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#BEATINGTHEODDS
Alliance
the solutions you don't have may come from the voice you haven't heard
Shaping more diverse and inclusive
startup ecosystems.
Those outside of the current founder demographic might hold the answers we’ve been looking for.
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The importance of diversity in entrepreneurship can not be overestimated. When entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds and perspectives build successful businesses, they generate impact that benefits all of society, by tackling problems they know from personal experience and want to help solve.
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In order to unlock the true potential of entrepreneurship as a vehicle for change, we need diverse perspectives and people from diverse backgrounds to start building businesses that ensure a positive future in which we are able to tackle complex challenges through inclusive problem-solving capabilities.
That is why diversity and inclusion are vital to the sustained success of any startup ecosystem. Unfortunately, European startup ecosystems still lack diversity and are hardly inclusive. The existing ecosystems are still very homogenous and although many startup supporting initiatives acknowledge the problem and actively challenge the status quo, they still struggle to find or attract startups with diverse founders.

Let's bend the course of history
together
Because, what if together we can create waves instead of ripples?

About the Alliance
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Members of the #Beatingtheodds Alliance are committed and actively working to promote diversity and inclusion within the entrepreneurial ecosystem, spanning not only gender but focusing on the broader sense of diversity, including people with diverse ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds and of different abilities amongst others.
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The Alliance aims to unite all relevant stakeholders over the urgent need to make our European startup ecosystems more diverse and inclusive, starting with Belgium. It intends to lay the foundations for an ambitious European wide action plan made for scale and replication.
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By rallying different parties behind a shared goal and spreading the message as far and wide as possible, we aim to create more awareness and motivate interested parties to join this alliance, thus creating a ripple effect towards impact on a larger scale.

Our Manifesto
Change The Narrative
by making diverse representation across leadership and decision-making positions in our startup ecosystems a priority and by empowering more role models from diverse backgrounds to inspire and motivate tomorrow's talent.
Level The Playing Field
by providing underrepresented founders equal access to opportunities, entrepreneurial skills, knowledge, funds and support network to start and launch a successful company.
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Interested in becoming an ally?
Drop us a line at hello@impactshakers.com

“Super interesting programme that revealed lots of 'secrets' of entrepreneurial thinking. We learned to think from our customer's perspective and feel confident to build and grow our business.”
Sahin
“This course gave me hope! Even if you don't come from a conventional background, with the right tools, support and skillset you too can become a successful entrepreneur! ”
Ensar
“We're now aware of the right path we can take in acquiring the funding that would help us the most. Can't recommend the course enough and looking forward to putting my learnings into practice”
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Elissa
What entrepreneurs say
The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity.
Amelia Earheart



