Funded by the European Union and in collaboration with The Do, the UN Women Industry Disruptor is an acceleration program in India that provides women entrepreneurs in the sustainable fashion and lifestyle industries with access to mentorship, investors, and the opportunity to grow ideas and increase impact through scaling their ventures.
The program works with entrepreneurs in the fashion and lifestyle industry looking to grow their business and catalyze a more sustainable, equitable industry through online networking, workshops, and a two-week intensive bootcamp with industry players. In bringing like-minded women entrepreneurs together with field experts and mentors, the program addresses key challenges including access to funding and e-commerce, collaboration with multinational brands, scalable business models, becoming a more gender-responsive business, engaging customers as champions, and more.
These profiles contain first-hand highlights and lessons learned through the Industry Disruptor from participants following the program.
“As a solo entrepreneur, it’s easy to get caught up in the chaos of everyday. Joining the Industry Disruptor expanded my thinking to meta-level issues, and allowed me to learn from a variety of mentors with very industry-specific real-world knowledge.”
“There are always the ups and downs as a young business and finding continued motivation can be a real challenge. Through community, renewed focus, and a deeper sense of awareness, joining programs and bootcamps like the Industry Disruptor give you the courage to keep going.”
“The bootcamp brought new perspectives to my business and helped me see it through the lens of others. I now believe in my potential to create meaningful impact and was reminded that the world is big enough for us all to make a difference.”
“The Industry Disruptor allowed me to take a step back from the daily operations and focus on growth strategies with the potential to disrupt the fashion industry – all while prioritizing the environment and the empowerment of women.”
“The most remarkable change has been in my mindset and incorporating the various interpretations of sustainability from my peers. Understanding the challenges of others in the program opened ideas for my own work and has helped me realize the pain points among the industry giants.”
“I was able to meet a bunch of inspiring people who feel the same urge to fight for a systematic change within the fashion industry. Networking is key, and it is so much easier to exchange ideas and knowledge once you've experienced something together.”
“The conversations we had around gender equality emphasized the need to work on our own unconscious biases. It stuck with me that we need to include all genders into the discussion and vision around the future of fashion.”
“The shared values and motivations among the bootcamp participants serve as real proof that women can lead the change that the fashion industry so needs.”
“The Industry Disruptor bootcamp was an amazing experience, providing an opportunity to interact with industry partners and work closely with like-minded entrepreneurs, artisan groups, fair trade organizations and retail giants to sustainability solve industry challenges.”
