Accenture and Springboard Enterprises Expand Collaboration to Increase Opportunities for Women Entrepreneurs
WASHINGTON, DC; April 15, 2020 – Accenture (NYSE: ACN) and Springboard Enterprises, a network of influencers, investors and innovators dedicated to building high growth companies led by women, are expanding their alliance to bring complementary people and capabilities together to increase opportunities for women entrepreneurs.
Kay Koplovitz, Springboard chairman and co-founder, reported, “Over the past 20 years, Springboard has a virtually unmatched record of recruiting and qualifying some of the most talented women-led technology and life science companies. Our portfolio generated over $20 Billion in value created from equity raised, acquisitions and IPOs - 20 in total. Our expanded relationship with Accenture will further unlock untapped potential and economic value.”
Building on Accenture and Springboard’s existing collaboration with the fashion and retail industry, this expanded alliance will focus on emerging market opportunities in women’s health innovation, with the goal of connecting Springboard portfolio companies that offer timely solutions with Accenture clients. In addition, Accenture Ventures—which serves as a bridge to the global innovation ecosystem by bringing clients together with best-in-class, enterprise relevant startups—will tap into the Springboard portfolio to help women innovators expand business opportunities with corporate partners.
“Continuing to bring our unique industry connections within the ventures ecosystem to the Springboard network enables us to promote women founders and innovators, connecting them with the right resources to secure funding and forge strategic business partnerships,” said Annette Rippert, group chief executive of Strategy & Consulting at Accenture. “Accenture and Springboard share a common commitment to gender parity and together we’ll help propel the growth of women-led companies.”
As part of the expanded alliance, the two most impactful industry-transforming innovators in the Springboard network—a community of nearly 800 women founders and leaders of emerging growth companies spanning the globe and across all industries—will be named Accenture Springboard Innovator of the Year. One honor will recognize the most promising industry newcomer, and the other will recognize a more established leader who has had a definable impact on her industry. The honorees will be selected by a committee of Springboard and Accenture panelists and announced at Springboard’s 20th Anniversary Winners’ Circle Honors Dinner in New York in October.
About Accenture
Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services in strategy and consulting, interactive, technology and operations, with digital capabilities across all of these services. We combine unmatched experience and specialized capabilities across more than 40 industries — powered by the world’s largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. With 505,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture brings continuous innovation to help clients improve their performance and create lasting value across their enterprises. Visit us at www.accenture.com.
About Springboard
Springboard’s mission is to accelerate the growth of entrepreneurial companies led by women through access to essential resources and a global community of experts. We are a leading network of influencers, investors and innovators dedicated to building high-growth companies led by women who are transforming industries in technology and life science.
The measure of our success is in the results. Since 2000, nearly 800 Springboard portfolio companies seeking investment and human capital for product development and expansion have created over $20B in value, are revenue generators and job creators. With 200 exits to strategic acquirers and 20 IPOs, Springboard Entrepreneurs are Transforming Industries.