MIT Solve

Solution Overview

What is the name of your organization?

Heroikka

What is the name of your solution?

Networks and Talent for STEM

Provide a one-line summary of your solution.

Heroikka is a digital platform that connectswomen’s project ideas and needs withglobal networks and social capital.

What specific problem are you solving?

Globally, there are over 400M women entrepreneurs. However, only 6.2% of women-owned businesses have been operating for longer than 42 months.

What is your solution?

To make women's projects more sustainable, Heroikka works with companies, government agencies, and individuals to connect them to the women entrepreneurs who are driving material impact in their communities.

Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?

Heroikka creates value for the businesses and communities while driving innovation by focusing on:

Women-led businesses in underrepresented communities or in a vulnerable position.

Increasing digital presence.

Improving access to economic and educational resources.

We have created the Woman Impact Summit to understand their needs/pain points to connect them with the institutions and opportunities to make their businesses more sustainable.

How are you and your team well-positioned to deliver this solution?

Our team lead is the founder of the San Francisco International Women Entrepreneurs Forum. She decided to start Heroikka as a way to give visibility to the work in tech and in other industries that many women are doing and their impact in their communities.

In the past 3 years we have created a global network that supports the search for new resources and creative opportunities.

Everyone in our team had the chance to work in San Francisco but also in other parts around the world giving us a different point of view to approach challenges.

We consult with our community about their interests, trends, needs, including the features for our platform.

Which dimension of the Challenge does your solution most closely address?

Enable 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.

In what city and state is your solution team headquartered?

San Francisco, CA, USA

What is your solution’s stage of development?

Growth: An organization with an established product, service, or business model that is rolled out in one or more communities

How many people does your solution currently serve?

In 2020, we had 25,000 unique visitors.

2021, we had 92,000 unique visitors.

In 2022 and during our Summit, we had 1.173M

Why are you applying to the Challenge?

We are stating to research and develop our new platform since our MVP has done as much as possible.

We are currently between Pilot and Growth.

We need all the help that we can get.

Who is the Team Lead for your solution?

Maica Gil

How is your Team Lead connected to the community or communities in which your project is based?

Maica started the San Francisco International Women Entrepreneurs Forum, an alliance of 30 organizations in the Bay Area.

The network that she has created in the past 3 years, has expanded to all continents.