Prof. Kickul participates in Business NH Magazine's roundtable on entrepreneurship in NH
In 2004, NH ranked 42nd in the nation for the number of women-owned businesses. This less than desirable fact prompted Business NH Magazine to partner with the Women’s Business Center (Portsmouth, NH) to host a roundtable with some of NH’s leading businesswomen to discuss the reasons behind the ranking in March 2006. Business NH Magazine published the article “Crossing the Gender Line” in its June 2006 issue, covering the roundtable. Participants included state-wide representatives from many business sectors and non-profits. The roundtable also invited Simmons SOM professor Jill Kickul to contribute at the event, presenting an academic perspective including Simmons SOM entrepreneurial research as well as national statistics to the dialogue. “A lot of personal characteristics of people who start successful businesses are similar across the board,” Kickul says. “We’re finding differences in younger generations in terms of their aspirations for entrepreneurship. The girls look at their financial management and organizational skills. They rate themselves lower [than male students] but they’re pretty much on par.”
“Women of color are where we are seeing the growth [in women-owned business]. They’re doing it not only for themselves, but for their families and their communities.” Kickul emphasized a need to encourage young women, “Women have shown, across different types of businesses and lifestyles, from low-tech to high-tech, there are a number of ways they can grow and start their businesses. There’s not this one best way. In our communities we can show young women how to do it.”
Learn more about Simmons SOM’s MBA Certificate in Entrepreneurship.
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