The Forum I Sustainable Finance & Investing

A Path to Sustainability Forum Event: Together We Can Beat Gender Unconscious Bias

ATTENTION: Investors, Founders, Compliance Managers, and Stakeholders driving a sustainable future in Switzerland!

Join the FE+MALE Think Tank for the flagship forum event of the 2025 pre-Biennale program under the Beat Funding Bias Initiative (BFBI). This isn't just a discussion; it's a call to action. We are convening a powerful group of leaders from finance, law, education, and entrepreneurship to forge a bias-free, equitable funding ecosystem.

This in-person forum is your opportunity to move beyond recognizing the problem—to actively pilot solutions for systemic change, combat unconscious gender bias, and advance sustainable finance in investing.

About the Initiative and Vision

The Beat Funding Bias Initiative (BFBI), led by the FE+MALE Think Tank, aims to reduce systemic gender bias in entrepreneurship and investment in Switzerland. Our vision is to foster an entrepreneurial ecosystem that drives real innovation and sustainable business, where diverse founders have equitable access to funding, networks, and opportunities.

This event is a key stepping stone toward the 2026 Biennale, which will serve as the capstone event of this initiative. The objectives of these pre-Biennale events are clear and action-oriented:

• Awareness: Raise visibility of funding and workplace biases, as well as their economic costs.
• Evidence: Generate actionable insights and best practices to inform the Biennale Outcome Document.
• Action: Pilot solutions (gender-lens investing, compliance checklists, network models).
• Collaboration: Build stakeholder ownership across finance, legal, education, corporate, and public sectors.

Who Should Attend?

This event is essential for individuals ready to commit to measurable change in the Swiss entrepreneurial landscape:

• Professionals from the Finance and Investing sectors
• Experts in Legal, Education, and Entrepreneurial Networks, including Compliance Managers
• Representatives from the Corporate and Public sectors
• Investors and Founders are dedicated to driving diversity
• Future leaders

Forum Agenda Highlights

This in-person forum, titled "A Path to Sustainability Forum, Together We Can Beat Gender Unconscious Bias", will focus on Sustainable Finance in Investing.

The Agenda

• Welcome words: Elsa Callini (Founder, Purple Tiare)
• Presentations: Patricia M. Montesinos (President, FE+MALE Think Tank) and Kaitlin Barbier (Project Manager, FE+MALE Think Tank)
• Panel Discussion: Moderated by Katja Einesalo (Head of Impact, FE+MALE Think Tank)
• Panelists: Julia Maria Trzicky (Head of Legal, Risk and Finance, Alternative Bank Schweiz), Dr. Estie Alessandrini (Brain Based Leadership Development, Ekanovate), Line Pillet (Director, Institute Entrepreneurship & Management HES-SO Valais-Wallis). Dr. Karen Wendt (Angel Investor)

• Interactive Sessions: Engage in three "workout" groups focused on legal, networks, and education as subtopics supporting the main finance and investing theme. You will share ideas, feedback, and best practices to drive systemic change.

Insights from this forum will directly feed into the final Roadmap for Bias-Free Decision-Making.

Event Details

Date: Tuesday, November 4, 2025

Time: 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM (18:00-20:00)

Location: University of Bern, Room 028 (ground floor), Hochschulstrasse 4, 3012 Bern

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:

• Online Lab 1: Legal Framework (November 24, 2025, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM CEST):
• Online Lab 2: Networks (November 27, 2025, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM CEST).
• Online Lab 3: Education (November 28, 2025, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM CEST).