Gender Equity in STEM for Entrepreneurs

The specific problem we are solving is enabling women STEM entrepreneurs to participate and thrive in the entrepreneurial ecosystem by providing access to capital, resources, or network-building, or diversifying the investor landscape:

1. Supporting Women-Owned STEM Businesses: There are many women-owned businesses in STEM fields, from engineering firms to biotech startups. By supporting these businesses through West Tenth, individuals and communities can help promote gender equity in STEM by providing financial support and increasing visibility for these women-owned businesses.

2. Encouraging Girls and Women to Pursue STEM: West Tenth can also promote gender equity in STEM by showcasing the successes of women-owned businesses in STEM fields. This can inspire girls and women to pursue STEM careers and entrepreneurship, which can help to break down gender barriers in these fields.

3. Creating Networks and Mentorship Opportunities: West Tenth can help create networks and mentorship opportunities for women in STEM. By connecting women-owned STEM businesses with other businesses and individuals in their communities, West Tenth can help create a supportive ecosystem for women in STEM. Additionally, by connecting women entrepreneurs with mentors and resources, West Tenth can help promote their success and growth.

4. Addressing Gender Bias and Stereotypes: Finally, West Tenth can also work to address gender bias and stereotypes that may exist in STEM fields. By promoting women-owned businesses in STEM, West Tenth can help to challenge the notion that women are not as successful or capable in these fields as men. This can help break down stereotypes and promote gender equity in STEM.

   Currently, we already work with a few STEM women-owned micro-businesses like This is IT (https://www.westtenth.com/shop/az/queen-creek/this-is-it ) and our goal is to grow this database to address the above goals. 
   

West Tenth is a groundbreaking platform dedicated to empowering women in the United States to establish and expand their home-based micro-businesses, with the ultimate aim of reducing the gender wealth gap. Our mission is to create a centralized space where consumers can effortlessly discover and connect with local women-led micro-businesses. While we strive to support micro-businesses across various sectors, we are particularly passionate about encouraging women-owned STEM businesses to join our platform. Additionally, we are committed to fostering diversity within our own team by actively hiring women for our STEM roles.

Through West Tenth, women can effectively monetize their skills and provide valuable services to their local communities. With user-friendly features, our platform enables consumers to easily search for the services they need, effectively promoting women-owned businesses. We have streamlined the communication and payment processes, ensuring a seamless experience for both consumers and micro-business owners.

By harnessing the power of technology, West Tenth facilitates the connection between women-owned micro-businesses and their target consumers. Our platform offers an intuitive search function, robust communication tools, and secure payment processing capabilities. This technology-driven approach enhances the visibility and reach of micro-businesses, resulting in increased business opportunities and revenue for women entrepreneurs. Moreover, our skilled software engineers play a pivotal role in maintaining the integrity and efficiency of our databases and systems.

In essence, West Tenth serves as a transformative solution that addresses the gender wealth gap by empowering women to monetize their skills and establish or expand their own home-based businesses. By providing a centralized platform and leveraging innovative technology, we facilitate meaningful connections between micro-businesses and their target consumers, fostering growth and prosperity. We are also dedicated to championing women-owned STEM businesses, actively working towards bridging the gender gap in these fields.

Our solution caters to two key target populations: women entrepreneurs running micro-businesses and women-owned STEM micro-businesses. To effectively engage with these groups, we have implemented a comprehensive approach that includes surveys, focus groups, and ongoing communication. Additionally, we have enlisted ambassadors to promote the platform and foster engagement within these communities.

At West Tenth, we address the specific needs and challenges of these target populations by providing a centralized marketplace where they can showcase their businesses, amplifying their visibility and expanding their reach. We go beyond that by offering comprehensive support, including tech assistance, marketing guidance, business support, and access to educational classes.

For women entrepreneurs, our solution directly tackles the gender wealth gap by empowering them to monetize their skills and establish or expand their own home-based businesses. By providing resources and support tailored to their unique circumstances, we help them achieve greater financial stability and independence.

In the case of STEM micro-businesses owned by women, our solution addresses the gender gap within the STEM field. By offering a dedicated space for these businesses to showcase their services and connect with their target consumers, we enhance their visibility and expand their business opportunities, ultimately leading to increased revenue.

Overall, West Tenth's solution is meticulously designed to support and empower women entrepreneurs, especially those running micro-businesses, as well as women-owned STEM micro-businesses. Through our centralized platform and the provision of essential resources like tech assistance, marketing and business support, and access to educational classes, we actively work towards reducing gender disparities in STEM fields while fostering financial stability and independence within these communities.

At West Tenth Co., our team is uniquely positioned to design and deliver our solution to women running small businesses, including STEM businesses, from their homes. Our proximity to the communities we serve and our understanding of their needs set us apart.

Firstly, our Team Lead and co-founders, Lyn and Sara, have firsthand experience with the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs. They have built their own businesses from home while juggling the responsibilities of motherhood and family life. This personal experience gives them deep empathy and insight into the needs and aspirations of the women we serve.

Additionally, our Team Lead grew up in Utah, within an extremely religious community that discouraged women from economic participation outside the home after motherhood and from entering STEM based fields. This upbringing exposed her to the gender inequality and financial barriers faced by women in such communities. By remaining in the workforce and experiencing the positive impact of financial independence, she recognized the need to support women in achieving economic empowerment and closing the STEM gender gap. This personal journey has fueled her passion for creating opportunities for women to monetize their skills and build financial independence.

To ensure that our solution aligns with the needs of the communities we serve, we actively engage with them through surveys, focus groups, and personal interviews. We conduct these interactions at various stages, from onboarding businesses to ongoing support and development. By actively seeking feedback and insights from our micro-business owners, we gain a deep understanding of their challenges, preferences, and aspirations. This engagement allows us to refine our platform and services continuously and ensure that we are meeting their evolving needs effectively.

Furthermore, our track record speaks for itself. We have successfully onboarded 3,000 micro-businesses in seven major cities, including Salt Lake City, Austin, San Antonio, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Tampa, and Dallas Fort-Worth. Our efforts have generated significant sales for these businesses, amounting to $900,000 in 2022 alone. We have also provided networking opportunities and business management education programs to support their growth and success.

As we scale our model and expand our impact across the United States, our commitment to community engagement and user feedback remains steadfast. We will continue to prioritize the voices and ideas of the communities we serve, ensuring that their input guides the design and implementation of our solutions. By doing so, we can empower more women to leverage their talents, achieve financial independence, and thrive as entrepreneurs.

In summary, our team's proximity to the communities we serve, combined with our personal experiences, allows us to deeply understand the needs of women running small businesses from their homes. Through ongoing engagement, we actively involve these communities in shaping our solution. By combining their input with our expertise and track record, we are well-positioned to deliver meaningful impact and support the aspirations of our target population.

To date, we have onboarded 3,000 micro businesses in 7 major cities: Salt Lake City, Austin, San Antonio, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Tampa, Dallas Fort-Worth. In 2022, we generated $900,000 in sales for our micro-businesses and supported them with networking opportunities and a program of business management education. We are looking to scale our model and impact across the entire United States. 

We are applying to the Challenge because we believe that the support and resources offered by Solve and Tiger Global Impact Ventures can help us overcome specific financial and marketing barriers that we face.

The first barrier that we hope to overcome with the help of Solve and Tiger Global Impact Ventures is funding. As a mission-driven company, we are focused on making a positive impact on the gender wealth gap in the United States. However, we face challenges in securing the necessary funding to scale our platform and expand our reach to more communities. By participating in the Challenge, we hope to connect with potential investors who share our vision and are interested in supporting our mission.

The second barrier that we hope to overcome is marketing. While we have seen success in growing our user base and supporting micro-business owners, we recognize that there is still work to be done in increasing awareness of our platform and reaching new communities. By participating in the Challenge, we hope to connect with marketing experts and receive support and resources that can help us effectively communicate our mission and value proposition to potential users and investors.

In addition to these specific barriers, we also recognize the value of participating in a program that is focused on social impact and innovation. We believe that by collaborating with other like-minded individuals and organizations, we can continue to improve and refine our platform, ultimately leading to greater impact and success in our mission to reduce the gender wealth gap in the United States.

Overall, we believe that the resources, connections, and expertise offered by Solve and Tiger Global Impact Ventures can help us overcome the financial and marketing barriers we face and continue to grow and expand our platform to support more women entrepreneurs and micro-businesses in need.

Our Team Lead Lyn has a strong connection to the communities in which our project is based. Growing up in Utah as part of an extremely religious community that discouraged women from economic participation outside the home after motherhood, Lyn experienced firsthand the gender inequality and societal pressures faced by women in such environments.

Despite the tremendous pressure from her community to leave the workforce after becoming a mother, Lyn chose to remain employed. Through her personal journey, she recognized the positive impact of financial independence on her own life and how as a woman in a STEM career, she could thrive. This realization fueled her passion to address the financial barriers that hindered women's economic empowerment and to assist in closing the gender gap amongst STEM entrepreneurs. 

With a deep understanding of the challenges and social dynamics prevalent in our varying communities, Lyn is uniquely connected to the women we aim to support. She empathizes with their struggles and is committed to creating opportunities for women who have left the traditional workforce to start businesses from home. By leveraging their existing domestic, STEM, business, and other skills, we empower women to monetize their talents and build a foundation of financial independence.

Through West Tenth, Lyn and the entire team strive to provide support and resources to women entrepreneurs, enabling them to overcome the barriers they face. Our mission is driven by the desire to help those who need it most and to foster a community where individuals can pursue work they love while making a meaningful impact on their lives.

By connecting her personal experiences with the vision of West Tenth, Lyn ensures that our project remains grounded in the needs and aspirations of the communities we serve. We are dedicated to creating an inclusive platform that reflects the realities and challenges faced by women running small businesses from their homes. Through our work, we aim to uplift and empower these women, offering them the tools and opportunities they need to succeed.

West Tenth's solution is innovative in several ways. First, it provides a platform specifically for women-owned small businesses in STEM fields. By creating a dedicated platform for these businesses, we can help to increase their visibility and access to customers, which can promote their growth and success. Our platform also provides a space for these entrepreneurs to connect with each other, share resources and best practices, and build a supportive community.

Second, our focus on promoting these micro-businesses is a unique approach to addressing gender equity in STEM fields. By highlighting the successes of women-owned small businesses in STEM, we can help to break down gender stereotypes and encourage more girls and women to pursue STEM careers. This approach is particularly important given the underrepresentation of women in STEM fields, and can help to promote diversity and inclusion in these industries.

Third, West Tenth's marketing efforts to promote these STEM micro-businesses can help to encourage the younger generation of girls to engage in STEM. By showcasing the work of these women-owned businesses and the impact they are making in their communities, West Tenth can inspire young girls to pursue STEM careers and entrepreneurship. This can help to address the gender gap in STEM fields and promote the success and visibility of women in these industries.

Our innovative solution has the potential to catalyze broader positive impacts from others in this space. By providing a platform for women-owned small businesses in STEM fields, West Tenth can help to connect these entrepreneurs with other organizations and individuals working to promote gender equity in STEM. This can create a larger ecosystem of support for women in STEM, which can help to address broader issues such as the gender pay gap and underrepresentation of women in leadership roles.

In addition, our focus on promoting micro-businesses can change the market by creating new opportunities for women entrepreneurs in STEM. By showcasing the success of these businesses, we can help to demonstrate the value of investing in women-owned businesses in STEM fields. This can attract more investment and resources to these businesses, which can help to fuel their growth and success.

Overall, West Tenth’s innovative solution provides a unique approach to promoting gender equity in STEM fields. By providing a dedicated platform for women-owned small businesses in STEM, promoting these micro-businesses, and inspiring the next generation of girls to engage in STEM, we have the potential to create broader positive impacts and change the market for women entrepreneurs in STEM fields.

Our impact goals for the next year and the next five years are centered around scaling West Tenth to new cities and countries, and expanding our reach to empower more micro-businesses and local consumers. We believe in the transformational impact our solution can have on people's lives by creating opportunities for women-owned micro-businesses and fostering economic growth within communities.

To achieve these goals, we have developed a strategic plan that involves hiring local community ambassadors in each new city we enter. These ambassadors will play a crucial role in sourcing and onboarding new micro-businesses onto our platform. We aim to have approximately 200 women-owned micro-businesses within a 50-mile radius in each new city.

By partnering with local community ambassadors, we can tap into their knowledge of the area, networks, and relationships within the community. They will actively engage with micro-business owners, understand their needs, and guide them through the process of joining West Tenth. This collaborative approach ensures that we build a diverse and vibrant marketplace reflective of the local economy.

Once we have established a significant presence of micro-businesses in a city, we then focus on opening those markets to local consumers. This involves marketing efforts, community outreach, and building trust within the community. We will leverage various channels, such as social media, partnerships with local organizations, and targeted advertising, to raise awareness about West Tenth and the unique offerings of the micro-businesses on our platform.

In addition to expanding to new cities, we will continuously invest in improving our platform's user experience, enhancing the visibility of micro-businesses, and fostering a sense of community among our users. We believe that a seamless and engaging user experience is essential to attract and retain both micro-business owners and consumers.

Over the next five years, our aim is to establish a robust marketplace for women-owned micro-businesses in each city we expand to. This approach ensures that we grow in a sustainable and impactful manner, supporting local economies and empowering women entrepreneurs. We will measure our success not only by the number of cities we enter but also by the number of micro-businesses we connect with customers and the positive economic outcomes we facilitate.

By staying true to our vision, collaborating with local communities, and continuously refining our platform, we are confident that we can achieve our impact goals. We are committed to making West Tenth a powerful catalyst for positive change, enabling micro-businesses to thrive and bringing the benefits of local commerce to communities worldwide.

We are committed to measuring our progress toward our impact goals through the use of key performance indicators (KPIs), surveys, and other metrics. Some specific indicators that West Tenth is using to measure our progress include:

1. Number of micro-businesses on the platform: One key metric that we are tracking is the number of women-owned small businesses in STEM fields that are using our platform. This metric can help to track the growth and adoption of the platform over time, as well as the impact of West Tenth's outreach and marketing efforts.

2. Revenue generated for micro-businesses: Another important metric that we are tracking is the revenue generated for the micro-businesses on our platform. This can help to demonstrate the economic impact of West Tenth's solution, as well as the success of the micro-businesses themselves.

3. Surveys: We are also using surveys to gather feedback from our users and measure the impact of our solution on their businesses. Surveys can provide valuable insights into the experiences of women-owned micro-businesses in STEM fields, as well as the effectiveness of West Tenth's platform and services.

4. New cities entered: As West Tenth expands its platform to new cities and regions, we are also tracking the number of new cities entered as a metric of our progress. This can help to demonstrate the reach and impact of West Tenth's solution over time.

In addition to these specific indicators, we are also aligning our impact goals with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Specifically, West Tenth's solution aligns with the SDGs related to gender equality, decent work and economic growth, and industry, innovation and infrastructure.

By tracking these metrics and aligning our impact goals with the SDGs, West Tenth is committed to measuring our progress and ensuring that our solution is having a meaningful impact on the lives and businesses of women in STEM fields.

Activities: 

1. Seeking out more women-owned STEM Micro-businesses to join our marketplace

2. Hiring women for our own STEM based roles

3. Creating a STEM specific page in our marketplace

4. Promoting the STEM businesses we work with and the women in our company that work in our STEM roles 

Immediate Outputs: 

1. Empowering women-owned STEM businesses and assisting in bringing them more income

2. Showcasing that we also live out what we promote

3. Better marketing for specific STEM based businesses 

4. Promotion for businesses and women in STEM

Longer-term outcomes: 

1. Bridging the gender-wealth gap and assisting in closing the gender gap in STEM entrepreneurship 

2. Assisting in bridging the gap of women working within STEM roles

3. Higher level of awareness and income for the businesses

4. Bringing awareness to girls that STEM careers are available to them and that women are already working in them 

At West Tenth, our tech-based solution is powered by cutting-edge marketplace technology that revolutionizes the way individuals connect and engage with local service providers. Our core technology is a robust online platform that seamlessly brings together buyers and sellers, fostering a thriving community within neighborhoods.

Through our marketplace tech, we enable users to easily discover, book, and transact with talented local service providers in their area. Our platform incorporates advanced database management systems, ensuring that users can efficiently search for specific services and find the right provider to meet their needs.

To enhance the user experience, we employ state-of-the-art algorithms that deliver personalized recommendations based on individual preferences and requirements. These algorithms take into account factors such as location, service categories, ratings, and reviews, allowing users to make informed decisions when selecting service providers.

One of the pillars of our core technology is secure payment processing. We have implemented robust encryption protocols and secure transaction systems, guaranteeing the safety and privacy of financial information. This empowers users to confidently engage with service providers and complete transactions within the platform.

Our platform engineers play a crucial role in developing and maintaining the technology behind West Tenth. They leverage a comprehensive software development framework, which includes programming languages, software libraries, and frameworks tailored to the specific needs of our marketplace. This ensures that our platform remains scalable, reliable, and adaptable to evolving user demands.

In addition to marketplace tech, West Tenth harnesses the power of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies. These cutting-edge capabilities enable us to analyze vast amounts of data, identify patterns, and make intelligent recommendations. By continuously learning from user interactions, our AI-powered algorithms improve over time, enhancing the accuracy and relevance of service provider recommendations.

Furthermore, we leverage cloud computing infrastructure to deliver a seamless and uninterrupted user experience. Cloud computing allows us to scale our resources dynamically, ensuring that our platform can handle increased user demand while maintaining optimal performance.

At West Tenth, we understand that technology is a vital enabler for empowering local service providers and connecting them with their communities. By harnessing the potential of marketplace tech, AI/ML, secure payment processing, and cloud computing, we have created a platform that redefines the way individuals discover and engage with local services, fostering economic growth and strengthening community bonds.

6 Full-Time Employees

We have been incorporated since 2019, and have had a focus on our Marketplace solution since then. 

Incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusivity into any work is crucial for creating a more just and equitable society. Based on our research, we implement the following approachs to incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusivity into the our STEM program:

1. Intersectionality: The program's primary goal is to reduce the gender wealth gap in the United States by enabling women to start or grow flexible businesses out of their homes including Women owned STEM businesses. However, it's essential to recognize that marginalized groups are diverse and have unique needs and challenges. Therefore, the program aims to serve intersectional communities and address their specific needs. For example, by providing resources and education tailored to women of color and women within the LGBTQ+ community, the program is more inclusive and equitable.

2. Inclusive language: The language used in the program is inclusive of all genders and avoids reinforcing gender stereotypes. By using gender-neutral language, the program creates a welcoming and inclusive environment for all participants. For instance, instead of using gendered language like "businessman" or "businesswoman," the program uses terms like "entrepreneur" or "business owner."

3. Equal opportunities: The program provides equal opportunities for all participants regardless of their gender identity, race, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic. The selection process is fair, transparent, and inclusive, ensuring that all eligible individuals have equal opportunities to participate.

4. Safe and inclusive spaces: Creating safe and inclusive spaces for all participants is crucial. The program provides a safe and supportive environment where participants can share their experiences and ideas without fear of discrimination or harassment. This is achieved by setting clear guidelines and expectations for behavior and ensuring that all participants are aware of them.

5. Diversity in leadership: Having a diverse leadership team is essential for promoting diversity, equity, and inclusivity in the program. The program strives to have leadership that is representative of the participants it serves. This is achieved by actively seeking out diverse perspectives and experiences when selecting leadership positions.

In summary, incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusivity into our STEM program is achieved by ensuring intersectionality, using inclusive language, providing equal opportunities, creating safe and inclusive spaces, and promoting diversity in leadership. These steps help create a more just and equitable program that empowers all marginalized groups, including women, girls, men, boys, transgender individuals, and non-binary individuals.

Our marketplace revenue model is how we source income for West Tenth. As of today, we take a 9.5% commission on each transaction between consumers and business owners that occurs through our platform. We do not require any upfront capital from the micro-businesses we serve and we do not take fees to list their businesses. We make money when we generate revenue for our micro-business owners. This transaction fee revenue stream allows us to continue to invest in tools, education, marketing, and more for our micro-businesses. We will continue this model within new cities in order to continue to scale our business.

So far, we are proud to say that our marketplace revenue model has been successful in providing value to both our micro-business owners and our customers. We are able to provide a platform that allows micro-business owners to showcase their products and services without any upfront costs, and we only take a commission when a transaction occurs. This model has proven to be beneficial for both parties as it incentivizes us to help our micro-business owners generate more revenue, which in turn generates more revenue for us.

Our micro-business owners are able to benefit from our platform by having access to a wider customer base and tools and resources that can help them grow their businesses. Our customers benefit from having access to unique and locally sourced products and services that they may not have been able to find otherwise.

We are committed to continuing this revenue model in new cities as we expand our platform and provide value to more micro-business owners and customers. We believe that this model aligns with our mission to empower and support micro-business owners and allows us to scale our business while staying true to our values.

As a small business, West Tenth's primary goal is to become financially sustainable while fulfilling our mission to empower women entrepreneurs. To achieve financial sustainability, we are developing a comprehensive plan to generate revenue from multiple sources.

One approach is to seek grants from government agencies, private foundations, and corporations that share our values and support our mission. We are actively researching and applying for relevant grants to secure funding that will help us expand our operations and reach more women entrepreneurs.

Another option we are exploring and actively utilizing is to attract investors who share our vision and can provide capital to support our growth. We have a solid business plan and are confident in our ability to deliver a return on investment to our stakeholders.

Finally, our marketplace revenue model will also play a significant role in achieving financial sustainability. We plan to take a commission on each transaction made on our platform, which will create a sustainable revenue stream while supporting women entrepreneurs and their businesses.

In summary, West Tenth's plan for becoming financially sustainable involves securing grants, attracting investors, and earning commission through our marketplace model. We believe that this multi-faceted approach will enable us to fulfill our mission while achieving long-term financial stability.

At West Tenth, we have made significant progress in achieving financial sustainability since our inception. Here are some examples of our successful efforts:

1. Current investors: We are proud to have secured investment funding from prominent venture capital firms, including Goodwater Capital, Stand Together Ventures Lab, Gaingels, The Community Fund, Better Ventures, Kapital Partners, 10X Capital, Backstage Capital, Regatta Capital Group, Wedbush Ventures, The Helm, HearstLab, and Techstars. Their investment in our company is a testament to the strength of our business model and our potential for growth. This funding has enabled us to expand our operations and improve our services, which has led to an increase in revenue and member retention.

2. Current marketplace model: Our marketplace revenue model has been successful in generating sustainable revenue for our company. By taking a commission on each transaction made on our platform, we have created a reliable revenue stream while supporting women entrepreneurs and their businesses. We have also seen an increase in the number of transactions made on our platform, indicating that our services are meeting the needs of our members.

3. Other funding: Start-up investments from the founders of West Tenth themselves.

In conclusion, West Tenth has been successful in achieving financial sustainability through a combination of investment funding, a marketplace revenue model, and start-up investments from the founders themselves. We are grateful for the support we have received from investors, partners, and members, and we remain committed to our mission of empowering women entrepreneurs. We believe that our financial sustainability will enable us to continue to grow and innovate, making a positive impact on the lives and businesses of women entrepreneurs.