Philadelphia neighbors Washington, DC and Baltimore - two of the top markets for women, who own over 30% of businesses in these markets. In addition, 27% of venture capital investments go to Philadelphia, New York, Boston and DC. Women owned businesses represent more than 30% of all businesses in the U.S. with less than 15% participation rates as leaders in the high-growth, venture-backed sector. With the DC-Philadelphia-NYC-Boston corridor representing more than a quarter of all invested venture capital in the U.S., this raises the question: What next to build women’s inclusion in high growth entrepreneurship? And how important is this slice of economic activity for Philadelphia? For the United States? What would Philadelphia look like if women had full economic participation as business owners? What is it going to take to achieve this goal?

Join globally-recognized expert on women entrepreneurs, Teresa Nelson of the National Women’s Business Council, in exploring current research trends for women in business and the ecosystem that supports them, and explore the rich set of issues that contribute to an answer. This annual conversation is designed to identify opportunities for women to play a critical role in the economic recovery and growth, and to set direction for the focus of the coming year.