LAB 1 | Legal Frameworks |Sustainable Finance in Investing

Join the FE+MALE Think Tank for the first of three action-oriented Online Labs, part of the Beat Funding Bias Initiative (BFBI) satellite program. This lab directly builds on the foundational discussions from the A Path to Sustainability Forum (Sustainable Finance & Investing)to drive systemic change in legal and corporate governance.

The Focus: Bias-Free Compliance and Due Diligence

This one-hour lab will delve into the legal and structural barriers that perpetuate gender bias in funding decisions. You will explore how existing legal frameworks and corporate compliance procedures can be actively leveraged and reformed to mandate equity in entrepreneurial financing. This directly supports the BFBI objective to Pilot solutions (e.g., compliance checklists). The format consists of an expert talk followed by a working group session.

Who Should Attend?

Compliance Managers, Legal Counsel, Corporate Governance Officers, Investors, and other professionals responsible for due diligence and regulatory adherence. The initiative aims to build stakeholder ownership across finance, legal, education, corporate, and public sectors.

Lab Structure (1 Hour):

Expert Talk (30 min): A deep-dive presentation by an expert on how unconscious bias manifests within legal frameworks and formal processes.

Jessica Gauch is a legal expert working at the intersection of sustainability, regulation, and public governance. She is currently pursuing a PhD in sustainable finance at the University of Fribourg and completing her traineeship at the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland as part of her bar exam preparation. Her background includes extensive experience in politics, contributing to policy projects and public affairs initiatives. She focuses on building responsible governance frameworks and participates in interdisciplinary panels shaping the future of sustainable finance and regulatory policy.

Working Group Session (30 min): Collaborative breakout sessions to generate actionable insights and best practices for creating bias-free compliance checklists and legal models.

Outcome: Your input will contribute directly to the Roadmap for Bias-Free, which will be presented at the 2026 Biennale Ceremony and Awards on March 17, 2026, at GDI.

Check Out the Rest of the Pre-Biennale Events!

To maximize your contribution to the Roadmap for Bias-Free Decision-Making, we encourage you to attend our other events:

• The Flagship Forum (In-Person): "A Path to Sustainability Forum: Together We Can Beat Gender Unconscious Bias" focusing on Sustainable Finance in Investing (November 4, 2025, University of Bern)
• Online Lab 2: Networks (November 27, 2025).
• Online Lab 3: Education (November 28, 2025).