Heroikka

Team Leader

Maica Gil

Solution Overview

Solution Name:

Heroikka

One-line solution summary:

Heroikka is a digital platform that connects women’s project ideas and needs with global talent and networks.

Pitch your solution.

Women with small and new business have limited or lack access to networks and talent that effectively support their entrepreneurial efforts.

Heroikka provides a platform for women to access opportunities facilitated by women in the workforce, corporations and governments looking to build inclusive impact.

We have discovered through our project that women entrepreneurs are able to increase their growth opportunities, balance the gender gap in entrepreneurship within their communities and improve their chances to build sustainable projects.

Film your elevator pitch.

What specific problem are you solving?

DIGITAL WORKFORCE CHALLENGE

Unequal access to social capital and not having a digital presence play a significant role in the gender gap, particularly for women starting new businesses or searching for job opportunities. Women have a steeper learning curve and face many barriers and prejudices trying to access networks/capital.

Globally, there are +400 M of women entrepreneurs. Approximately 231 million women are starting or running new businesses in 59 countries. In low-income countries, 37.8% of women intend to start a new business within three years, but world-wide women owned businesses operating for more than 42 months is only 6.2%.

90% of the women (Latinas, African-American and Immigrants) that we interviewed said they have higher risks of business discontinuance within 6 months of starting.
In communities abroad who engaged with our platform, less than 3% of women, had direct access to funded programs and opportunities provided by corporate and governments. The sustainability of these businesses is crucial to the access of women to the workforce, digital training and economic opportunities.

What is your solution?

On Heroikka, women are able to register and post their projects and share their specific needs in areas that they need particular assistance. In the project template women share a brief description of their venture that serves as a introduction of their business or workforce needs.

We made easy to give visibility to the businesses and projects from women that don’t have any digital presence and are in a vulnerable position.
These projects are then made visible to companies and government organizations. Project leads can be contacted directly on the platform and when enabled shared on social media.
Corporations and governments get a customized tag assigned to their programs in the platform. Women then, can add the tag to their projects to be considered for open calls and campaigns related to these programs.
Through our platform analytics, we are able to gather information about the most wanted skills for the businesses, the most popular projects locally and overseas, connections made by project. Collation of these trends help organization to localize their community and engagement efforts.

Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?

Women: with early stage businesses, ideas or project with a social impact component. We want to be the foundation of community growth and provide wider opportunities to vulnerable women. Putting women at the center of economies will fundamentally drive better and more sustainable development outcomes for all, support a more rapid recovery from the current economic climate, and place the world back on a footing to achieve the 'Sustainable Development Goals'.

Companies: Most companies already have Corporate Social Responsibility programs and budgets but are looking for opportunities to engage their workforce and obtain brand recognition.

Governments: around the world are looking for social impact projects that matter to their policies and interests. Access to a pipe-line of women businesses will allow them to connect with community initiatives and build sustainable long-term programs.

So far:
60 women have received scholarships
383+ projects have engaged with government initiatives
8,000+ women had free access to our Summit and workshops
25,000+ visits on the website of our first digital event Woman
Impact Summit
225+ new projects registered in one single 5-day campaign
570+ women from 41 countries have participated in our B2B
sessions
30+ institutions across continents have provided resources
93+ countries represented within the platform

Which dimension of the Digital Workforce Challenge does your solution most closely address?

Provide more equitable access to the digital workforce for all, including those lacking connectivity, those who are differently abled, and those with undervalued talents

Explain how the problem you are addressing, the solution you have designed, and the population you are serving align with the Challenge.

We serve women in underrepresented communities and low-income regions. At Heroikka, it is key that women discover networks, connect with resources and talent to build sustainable projects. More than 60% of the projects led by women in our platform don’t have any digital presence. Heroikka creates a space for them to share their work and it is easy to post.This is the best way to create growth that translate access to the opportunities that the digital economy offer such us training, clients and talent. We want to bring more opportunities to women in the workforce and their projects.

In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?

San Francisco, CA, USA

Is your solution already being implemented in one or more of the following ServiceNow locations (Australia/New Zealand, Canada, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Israel, Japan, the Netherlands, Singapore, the United Kingdom, United States), or are you planning to expand your solution to one or more of these countries?

My solution is already being implemented in one or more of these ServiceNow locations

What is your solution’s stage of development?

Pilot: An organization deploying a tested product, service, or business model in at least one community.

Explain why you selected this stage of development for your solution.

We are between Pilot and Growth.Current Pilots:Chile - Fondo Esperanza/ BBVA (vulnerable women with businesses). Phase 1 (180)Mexico - Viwala (women entrepreneurs looking for financial help). Phase 1 (700).Mexico - AMMJE (women to share their skills and expertise with the projects in the platform and providing access to training). Phase 1 (600)Europe - Do Yo Initiative ( this initiative was created by a group of professional women that women activists who want support for a project they are working on or thinking of starting: 750$ scholarship & consultancy sessions to help bring your vision to life or taking it to the next level). Phase 1, Selected 10.Woman Impact Summit 2020: Campaign to pitch at the Summit. +235 projects registered in 5 days. 24 projects pitched to a global audience.We are featuring the rest of the projects in our communication channels. AWE (Academy of Women Entrepreneurs) US State Department.

Who is the Team Lead for your solution?

Maica Gil

Do you qualify for and would you like to be considered for the ServiceNow US Racial Equity Prize? If you select Yes, explain how you are qualified for the prize in the additional question that appears.

Yes, I wish to apply for this prize

Explain how you are qualified for this prize. How will your team use the ServiceNow Digital Equity Prize to advance your solution?

We need access to new networks, marketing, funding and technical advise to build the new platform with what we have learnt from our users and project builders.

Just by applying we are giving visibility to the projects that are in the platform created by amazing women from around the world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQD0d6eHoPU

We also need partners for the Summit that we have established to give visibility and connect all these women through their projects with opportunities.