Digital female leader
Award 2023
Together with Messe Karlsruhe and the City of Karlsruhe, we at Global Digital Women have set new standards this year with the Digital Female Leader Award (DFLA). The DFLA impressively proves that the vision behind the event is growing from year to year. For the first time, the DFLA spanned two unforgettable days full of innovation, discussion and inspiration.
The Lord Mayor of Karlsruhe, Dr. Frank Mentrup, is enthusiastic about the importance of the Digital Female Leader Awards for the city: “Hosting the Digital Female Leader Awards in Karlsruhe is an important milestone for our city, which has already established itself as a leading center for technology and innovation. Karlsruhe, as an important hub for research and the start-up landscape, offers the ideal conditions for generating and successfully implementing innovative ideas. It is a place where you can flourish. As a ‘City of Law’, it is only logical that we also actively promote women’s rights here and highlight the female digital scene accordingly. However, the Digital Female Leader Award goes one step further: it serves as a shining figurehead that draws attention to women in the digital sector not only locally, but also nationally. This award should serve as an impetus for all of us to continue our commitment to an equal and digitalized society.”
The DFLA 2023 kicked off on Friday evening with an exclusive networking event at the ZKM / Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe. Under the guiding theme “Beyond Digital: Courage & Attitude in the Digital World”, the evening offered an interactive space for open discussions on courage and risk-taking. The highlight of the evening was a keynote speech by Iman El Sonbaty, Authorized Signatory, Director Sales B2B/ B2C, Marketing & Operations at Stadtwerke Karlsruhe, who captivated the audience with her presentation “Mindset Matters: How Inner Attitude Shapes Digital Transformation”. A subsequent panel discussion, moderated by Tijen Onaran and with contributions from Nikeata Thompson, Jochen Schropp, Kristina Vogel and Matthias Dang, provided exciting insights on the topic of “From the comfort zone to the growth zone: courage, risk-taking and innovation for a fairer society.” The event served as a meeting point for 100 invited guests, consisting of the DFLA finalists and jury members as well as women from politics and business, and kicked off the DFLA 2023.
Saturday morning continued with the first DFLA thought leader forum in collaboration with Procter & Gamble. The company is known for its innovative approaches in the consumer goods industry. Astrid Teckentrup, CEO Procter & Gamble DACH, set the tone for the day with her keynote speech. A multifaceted program with workshops from Procter & Gamble, Merz Aesthetics, Solaris SE, dm-drogerie markt, Deutsche Bahn, Kreissparkasse Böblingen, Langhaarmädchen and ACI Consulting on the topics of sustainability, innovation, diversity and leadership.
At the end of the forum, Tijen Onaran, Gabriele Hässig, Managing Director Communication and Sustainability at Procter & Gamble and YouTuber Sally Özcan from “Sally’s Welt” summarized the insights and impulses gained in a concluding fireside chat.
The DFLA weekend in Karlsruhe was crowned by the glamorous award gala, where the DFLA winners of the year were honored in 18 categories. The evening was rounded off with live music from drag queen Hassandra and newcomer futurebae, who wowed the audience. Guests also had the chance to create unique memories in the diverse beauty and lifestyle area and enjoy the evening to the full, e.g. styling in the long hair girls’ bus, in the DFLA tattoo studio, in the 360 degree spinner from Procter & Gamble, in the DB Networking Lounge, at the engraving stand from dm-drogerie markt or at the glitter make-up bar from Merz Aesthetics.
Britta Wirtz, Managing Director of Messe Karlsruhe, praises: “Thanks to the close cooperation between the city of Karlsruhe, the DFLA and its founder Tijen Onaran and Messe Karlsruhe, the vision of a Female Empowerment Festival for Karlsruhe is already becoming a tangible reality with the conclusion of the second event. To this end, we have brought together all of our networks and proactively opened up communication channels and brought the Digital Female Leader Award ceremony a great deal of attention throughout Germany. We kicked things off in May at art KARLSRUHE with a top-class networking lunch. The artist Josephine Sagna, who is exhibiting at art KALRSRUHE, once again attracted attention during the award ceremonies. Her works radiate what the DFLA also stands for: female self-confidence and bright colors.”
We would like to thank our high-ranking sponsors who hosted the workshops and contributed significantly to the success of the event.
DFLA23 Impressions
Fotocredit © Andrea Heinsohn
