Why Representation is Crucial for Innovation | Nora Bavey | TEDxSSE

Diversity & Inclusion in Innovation - The Nordic dream of gender equality and opportunity is not fully realized, particularly for immigrants [1][2][4] - Lack of representation impacts innovation, leading to products that don't address diverse needs [16][17] - Underrepresented founders (women, people of color, LGBTQ+, immigrants) are often underestimated and underinvested in [34] - Innovation often arises from pressure and necessity, highlighting the importance of diverse perspectives [36] Venture Capital & Investment - The speaker's startup, Unitech, faced rejection from Nordic investors but secured funding in the US, highlighting a difference in investment perspectives [26][27] - Unconventional Ventures focuses on investing in underrepresented founders to drive smart business decisions and shift power to more perspectives [33][34] - Impact tech, which aligns profit with societal impact, is a promising area for investment and business [24] Technology & Society - Technology should be used as a tool to make us faster, stronger, and closer, not as an end game [19] - AI can reflect societal biases if the data it's trained on is not diverse and inclusive [23] - The speaker emphasizes the need to address the lack of representation in innovation from a top-down approach [31] Examples of Successful Female Founders - Melanie Perkins (Canva) is worth $40 billion [29] - Lucy Gao (Scale AI) is worth $45 billion [29] - Iman Abu Zade (health tech founder) is worth $1 billion [29] - Whitney Wolf (Bumble) built a company that IPOed valued at approximately $23 billion [30]