Bola Olabisi (GWIIN)


Bola OlabisiOn 7 November 2006, Bola Olabisi, founder and managing director of the Global Women Innovators and Inventors Network (GWIIN) spoke to around 65 FEW members about challenges and opportunities for women inventors and innovators.
 
Bola originally trained in law, but was motivated to take up the cause of female innovators and inventors after hearing the story of a woman who thought she had successfully sold her brilliant idea to a large company, only to see that company bring the product to market later as its own invention, without crediting her at all.
 
Women have been responsible for scores of innovative products which have a positive impact on peoples' day to day lives - from the umbrella to the matchbox - and yet they seldom seem to receive the recognition they deserve.  Bola spoke about the work that GWIIN have undertaken to try to improve recognition of women inventors and to celebrate their ideas, including organising the annual British Female Inventors and Innovators awards and their European counterpart, which is due to take place in Berlin for the first time in 2007. 
 
Securing adequate protection for their intellectual property rights and funding to bring a product to market can present particular difficulties for women inventors and Bola also spoke about GWIIN's experience actively supporting and advising women inventors in these areas. 
 
The talk was preceded by a buffet lunch and an opportunity for FEW members to mingle and network.

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