Keeping you up-to-date on the latest news and developments in women’s entrepreneurship and empowerment.


Start Your Own Business Seminar in Webster’s 40th anniversary year

The Business Club and the WBII recently held another successful SYOB event at the Webster University Leiden Campus. The event provided invaluable insights for aspiring entrepreneurs, covering crucial aspects of business, including marketing, taxes, administration and fundraising. Amongst the speakers were a couple of WBII members: Caroline Orthlieb spoke about the Dutch tax system and Sinead Hewson about the different types of business entities to pick from and what to consider before starting. Our chair, Charlene Lambert, hosted the evening and Webster’s Director, Dr. Jean Paul van Marisseng, shared his childhood memories growing up in an entrepreneurial family.

Find more information about the festivities at Webster University here.


Mayor of Amsterdam Femke Halsema is calling internationals to action: “Don’t live in a bubble”

The city’s international residents are often blamed for ‘putting up rents’ or buying up property, displacing locals and for the dominance of the English language on the streets in certain areas. According to the mayor, Amsterdam’s international residents should not ‘live in a bubble’ but become part of the local community by learning Dutch and volunteering. Halsema does not want to imply that the city’s international residents are unwelcome. “If you come and live in this city for some time, put down roots. Take care to do things for your neighbourhood. Take part in our community. Don’t sit in your bubble. Become an Amsterdammer.”

Read the full article here.


Nederlandse Vrouwenraad (NVR) is celebrating its 125th anniversary

The Women’s Council Netherlands (NVR) is a collective of organizations concerned with improving the position of all women in the Netherlands. The council was founded in 1898 and since then it has collectively been working towards a society in which women and men are equal. It connects and represents more than 50 organizations, from political women’s networks to ‘single-issue’-movements, from networks for women in business to service clubs and from young feminist initiatives to organizations for socially critical senior women. The NVR has members all over the Netherlands who represent women from all social, economic and cultural backgrounds, like the WBII.

Find out more about the women’s council here.

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Cover Photo credit Crocusfield, Cigdem Guven