Great new start-ups are constantly getting launched – but hold on! Looking at the founders, something seems amiss…

Yes, it’s the gender of the entrepreneurs! Where’s the women?

With entrepreneurial DNA I don’t think anyone was talking about the ’Y’ chromosome that exists within men. No, it’s about having a great new idea and spotting an opportunity, being goal-oriented and generally finding a creative solution to human problems.

So why am I kept awake at night by the fact that there are only nine women CEO’s from all of the Fortune 500 companies?Looking at the numbers in Europe alone, 30% of small businesses are in the hands of women. With more than half of the graduates being female, it remains questionable as to why the CEO’s and politicians are predominantly male.

In bad economic times starting a new business helps to boost the climate and improve the general well being of countries. New opportunities arise and generally the cards get shuffled again and pattern shifts unfold. This is precisely the moment for women to step their high-heeled feet into the world of start-ups.

For inspiration, note the words of Madam C.J. Walker, the founder of Walker’s Wonderful Hair Grower: “I got my start by giving myself a start.”

While not forgetting the positive progress that has developed over the last hundred years, we still have a situation where 20% of women feel that they have to work harder than men. Nevertheless, this is a significant improvement from the statistic of 38% last year.

It’s great to see more confidence in women- but why stop there? There’s plenty of space for girls to become top names at the entrepreneurial table without fiddling around with chromosomes and DNA.

Click here for an interview with Lord Davies on women and the enterprise culture!