In 2016, a group of high-achieving women from Macquarie University’s Faculty of Business and Economics (now the Macquarie Business School) established Women Entering Business (WEB) for talented students who needed the connections, support and resources to become the most successful version of themselves.
Go-getters: the Women Entering Business leadership team offers students opportunities to connect with professionals in the corporate world. Pictured from left: Hannah Mercado, Krystal Lau, Anushka Ravalji, Ginger Mahoney, Keriana King and Brooklyn Scurfield.
Says Anushka Ravalji, 21, the 2024 President of WEB: “Our group was born to fill the void often felt by women trying to break into the business world or who wanted to build a community and professional network but didn’t know how to do so.”
Through the facilitation of both professional development and social events, WEB presents students with numerous opportunities to connect with professional networks and like-minded achievers.
“The greatest result to come out of WEB,” she says, “is the community we have fostered and the framework we have provided to gain tangible skills, and to collaborate and connect with other female professionals.”
The organisation’s foundations are diversity, collaboration, making a difference and integrity, and the WEB cohort of 2024 is more diverse than it has ever been.
“Our event attendees range from high school students interested in kickstarting their careers to international postgraduates who want to better understand the Australian industry landscape,” Ravalji says.
Last year’s paid membership showed a six-fold increase on 2016 numbers. And social media continues to generate broader engagement.
WEB is a platform that empowers, connects and challenges stigmas while also aiming to foster a feeling of belonging and sisterhood.
Women entering business in 2024 and beyond face a rapidly changing landscape that’s reflected in the shift from traditional finance and marketing degrees to business analytics and cybersecurity degrees. More women, says Ravalji, are taking a keen interest in entrepreneurship and startups.
The current WEB executives (Ginger Mahoney, Anushka Ravalji, Krystal Lau, Keriana King, Brooklyn Scurfield and Hannah Mercado) are on a mission to connect with a more diverse audience, support the wider community and take accountability as a body to champion women’s rights.
Champions: Women Entering Business society members, pictured above, advocate for equal rights and equal pay for women.
Although women have always played roles in small businesses, albeit often unacknowledged, when it comes to big business and the corporate world, it is a different story.
And there is a way to go. The latest statistics from the Federal Government’s Workplace Gender Equity Agency, show 22 per cent of Chief Executive Officers are women, 34 per cent of board members are women, one in four boards have no women, and 21.7 per cent is the current gender pay gap.
Support takes many forms. Says Ravalji, “We had immense success at our Opportunity International Australia charity event last year where we raised money for women in developing countries who needed micro-finance loans to provide a better life for themselves and their families.”
International students are also in WEB’s sights. Many are seeking work and leadership opportunities in Australia, but often struggle to find them. To help overcome barriers, WEB has recently recruited a Diversity, Equity and International Students Ambassador.
“Additionally, we want to work more closely with other societies from the University as we’ve had great success with collaborative events,” says Ravalji. “We aim to cultivate a supportive community that encourages collaboration instead of competition.”
They are also on a crusade to vanquish imposter syndrome which, she says, “continues to pose a significant hurdle to women everywhere, particularly in male-dominated fields like finance and technology.”
The Women Entering Business website indicates an abundance of high-profile sponsors, the result of not so much a clever elevator pitch as ongoing creativity and consultation.
Says Ravalji, “We take on board feedback and suggestions from our internal and external members as to what we should include in projected events, what industries students are looking for opportunities in, and which companies are willing to engage with student societies in an effective manner.”
There are many examples of WEB members networking and forging connections with recruiters from an illustrious list of sponsor companies that include EY, Macquarie, Accenture, Pinnacle, RSM, Adobe and Credit Suisse - and landing internships or full-time jobs.
There are many examples of WEB members networking and forging connections with recruiters from sponsor companies, and landing internships or full-time jobs.
Connections: President Anushka Ravalji, pictured, says Women Entering Business events are held to help everyone from high school students interested in kickstarting their careers to international postgraduates who want to better understand the Australian business landscape.
The WEB cohort shines with initiative. Like that of Maya Valentin, a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Applied Finance student, who was WEB’s 2019 President and 2020 Chairperson.
Valentin took an interest in entrepreneurship in the Asian market at the National University of Singapore, building on the knowledge she gained from a short sojourn there to become the co-founder of Greenfluence, a community podcast that reports on responsible investing, sustainability and climate change. She is now a successful investment banking analyst at the Bank of America.
Says Ravalji, “Maya has been an inspiration, and we love her enduring support for WEB, even years after graduating.”
Ravalji herself was studying for Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) and Bachelor of IT (Cybersecurity) degrees when, in 2021, she joined WEB as Events Director becoming Senior Sponsorship Director and then President. Her post-graduation goal is to work in Cyber Risk Advisory and explore entrepreneurial avenues.
“WEB is a platform that empowers, connects and challenges stigmas while also aiming to foster a feeling of belonging and sisterhood.”
More information: Women Entering Business membership queries
