Co-creating to thrive together. Many companies in the Brainport region and the TUE university, have attracted a number of international workers and students, resulting in the relocation of their partners in Eindhoven. These women, along with migrants and many other women who fall in love with a Dutch citizen, have left their careers, family and friends behind, and very often, after few months find themselves alienated. The impact on these women is real: they experience disconnection, loneliness, depression and disempowerment which obviously affects the stability of the family in the new environment. Social Entrepreneurshiporganization International Creative Women was founded in 2018 by two internationals. Their goal is to create a supportive and diverse community of women in Eindhoven, to help kickstart their own independent entrepreneurial pursuits while increasing social cohesion and integration. Although they start experiencing personal growth, they also experience that being an entrepreneur in The Netherlands requires a lot of knowledge, a network and tons of perseverance. They got together and actively work to build a community using innovative tools like co-creation, design thinking and collaborative learning to thrive together.

During the talk, multiple women will gave short talks about their experiences. This edition was made possible by International Creative Women.