Hosted by Women 2.0 and Hackfest for the Light, Startup Sandbox will give individuals or teams a unique opportunity to work on ideas and launch startups. If you have an idea, bring your idea. If not, bring your skill set and find a great team! Both women and men are invited to attend.
Five reasons to attend:
1.) Make a working prototype
2.) Create an investor presentation
3.) Come with your company and get feedback
4.) Come with an idea to make a mock up
5.) Practice and learn new skills
There will be office hours with angel investors, lawyers, and developers to synergize entrepreneurs, programmers, and designers putting their skills toward socially responsible software projects.
The video below was filmed at the last Women 2.0 Startup Weekend. For more coverage of Women 2.0 Startup Weekend, visit Startup Weekend’s page for the event here.
Come Thursday, November 12th, 2009, Samasource will host the first annual Give Work Charity Gala at the University Club of San Francisco, bringing together writers, luminaries, and some of the most influential female entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley. The event will feature a live auction and aims to raise funds for Samasource, a non-profit social enterprise that creates computer-based work for women, youth, and refugees living in developing countries.
Samasource provides technical training, then connects workers with clients, like Stanford University Libraries and Bookshare.org, who need to outsource data jobs. The core concept behind the program is what is called “microwork.” Samasource founder and CEO Leila Chirayath Janah says, “These little bits of labor that can be performed anytime and anywhere can add up to a real livelihood for people in many parts of the world. The driving force behind Samasource is knowing that hard-working people in places like refugee camps in Kenya and women in rural Pakistan can get life-changing work opportunities through the internet.” The Gala’s auction will raise funds to create work programs in two new refugee camps. For more info and to register, click here
On Tuesday, November 17th, 2009, attend the full-day Clean Tech Open Gala in San Francisco featuring an expo at 10am, demos at 1pm, awards gala at 4:30pm, and reception/expo at 6pm.
Join California Clean Tech Open at the elegant Masonic Center in the heart of San Francisco for a Clean Technology Expo, displaying the most promising clean technology companies throughout the country and throughout the world. In the main auditorium, watch cutting edge technology pitches and demonstrations from clean technology entrepreneurs. Audience members are invited to participate by voting for the “Peoples’ Choice Award” of their favorite companies and technologies. Finally, enjoy the high caliber keynote speakers and celebrate with us as we announce the 2009 National Cleantech Open Grand Prize Winner and present the Grand Prize package. Bill Weihl, Google Green Energy Czar, will headline the event. For more info and to register, click here.
Thursday, October 15th: Women 2.0 Startup Essentials: PR Night. Learn about how to use social media, the press and marketing to tell the world about your product.
Thursday, October 15th: Mobile 2.0 Conference. Get $50 off with coupon code “dotopen”. This is a 2-day event in Mountain View focused on mobile ecosystems, building and monetizing mobile applications and services, and exploring disruptive mobile innovation.
Friday, October 16th: Smaato Mobile Advertising Award Night 2009. Join us at the award night for free by registering here with password “women20″. Network with movers and shakers from the global mobile industry.
Friday, October 16th: Join Women 2.0 Co-Founder and CEO Shaherose Charania at Qualcomm’s “Women’s Leadership: Transforming Technology Environments” for lunch on Friday, October 15th in Santa Clara. This event is hosted by Qualcom Women in Science and Technology in partnership with the Society of Women Engineers (SWE-SCV) and Women 2.0. This is a networking lunch and panel discussion exploring women’s leadership in technology.
Qualcomm Women in Science and Engineering (QWISE) is a women’s development organization with a mission to encourage and support ALL professional women in the community and at Qualcomm to attain high levels of professional achievement and success. QWISE Bay Area, in partnership with Society of Women Engineers (SWE-SCV), Women 2.0 and others, invites you to an empowering and inspiring event on “Transforming Technology Environments”.
What: Women’s Leadership Lunch
When: Friday, Oct 16th 2009, SCL.B-168, from 11am to 3pm
Where: Qualcomm, Bldg. B, 3165 Kifer Road, Santa Clara, CA
Why: Lunch, networking, speakers (including Shaherose Charania,
Co-Founder and CEO of Women 2.0)
Come to PayPal X Innovate 2009, PayPal’s first dedicated developer conference, November 3rd and 4th in San Francisco,CA. Learn from hands-on tutorials about PayPal APIs and listen to keynotes from industry luminaries including Tim O’Reilly. And don’t forget to check out the showcase of cool developers!
Women 2.0 members: use code “PPBLOG2″ to register for the $299 conference at only $49!!
Also, keep an eye out on @women2 on Twitter for FREE PayPal X ticket giveaways.
Unemployed or still a student? Email us at women2.0@gmail.com if you want to go to PayPal X.
Check out the story behind the PayPal Developer Conference (Nov. 3-4, 2009) at
Join Women 2.0 for Startup Essentials October 13-15, 2009! Held at the Outside the Cube co-working space in Potrero Hill, all three evening sessions will include networking and a discussion workshop. Each night features a speaker covering their topic of expertise: development issues, legal issues, and PR issues.
Both men and women are invited to attend this Women 2.0 event.
Tuesday, October 13th, 2009 - Developer Night
Not a programmer yourself but want to build a product online? Learn the roles and responsibilities of working with a service provider to develop your product:
» What are the qualities to look for in a service providers
» Inexpensive development – Learn how not to spend $50,000+ and have a product that goes nowhere
» Learn about free web building tools, SEO, and social media measurement
Wednesday, October 14th, 2009 - Legal Night
Hear from a seasoned startup lawyer about the needs of an emerging startup, answering questions and addressing topics like:
» What are the types of legal structures and how to decide what is best for your organization
» Know how to work with a tight budget - Get tips on what to skimp on when dealing with legal matters and what are the necessities
Thursday, October 15th, 2009 - Public Relations Night
Get practical advice and a step-by-step guide to doing PR on your own, including:
» Building relationships with journalists and bloggers
» Placing and developing contributed articles
» Creating word-of-mouth buzz via social media networks
Evening of Tuesday, October 13th - Developer Night
6:00pm – Registration and networking
6:30pm – Discussion on development topics, including where to find developers, what resources to use, what you can do easily yourself, etc
7:15pm – Q&A
7:45pm – Networking, including the opportunity to sign up for Microsoft’s free BizSpark program
Evening of Wednesday, October 14th - Legal Night
6:00pm – Registration and networking
6:30pm – Discussion on essential legal matters including legal needs as an emerging startup
7:00pm – Q&A
7:30pm – Networking
Evening of Thursday, October 15th - PR Night
6:00pm – Registration and networking
6:30pm – Discussion on building relationships with journalists and bloggers
7:00pm – Discussion on placing and developing contributed articles
7:30pm – Discussion on creating word-of-mouth buzz via social media networks
8:00pm – Networking
Speaker Bios:
Development Expert: Aihui Ong (Founder and CEO, EdgiLabs)
Aihui has over 10 years of software engineering, product development and consulting experience. She started her career in a Big 4 consulting firm as an engineer and project manager, playing key roles in web implementations of Fortune 500 companies. Aihui launched EdgiLabs, a Web 2.0 development and consulting company that specializes in building consumer web applications. EdgiLabs transforms an entrepreneur’s passion into an online reality and is the engineering team behind ClosetCouture (finalist at TechCrunch50).
Social Media Expert: Amita Paul (Founder, ObjectiveMarketer)
Amita is the founder of ObjectiveMarketer, the first product focusing on integrated management of marketing campaigns across multiple social media platforms by tracking and measuring effectiveness of efforts on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Amita has been involved in startups for 10+ years, managing and marketing new and innovative products in varied domains including insurance, banking, retail, ediscovery and direct marketing. Amita holds a Masters in Computer Science and MBA in Marketing and Strategy.
Legal Expert: Christina F. Pearson (Associate, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman)
Christina practices in Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman’s Corporate and Securities group and the Emerging Growth and Technology group, where she negotiates private equity financings for companies and venture capitalists, counsels companies on mergers and acquisitions, and advises her clients on licensing, contract and general corporate matters. She also represents public clients and assists them with securities offerings, securities filings and regulatory matters.
Public Relations Expert: Kristin Jones (Founder and President, Jones PR)
Kristin is founder and president of Jones Public Relations, providing strategic counsel and media relations expertise to consumer, financial services companies, B2B tech companies, and start-ups. She spent six years promoting and launching every digital imaging product in Hewlett-Packard’s portfolio, serving as strategic counsel while executing HP’s consumer PR programs. In addition, JonesPR has created a Bootstrap PR Program and a VC and Angel Relations Program teaching entrepreneurs how to do their own PR on a tight budget and all the must knows in building relationships with investors.
Event Sponsor: Outside the Cube Outside the Cube (OTC) is a group of powerful and influential entrepreneurs and professionals looking for more than a place to work and a place to meet. They are innovative thinkers who want an exciting community to connect with, learn with and work with as they continue to shape their professional lives by thinking Outside the Cube. OTC launched as a solution for the new way of working in the twenty-first century. More people are working from home and/or independently and while there is certainly an onslaught of “online” connections and even professional groups, there are almost too many to make it feasible for live network connections. Members pay an annual fee and can attend as many events over the course of the year for no additional charge. Members can take business classes, engage in coaching, give workshops as a featured member, and work in the space.
The mammoth television industry is moving online at a breakneck pace and disrupting linked industries such as consoles and TV platforms. This is the year of “TV Everywhere” and you need to know what it is, what it can do for you and who is behind it. The NewTeeVee Live 09 conference will talk to the leaders behind the changes and bring insights to the audience.
Save The Date - NewTeeVee Live 09
November 12, 009 in San Francisco, CA
For more, check out live.newteevee.com
Don’t miss this opportunity to meet and learn from the leaders in television. Your exclusive Women 2.0 discount on this year’s conference is available now here. Read More »
Tweet your answer to “How Twitter has changed my life?” and be sure to include “#W2BizTechDay” in your Tweet.
The best Tweeted answer to the question by Monday, September 21st, 2009 wins a complimentary BizTechDay 09 Conference ticket!
On October 22-23rd, 2009, join 1200+ business icons, renowned thought leaders and inspired entrepreneurs to connect, educate and inspire each other with the most practical strategies and innovative tactics on how to best use internet technologies to start and grow your business.
Regular price tickets cost $595, but Women 2.0 members get a special rate of $395 until September 21st, 2009 if you register here. Read More »
DEMO is known globally for having THE MOST SUCCESSFUL EXITS. Companies like Apple, TiVO, SixApart, Symantec, VMWare, Salesforce, eTrade and more debuted at DEMO.
DEMOfall 09 is about to unveil 70 products and prototypes, honor notable DEMO alumni and provide you with tremendous networking opportunities with VC’s, corporate buyers, technology innovators and press…and you’ll miss it all if you don’t attend DEMOfall 09!
Last-minute discount code for DEMO tickets- We have deeply discounted DEMO tickets for $695 here — keep in mind that regular price DEMO tickets are $2,995!
Are you a bootstrapping entrepreneur? If so, we may have an even BETTER deal for you! Attend DEMO next week for only $350!
You must be a founder of a startup (female)
Tell us about your startup (in 160 characters)
Tell us why you should be selected to go to DEMO next week (in less than 100 words)
Write to partners@women2.org by MIDNIGHT on Friday night, September 18th, 2009 Saturday night, September 19th, 2009.
The first 5 qualifying entries win the super-cheap DEMO tickets. Southwest airlines flights are only $39 each way to San Diego! You can find Women 2.0’s @shaherose and @aihui at DEMO next week.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. (August 28-30, 2009) — “It was hot like Africa!” said Shaherose Charania, describing the atmosphere at Women 2.0 Startup Weekend. One of the hottest days of the year in San Francisco, Friday night’s unusually warm weather combined with over 150 individuals packed into sfCube made it clear that the crowd was serious about building something big.
After the panel discussion, individuals stood in line to pitch their startup ideas to the crowd. There were 40 pitches made on Friday night, ranging from high-tech lingerie to Craigslist for religious groups, from saving the world to saving you from a bad date — or a messy closet! Individuals formed teams around these ideas. In the next few days, there were some mergers and acquisitions between teams and companies. Others teams declared their startup ideas dead on the scene and moved on.
The majority of the Startup Weekend crowd continued to work through Saturday and Sunday with the goal of launching with a demo by Sunday night. Startup Weekend attendees handed over a dozen children to Women 2.0’s childcare initiative services while their hacker moms and dads worked on their startup ideas over the course of the weekend!
Several people picked up a new programming language simply by sitting next to someone who was developing in the language, from Ruby on Rails to database programming in MySQL. Because of the collaborative nature of Women 2.0 Startup Weekend, these individuals could easily ask questions and get help from the more experienced developer, learning a great deal by working alongside an experienced (and benevolent) developer over the course of the weekend.
On Sunday Night, all the remaining teams pitched with PowerPoint presentations and demos of the products they had been working on for the last 54 hours. The quality of the pitches and demos ran the gamut, but what was constant through the 3 hours of pitches and discussion was the excitement from the teams and audience. Every team received a thunderous round of applause for making it through the weekend to Sunday Night Pitch Night.
The big surprise of the night came when angel investor Dan Martellannounced he was putting 5k in Foodspotting after watching the Foodspotting team work through the weekend with their ever-growing wall of notes and sketches.
Professional Poke’s Cindy Alvarez (pictured, right) was congratulated by more than one person for being “preggers and pitching!” — she’s no slouch. The entire Women 2.0 Startup Weekend contingent battled the weekend heat and lack of sleep to build startups — and all are to be commended.
Pictures from the event are also on the Women 2.0 Group on Facebook, and check out real-time Twitter search results for the event with #sw20sf.
Sunday Afternoon at Women 2.0 Startup Weekend: Meet Some of the Teams!
By Sunday afternoon, a few teams were too busy working to talk, but others were brave enough to practice their pitch and introduce themselves on camera. The companies featured in this video are (in the following order): Kulstof, Foodspotting, Escape My Date, Gizzy, Geezer Alert, Professional Poke, Half Writ, Twitter Rank, Sulusso, Ultimate Hire, NetNyms, Fork This, and FounderShack.
The following startups launched at Women 2.0 Startup Weekend:
Half Writ is a social writing site for fiction writers who want to grow creatively through sharing and shaping short stories. Small peer circles provide framing for creative problems, moderation of content and quality, constructive feedback on work. Follow Half Writ on Twitter!
Professional Poke is the smart reminder service that helps you keep your network strong, because it’s easy to add connections to your social network but it’s hard to maintain them. We’ll remind you when and who to contact. We’ll suggest things that they’ll want to read. Your network will think you’re awesome. Follow Professional Poke on Twitter!
Ultimate Hire is your flat fee staffing partner. You tell us what you need. Ultimate Hire delivers fully pre-screened qualified candidates. One small flat fee per candidate you choose to interview. Save time. Save Money. Add quality staff to your company. Follow Ultimate Hire on Twitter!
Foodspotting will be a visual local guide that lets you find dishes, not just restaurants, thanks to foodspotters who report sightings of foods they love. Coming soon to iPhone and Web. Follow Foodspotting on Twitter!
40 Weeks chronicles your life with a journal that reads more like a book than a blog. Record your history as it happens… or at your own pace! Live it. Write it. Share it.
Kulstof is an on-demand carbon management platform that helps higher education administrators and students accurately measure and report on greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental impacts. Kulstof provides students with a view into their own carbon footprints, creating an opportunity to increase awareness and participation in sustainability initiatives. Follow Kulstof on Twitter!
Sulusso is redefining sustainable luxury. All designers have one thing in common - a commitment to social and environmental responsibility. Follow Sulusso on Twitter!
Flockpile comes from the old saying “birds of a feather flock together”. Use the Flock Finder tool to easily find local faith based groups, places of worship and events that are of interest to you. Essentially we make it easy for you to find our flock. Follow Flockpile on Twitter!
NetNyms are the usernames you use on web accounts. Between your work, home and projects you already have hundreds of accounts, usernames, passwords etc. Imagine adding more accounts for a new domain or brand. NetNyms makes it easy for you to claim, surf, monitor and manage them. Follow NetNyms on Twitter!
Wardrobe Shuffle is coming soon to your browser and phone to help you get dressed every day. Because life is too short to be stuck in the closet. Follow Wardrobe Shuffle on Twitter!
In this podcast, Katie and Esther dissect the recent BusinessMakers interview with Shaherose and Angie, co-founders of Women 2.0. Podcast summary available after the jump. Read More »
Are you having trouble finding an investor for your startup? You know, you don’t have to rely on VCs and angel investors to give you cash. There are ways the government can fund your startup. Yes, the government.
Join Women 2.0 for an informative night of Demystifying Government and Stimulus Funding for Your Startup. We will be meeting in San Francisco at Citizen Space on Wednesday, September 9th, 2009 starting 6:30pm to discuss alternative methods of funding your business.
Let’s demystify government and stimulus funding. Discussion topics will include:
» What is available to women-owned, minority-owned businesses
» Step-by-step instructions and examples on how to apply to the funds and loans
» SBA and SBIR loans
» Who can use the stimulus money from the government
» State and local incentives for locating companies in low-and-mid income areas
Women 2.0 joins forces with Startup Weekend this August 28th - 30th, 2009! We provide the space and brain fuel — you bring the energy and innovation to build something big over the weekend. Sign up now for your spot at Startup Weekend!
What is Women 2.0 Startup Weekend? Much like a bar camp, you build something exciting over the weekend. Come to Startup Weekend to find an idea that resonates with you, join a team, and build! Startup Weekend is a place to test ideas, contribute to ideas, and meet potential founders. We are bringing together the most innovative, talented, and out-of-the-box entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley. How it works: Teams form Friday night, companies develop product(s) and/or service(s) through Saturday, and company pitches are delivered on Sunday.
Join Women 2.0 for Pearls of Wisdom from Successful Women Leaders. This is a free event hosted by Silicon Valley Women @ Microsoft and BizSpark on Wednesday, August 26th, 2009 from 6pm to 8:30pm. We will be having a panel discussion with Silicon Valley leaders, followed by Q&A and networking.
Moderator:
» Tina Seelig (Executive Director, Stanford Technology Ventures Program)
This FREE event at Microsoft is co-hosted by Women 2.0,
Astia, TiE Women’s Forum, and SDForum.
Schedule for Wednesday, August 26, 2009:
6:00pm – Networking
7:00pm – Silicon Valley Women @ Microsoft Intro, Partner introductions
7:15pm – Microsoft BizSpark overview
7:25pm – Panel Discussion with Q&A afterwards
Network with 50 speakers and 500 delegates. Companies include Dell, Motorola, Sony Ericcson, frog design, Adaptive Path, Intel, ATT and a slew of mobile startups at Mobilize 09. With over 40 confirmed speakers to date, including Sanjay Jha the co-CEO of Motorola as our Keynote, you should not miss this opportunity to interact with the leaders who are defining the future of wireless broadband. Plus of course our annual Launchpad competition where 10 of the newest mobile startups are debuted! Enter now if you think you have what it takes! Mobilize 09 is all of the mobile web industry ideas and people you need to know, in one compact day.
Your exclusive $80 Women 2.0 discount on this year’s conference is available now! Regular price tickets cost $595, but we’re offering a special rate of $415 until August 14, 2009 if you register here. Read More »
Join Women 2.0 at a lively Orange Labs meetup on Wednesday, July 8th in South San Francisco for a showcase of six forward-thinking presenters who just happen to be women leading companies:
“What is your favorite open-source product and why?”
The best answer to the question “What is your favorite open-source product and why?” wins a FREE OSCON conference ticket valued at $1445! Leave your answer as a comment with a valid email address here by Tuesday, July 14th (extended deadline) for a chance to win!
The theme of the 11th O’Reilly OSCON is “Open for Business: Sustaining, Applying, and Expanding Open Source To Change the World.” Join us on July 20-24, 2009, in San Jose, CA, at the crossroads of all things open source where over 3,000 people will redefine the future of open source, the savings & the profit it can mean for all of us. This deeply technical conference includes more than 200 sessions over 17 tracks focusing on how open source can save money, save the day, and spread the word.
Women 2.0 members receive 15% off when you register here with coupon code “os09w2″.
Join the Women 2.0 Startup Meetup on the heals of Mobile 2.0, Hit Barcelona, and 22@Barcelona. Are you going to these conferences? Tweet at Women 2.0 (@women2) if you are attending.
This is a FREE event for women & men, aspiring & current tech entrepreneurs.
Who says we can only have Women 2.0 networking events only in Silicon Valley? We are coming to you! In a partnership with Gild International to connect entrepreneurs in Barcelona, join Women 2.0 for a Barcelona Startup Meetup and hear about the innovation happening in Silicon Valley and Barcelona. Come learn about Women 2.0, our annual Pitch Startup Competition, and more to help you launch your startup. Bring your innovative ideas and business cards to meet local and visiting entrepreneurs.
Meet such esteemed entrepreneurs as Maria Sipka from Linqia and Shaherose Charania from Women 2.0! Karen Reith, co-founder of Gild, will be joining as well.
Women 2.0 Co-Founder & CEO Shaherose Charania is speaking at the 22@Barcelona Update Breakfast on Thursday, June 18th at 8am. 22@Update Breakfast is the new meeting and exchange point of innovative ideas which is hold every month in the innovative district — an opportunity to know the last trends in innovation and to exchange experiences with professionals and managers related to knowledge-based economy. UPDATE: Shaherose shares her experience in Barcelona below
Bustling Barcelona Brings Entrepreneurial Energy
Thursday, July 9, 2009 (San Francisco, CA) — My visit to Barcelona was a perfect balance of meeting old friends and exploring the local entrepreneurial ecosystem. The twisting streets, savory tapas, cafe con leches, and comforting energy remained unchanged from when I lived in Spain five years ago. But I also discovered a *new* Barcelona this visit — a bustling one bringing in entrepreneurial energy from all corners of the globe.
I met with the new Barcelona: a mix of local, British, German, French, Portuguese, Australian technology entrepreneurs. It was interesting to hear their thoughts on our backyard, including a local Spanish entrepreneur: “I’ll be moving to Silicon Valley now that my product is ready, and I have thousands of users here in Europe” and a visiting British entrepreneur: “I hope to move to Silicon Valley one day, what is it like?”.
During my talk at 22@ I highlighted the differences between what I call a “Lifestyle 2.0″ company; the kind of startup that investors always look at me and say “They don’t need funding, tell them to bootstrap, build, release, iterate and make money from day-one.” Content heavy sites, social networking sites, mobile applications often fall into this category and are big part of the Women 2.0 community. Then you find the disruptive innovations, development heavy startups, often light on the business model, much fewer these days. Then of course there is that needle in the haystack, the next Google, *needing* VC money to scale operations and truly innovate on their current product and/or go global.
While at 22@Barcelona, Mobile 2.0 and HIT Barcelona, I shared my experience here in the Silicon Valley, including when and why a VC is the right fit or when to strongly consider bootstrapping depending on the type of startup.
After visiting various government-funded incubators and meeting with some startups…I’d go back to Barcelona! Why?
Incubate quietly, save on costs
Barcelona Activa, 22@Barcelona, and other government funded incubators welcome international entrepreneurs! With less Silicon Valley hype, it’s a great place to build, create and incubate your startup while keeping costs low. Office space is offered and talented developers from Spain and around Europe are ready to create with you (lower cost than the US).
Already in the market? Reach new markets and still save on costs
The government organization and similar services such as Opinno help you set up shop in Barcelona and access new global markets for growth. Access Europe, Africa, and more. Barcelona can become your hub.
Dream and ideate in solitude
Beach, sangria and warm, beautiful people. The perfect studio for dreaming up the next big idea!
Barcelona, a personal favorite is now a realistic, low(er) cost entrepreneurial ecosystem for some. Thinking of going? Let me know, I’d be happy to share my insights. Or maybe I’ll meet you there ;)
Structure 09 is a conference on June 25 in San Francisco exploring the next generations of Internet infrastructure and examining changing needs and rapid growth. With the economic challenges facing companies today, there’s never been a better time to figure out how the cloud paradigm can help you find new competitive advantages. Whether you’re in a corporation looking to learn about best infrastructure practices or an entrepreneur looking for your next venture, Structure 09 is a must-attend event. For more details, click here.
Women 2.0 members receive $50 off when you register here with coupon code “WOMEN2″.
These are workshop series for entrepreneurs with the next big idea.
Jumpstart your startup with a new series from Women 2.0 to help bring your business idea to reality.
Attend one or both sessions to jumpstart your startup.
Jumpstart Idea (Session 1) - IDEA VALIDATION (5 classes)
Starting on Thursday, June 4th, 2009 and wrapping up on Saturday, July 11th, 2009, the new “Jumpstart Idea (Session 1)” workshop consists of 5 classes in Palo Alto. Workshops utilize discussion forums with UC Berkeley professor Naeem Zafar and hands-on working sessions with successful women executives, VCs, and entrepreneurs providing “from the trenches” feedback and insight. Graduate from the course with a working elevator pitch, and ready to begin working on your business plan!
Jumpstart Biz Plan (Session 2) - BUSINESS PLAN CREATION (5 classes)
Starting on Tuesday, July 28th, 2009 and wrapping up on Thursday, September 3rd, 2009, the new “Jumpstart Biz Plan (Session 2)” workshop consists of 5 classes in Palo Alto. Workshops are interactive lectures and discussions led by a UC Berkeley professor Naeem Zafar and hands-on working sessions with successful women executives, VCs, and entrepreneurs providing “from the trenches” feedback and insight. These sessions will take the business idea that you already have and walk you through the process of converting into a business. Graduate from the course with a business plan so you can begin to present to future investors and advisors!
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
Women with an idea for a startup and/or a startup in the making. If a part of a founding team, attendees may invite one or more team members (male or female).
HOW TO APPLY FOR YOUR SPOT IN THIS WORKSHOP SERIES
Women 2.0 will be selecting up to 25 attendees based on an application with the following five questions:
Please explain your desire to be an entrepreneur and any past experiences that have helped you in the shaping of this goal: (e.g.: professors, clubs, associations, conferences, books, speakers, etc).
Please tell us in a few sentences what your strengths/abilities are and how your contribution is going to positively impact the success of the startup.
Do have a business or an idea? If yes, describe why your idea is unique and why has it not been addressed yet in today’s market?
Do you have a team? If yes, is your whole team planning to attend this event?
To apply for a spot, email your answers to the above questions to Baat Enosh at baat@women2.org — Please specify which session (or both) you are applying for. We will be enrolling selected participants on a first-come, first-serve basis so you should apply ASAP because space is limited!
Despite the recession, Women 2.0’s Pitch received close to 100 submissions from all over the world, proof that aspiring entrepreneurs are not allowing themselves to be defeated by the state of the economy.
Over 200 people including venture capitalists, aspiring entrepreneurs, students, and supporters watched the five finalists for Women 2.0 Pitch 2009 pitch live in San Francisco on May 7th, 2009. Competition was fierce as all five finalists represent different industries, solving five different problems the world faces today. (Listen to complete audio recording of Pitch Night 2009)
Team LumaMed (formerly LumaDerm) won the 2009 Women 2.0 Pitch Startup Competition, scoring a private meeting with Michael Moritz of Sequoia and winning business services worth over $10K. Team LumaMed showcased their innovations in cancer imaging and early detection. Their presentation also won the hearts of the audience as they also walked away with the People’s Choice Award, as voted by the audience with their cell phones, and the VentureBeat Best Media Story Award. (Watch LumaMed’s winning pitch)
LumaMed impressed our live judges, winning grand prize, the audience for the People’s Choice award,
and VentureBeat for Best Media Story.
This has been the third-annual Women 2.0 Pitch: Startup Competition. The competition aims to stimulate innovation and increase the number of women entrepreneurs starting high growth ventures. Read More »
Join Women 2.0 for Pitch Night on Thursday, May 7th, 2009 beginning 6pm at Microsoft in San Francisco. Watch Pitch 2009 finalists pitch live to a panel of investors and executives, vote for your favorite startup, and meet the entrepreneurial community at Women 2.0’s Pitch Night. Get your ticket to Pitch 2009 today!
Presenting Finalists:
CSRware Inc. Carbon & Energy Business Intelligence SaaS software
measures, quantifies & models corporate costs & actions
to address growing market demand. Presenting: Karen Alonardo (Founder & EVP of Business Development)
LumaMed LLC Innovations in cancer imaging, early detection and treatment. Presenting: Dr. Shabbir Bambot and Anju Mathew (Co-Founders)
Giddy Inc. Think Cracker Jack meets Whole Foods.
83% of parents are dissatisfied with existing kids’ snacks.
We’re making healthy snacks fun with snacktivities! Presenting: Sally Schoenfeld and Jill Friedman (Co-Founders)
GenGreen GenGreen is the preeminent aggregator of environmental
content online. We house the largest directory of green
businesses and organizations in the United States. Presenting: Charisse McAuliffe (Founder & CEO)
GiftAloft LLC GiftAloft generates revenue for airlines and airports,
gifts for passengers, and trackable, tactile, advertising methods
for consumer advertisers. Presenting: Celine Tessier North (CEO) and Daniel T. North (COO)
At Pitch Night, the audience participates as we will award a total of FOUR prizes: (1) GRAND PRIZE: Our live judges will select one team to win the prized investor meeting with Michael Moritz of Sequoia, along with office space, marketing services, legal support and more.
(2) PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD: You will vote based on the five pitches you will see presented at the event — use your mobile phone to select the People’s Choice Award for Women 2.0 — powered by MOZES.
(3) VENTUREBEAT’S BEST MEDIA STORY AWARD: This award will be selected by VentureBeat writer Eric Eldon. (4) YOUNOODLE BEST IDEA AWARD: YouNoodle is Women 2.0’s startup network. Join the Women 2.0 Group on YouNoodle to follow your favorite startup idea. The startup with the most followers wins. VOTE NOW!
SCHEDULE:
6:00pm - Networking & Drinks 7:00pm - Welcome to Pitch Night 2009! 7:20pm - Introduction of the Final Five Teams 7:30pm - Pitch 2009 Finalists Live Pitches 9:10pm - Awards (The People’s Choice, VentureBeat’s Best Media Story, YouNoodle Best Idea) 9:20pm - Grand Prize Winner of Pitch Night 2009 Announced 9:30pm - Celebrations!
Who has the biggest noodle — the “Community Favorite”?
Submit your startup idea to YouNoodle, the social network for entrepreneurs. Get feedback and/or find new team members!
How your startup idea/prototype can win Community Favorite:
1. Join the Women 2.0 group on YouNoodle by clicking “Join the Group”
2. Create a profile and upload your resume
3. Add your startup by clicking on “Add Startup” tab
4. Get friends to click “Follow this startup” on your startup page
By joining the Women 2.0 group on YouNoodle, you can make new friends and possibly even some new colleagues for your newest startup idea!
Our mission is to increase the number of female founders of technology startups, by enabling entrepreneurs with a network, resources and knowledge to take your startup from an idea to launch. Join the Women 2.0 mailing list here.
Founder Showcase featuring Elon Musk & Jason Calacanis
Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010, 4pm - 10pm
Microsoft, Mountain View, CA Women 2.0 members save 15% with coupon code "w20"
See Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors and SpaceX, and Jason Calacanis, CEO of Mahalo.com, speak at the The Founder Showcase on Tuesday evening, August 3rd in Mountain View, CA. This quarterly start-up pitch and networking event brings together over 275 investors, founders, and members of the press to hear speeches from leading CEOs, and pitches from 10 hot technology start-ups in an open Pitch Competition. Watch as ten of the most promising early-stage companies, as selected by over 14,500 registered CEO Members of TheFunded.com, present their companies to the Silicon Valley elite. A panel of investors will provide critical feedback of the pitches, and the two best companies will face off in a "Showcase Showdown" lightning round to determine the Grand Prize Winner. There is also a networking and table area where investors and start-ups will convene with food and drinks. Tickets start at just $40, but there is a very limited number available. For more information or to apply to the free Pitch Competition, click here.
Yahoo! Girl Geek Dinner
Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010, 5:30pm - 8:30pm
Yahoo! HQ, Sunnyvale, CA
Join us for a night of technology, great food and conversation at Yahoo! Bay Area Girl Geek Dinner on Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010 (5:30pm - 8:30pm) at Yahoo!’s headquarters in Sunnyvale, CA! Learn about what’s going on at Yahoo! and network with other girl geeks, including those responsible for designing and building cool Yahoo! products. Hilary Schneider (Yahoo! Americas EVP) will be the keynote speaker, and presentations on Yahoo Query Language (YQL), YUI, web performance, innovation at scale, infinite browse system, and accessibility will be delivered by Yahoo! girl geeks throughout the evening. All registered girl geek will receive a free Yahoo! “Code like a Girl” shirt and sticker at the event. For more info and to RSVP for FREE, click here.
Commonwealth Club presents "Girls Gotta Do Business: The Rising Force of Women Entrepreneurs"
Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010, 6pm
SF Club, San Francisco, CA
The exponential growth of women-owned businesses has been in the news. More than a quarter million women in the United States own businesses with revenue exceeding $1M. Demographics have played a role: female empty-nesters, corporate escapees, and the newly laid-off are flexing their entrepreneurial muscle. However, some studies indicate women-owned businesses generate less revenue on average than businesses owned by men. Panelists will explore this issue and more, giving insight on how women entrepreneurs can take it to the next level of success. Panelists include Alison Covarrubias (Co-founder, The Hatch Network, SF), Baat Enosh (Entrepreneur Alliance Program Director, NCWIT; VP of Operations, Women 2.0), Ayesha Mathews-Wadhwa (Director, Savor the Success, SF Bay Area), Julie Abrams (CEO, Women's Initiative for Self Employment). For more info and to register, click here.
SDForum’s Green and Clean Evening Series presents "The Water Crisis: An Update on the Challenges in Water Efficiency and Treatment”
Thursday, August 5th, 2010, 6pm to 8:30pm
Orrick, Menlo Park, CA Women 2.0 members save $5 with coupon code "GREEN05"
The global water crisis continues to be a top priority for consumers, corporations, entrepreneurs, investors and the government. Our panel of experts in these sectors will update us on what is being done in regards to water efficiency and treatment.
Speakers include Anup Jacob (Virgin Green Fund), Bill Kocher (City of Santa Cruz), Bruce Keiser (Cohesive Ventures), Tamin Pechet (Banyan Water LLP), and moderator Mitch Zuklie (Orrick). For more info and to register, click here.
Girls in Tech presents "The Fast Track of Mariam Naficy"
Monday, August 9th, 2010, 6pm - 8:30pm
Nextspace.us, San Francisco, CA
Serial entrepreneur Mariam Naficy shares with us her rapid rise to success fresh out of business school as co-founder and co-CEO of Eve.com. She raised $26 million for her start up venture and sold it for $100 million in her late 20's. Mariam is now pioneering the area of crowd-sourcing design with her new venture, Minted.com, the online retailer of stationery, invitations, and photo cards. She will talk about what she attributes her early success to and what other young (and any age!) women can do to harness their entrepreneurial potential. For more info and to register, click here.
SF Game Developer's Workshops presents "How to Grow your Online Games for massive player engagement and revenue"
Tuesday, August 10th, 2010, 7pm - 9pm
Art Institute of California, San Francisco, CA
Do you want to network with other phenomenal game industry personnel and have a good time? Join us August 10th at 7pm to get an hear Joe Dunn and Josh Rose give you a brain dump download of how they win in the market so you can too. They will cover how they combine creative design, new technology, and platform agnostic virality to create game experiences players crave, share, and keep coming back for. There will be a brief interactive Q&A; between each speaker, so designers and developers can get a chance to get some direct opinions or strategies on some of their own games and businesses. Come party with us after the event to brainstorm, chill, or simply share a beer with awesome fellow game developers, designers, artists, and deal makers. For more info and to register, click here.
FailChat #4: How to Survive Without Funding
Tuesday, August 17th, 2010, 6:30pm - 8:30pm
PariSoma, San Francisco, CA
Many companies today don’t get funded. Considering that, how does a small startup survive tough competition, company growth, and unpredictable markets with virtually zero capital? It definitely happens and to help everyone learn how, we’ve compiled a panel of founders who’ve been there and investors who have seen it happen. We’ll be discussing whether its possible to get by without funding, how to balance the budget if you try, and what problems you are likely to encounter. We’ll also be getting into what tools to use, how to stay lean, stories of what hasn’t worked, and other fundamentals of the self-funded process. For more info and to register, click here.
SF HTML5 presents "Web Forms 2.0 with Estelle Weyl"
Thursday, August 26th, 2010, 7pm - 9pm
San Francisco, CA
This is a FREE event. HTML forms have been the bane of web developers for years. Not anymore! With HTML5 you may learn to love forms. Imagine a day when you can validate a form without any JavaScript. Date pickers, place holder text, pattern matching, required fields, auto focus, error handling, all without JavaScript? That day is not as far off as you think. In this session we'll discuss new to HTML5 form input types and attributes. We can't promise that you'll love creating web forms, but you will gain a new, exciting appreciation. For more info and to register, click here.
Jumpstart Your Startup with Women 2.0!
A unique workshop for women with the next big startup idea, Jumpstart Your Startup is available for aspiring women entrepreneurs in the Silicon Valley.
"Jumpstart Your Startup exposed us all to incredible advice, well seasoned speakers and a nurturing environment to help evolve and strengthen our ideas." - Zuzy Martin Lynch, Jumpstart Your Startup participant
"This class was the perfect format to clarify our business idea and perfect our pitch." - Lynnee Jimenez, Jumpstart Your Startup participant
Quotable Quotes
Pitch 2009 is a unique startup competition open to early-stage ventures globally. Eligible startups are in alpha or beta stage, and must have at least one female founder. Deadline to apply: April 10th, 2009.
"A recession is the best time to start a company. The opportunity cost is low, hiring good people is relatively easy, rent and equipment are cheap (sometimes free) and established competitors are focused on reducing costs & staying in business, not on innovation. The key is being in a good position when the economy picks back up."
- Rebecca Lynn
Principal, Morgenthaler Ventures
"Some of the best products and services come out of some of the worst times. In the early 1990s, tens of millions of dollars had gone down the drain in a futile effort to develop 'pen computing' (early phase of mobile computing) and a recession was shriveling the economic outlook."
Hosted by Women 2.0 and Hackfest for the Light, Startup Sandbox will give individuals or teams a unique opportunity to work on ideas and launch startups. If you have an idea, bring your idea. If not, bring your skill set and find a great team! Both women and men are invited to attend.
Come Thursday, November 12th, 2009, 
On Tuesday, November 17th, 2009, attend the full-day 
Qualcomm Women in Science and Engineering (QWISE) is a women’s development organization with a mission to encourage and support ALL professional women in the community and at Qualcomm to attain high levels of professional achievement and success. QWISE Bay Area, in partnership with Society of Women Engineers (SWE-SCV), Women 2.0 and others, invites you to an empowering and inspiring event on “Transforming Technology Environments”.
Development Expert: Aihui Ong (Founder and CEO, EdgiLabs)
Social Media Expert: Amita Paul (Founder, ObjectiveMarketer)
Legal Expert: Christina F. Pearson (Associate, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman)
Public Relations Expert: Kristin Jones (Founder and President, Jones PR)
Event Sponsor: Outside the Cube
The mammoth television industry is moving online at a breakneck pace and disrupting linked industries such as consoles and TV platforms. This is the year of “TV Everywhere” and you need to know what it is, what it can do for you and who is behind it. The NewTeeVee Live 09 conference will talk to the leaders behind the changes and bring insights to the audience. 
Wardrobe Shuffle is coming soon to your browser and phone to help you get dressed every day. Because life is too short to be stuck in the closet. 
Gizzy helps friends give and get the right gift.
CSRware Inc.
LumaMed LLC
Giddy Inc.
GenGreen
GiftAloft LLC
(1) GRAND PRIZE:
(2) PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD:
(3) VENTUREBEAT’S BEST MEDIA STORY AWARD:
(4) YOUNOODLE BEST IDEA AWARD:
How do you vote for your favorite startup?
