‘We want to familiarise young women with entrepreneurship at an early age.’

Each semester, the HSG supports ten promising student start-ups through its Entrepreneurial Talents Programme (ETP). However, a few years ago, those responsible for the programme noticed that women were significantly underrepresented. Maria Luisa Fuchs, Co-Head of Entrepreneurship & Innovation at the HSG, responded by launching the Female Founders Mentoring Programme. It offers female students the opportunity to network with female founders and coaches and take their first entrepreneurial steps in a supportive environment. ‘Many women initially doubt whether they have the necessary self-confidence or knowledge to start a business. This is exactly where we want to start – early on and in an encouraging way,’ says Fuchs. The gender ratio in the ETP is now almost balanced.

‘Let's Startup!’ – making entrepreneurship a tangible experience

From 7 to 10 July 2025, the startup camp ‘Let's Startup!’ will take place at the HSG's SQUARE – organised by the Wirtschaftsbildung.ch association and supported by HSG Entrepreneurship. The camp is aimed at young women between the ages of 17 and 19 who are interested in trying out entrepreneurial thinking. Participants in the free camp can expect four days full of input, exchange and practical experience: from brainstorming and teamwork to pitching their ideas to a jury.

‘We at the HSG want to give young women some initial input on how to think entrepreneurially and where they can get support,’ says Fuchs. This includes introducing them to the process of idea generation. HSG student Sophia Haas, founder of the sustainable start-up Bloem, will give a short talk to the women. Haas completed the ETP with her start-up in spring 2025.

The participants will also develop start-up ideas in groups. At the end of the second day, they will present these to each other. A jury of HSG students will evaluate the ideas and provide suggestions for further development. During the four days, the women will also play through the EcoStartup simulation from wirtschaftsbildung.ch. The game simulates the founding and early stages of a start-up and is characterised by quick decisions and rapid feedback.

HSG promotes entrepreneurial thinking at an early stage

Giving early impetus to entrepreneurial thinking is central to the HSG: courses, student initiatives and HSG Entrepreneurship offer various challenges that focus on developing initial business ideas. If these prove successful and are pursued by founders, they can develop into start-ups, which are then promoted through HSG support programmes. These include the ETP, the HSG Best Founders Programme and the HSG START Accelerator. Experts from the HSG network also contribute to the camp, for example in a panel discussion on start-up financing.

‘It is important to us to show that there are many ways to finance a company – from bootstrapping with your own resources to collaborating with investors,’ says Fuchs. The panel will include Anna Bünter, HSG graduate and co-founder of the start-up Sallea, as well as female investors.

Various workshops are also on the programme, including how to present in front of an audience and pitch a business idea. But it's not all about business: topics such as stress management, setbacks, career planning and work-life balance also have their place.

Various experts from the HSG will also be taking part, including HSG alumni, Career Services and the psychological counselling service. ‘We want to give young women tools that go beyond starting a business – tools for life,’ says Fuchs.