Astia September Newsletter


Sharon Vosmek, CEO Astia Message from the CEO *We are thrilled - we are pleased - we are thrilled and* pleased! Last month you read my thoughts here about the need for a philanthropic investment to really shift this movement in to high gear. This month, I get to report that it has just started! Thanks to the leadership of Lesa Mitchell, Vice President, Advancing Innovation - who has declared this "the decade of the woman entrepreneur" - Astia has received a $500,000 commitment from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. The Kauffman Foundation is the world’s largest foundation promoting entrepreneurship. Its research, expertise and programs provide critical support to the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Few foundations are as far-sighted as the Kauffman Foundation has been about investing philanthropic funds in entrepreneurship and pursuing research on the innovation economy. The Foundation has been a pioneer in the space of women’s participation in entrepreneurship, and its research has provided critical insights into the work we do at Astia. "Entrepreneurs are arguably the most important actors in our economy: the creators of new wealth and new jobs, the inventors of new products and services, and the revolutionizers of society and the economy," said Lesa Mitchell, vice president of advancing innovation at the Kauffman Foundation. "Our commitment to Astia is to ensure that women are encouraged to participate in entrepreneurial endeavors and given the tools to succeed, which is essential to our national economy." The grant is for the Astia Doing It Right program for entrepreneurs in the United States and represents a commitment from both organizations to strategically work together to advance the participation of women in high-growth entrepreneurship. We are thrilled to have this support for and validation of the work we do - as well as the leadership from a funding perspective. While the Kauffman Foundation is not able to fund our work outside of the United States, they recognize the importance of and are committed to Astia being a global platform and are now looking to their Foundation counterparts around the globe to make a similar investment in Astia’s proven program and community. To this end, we intend to leverage the Kauffman Foundation funding to pursue matching funds - most especially from funders in Europe and India where our Doing It Right programs would benefit from a similar investment. We welcome your introductions and suggestions as to whom we should reach out to in this regard. Thank you to all of you who have contributed to making Astia the exceptional organization that it is. As I have said over and again throughout my years here - Astia is a community, Astia is you! Cheers, Sharon Vosmek Chief Executive Officer Back to top Astia’s Global Entrepreneur Program Applications still being accepted - visit Astia and apply now! Key Program Dates: Regional in-person screening: September 30, 2010 Doing it Right: Silicon Valley November 1-6, 2010 Astia Investor Forum: Silicon Valley January 20, 2011** Back to top Astia News The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation Commits $500,000 to Astia to Advance Women’s Participation in High-Growth Entrepreneurship Astia announced it has received a $500,000 grant from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. The grant represents a commitment from both organizations to strategically work together to advance the participation of women in high-growth entrepreneurship. Click here for the full press release. Two Tier One Agency Partners Join Astia’s Advisory Board Tier One Partners, LLC, a full-service public relations agency that offers "all senior talent, all the time," today announced it is providing pro bono services to help raise awareness for Astia, a premier venture accelerator that targets exceptional start-ups with women on their founding teams. Two of Tier One’s managing partners, Andrea Roesch and Kathy Wilson, have also joined Astia’s Silicon Valley and New York Advisory Boards. Read more Astia Named by BNet Tina Cannon gives tips to women in "Women Entrepreneurs: How to Navigate the Boys' Club of Fundraising." Back to top		In This Issue Message from the CEO Global Entrepreneur Program Astia News Market Updates Silicon Valley New York London India Client News Market Spotlight Astia Events Partner Events Donate to Astia Become an Astia Member Become an Astia Sponsor Join the Astia Community JOIN Astia and become a 2010 member today! The financial contributions received through our membership program help to underwrite Astia's mission of providing programs that accelerate the funding and growth of women-led companies, develop the executive leadership of the founding team, and enable new ventures to fully participate in high-growth markets. Operating on a less than one million dollar budget, Astia continues to deliver unparalleled programs and services to women entrepreneurs and leaders worldwide. For more information on membership levels and benefits, visit our website. Become an Astia Member- We cannot do it without you so please become a member or renew your membership today! Astia is now blogging! Join our ongoing discussions at Astia Notes You can now follow Astia on Twitter: Sharon Vosmek \| AstiaSF \| AstiaUK \| AstiaNYC \| AstiaIndia Astia is also on Linked-In and Facebook. Be sure to join our groups! Want to join the Astia community? Register for the community portal and fill out your member profile! Astia Sponsors Become an Astia Sponsor Astia Investor Advisory Council JOIN Astia's Investor Advisory Council Alloy Ventures AOL Ventures Asset Management Company CalPERS CISCO Golden Seeds Hummer Winblad Venture Partners Illuminate Ventures Levensohn Venture Partners Prolog Ventures RoseTech Ventures StarVest Partners How to Get Connected Silicon Valley astiasf@astia.org New York astiany@astia.org London astiauk@astia.org India astiaindia@astia.org
Market Updates
Silicon Valley We love the fall and the ramp up to our flagship Silicon Valley Program! This is when the community really works closely together to create the magic that is the Doing it Right Program. Many thanks to all the committees of investors, entrepreneurs and business professionals in Life Sciences, Clean Tech, Consumer and Tech for all your hard work - the program looks amazing this year! Applications are coming in fast and furious - and despite the published deadline we are still talking to amazing entrepreneurs and will accommodate late applications so please keep the referrals coming in. Many thanks to our generous sponsors, Mintz Levin and Silicon Valley Bank for hosting the September ’About Astia’ receptions. We have had full houses at both events and were pleased to welcome many new faces to the Astia community - entrepreneurs, sponsors, investors and advisors. The next ’About Astia’ is October 13th in Palo Alto: Register here. On September 29th we are pleased to be a sponsor for the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs and Executives 2010 Annual Award Event honoring Ambassador Nancy G. Brinker, founder of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure®. This is the day before our Silicon Valley Screening Day so a busy week! India We recently had a call with the India Planning Committee to plan the growth of our partners and program in India. We had a great discussion about the centers of entrepreneurial-ism and where Astia could make the most impact: Bangalore came to the top of the list with Hyderabad second. If you are interested in becoming a part of the committee or being a part of the India Staff, please contact us.	New York After attending the Doing it Right program and two months of advising with Astia Advisors, the newest class of Astia entrepreneurs is excited to present at next week’s Investor Forum in New York. We are proud to showcase thirteen Astia companies on Wednesday, September 22, 2010 - if you are an accredited investor, register here. Now that everyone in NYC is back from vacation, we have been busy surveying the entrepreneurial landscape - there is definitely a buzz around the entrepreneur and venture community! Between the New York Tech Meetup, Fashion 2.0, and Startup Weekend NYC, there have been a ton of interesting ideas floating around. We can’t wait to see what comes out of it. Last, but certainly not least, we want to take a moment to thank our wonderful sponsors. A special thanks to Cooley LLP for hosting the Doing it Right program in New York! The 46th floor of the Grace Building started to feel like home after the week-long program! Many thanks to AOL for hosting next week’s Investor Forum - we are excited to have AOL as a sponsor and look forward to many events together in the future! Europe The Silicon Valley Program provides a rare opportunity for European companies to build their global network and raise awareness in the birthplace of entrepreneurialism as they raise capital or enter new markets though the generosity of the global Astia community. After attending the Silicon Valley Program European entrepreneurs will be assigned advisors in Europe and will have the opportunity to return to Silicon Valley to present at the Astia Investor Forum or to present in locations in Europe based on their requirements.
Back to top Client News AdhereTx launched their enterprise solution for medication management in Seniors in August. They will be prominently featured at Emerging Technologies for the Silver Tsunami: Aging in Place through the Use of Integrated Technology on September 23rd and the Health 2.0 Conference on October 8th. Improve Digital publishes first ’market map’ of European online display advertising industry. Read more. Kiboo has been selected to demo at Finovate Fall 2010 in New York on October 4th and 5th. Read more. Samara Innovation, LLC has been designated as a Connecticut Technology Council 2010 "Tech Company to Watch". Back to top Market Spotlight Q2 2010 VC Investment Trends Venture-backed company exit activity showed continued momentum during the second quarter of 2010, with the best quarterly total for venture-backed IPOs since the fourth quarter of 2007, according to Thomson Reuters and National Venture Capital Association. The quarter ended with 17 venture-backed IPOs, making the third consecutive quarter for increased offerings, by number and by dollar amount. The offerings spanned a diverse set of industries. Four of the 17 IPO exits for the quarter were in the Internet Specific sector, accounting for a total of $181.8 million. Back to top Astia Events Call for Applications for Doing it Right Silicon Valley Program Date: November 1-6, 2010 Apply Now! More Information: Doing it Right Silicon Valley: Program Overview Astia NYC Investor Forum Date: September 22, 2010, 6:00pm – 9:00pm Location: New York, NY The Astia Investor Forums are exceptional opportunities for the Investment community to see pre-screened, high-caliber companies. Tickets and More Information: Astia Investor Forum 2010 New York City Back to top Astia Partner Events $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize Deadline Approaching Deadline for Nominations: Tuesday, October 5, 2010 The Lemelson-MIT Prize is awarded to an outstanding mid-career inventor that has developed a patented product or process of significant value to society, which has also been adopted for practical use or has a high probability of being adopted. By recognizing and funding younger, mid-career inventors, the prize is designed to spur inventive careers and provide role models for future generations of inventors. Nomination details for the Lemelson-MIT Prize can be found here. BVCA: Financing & Funding the Digital Age Date: Thursday, September 16, 2010, 8:00am – 6:30pm Location: Lowry Hotel, Manchester, United Kingdom The 21st Century is seeing rapid and significant changes in the creative industries and there are real and valuable opportunities for UK-based digital companies to grow globally. The British Venture Capital Association recognizes this opportunity and is launching this inaugural event in order to showcase UK innovation in this area and bring together entrepreneurs with the investment community – including private equity and venture capital professionals and corporate ventures. Click here to see full list of speakers including Astia’s Sharon Vosmek. Click here for more information. Sonnenschein's Chautauqua Silicon Valley Speaker Series Date: Thursday, September 16, 2010, 12:00pm - 1:30pm Location: Offices of Sonnenschein, Palo Alto, CA Sonnenschein's Chautauqua Silicon Valley Speaker Series is an informal gathering of the area's entrepreneurial community featuring industry leaders addressing important topics and issues shaping the technology sector. For more information on how to register, please contact Maria DeLuca at mdeluca@sonnenschein.com Cambridge, UK: Women 4 Technology Date: Wednesday, September 22, 2010, 12:15pm - 2:00pm Location: Hotel Felix, Cambridge Guest speaker: Cathy Curling, CEO Curling Consulting Women 4 Technology is an informal networking event for female CEOs, CXOs, Non-executive Directors, VCs and business angels in the technology sector. For more information, click here. Berkeley Entrepreneurs Forum - Food Entrepreneurship: The Story of Two Local Companies Date: Thursday, September 23, 2010, 6:30pm - 8:30pm Location: Andersen Auditorium, Haas School of Business- UC Berkeley Come hear from John Foraker, the CEO of Annie’s Inc. and Laila Tarraf, the Chief People Officer from Peet’s Coffee & Tea as they discuss the challenges encountered and lessons learned in the food industry. Click here for more information. Who shapes social, economic, and public policy for women’s business? Date: September 29, 2010 The answer is simple - You do. How do you do it? By sharing your experiences, challenges and insights! Register now for W-Biz Insight^TM, the national online survey research panel devoted exclusively to women business owners. The Center for Women's Business Research seeks women business owners across America to participate in a new survey on our online research panel, W-Biz Insight. Our latest survey focuses on questions around business growth and hiring. The findings from this survey will be presented on September 29, 2010 at the National Women’s Business Council’s Summit on "Accessing Capital and Financing Growth," a key session of WIPP’s (Women Impacting Public Policy) 2010 Annual Leadership Conference. Angel Capital Association: National Angel Capital Organization Summit Date: Wednesday, October 6, 2010 - Friday, October 8, 2010 Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada Get great ideas from ACA's counterpart in Canada and enjoy opportunities for syndication! ACA members receive a 15% discount on registration, using code "acadisc". If you have a portfolio company to nominate for a presentation during the Summit, the deadline for submissions is September 20th. Click here for more information. Angel Capital Association: Perfect Pitch and Perfect Business Summit Date: Thursday, October 7, 2010 - Friday, October 8, 2010 Location: Las Vegas, NV PerfectBusiness is rounding up 100 VCs and Angels to participate as judges for PerfectPitch 2010. The contest offers a unique opportunity for inventors & entrepreneurs across the country to get their ideas in front of top-tier funders and advisors. Judging will take place via interface the weeks leading up to the PerfectBusiness Summit 2010. Click here for more information. Angel Capital Association: SecondMarket-ACA Webcast: Creating Liquidity for Angel Investors Date: Thursday, October 7, 2010, 12:00pm - 3:00pm Industry leaders will offer insight into how secondary sales can provide liquidity to angel investors and the flexibility to delay an IPO or M&A to private companies. Registration is complimentary. Click here for more information. Women 4 Technology Date: Thursday, October 7, 2010, 6:00pm - 9:30pm Location: Soho Hotel, London At the age of 23, Sarah became the youngest person and first woman to row solo across the Indian Ocean. Following a truly inspirational speech at Women 4 Technology in Cambridge earlier this year, Sarah returns to talk about the similarities between success in sport and business - vision, focus, commitment and team. Click here for more information. Angel Capital Association: National Association of Seed & Venture Funds Conference Date: Wednesday, October 13, 2010 - Friday, October 15, 2010 Location: Baltimore, MD Join your colleagues in Baltimore and exchange the best strategies and tools for building and managing strategic investment programs and institutions. ACA members receive a $150 discount for registration, using the code ACA2010. Click here for more information. Startup in a Box \| Efficient Operations Management Date: Thursday, October 14, 2010, 11:30am - 1:00pm Location: Environmental Business Cluster, EBC - 10 South Third Street, San Jose, CA A one hour interactive session on how you can best manage your operations resulting in maximum time spent on value creation and minimum time spent on maintaining the back-end. Click here for more information. Back to top
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