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Our Sponsors
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A Message From the CEO
Dear Astia Community,
This weekend I had the good
fortune to take a peek into the future of innovation at the SMASH Academy Recognition Ceremony
at UC Berkeley's Lawrence Hall of Science. During the event I was both
exposed to the critical path for Silicon Valley
to continue to find innovation and compete in the next century, as well as the
key to Astia's relevance in the entrepreneur community.
SMASH, which stands for
Summer Math & Science Honors, is a program of the Level Playing Field Institute here in San Francisco. The Academy provides high achieving,
low-income students of color with rigorous courses that will prepare them to
excel in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) fields with the
goal of being admitted to top-tier colleges and graduate schools. The ceremony was to both honor the graduating
class of seniors and showcase the student's projects. As I watched these poised young boys and
girls present their ideas and technology solutions to a packed house I felt a
sense of profound humility and pride to be in the presence of such raw talent,
sheer brilliance, and passion.
The view in to the future was
made all the more clear by the frank comments of Mark Richards, Dean of the College of Letters and Science. Dean Richards called to our attention the
recent studies out of UC Berkeley and the University of Wisconsin which finally put to rest the stereotype that girls are not as good at math as boys. He went on to postulate - no hope - that it
would not take another 20 years of research for us all to accept that individuals of
all races and genders - when given a level playing field - perform equally.
The message was timely as we
prepare to launch the Astia
Doing it Right™ program - a program proven to facilitate both access
to capital and exposure to relationships that are critical to the success for
any start-up. Our work of unearthing the
hidden talent of women in high-growth start-ups is not just the
right thing to do - it is the smart thing to do.
I am often asked if women
entrepreneurs require something different than their male counter-parts. My simple answer is, "No. They require the
same thing."
I do hope you will all
continue to participate in our community of exceptional entrepreneurs. There are many opportunities to become involved. I look forward to seeing you all soon.
Cheers,
Sharon
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AstiA News
Astia Highlighted in Forbes
Astia was highlighted in the recent Forbes article Why is Venture Capital Still a Boys' Club?, addressing the lack of women. Click here to read the article.
"Noob and other words worth thinking
about"
Astia CEO Sharon Vosmek will be keynoting
the British Venture Capital Association Women's Breakfast in London on
Tuesday, October 14th. On the road to building a successful high-growth
company, there are some basic rules that the savvy entrepreneur understands and
knows how to navigate. In this talk, Sharon will attempt to articulate a working
road map, while remembering to drive on the left side of the road.
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How to Be Involved in the it conference
See below to learn how you can contribute to it's success!
Refer Companies to it.
Astia relies on the high quality referrals that we
receive from our community. If you know of a high-potential, high-growth company
with at least one woman on the executive team, we would appreciate an introduction. Referrals
can be made to Brynna Deaver. Hurry, the application deadline is August
13th!
Coach during
it.
By
lending time and expertise, coaches provide critical support to prepare the
entrepreneur for participation in the Astia it Conference. Participating as an
Astia Coach offers the experienced professional the opportunity to actively
engage in a community of entrepreneurs, investors, and professional service
providers, all working to help women entrepreneurs secure institutional
investment. Click here for to learn more about the coaching commitment.
Screen companies for it.
If you
are interested in participating in the screening process, please contact us to
let us know about your expertise so that we can slot you in to one of our
screening committees.
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4th Annual Astia Awards Dinner
This fall, Astia will celebrate great achievements in
mentorship, venture capital investment in women-led companies and the woman
entrepreneur by honoring extraordinary individuals at the 4th Annual
Astia Awards Dinner on the evening of November 20th at the de Young
Museum, San
Francisco. The
Astia Awards will be emceed for the third year by Kara Swisher, Wall Street
Journal and co-producer, co-host : All Things Digital.
There are many sponsorship and table hosting opportunities available for this event. Please contact Astia's new Vice President of Development, Sheri Jennings.
Reserve your seat today!
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Submit Nominations for Deloitte Leadership In Mentoring Award
 At the Astia Awards Dinner on
November 20th, Astia will be presenting the Deloitte
Leadership in Mentoring Award. The award will honor one inspiring individual
whose time and dedication has made a significant difference for women CEOs and
their companies in 2007.
Nominate
an executive, either male or female, who has played a leading role in mentoring
women entrepreneurs.
Submit nominations online by clicking here. Nomination deadline is August 31.
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Now Accepting Applications for 7th Annual Astia Conference
 There are venture conferences and then there's it. As the seventh annual conference dedicated to women-led start-ups, you might think it. is about a cause. But you'd be wrong.
it is about results.
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Over $425 million raised
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Funding success rate exceeding 60%
- 10 exits to date, including 2 IPOs
it was designed for entrepreneurs by entrepreneurs who understand the value of extraordinary relationships. it connects entrepreneurs to investors, industry leaders, advisors, service providers, and every other player in the game.
You can't afford to miss it! Apply to it now.
Key Dates
Application Deadline: August 13th
Doing it Right Program: Sept 25 - Nov 7
itConference: Nov 19 - Nov 21
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Astia Client Update
Sim Ops Studios, Inc., a spin-out company
from Carnegie Mellon University's Entertainment Technology Center, has recently
relocated its headquarters to the Bay Area and is preparing for the upcoming
launch of its new online 3D consumer platform Wild Pockets. Shanna
Tellerman, the founder and CEO, has led the company from its inception as a
graduate student project to commercialization in the consumer market. Sim Ops
is looking forward to an exciting next few months as Wild Pockets launches a
closed beta for developers and holds several more exciting launch events around
the technology.
The Wild Pockets platform is opening up the next generation of interactive
media on the web by providing an easy to use, free web-based platform for
creating and sharing 3D games, advertisements, and other applications.
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Sponsor Thank Yous
We are proud to announce that Microsoft, Citi Private Bank, Square 1 Bank, and Wells Fargo have all recently renewed their sponsorship of Astia. We value your support!
We have received countless compliments on the conference's new branding. If you like what you see, contact Iron Creative, the firm responsible for it all.
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partner events
FWE&E: An Evening with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
sponsored and hosted by Oracle
6:00PM - 9:00PM August 13, 2008
Oracle, 350 Oracle Parkway, Redwood Shores, CA
On August 13, just twelve days before the first of the political
conventions, FWE&E presents Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of
Representatives, third in line to the Presidency. She will share the
leadership experiences and lessons learned as presented in her soon to
be published autobiography Know Your Power: A Message to America's
Daughters. To register, click here.
SD Forum: Corporate Innovation and Research Fair Friday, August 15, 2008 8:30am - 4:00pm The Computer History Museum: 1401 N Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View, CA 94043
In this first-ever conference, SDForum applauds and celebrates the
innovation processes at technology corporations in Silicon Valley. The
time is ripe to launch a Corporate Innovation and Research Fair, for
corporations to jointly share best practices and highlight how
innovation happens in their organization. Global technology leaders
such as HP, Microsoft, Oracle, SAP and Sun will present their learning
lessons and best practices to strengthen an open, collaborative
exchange with the entrepreneurial community. Click here for more information. Keiretsu Forum: Intellectual Property Series
Wednesday evenings,
Aug.13th, 20th, and 27th 6:00- 8:30pm,
Hanson and Bridgett LLP,
425 Market St., 26th floor
Inventors
and entrepreneurs have four concerns related to patent law: protecting
their inventions in the very early stages of product development,
determining the patentability of their invention, avoiding infringement
of a competitor's patent, and leveraging their patent as a business
asset. This lecture series will address each of these concerns. More information.
The Art of Leadership
for Social Entrepreneurs and Socially Responsible Business
Leaders September 8-11,
2008 Westerbeke Conference Center,
Sonoma CA This September, join Astia colleagues at Rockwood's nationally
recognized leadership development
seminar. Rockwood's
four-day leadership seminars have been
delivered to more than 2,000 non-profit and for profit professionals across
North America and internationally. For more information, click here.
"Leading
a business as a social enterprise poses a unique set of leadership challenges,
for which Rockwood's trainings are the best in the
business." - Danny Kennedy, CEO,
Sungevity
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Brynna Deaver
Client Services & Community Development
Astia | |
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