Mosaic launched its Female Entrepreneurs Network at Google yesterday (Wednesday 14th November) to inspire the next generation of young business women.

The launch of the network, which coincides with this week’s Global Entrepreneurship Week (12th-18th November), saw a host of influential business women – including The Apprentice stars Melody Hossaini, Liz Locke and Gabrielle Omar – come together to speak to a group of entrepreneurs, business figures, Mosaic mentors and young female students.

The event speakers included Pinky Lilani OBE, a food guru and founder of the Asian Women of Achievement awards and Farida Gibbs, CEO of Gibbs S3.

The aims of the Mosaic Associates Female Entrepreneurs Network are to raise the aspirations and self-belief in girls and young women and support them to turn their innovative ideas into new business ventures. We also hope to encourage more women to join our school-based mentoring programmes across the UK.

Apprentice contenstant Melody Hossaini, who is also the CEO of InspirEngage, was delighted to be involved: “I’m delighted to be supporting the launch of Mosaic’s Female Entrepreneurs Network. Working with and raising aspirations of girls is high on the agenda for InspirEngage and we look forward to working together.”

Pinky Lilani, OBE, Mosaic Ambassador and founder of the Asian Women of Achievement awards said: “Entrepreneurs are the life blood of a community. This programme is a fantastic way of encouraging young women from deprived communities to expand horizons, do the things they thought were out of reach and embrace opportunities.”

Farida Gibbs, CEO of Gibbs S3, a global recruitment company added: “Life is full of hurdles and obstacles, how high you jump to overcome those hurdles depends on your inner belief. I chose to believe. I remained positive, focused and did not allow my emotions to interfere with what was right for the business.”

Saba Shaukat, CEO of mobile technology services provider Vital IConnect, described the goals of the network: “Create a force of women entrepreneurs as strategic influencers and agents of change to galvanise and unleash the economic impact of young women. To ignite a spark of interest in business that becomes a raging flame of new ideas and inspires a generation to be bolder, strive harder, go further and achieve more. We mean business!”

This week, Mosaic also launched our national business competition for school pupils. The Apax-Mosaic Enterprise Challenge aims to inspire knowledge and enthusiasm about business amongst young people.

Now in its fifth year, the Apax-Enterprise Challenge sees teams of school children compete in an online business contest where they develop, market and sell a new product. The school pupils, aged 11-16, are supported by Mosaic business mentors to learn key components of business such as finance, sales, marketing and production.

Read about the previous winners of Enterprise Challenge and how you can get involved this year