxvdu/tickets