Misson

The 3.8 Initiative has a mission to increase startup board leadership for women in Chicago’s life science and health tech innovation ecosystem. The three key pillars of the program include:

• A supportive network of women leaders in the health tech community
• A curriculum of startup board fundraising diligence areas correlating with individual gaps in training, and experiential opportunities for board readiness
• Facilitation of board seat placement for our cohort graduates by working with local VCs and incubators 

Board Roles

With an ever-changing healthcare environment, we are optimizing the opportunities to observe startup board meetings as part of the experiential learning of the program. We will include a mock board meeting program, delivered by an experienced CEO and war-room role playing scenarios. We are also working with local incubators, investors and the broader innovation ecosystem to recruit startups for observance in this program, now and future.

Sample Curriculum

Peer Groups are local informal meetings of six to ten participants who are interested in discussing topics of common professional interest and provide consistent support, advice, and encouragement to each other. Peer Groups are typically a mix of seniority, roles, and types of life science companies. Meetings are self-directed, with the group deciding when, where, and how often to meet. Some groups may choose to meet over breakfast or lunch, and others may meet in the evenings or for dinner or wine tastings. Ultimately, every MAPS Group will develop its own character that reflects its members’ personalities, interests, goals, and schedules.