Entrepreneurial Resources focusing on Women Entrepreneurs
Whether you’re out of college and feeling lost in a male-dominated startup in the Silicon Valley, or this is your second or third career and you find yourself in technology, entrepreneurship, or business — don’t worry, you’ve come to the right place.
Women 2.0 networks the next generation of women in entrepreneurship, business, and technology. We support women founders and co-founders of startups/companies/businesses from idea to capital-raising. We also realize that the path to success for women involves good, strong social networks.
Here’s your unofficial guide to the ecosystem of entrepreneurial women in technology:
Women 2.0 (HQ San Francisco)
Check out Women 2.0 if this sounds like you: “I want to start a startup!”
Women 2.0 offers monthly mixers, panel discussions with women CEOs/executives/founders, investor roundtables, an annual Pitch startup competition, and more. Most Women 2.0 events are held in San Francisco, and Women 2.0 Startup Weekends are held globally.
Future Women Leaders (San Francisco)
Check out FWL if this sounds like you: “I want to go to business school and then go run a company”
Future Women Leaders (FWL) offers mixers, workshops, and fun social events for business-minded young women. Women 2.0 is affiliated with the San Francisco chapter of Future Women Leaders.
Girls in Tech (HQ San Francisco)
Check out Girls in Tech if this sounds like you: “I work in technology”
Girls in Tech holds a wide variety of events and parties for girls interested in social media, journalism, public relations, and gaming. The first chapter was launched in San Francisco, and now Girls in Tech boasts a national and international presence.
Girl Geek Dinners
Check out Girl Geek Dinners if this sounds like you: “I want to meet other girl geeks in my area”
Girl Geek Dinners are exactly what they sound — girl geeks having dinner together. Usually a panel of women in technology (developer, CEO, game designer, entrepreneur, etc.) are invited to speak. Chapters worldwide.
Astia (HQ San Francisco)
Check out Astia if this sounds like you: “I want to raise angel or VC investment for my startup”
Astia is an incubator program for entrepreneurs who are ready for angel investment. Apply for Astia and if accepted in their program, you will be introduced to an extensive network of investors, executives, and advisors. Astia offers programs for high-growth start-ups that deliver results.
Springboard Enterprises (HQ Washington D.C.)
Check out Springboard if this sounds like you: “I want to raise angel and VC investment for my startup”
Springboard Enterprises offers programs, events, and opportunities for you and your startup. Springboard catalyzes ventures and supports emerging growth ventures led by women. Springboard Enterprises is headquartered in Washington DC but holds events in New York and occasionally San Francisco.
SDForum (Silicon Valley)
Check out SDForum if this sounds like you: “I want to learn more about software development”
SDForum holds a variety of technical panels and workshops for the startup-minded individual. We are most interested in the Tech Womens Program and Spirit of Entrepreneurship program series. SDForum events are held in the South Bay and Peninsula, and sometimes in San Francisco.
She’s Geeky Unconference
Check out She’s Geeky Unconference if this sounds like you: “I want to meet other geeky women and talk about geeky topics”
She’s Geeky events are face-to-face gathering spaces for women who like to geek out. It is diverse and goes from hard core math and science, engineers, computer programmers, to nonprofit technologists, and enthusiastic users. The event agenda is created by the women who gather the day it happens. You can see the sessions convened at the last conference here. The two qualifications for attending — be a woman and identify as a geek.
Women Who Tech
Check out Women Who Tech TeleSummit if this sounds like you: “I want hear more about Women in Tech issues”
WWT provides a supportive network for the vibrant and thriving community of women in technology professions by giving women an open platform to share their talents, experiences, and insights. Its annual Women Who Tech TeleSummit brings together over 600 women from across the US and abroad in the non-profit, political and business world for an incredible lineup of thought provoking panels featuring technology change makers.
Chicks Who Click
Check out Chicks Who Click if this sounds like you: “I want to learn more about social media”
Chicks who Click is a community of women that are growing and flourishing through Social Media. They offer A one-day Social Media Conference for Women incorporating networking, education and empowerment with like-minded women, achieving great heights in the area of Social Media.
Linux Chix
LinuxChix is a community for women who like Linux and for anyone who wants to support women in computing. We are an international group of Free Software users and developers, founded in 1999 with the aim of “supporting women in Linux.”
Association of Women’s Business Centers
AWBC members represent women business owners through women business centers in rural and metropolitan communities providing support and services to a range of women business owners and entrepreneurs securing rounds of venture capital.
WISE Center (Syracuse University)
The WISE center is an exciting resource for women entrepreneurs at all stages of business development. The WISE center provides expertise and support to business owners wanting to go to the next level of success . We offer counseling, coaching, consulting, and training. We also provide essential networking and mentoring opportunities.
Women Entrepreneurs in Science and Technology (WEST) (Cambridge, MA)
WEST is a nonprofit organization for women in science and technology who are existing entrepreneurs, aspiring entrepreneurs, and those who want to become innovative leaders and enhance their professional and personal development. WEST offers programs and events in Cambridge, MA.
Activate(Maryland)
ACTiVATE® offers a year-long program to train women with significant technical or business experience to be entrepreneurs and to create start-up companies from inventions from Maryland research institutions and federal agencies.
The Next Women (UK)
The Next Women is the first Women’s Internet Business Magazine, with a focus on startups and growing businesses, led, founded or invested in by women. We bring news on business, events, funding and tech from a female angle and interview and profile Female Business Heroes, making them notable and quotable.
Got More?
Feel free to add your favorite women’s entrepreneurial resources below in the comments.
