Out of 50 cities around the world ranked in the just-released Dell’s 2017 Women Entrepreneur Cities Index, Atlanta has been named #18. The study ranks cities based on the impact of local policies, programs and economic and social characteristics in addition to national laws and traditions that impact the potential of women-owned businesses to succeed.
The WE Cities Index is based on 5 pillars divided into two categories: Operational Environment, comprised of Capital, Markets, and Talent; and Enabling Environment, made up of Culture and Technology.
Atlanta’s individual categories saw the best ranking (#15 overall) in talent, which measures both the likelihood of finding women that can run and scale a business and the availability of local labor with the skills and education necessary for a woman entrepreneur to build a successful team. Atlanta recently landed in the top 5 as a tech talent market.
Atlanta saw the lowest measure in capital (#32 overall), which measures the frequency and value of funding received by women-led businesses, the proportion of funding that women-led businesses (compared to men) receive, and the capital base that women entrepreneurs can draw from. Capital was identified as the biggest constraint to female entrepreneurs globally.
When looking at culture, which includes mentoring and networking opportunities, nondiscrimination policies, and general acceptance of female-led businesses, Atlanta ranked at #21.
The study found that there is a “dramatic uplift” in a city’s economic prospects once impediments to female entrepreneurship are removed.
“It is in the world’s best interest that women entrepreneurs everywhere thrive,” says Elizabeth Gore, entrepreneur-in- residence at Dell. “Each of the cities on this list can learn from one another and encourage political change to attract and support women entrepreneurs. The resulting change will be felt at not just a city level, around the world as we develop an ecosystem where all entrepreneurs can thrive regardless of gender.”
There were 14 total U.S. cities named on the list, with New York City, the Bay Area, and Boston in the top 5.
Looking to dip your toe in the world of entrepreneurship? Here are a few (by no means, all!) of the resources available for female entrepreneurs in the ATL: