Hall & Wilcox’s Frank Lab program partners with One Roof to reach more female leaders and entrepreneurs

Leading independent Australian law firm Hall & Wilcox and its Frank Lab accelerator program have partnered with One Roof, a network of female leaders and entrepreneurs led by Sheree Rubinstein, a former corporate lawyer turned founder.

The move comes at a time when Hall & Wilcox’s Frank Lab program is turning a spotlight on women in startups. Applications for Frank Lab 2021 are now open, until 15 May 2021. This year’s program forms part of the firm’s initiative to provide dedicated support and assistance to women in startups and scaleups, and to reduce barriers to entry for women in growth businesses.

As part of the partnership, Sheree Rubenstein will offer her time as a mentor to the female founders selected for Frank Lab this year. Hall & Wilcox will cover the cost for all Frank Lab 2021 women-led business founders to access One Roof’s digital membership and all benefits for one year.

The One Roof membership provides ongoing personalised business support, including weekly networking, ‘office hours’ (Q&A sessions) with industry experts and virtual masterclasses. Members also gain access to co-working partners Australia-wide, regular business support calls, curated introductions to potential clients, collaborators, advisors and investors and support in boosting their business visibility.

For the last six years, One Roof was well known as the leading co-working operator in Australia dedicated to women-led businesses. When COVID-19 hit, the business was forced to pivot swiftly, return all capital to investors and shift the co-working empire to a digital model.

In just over six months, One Roof has onboarded 450+ members across the country, hosted 200+ virtual masterclasses, co-hosted a massive female founder pitch night and seen great success among their community and membership.

Successful applicants to the Frank Lab program will receive an initial $5,000 worth of legal services. They will partner with an experienced lawyer as their own trusted legal advisor to help them identify their legal needs and achieve their commercial objectives. The Frank team has put together a series of masterclasses specifically targeting key concerns for women in startups, such as: overcoming imposter syndrome and becoming pitch-ready and investor-ready. In addition, Frank Lab participants will have access to Hall & Wilcox office space and nationally, its Smarter Law technology solutions, and the firm’s networks, including accountants and investors.

To be considered for Frank Lab 2021, each business must be female-led, where ‘female-led’ is defined as: a business that is either majority-owned by women (50% or more); or with a majority of women in the senior leadership team (50% or more).

For more information about Frank Lab 2021, we encourage you to read the media release and visit the Frank Lab webpage to apply now. The six-month program kicks off on 1 June.