“World Wide Women: Top stories about women in business from around the globe.”

1. How to find a co-founder for your start-up

Always filled with top business tips, the online business magazine the Next Women served up some gems this week.  An interview with Mary Juetten, founder of Tracklight, caught our eye with its great advice on finding a co-founder for your start-up.  Juetten highlights that businesses are often better established if two people work together, sharing the same values and goals, so that when times are tough they have each other to lean on.   Read up on the specifics here and have a think about people you would consider going into business with.

2.  Jimmy Choo co-founder launches new label, Tamara Mellon

You know the saying, “behind every great man is a woman”. Well duh!  And Jimmy Choo is no exception.  The co-founder of everyone’s favourite shoe brand is of course the brilliant Tamara Mellon.  Having had enough of playing second fiddle, Mellon recently decided to launch her own brand under her own name.  With its first collection due, the label is surrounded by buzz and coincidentally she recently released a memoir on her business and life.  Have a peek at some of the bombshells Tamara Mellon she dropped in her memoir.

3. Karin O’Connor likely to advise women before on business startups

Karin O’Connor, the founder and president of Perimeter Advisors, spoke to Blue Sky Innovators  about supporting female entrepreneurs.  O’Connor admitted that she was likely to advise women before men because it is harder for women to get an audience and the funding they need.  When most funding comes from male-run investment companies, whether they mean to or not, they are less likely to fund women’s business ideas because they don’t understand the target audience, or they have doubts about women’s commitment to business.  O’Connor says fiddle-sticks to that, and supports them all the way!  Check out the full interview here.

4. Helping female entrepreneurs in India

Did you know that only 39% of Indian women are formally employed, compared to 81% of Indian men?  It might look a little bit hopeless from the outside when we consider the gender gap in India, as well as the poor distribution of wealth across the nation, but there are people out there working hard to turn the tides.  In India last month the British Council and partner Diageo launched a ‘Young Women Social Entrepreneurship Development Programme’, which aims to find women working in social enterprises and help train them to be able to support sustainable growth in the industry.  Check out the details here.

5. Feminist funk

Ever heard of funk carioca?  It is all the rage in Rio de Janeiro’s shantytowns, and it is being harnessed by young women who want their voices heard.  Traditionally a masculine dominated version of hip-hop, the women of Rio have taken it on and turned its message around.  They are using the music and its popularity to fight for sexual equality and against myths of masculine music that objectify women’s bodies.  Read up on this funky feminist trend.