Inclusive High-Growth Entrepreneurial Ecosystems: Fostering Female Entrepreneurs' Participation in Incubator and Accelerator Programs

Abstract

In this article, the role of individual and team-level factors in promoting female entrepreneurs' participation in accelerator and incubator programs is explored. Using data collected from 65 teams enrolled in a team-based entrepreneurship program run by a university located in the U.S. Midwest region, the results showed that female and male program participants differed in several entrepreneurial metrics. The results further indicate that female students are less likely to participate in accelerator or incubator programs than their male counterparts. Furthermore, a higher proportion of women in a team was positively related to women's' subsequent entrepreneurial actions, namely joining accelerator and/or incubator programs. Although female students’ entrepreneurial self-efficacy and intention scores were initially lower, their scores consolidated toward the end of the program. Lastly, the results indicate that the quality of students’ group experiences positively influenced their participation in accelerator and incubator programs.