What is the purpose of the seminar?

The “Seminar for Female Founders” is part of your EXIST-Women grant and complements the programs offered by your university. It marks the beginning of your very own learning journey toward greater self-efficacy, a clear mindset, and a concrete plan for your startup.

How exactly will it work?

Preparatory Phase: e-Learning and Survey

Before we meet in person, we’ll start off together online. During the e-learning phase, you’ll gain concise insights into the concepts and methods used in the seminar—such as the ikigai concept, an entrepreneurial mindset, and the problem-solution fit. This way, we can dive right into the details on the day of the seminar without spending too much time on theory.

The accompanying online survey helps us get to know you and your startup idea better and encourages you to become more aware of your strengths and areas for growth. The results will be incorporated into your individual final report at the end of the seminar.

Please allow about 2 hours for the preparation phase and complete it no later than 3 days before the seminar.

In-person seminar

The centerpiece of the seminar is the 1.5-day in-person session in Berlin. There, you’ll meet great coaches and other EXIST Women scholarship recipients from different universities.

We’ve prepared engaging activities and hands-on exercises to help you discover your strengths, figure out what truly motivates you, and identify what’s currently holding you back from achieving your goals. The sooner you attend the seminar, the more you’ll be able to get out of your support period.

You can find an overview of the agenda here: Agenda_2026_dt (Subject to change!)

Further down the page, you can register for one of the currently scheduled dates.

Important Information/Please note!

English-language sessions: Most of the seminars are conducted in German. However, some seminars are explicitly conducted in English and are marked as such.

Childcare: Unfortunately, we are unable to provide childcare as part of the seminar. However, to ensure that as many female entrepreneurs as possible can participate, you may bring infants under one year of age with you, provided you make prior arrangements with us.

Minimum number of participants: If a session has not reached the required minimum number of participants by two weeks before the seminar, we reserve the right to cancel that session. In that case, we will notify you as soon as possible.

Cancellations: If you are unable to attend at the last minute for health reasons, we require a doctor's note. A cancellation fee will be charged for unexcused no-shows. You can find the exact cancellation policy in our Cancellation Policy.