How do we achieve equality for women by 2030?

Despite global progress towards gender equality,  women around the world are still subject to discriminatory laws, unequal pay, lack of access to healthcare, education, business opportunities, and some cannot participate in financial and other decisions within their homes. At this rate,  it will take us another 286 years to close the global gender gap (UN Women, 2022). 

Despite these challenges, women play a critical role in driving economic growth and providing livelihoods for their communities, families, and society in general, through women- owned or operated business. In fact, ensuring equal opportunities for women will create an estimated $160 trillion in wealth from better use of their skills, experiences and ideas (World Bank, 2018).  In fact, studies have found that women-owned startups deliver twice as much per dollar invested as those founded by men ( BCG and MassChallenge). For every dollar of funding in 2018,  these startups generated 78 cents, doubling the return of male-founded startups. Nonetheless, female founders received just 2% of all venture capital dollars in the US in 2021, the lowest since 2016.

In partnership with One Young World, AB InBev and its flagship open innovation platform, the 100+ Accelerator, want to continue to support and promote women in business as women’s economic empowerment is crucial to realizing women’s rights, gender equality and driving sustainability. As stated by the UN: Investing in women’s entrepreneurship is investing in change. 

AB InBev and 100+ Accelerator are proud to support the Lead2030 Challenge for SDG 5. The Challenge aims to find and support women-founded companies that are tackling the most pressing sustainability challenges we face: from climate change to biodiversity loss, to building a more inclusive world. 

*In 2018, AB InBev launched its signature open-innovation program, the 100+ Sustainability Accelerator. The program was created to source, validate and scale sustainable technology, products, and services to significantly contribute to the UN SDGs and fuel the green transition of global business.In 2021, The Coca-Cola Company, Colgate-Palmolive, and Unilever joined with AB InBev to launch a reimagined 100+ Accelerator: a program run jointly by multiple Fortune 500 companies that allow industries to work together to harness the scale, speed, and transformation necessary to propel sustainable innovation. 

The challenge welcomes solutions from innovative women-founded companies that provide solutions to or solves any of the following:

Circular Economy: How do we create a fully circular global economy where waste is eliminated, resources continually circulated and nature regenerated? We are looking for entrepreneurs that are addressing:

• Recycling, Reuse and Returnability of packaging

• New packaging material alternatives & innovations

• Solutions for Materials Tracking & Tracing

• New forms for packaging

• Upcycling waste 

Water Stewardship: Help us create and implement sustainable practices to improve our water efficiency, our watershed health and build a more water secure world. We are looking for entrepreneurs that are  addressing:

• Water Monitoring and Analysis
• Watershed Conservation and Stewardship
• Water Savings and Treatment in Manufacturing and Supply Chain

Regenerative Agriculture: Let’s help farmers transition to regenerative practices and produce high yielding, high quality crops by leveraging nature-based solutions as well as science, technology and financing. We are looking for entrepreneurs  that are addressing:

• Farmer Training, Engagement & Support
• Crop Quality & Productivity
• Other / New Innovations Testing & Analysis

Climate action: Help us reduce our carbon footprint to net zero and lead the way on the production and use of renewable energy. We are looking for entrepreneurs  that are addressing:

• Reducing Energy Consumption and Monitoring
• Renewable & Alternative Energy Solutions
• Carbon Reduction, Capture & Removal
• Business Case & Financial Analyses
• Green Logistics
• New Cooling Technologies

Inclusive growth: Help us implement innovative solutions for societal equity, workplace inclusion, economic prosperity and long-term environmental health. We are looking for entrepreneurs that are addressing:

• Diversification of Suppliers Base
• Workplace Wellbeing
• Inclusive Workforce Access
• Inclusive and Transparent Advertising Supply Chains
• Responsible Drinking
• Road Safety 

Biodiversity: Help us protect, renew and grow the biodiversity of all ecosystems. We are looking for entrepreneurs that are addressing:

• Design, Implementation, and Monitoring of Nature-Based Solutions 
• Supply and Value Chain Traceability 
• Plant Based Food Genetic Diversity 
• Waste and Biodiversity Loss 

Health and Wellness: Help us find solutions to promote health and wellbeing in our communities as we work to build better, more equitable and thriving societies. We are looking for entrepreneurs that are addressing:

• Mental Health and Self-esteem for employees or communities
• Hygiene and Personal Care
• Smart Consumption of Alcohol and Moderation