EDI: Through My Time with EDIFY and Female Founders
This summer, I had the chance to be part of something that felt deeply meaningful. Through the EDIFY EDU project, I joined Female Founder Space as an international intern in Berlin, working on projects aimed at advancing equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in entrepreneurship. As a Master’s student in Public Policy and International Development in Lisbon, I’ve always been drawn to big questions around fairness, access, and inclusivity. This internship gave me the space to see how those ideas translate into action, especially in the world of women-led ventures.
Besides social media, content development and event management, one of the most impactful parts of the experience was diving into the EDIFY course. It’s thoughtfully designed to introduce the core concepts of equity, diversity, and inclusion within business and leadership settings. But more than just offering definitions or outlining best practices, the course creates a space for genuine reflection and growth. Through a mix of formats including short, engaging videos, thought-provoking writing prompts, quick quizzes, and more, it manages to be both informative and personally meaningful.
The structure flows naturally, guiding you through topics like unconscious bias, inclusive leadership, and allyship in the workplace. Each unit invites you to pause and think critically about your own assumptions and behaviors, making the learning feel less like a box to tick and more like a conversation with yourself. What stood out to me was how much the course encourages active engagement with the material. It’s not just about absorbing knowledge, but about applying it, connecting the dots between what we believe, how we act, and how we can do better.
As someone committed to building fairer, more inclusive systems, I found this learning experience refreshing and grounding. The course doesn’t try to preach or overwhelm you with jargon. Instead, it creates an atmosphere of openness and curiosity, helping you move from awareness to intention. It’s a resource that not only informs but also gently challenges, and that’s what makes it stick.
This kind of learning feels especially timely given how central EDI has become to shaping stronger, more sustainable businesses.
It’s no mystery that the importance of EDI in business is growing fast. Companies, from startups to established firms, are being challenged to build more inclusive cultures, not just for ethical reasons but also to stay competitive and responsive in a diverse world. Whether it’s about addressing unconscious bias, improving team dynamics, or designing fairer services, EDI is no longer a “nice to have.” It’s becoming essential to modern businesses, and it’s relevance cannot be overstated. Research shows companies with diverse leadership teams are significantly more likely to outperform their peers, with gender diversity alone increasing the odds by 25 to 36 percent, and ethnic diversity having similar impact. Diverse teams also bring more creative thinking and better decision-making, which is especially important in fast-moving startup environments. Businesses with strong EDI practices boost employee engagement, attract talent, build trust with customers, and improve reputation, each an advantage that translates into financial and social benefits
Looking back, this internship reminded me that meaningful change often starts in everyday moments. It’s in how we give feedback, run meetings, and create space for others to contribute. Inclusion doesn’t just come from policies. It comes from how we listen and how we respond. Similarly, these lessons didn’t come from theory alone. They came from being part of a team that values intention and awareness. I walk away from this experience feeling more grounded and more aware, taking with me a stronger sense of purpose and a deeper understanding of how equity shows up in practice. I’m grateful for what I learned and even more excited for what’s ahead.
For more information on the EDIFY project, please visit the project website of the Project.
Disclaimer
EDIFY EDU has been co-funded by the Erasmus+ program of the European Union. The European Commission’s support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
You are free to share, copy, redistribute, and build upon this work provided that a clear reference to the source is given, which is: the EDIFY EDU Erasmus+ project.
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