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The Diana International Research Institute (DIRI) is the premier global research institute dedicated to being the source of all research, policy, practitioner, and educator information for women’s entrepreneurship. Through the membership organization, we connect a worldwide community of stakeholders to collectively identify, investigate, and share best practices that lead to further research and practical approaches supporting women entrepreneurs and their businesses.


Learn from an expert on feminist business models!

On February 10, we are joined by expert Dr. CV Harquail, Cofounder of Feminists At Work & Author of Feminism: A Key Idea in Business, as she discusses Feminist Business Models: How they differ, why they matter, and how they support women and feminist entrepreneurs.

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Feminism: It's not just for politics anymore.

In the past decade, advocates of feminism have brought their political world view, its values, and its concerns fully into the business world. Using the venture-creation process to build alternatives to the often extractive conventional startup, feminist entrepreneurs have developed values-driven business models, organizational practices that interrupt and reform oppressive uses of power, and products and marketing practices that proudly promote a feminist view of how the world could be. This view includes not only ending oppression and achieving gender equity but also creating economic systems that support the flourishing of all people and the ecosphere, making feminist business models relevant to entrepreneurs of all genders.

In this talk, CV will offer a working definition of feminism, explain what defines a feminist business, and discuss where and how the feminist startup ecosystem is emerging. She will introduce the Feminist Business Model Canvas to show how feminist values can shape a revenue model that delivers financial and real social change.

More About the Speaker:

CV Harquail, PhD, is an author, management scholar, consultant, writer, and toolmaker. Her new book, Feminism: A Key Idea in Business and Society (Routledge, 2020), is the first to analyze business from a feminist perspective and to propose a feminist business praxis. CV is the co-founder of FeministsAtWork.com (a feminist business practice consultancy) and co-founder/producer of the Entrepreneurial FeministForums.com, a conference and community for feminist entrepreneurs.  She is the designer of the Feminist Business Model Canvas and Feminist Business Toolkit. She serves as a mentor and design team member in the Fifth Wave Feminist Business Accelerator, an initiative of the Canadian Film Centre’s Media Lab.

CV advocates that we craft our work, design our products, set our ambitions, run our companies, and partner with our stakeholders in ways that lead us and our businesses to advance social justice and promote flourishing for everyone. CV holds a Ph.D. in Management and Organizations from the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan. She taught Leadership and Organizational Change at the Darden School of Business, University of Virginia for nine years before moving to Stevens Institute of Technology, where she taught the capstone undergraduate management practicum in Entrepreneurship. She has published her award-winning research in journals such as Administrative Science QuarterlyAcademy of Management JournalAcademy of Management Review, and Organization Studies.  

Interested in having unlimited access to these types of events while connecting, learning, and collaborating with other professionals who want to change the landscape for women entrepreneurs? Read about DIRI membership benefits below for more details.


“The round table call with Dr. Dana Kanze was exemplary. I use Dr. Kanze’s research in my classroom already, so I was very excited to learn more from her directly during this session. The possibility of hearing from other researchers like Kanze who are uncovering data that can be leveraged by educational practitioners and activists to create positive change on our campuses and in our community ecosystems is very powerful. These round table calls also create new opportunities to connect and collaborate with these researchers on future studies focused on the unique challenges faced by underrepresented founders, potentially moving the needle forward for our communities and entrepreneurs across the globe.”

Morgan Slemberger, Associate Director of the Blackstone LaunchPad, University of Montana
Quarterly round table call featuring Dr. Dana Kanze, November 2019



The Diana International Research Institute Membership Organization convenes and connects a global community to collectively identify, investigate, and share best practices that lead to further research and practical approaches supporting women entrepreneurs and their businesses.

Thinking about becoming a member? Read some of our membership benefits below.
If you have questions, please get in touch at: dianamembership@babson.edu


Banner Graphic DIRI - Members Are

Icon - DIRI - Person Talking with StarScholars advancing research on gender and women’s entrepreneurship and their businesses.

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Practitioners supporting the women’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by contributing to research, education, and policy.

Icon - DIRI - Grad CapEducators and Program Directors sharing best practices and teaching innovations for gender and women’s entrepreneurship.

Icon - DIRI - Person with Plus SignPolicymakers supporting women’s entrepreneurship through policy development and deployment, data dissemination, and advocacy.

Banner Graphic DIRI - Membership Benefits

  • Access DIRI’s Member Directory to connect with likeminded stakeholders around the world who are working to advance women’s entrepreneurship
  • No-fee participation in DIRI’s Quarterly Educator and Researcher Roundtable Events
  • Access to DIRI’s annual research conference
  • Discounted registration for mini-forums and conferences
  • Access DIRI’S robust online platform to:
    • View and exchange resources such as research, best practices, and teaching materials (syllabi and case studies)
    • Learn about new grant proposals and opportunities to publish in special papers and journals
    • Participate in discussion forums
    • Gain discounted subscription to the International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship

Banner Graphic DIRI - Membership Fees

GENERAL / $200
One individual membership with access to all listed member benefits

STUDENT / $100
Must be enrolled in a credit-bearing academic program and/or entrepreneurial program

NON PROFIT INSTITUTIONAL / $2,500
» Guarantees three individuals from the institution membership
» Two complementary research conference registrations
» Opportunity to submit one piece of research for consideration to convert to consumer/corporate output

CORPORATE / $3,000
» Guarantees two individuals from the corporation membership
» Access to one consumer-facing research report
» Seat at the Best Practices Roundtable led by DIRI Fellow

CORPORATE / $5,000
» Guarantees five individuals from the corporation membership
» Access to two consumer-facing research reports
» Access to Implementation Session of Best Practices led by DIRI Fellow

OPTIONAL FEE-BASED PROGRAMS COMING SOON
» Senior and Junior Faculty Peer Forums
» PhD Mentor Program
» Mini Forums
» Case Writing Workshop


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Become a Diana Member

Join a global community of researchers, educators, and policymakers to collectively share best practices and develop practical approaches to further research and action on women entrepreneurs. Register here to gain access!

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