Home featured The second SheStarts cohort with program director Nicola Hazell (centre) Featured Noticeboard Startup Featured “The stories we’re telling are changing the startup narrative,” says SheStarts director James Harkness January 29, 2018 Named Australia’s ‘Accelerator of the Year’ at StartCon 2017, SheStarts returns for its sophomore series tomorrow (Tuesday, 30 January) with nine female founders, representing eight early-stage tech startups, taking part in the BlueChilli-backed program. The second SheStarts cohort includes Dr Annie McCauley (Talk-i-Wear), Andrez Coco (Knowlly), Karen Hind (Recall App), Danielle Owen Whitford (Pioneera), Laura Simmons (Theratrak), Lily Dempster (The Neighbourhood Effect) and Deepthi Kulkarni (Reputationaire) as well as VitiVision co-founders Carolyn Deng and Dr Scarlett Liu. Between them, they are working with a variety of technologies (e.g. blockchain, data analytics, machine learning, wearable technology and robotics) across a range of industries (e.g. AgTech, HealthTech, EduTech, HRTech and Smart Cities). Nicola Hazell, the Director of SheStarts, spoke to Dynamic Business about the success, evolution and social impact of the accelerator program as well the qualities possessed by the women selected for the second cohort, and the value they will derive from the six-month initiative. DB: Touching on BlueChilli’s vision, what impact is SheStarts having? Hazell: When we launched SheStarts in 2016 we set out to change the ratio of male to female entrepreneurs working with technology. This was borne out of a belief that Australia will only truly fulfil its potential as an innovation- and technology-driven economy when there is greater gender diversity in leadership. Our intention