Female-led companies still lag behind their male counterparts when building a start-up, experts say. Less than 5 per cent of venture funding goes to start-ups with female chief executives, which means turning an idea into a large innovative company is more difficult. Nonetheless, there are female entrepreneur success stories emerging from business school. Tapping into the alumni base is key.

"One reason for the increased visibility of female-led businesses is the support networks that female entrepreneurs are able to build," says Professor Clifford Schorer, entrepreneur in residence at Columbia Business School in New York. 

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