Womens as Agents for Catalytic Capital & Investment
Panel 1: New Access Moment : From Philanthropy to Equity Investment
This panel reframes philanthropy, catalytic capital, and investing as a single continuum of agency rather than separate silos. For decades, private markets were gated by design, pushing values-driven capital toward grants and donations by default. That model is cracking. This conversation shows how everyday philanthropic behaviors—giving, guarantees, remittances, patient capital—already mirror investment logic, and why venture philanthropy and catalytic capital (first-loss, proof, and learning capital) are the most credible on-ramps for new and non-traditional allocators to move from episodic giving into ownership, without pretending everyone needs to become a fund manager overnight. Policy shifts matter, but the real story is confidence, design, and fit-for-purpose pathways.
Moderator: Atalanti Moquette, Giving Women
Panelists:
Rafia Qureshi, Managing Director, EMEA & Asia, LEBEC Capital
Zoya Siddiqui, Development & Partnerships, Europe, Acumen
Pauline Koelbl, Founder ShEquity (appearing Virtually)
Panel 2: Private Markets in Plain Language - How Capital Actually Moves
This panel centers on confidence before conversion, exploring how women who already steward money thoughtfully can move toward informed participation in private markets without pressure or hype. Through perspectives spanning angel investing, financial literacy, impact capital structuring, and fintech ecosystem building, the discussion makes visible how capital actually moves—deliberately, collectively, and with governance. It clarifies real entry points such as angel networks, syndicates, and catalytic structures that allow smaller checks to engage while learning alongside experienced allocators. Venture philanthropy and blended capital are positioned as practical on-ramps that support underrepresented founders while building investor conviction and discipline. Ultimately, the goal is not urgency, but clarity, agency, and long-term, values-aligned ownership.
Moderator: Elena de Weck, Angel Investor & Founder of Yainvest
Panelists:
Gwendolyn Furrer, Marketing & Community Manager, SmartPurse
Natalie Garolle, EU Investor Relations Manager, Triple Effect Capital
Dr.Karen Wendt, Founder, SwissFintechLadies
Panel 3: From Values to Allocation — Ecosystem Builders & Founders on Catalytic Capital
This panel flips the usual investor-centric script and centers founders operating in the missing middle: too large or operationally complex for grants, yet too early or unconventional for institutional capital. Through founder voices, the session shows how €10k–€50k catalytic allocations are structured—often through investment collectives, clubs, syndicates, or blended vehicles—why those structures matter, and how the capital is actually used. The emphasis is on fit-for-purpose funding that enables experimentation, resilience, and catalytic growth.
Moderator, Khani Bonnet, Founder, Bitesize Capital
Panelists
Alisee de Tonnac, Co-Founder, Seedstars
Marylou Atounian Didier, Finance & Accelerator Manager, Singa Switzerland
Georgia Al Zhahr, Co-Founder, Bab Sim Sim
5.30pm-8:30pm CET: Networking & Happy Hour, Le35 Roof Bar