HER Business Festival by elevateHER

The HER Business Festival is returning on September 9, 2026, as part of Startup Week Düsseldorf.

After its strong debut in May 2026, one thing was clear: this festival strikes a chord. Participants described it as inspiring, encouraging, thoughtfully curated, and full of positive energy. The combination of knowledge, depth, business insights, networking, music, movement, and genuine community was particularly appreciated.

The 2nd HER Business Festival builds on exactly that, this time with a focus on HER Business Shift.

The event is aimed at female founders, female entrepreneurs with teams, female-led scale-ups, female decision-makers at SMEs, and female leaders who realize that the next phase of growth requires more than just new tools, more content, or even greater operational performance. It requires a new entrepreneurial mindset.

The central question is how female entrepreneurs can remain clear-headed, capable of taking action, and growth-oriented in an era marked by uncertainty, digitalization, AI, market shifts, and rising demands. Marketing remains an essential component, as visibility, positioning, digital communication, and sales all play a key role in determining whether a company is noticed by the market and generates demand.

This year, the HER Business Festival delves deeper into topics such as self-leadership, decision-making power, ownership, a growth mindset, and the shift from “always having to do everything yourself” to strategic leadership.

Together with special guests, we’ll explore key questions in modern business development:

- How do I stay focused when markets, technologies, and customer expectations are changing?

- How do I develop a mindset that enables growth, visibility, and bold decisions?

- How do I combine digital visibility, AI, positioning, and sales into a true game-changing strategy?

- How can I foster genuine internal innovation—even on a small scale—that makes my company more future-proof?

Ekaterina Arlt-Kalthoff, founder of the HER Business Festival and CEO of elevateHER®, will serve as the keynote speaker and guide attendees through the festival. The event will be complemented by special guests who will share insights on mindset, growth, digital visibility, leadership, and female entrepreneurship.

The HER Business Festival creates a space where female entrepreneurs can gain new perspectives, network with ambitious women, and take away concrete ideas for their next phase of growth.