Rural entrepreneurial ecosystems are often mapped through organisations, funding schemes, and support programs. But how do they feel from the perspective of women trying to build businesses within them?
In this Journal of Business Venturing Insights study, Naomi Birdthistle, Robyn Eversole, and Megerssa Walo explore the lived experiences of rural women entrepreneurs in Northwest Tasmania. The findings show that while formal supports existed, women faced “double invisibility” shaped by geography and gendered norms, limited peer networks, scarce role models, and internalised self-doubt.
The turning point? Realising that the most critical missing resource was one another. By forming their own women-led network, they began reshaping the ecosystem from within.
The paper reminds us that entrepreneurial ecosystems are not neutral structures; they are social spaces that look very different depending on who you are.
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