Company Updates

Dell for Entrepreneurs Women’s Summit Heads to Berlin for 6th Annual Global Event

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The more things change, the more they stay the same.

I’d always attributed that line to a song I’d heard from the 70s, but apparently it’s really much older than my musical memory. It is a translation of Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr’s epigram "plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose" (Les Guêpes, January 1849).

Why am I getting philosophical? Because as I get ready to tell you about the 6th edition of an annual event, there are some changing program names; but, the focus and goals of those programs are staying the same. So, let’s dive in!

First, I’m excited to announce that our sixth annual Dell for Entrepreneurs Women’s Summit, formerly known as the Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network (DWEN) Conference, is convening June 28-30, 2015, in Berlin, Germany. Previous locations for this global gathering have included Shanghai, Rio de Janeiro, New Delhi, Istanbul, and most recently, Dell’s hometown of Austin, Texas.

Attendees in the audience of the 2014 Dell Women's Entrepreneur Network event in Austin

It’s an invitation-only conference that will connect more than 200 of the world’s top female entrepreneurs, business leaders and media to share insights and best practices as part of a vibrant entrepreneurial community. Speakers at the 2015 summit will include leading female CEOs, founders and thought leaders that will be announced closer to the event.

But, the event has never been all that DWEN represents, and the name change makes that more visible. The network itself continues to support and nurture a community of female entrepreneurs by providing access to technology, networks and capital.

“It’s not just all kumbaya,” Eileen Gittins, president and CEO, Blurb Inc. says in the video below from our 2014 event. “It’s actionable, evidenced-based research that says try this, utilize these skills in your business.”

The research Gittins refers to is the only global index to measure high-potential female entrepreneurship based on individual aspirations, business environments and entrepreneurial ecosystems. Building off this research we commissioned in the past two years, Dell will announce the findings of the 2015 Women Entrepreneur Leaders Index (formerly the Gender-GEDI Index) at Dell for Entrepreneurs Women’s Summit in Berlin.

And again, while the name may change, the aim of the study remains the same. Created in partnership with top researchers and experts, the 2015 research will compile data from 30 countries and is designed as a diagnostic tool for countries to expand opportunities for women entrepreneurs.

One of the top five countries in which to be a female entrepreneur out of the 30 countries surveyed last year was Germany, so it was a logical choice for the next Summit. Germany has become a global source for innovation and Berlin’s 3.4 million residents make it the country’s largest city and a thriving center for culture, politics, science and media.

“I am thrilled that Berlin will be the host city for the sixth annual Dell for Entrepreneurs Women’s Summit. We look forward to sharing our entrepreneurial experience with the delegates and discussing the critical role that technology plays in future growth. After all, it’s not just good for business, but necessary for innovation,” said Doris Albiez, vice president and general manager, Dell Germany.

To indicate your interest in attending the 2015 Dell for Entrepreneurs Women’s Summit in Berlin, go here. For more information on the Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network and stories of how female entrepreneurs are driving forward the global economy, subscribe to receive the Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network Quarterly newsletter here.

About the Author: Laura Pevehouse

Laura Pevehouse was profiled as one of five “social media mavens” in the March 2009 issue of Austin Woman Magazine and named an AdWeek’s TweetFreak Five to Follow. She has been part of the Dell organization for more than 15 years in various corporate communications, employee communications, public relations, community affairs, marketing, branding, social media and online communication roles. From 2014-2018, Laura was Chief Blogger/Editor-in-Chief for Direct2DellEMC and Direct2Dell, Dell’s official corporate blog that she help launch in 2007. She is now a member of the Dell Technologies Chairman Communications team. Earlier in her Dell career she focused on Global Commercial Channels and US Small and Medium Business public relations as part of the Global Communications team. Prior to that, she was responsible for global strategy in social media and community management, as well as marcom landing pages, as a member of Dell’s Global SMB Marketing, Brand and Creative team. When she was part of Dell’s Global Online group, Laura provided internal consulting that integrated online and social media opportunities with a focus on Corporate Communications and Investor Relations. She managed the home page of Dell.com, one of the top 500 global web sites in Alexa traffic rank, and first brought web feeds and podcasts to the ecommerce site. In her spare time she led Dell into the metaverse with the creation of Dell Island in the virtual world Second Life. Laura has earned the designation of Accredited Business Communicator from the International Association of Business Communicators, and received her Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Louisiana State University. Before joining Dell Financial Services in 2000, she worked at the Texas Workforce Commission and PepsiCo Food Systems Worldwide.