Astia Newsletter: January 2011

Sharon Vosmek, CEO Astia

Message from the CEO

Get ready for uncomfortable

The LP, GP, Strategic, Angel Investor disruption is well under way - leaving the market in a bit of a state of flux at the moment. To give you just a few proof points that I observed last week at the 4th Annual Women In Private Equity Summit - some LPs are investing in Strategic funds and Angel funds (What, you say?! You read that correctly, no need to read again); some GPs are investing in what looks more like mutual fund or public market activity (i.e. note the recent investments in Facebook, Twitter and Zynga as examples). So who are the brave who will invest in early stage start-up? I posit that the intrepid entrepreneur and brave angel will become the heroes of this story. But as we are only on chapter one (or is this the prologue), we will have to keep an open eye - and mind - to what lies ahead.

But there is more to be uncomfortable with. I believe it is time for investors and entrepreneurs alike to mainstream the Astia conversation and commit to the discomfort of working with those with whom we have less in common than we may normally choose. Those of us who do this successfully will also live to be heroes of the story. In this instance, we are well in to the book - and I believe that we even know how this story ends!

Why do I feel so confident about this? Because innovation craves a diverse perspective. The fire of invention burns most brilliantly when stoked with the creativity of a panorama of viewpoints.

But this too, requires a commitment to being uncomfortable as we make the transition from the same old - to the new paradigm. At Astia, we strive for 50% in all we do. 50% of my board members are men; 50% of our Advisors are men; 50% of our event attendees are men. And let me tell you from this experience. No one is comfortable with 50/50. The men notice how many women there are (always thinking there are many more than 50%) and the women notice the same.

So, my simple take-away - and my latest mantra? Get used to it! It will do you good. Think of it as the broccoli on your plate. You may not like it at first, but after a few samples of it prepared by different chefs - you may even grow to like it!

Cheers,

Sharon Vosmek, CEO

PS

Make sure to read the section about Astia's growth. We are delighted to introduce you to new members of the team and even more excited to see the infusion of expertise and energy!


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Team Astia is growing!

worldmap

We are thrilled to announce new additions to the Astia team.

Kindra Tatarsky joins the team as Vice President of Silicon Valley. She brings a wealth of experience with 18 years in research and investment business. Most recently, Kindra was Managing Director at Golden Seeds where she oversaw screening, deal flow and investment process during her tenure, as well as wearing several operational hats during a period of tremendous growth at the organization. Previous to working with private companies, Kindra spent 10 years in Equity Research, with the majority of her career at Montgomery Securities/BofA Securities. In addition to critiquing and communicating business strategies to identify compelling investment opportunities, Kindra was involved in numerous IPO's, which also required her to help young companies develop, launch and sustain a public presence. Kindra is on the board of RuMe, an environmentally focused consumer products company, and was previously on the board of the Montauk Playhouse in Montauk, NY. Kindra graduated from UCLA with a B.A. in English, and a Business minor. She also holds a CFA certification.

Again, we have brought on a stellar new team member who came out of the community. Kindra's insight into the dynamic world of investment business transfers seamlessly into the work she will be doing at Astia. Kindra's forward thinking and strategic planning abilities will drive Astia forward, and her ties to the New York community will strengthen the bridge of our networks. Bringing enthusiasm and innovative ideas, she is exemplary of what the Astia community is made of and we're thrilled to have her as part of the team.

Catherine Berman pilots the role of Vice President of Strategic Partnerships which is an avenue that Astia has looked to leverage and now will be driving forward. As an experienced entrepreneur, Catherine has launched and co-launched a number of successful social ventures including Global Brigades, Deloitte Center for Leadership & Community, ITC, and Oxford Women in Business Network. Prior to joining Astia, Catherine maintained a host of management positions, including Chief Executive Officer, Global Brigades Panama, Strategy and Operations Manager at Deloitte Consulting, LLP, Director of Marketing at Redefining Progress and Vice President of Evins Communications, LLC. Her international work experience spans from India to Israel with extensive work in Central and South America.

Areas of expertise include strategy, international expansion, and management of both financial and social returns. Catherine graduated magna cum laude from Boston University and received her MBA from Oxford University, England. She is passionate about the intersection of money and meaning and serves as a mentor for Hub Ventures Impact Fund. Catherine comes to Astia at the perfect moment bringing with her a dynamic background and multifaceted layers of expertise that will strengthen our community. We can't wait to see what lays ahead!

Patty Breslin joins Astia as Director of Operations. Wearing many hats she is holding responsibility for all operations, human resources, finance and IT functions at Astia. With more than 20 years of experience in the software industry, she has held executive management positions in Operations, Professional Services and Consulting at Borland, ADP, London Bridge Software and Kivera. With exceptional initiative, Patty has taken on many projects and is driving them full speed ahead, we couldn't be happier to have her as part of the team. Patty is a long time supporter of Astia, as an advisor, volunteer and client. We love having entrepreneurs in our midst and are grateful for all her contributions.


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Astia's Global Entrepreneur Program - Call for Applications for 2011

The Astia Entrepreneur Program is an unparalleled resource for success - a transformative program designed by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs who want to become dominant players in their sectors. The Format? A comprehensive multi-day workshop, 2-month program of personalized advising from premier experts and the opportunity to start benefiting from the global ecosystem of Angels, VCs, corporations, and entrepreneurs that is Astia. Who Should Apply? Exceptional women-led high growth start-ups who know that success is not just about raising money but about growing a business and thriving in today's tough market.

Applications are taken on a rolling basis.

Apply today if you have...

            • An innovative idea in either the Technology, Life Sciences or Clean Tech sectors
            • A high-growth investment opportunity
            • An exceptional team and business strategy
            • A significant market opportunity
            • A defendable competitive advantage
            • At least one woman in a leadership role (at C level) or in significant position of equity and influence

Visit Astia and complete your application to be considered for the Astia Entrepreneur Program.


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Astia 2011 Calendar

Astia Entrepreneur Programs
London: March 14 - 18
New York: April 25 - 29
San Francisco: October 10 - 14

Astia Investor Forums
London: May 11
New York: June 22
San Francisco: Week of November 28

Annual Events
We Own It Summit: London, June 10
7th Annual Astia Awards: Mountain View, December 1


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Astia News

Astia on BloombergTV

Astia CEO, Sharon Vosmek, and Astia Client, Alexa von Tobel of LearnVest on Bloomberg TV Street Smart!
Read more here.

Escape from Corporate America: Astia Propels Women Entrepreneurs

Read more here.

Women Entrepreneurs in Europe vs. US

Business Association Italy America Event recap: Women Entrepreneurs, the US vs. the European/Italian Experience.
Read more here.

Astia staff at 3rd Annual Women Leadership Forum

Astia staff, Jen Shelby was a panelist at OPEN Silicon Valley Third Annual Women Leadership Forum on how The Art of Being Effective and Authentic.
Read more here.

Xconomy: Astia: Knocking Down the Hurdles for Women-Led Startups

Read more here.

Astia board member on MSNBC

Jennifer Hill, chair of the New York City advisory board of Astia, answer viewer questions about how to set up your business and the best way to manage digital marketing.
Watch here.

Two Agency Partners Join Astia's Advisory Board

Tier One Partners Helps Build Brand Awareness, Promote Value of Gender Diversity in Driving Business Innovation for Venture Accelerator, Astia
Read more here.

NewsTalk Radio 710 WOR with Liz Hamburg interviews Sharon Vosmek

Listen here.

Astia VP of NY attends Women's Entrepreneurial Council Event

Rob Delman recently traveled to Boston to participate in the formation of the Women's Entrepreneurial Council. The Women's Entrepreneurial Council is a "super" organization created to align the many groups that support women entrepreneurs. The WEC mission is to create a powerful, connected ecosystem for entrepreneurial women. By facilitating communication, coordination and collaboration among the many groups and academic institutions that support women as entrepreneurs in New England, WEC's goal is to ensure that women entrepreneurs have the resources and support that they need to create, launch and build their businesses, regardless of scale. Stay tuned for more as this develops!

 


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Astia Joins Startup America Initiative News

Participation made possible thanks to the financial commitments from:

AOL
AOL Ventures
Fenwick & West
Moss Adams LLP
Silicon Valley Bank
The Althea Foundation

Matching significant funding received in 2010 from the
Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation

Read the press release here.

Astia Blog Notes on White House Initiative for Entrepreneurs

Sharon Vosmek Blog Notes on her visit to the White House with Astia client, Jenny Zeszut of Scout Labs for the launch of the Startup America Initiative
Read more here.

Bloomberg Businessweek on The White House's New Campaign to Encourage Startups

Read more here.

TechCrunch: A Campaign To Celebrate, Inspire & Accelerate Entrepreneurship

Read more here.

Fenwick & West Sponsors Astia's participation in Startup America Initiative

Read more here.

Smart Brief: Astia Joins White House's Startup America Initiative

Read more here.

Startup America needs to look more like America. Where are the Startups of Color?

Read more here.

San Jose Mercury News: Obama taps Santa Cruz entrepreneur and Astia client, Jennifer Zeszut

Read more here.


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Community News

Bloomberg Business Week

Business Plan Contests: Where Are the Women? Read more here.

Hillary Rodham Clinton: Empowering Women Helps World Growth. Read more here.

 

Kauffman Foundation Webcast of State of Entrepreneurship Address

Watch here.

Steve Blanks: Startups - So Easy a 12 Year Old Can Do It

Read more here.

An Exciting Idea for Job Creation & Women in SF Bay

Liz Hamburg on Micro-Enterprise
Read more here.

British Airways Gives Entrepreneurs A Ticket To Global Expansion

Read more here.

Fred Wilson on Female Role Models

Read more here.

My experiences as a female software engineer

Jean Hsu, staff at Google, blog entry on being a woman software engineer.
Read more here.


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SUPPORT Astia as a donor!

2010 Marked the beginning of the Decade of the Woman Entrepreneur. As the year comes to a close, support Astia today! Help us maintain our momentum to grow our networks globally and expand the reaches of our community. Operating on less than a one million dollar budget annually, Astia continues to deliver unparalleled programs and services to women entrepreneurs, but we can't do it without you! Contribute today!

Astia is now blogging!

Join our ongoing discussions at Astia Notes

You can now follow Astia on Twitter: Sharon Vosmek | AstiaSF | AstiaEurope |
AstiaNYC | AstiaIndia

Astia is also on Linked-In and Facebook. Be sure to join our groups!

Astia Sponsors

Become an Astia Sponsor

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AOL


Moss Adams



PriceWaterhouseCoopers


SNR Denton


SVB Financial Group

Osborne Clarke New

Lowenstein Sandler

US Trust: Bank of 

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Wells Fargo

Iron Creative Communications

Angelsoft

J. Sagar Associates

IF Communications

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How to Get Connected

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Europe
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India
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Market Updates

Silicon Valley

Silicon 

Valley

Astia Silicon Valley has been a bevy of activity, with some team member changes and strategic reflection on the multitude of opportunities for Astia Silicon Valley. A Thank You reception ended SV Program 2010, enabling us to recognize the many valuable contributions from the community and bid farewell to Katie Nittler. In welcoming new team members Kindra Tatarsky, VP of Silicon Valley, and Catherine Berman, VP Partnerships and Strategy, Astia spent a reflective day of orientation and strategic planning, where we also met our founder, Cate Muther. We are feeling energized and ready for a terrific year of collaboration and growth with our clients, partners and advisors.

Planning for Silicon Valley Program 2011 is revving up with committee meeting kick offs and recruiting. If you have not done so already, we encourage you to get involved by clicking here; the high caliber of our clients, advisors and partners feeds upon itself, as you will hear reiterated again and again - it is the network itself that makes Astia such a success.

New Dates: As part of our planning for 2011, we have decided to shift the Entrepreneur Program and Investor Forum in Silicon Valley. We hope that you will agree that this change will ease year-end calendar challenges and enable a more engaged client/advisory period. Silicon Valley Entrepreneur Program will now be October10 - 14 and the Investor Forum will be the week of November 28th, coordinating with the Kauffman Global Entrepreneurship Week.

Are you following @AstiaSF on twitter? In recognition of women's history month we'll be tweeting about women who inspire us.  We want to know who inspires you?

India

India

Did you know that Astia is serving companies in India? Two stellar clients, Embrace and Frontier Markets are working in India. Embrace is a sustainable social enterprise that is addressing the issue of global infant mortality through an innovative infant warmer that costs less than 1% of a traditional incubator. This life saving product has been well received at various hospitals in Bangalore and they look to expand their reach through the rest of the developing world.

Frontier Markets is also providing much needed goods to rural India. Frontier Markets is a product distribution company bringing Fortune 500 products to the microfinance community. Through creating sustainable and cost-effective model for Base-of-the-Pyramid market, Frontier Markets is provided goods such as solar-powered lanterns, smoke free cook stoves and energy efficient lighting systems.

New York

New 

York

Astia New York is gearing up for our Entrepreneur Program, taking place April 25-29, 2011. With the generous support of Silicon Valley Bank, we recently hosted About Astia events in Boston and New York. A big thank you to Dogpatch Labs in Cambridge and General Assembly in New York for hosting. At these events, entrepreneurs had the opportunity to hear about our upcoming Entrepreneur Program in New York and to meet current Astia portfolio companies, Astia advisors and other members of the Astia community.

The application deadline for our New York program is March 18, 2011 so we encourage all interested entrepreneurs to apply soon!

We recently attended the Funding where we met dozens of entrepreneurs starting fascinating companies. We also visited the hottest new entrepreneurial space in NYC -General Assembly, which is an urban campus for entrepreneurs seeking to transform industry and culture through technology and design. They provide programming, space, and support services to foster collaborative practices and learning opportunities. 

For entrepreneurs, there is an interesting event taking place on March 18 - High Peaks Venture Partners is hosting their annual Peak Pitch event at Hunter Mountain ski resort where entrepreneurs get to pitch investors as they ride the chairlift together. To find out more, click here.

Europe

Europe

The 2011 Astia Europe Programme continues until the end of this week in London. This year’s Entrepreneur class is comprised of 11 exciting new ventures in the technology, life science, and clean technology sectors. The interactive and well-structured workshops delivered by leading members of Financial and Consulting industries, as well as successful Serial Entrepreneurs, provides the best network support that a budding entrepreneur could wish for. Some of the topics already covered are advising on building the proper team, finding the right investors based on strategic fit, the entrepreneurial leadership role, etc. Astia Europe and the Global Astia network is excited to welcome the 2011 Astia Europe Class of Entrepreneurs!

Technology
Fab3D: Innovative technology and design venture utilizing 3D modeling.
SlickFlick: Technology consultancy focused on the needs of the creative industries and consumer market.
Stelae Technologies: Provider of automated analysis and extraction of meta-data from multiple document formats.
Space Synapse: Provider of space exploration simulations focused on education and entertainment.
Libersy: B2B Web-based booking management system tailored for the needs of SMEs.
MatesRates: Private community to promote short-term vacation rentals for second- homeowners.
Indiluup: B2B Mobile-web platform designed to engage Schools, Parents and Children.

Life Science
Eve Medical: Creator of female-friendly medical devices to home-test for several STDs, including
HPV, the virus that causes cervical cancer.
Impact Investment Partners: Investment fund vehicle that focuses on maximum social impact in emerging markets.

Clean Tech
ElectronVault: Innovator in energy storage through patent-pending technologies that leverages existing battery technology.
Africa Renewables: Operationally based in Africa and manufacturer of biofuel.


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Client News

BioVantage won the Clean Tech Open's National Sustainability Award! Learn more about it here.


ChiroSolve, Inc. continues to enhance the world of chiral resolution with the introduction of two new product packages (EnantioPrep and ScalePrep), that deliver pure enantiomer within matter of days; and define optimized separation method scalable to kilo quantities. ChiroSolve has also introduced new services that complement these products.

DegreeArt.com in Association with HRL Contemporary Presents Un-Possible retour and Other Recent Works By Clarisse d'Arcimoles in London 1st - 27th February 2011. RSVP to [email protected].

Embrace was featured on 12/17/10 as part of ABC's 20/20 Be the Change: Save A Life Global Health Segment and ended with Diane Sawyer praising the Infant Warmer! Elizabeth Vargas traveled to Bangalore to visit our office and presented at Cradle Hospital. The second clinical study kicked off at 3 hospitals in Bangalore, India in partnership with Million Dollar Baby, a baby product and furniture company. We had a launch event at Fred Segal in Santa Monica in February to kickoff the sales of a new baby blanket.

DNA Guide President and Founder, Alice Rathjen, won the Kauffman Lab's Women in Science and Engineering Business Idea Competition. She received an all-expense-paid trip to TED 2011 in Long Beach, California, as a guest of the Kauffman Labs.

Fanminder was featured in the March issue of STORES Magazine, the official magazine of the National Retail Federation. Read the article here.


Global Health Research Foundation Director, Dr. Erica Weirich will speak at the Global Philanthropy Forum April 13-15, 2011. Keynote Speaker with be Michelle Bachelet, Under Secretary General UN and Executive Director, Women's Health, United Nations. Find out more about the event here.


Hey, Neighbor! is not yet launched and is already receiving global coverage! Hey, Neighbor! was prominently featured at the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) in London. RSA - The Rise of Collaborative Consumption in a talk by Rachel Botsman, Author of What's Mine is Yours. Watch the video here. By the end of the month we will be launching private beta tests. Stay tuned for more!


The Kiboo website gets a makeover! As we transition out of stealth mode into the public view, we are starting with our website design. Check out kiboo.com/blog.


Magnolia Prime has secured funding from the Twilio Fund, a micro-fund targeting startups that are powered by Twilio's APIs, or application program interfaces, for phone calls and text messages. This fund is part of 500 Startups, a seed fund and startup accelerator where Dave McClure is Founding Partner. (500 Startups Twilio Fund Companies)


Marbles The Brain Store was featured on MSNBC during a six minute segment on using small business blunders to your benefit. President and Founder, Lindsay Gaskins, talked about her experiences of being an entrepreneur and business owner.


Michelle's Miracle has recently launched two new products - Michelle's Miracle Joint and Michelle's Miracle Sleep formula. We hired a VP of Operations/Finance, a CEO. Our products are retailed in over 500 store fronts across the US, we were recently featured in print, on radio and on television in Michigan and to date we have established a presence in all major health food distribution warehouses across the US. Furthermore our core product, tart cherries, was recently highlighted on national TV by Dr. Oz. We also recently closed a new conventional financing agreement to support working capital requirement and closed our Series A capital funding, over-subscribed!


Ocimum Biosolutions Founder & CEO, Anuradha Acharya, has been honored as a 2011 Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. The honor, bestowed annually since its inception in 2004, acknowledges 100-200 excellent young leaders from across the globe for their professional achievements, commitment to society at large and prospective contribution to shaping the global future. This year, the World Economic Forum has named 190 Young Global Leaders, out of which 18 are from South Asia and 12 from India. Read more here.


Renewable Fuel Technologies has just completed a successful test burn of our BioCoal, produced from torrefaction processor at a California power plant producing 90 minutes of renewable power to PG&E's grid produced from PG&E's vegetation management aka green waste from tree trimmings. There was a very good result with the test burn. There were no changes in plant performance during the test, which was the ideal outcome.
Read more in the press release here.


RumbaFish partners with LocalGetaways to bring a new experience to local travel that is easier and more relevant. RumbaFish, the next generation social commerce platform for companies, helps LocalGetaways monetize their content, reinforce their brand, increase revenue, build their mailing list, increase website traffic, drive better SEO, and view customer activity from promotion through purchase in real-time.


ThirdSolutions company, MyReceipts, was featured in Fast Company's list of 25 Women-Run Startups to Watch. MyReceipts is a green solution for consumers to receive and file receipts. Participating retailers include Whole Foods (who also offer digital coupons to MyReceipts users), Best Buy, Amazon, WalMart and more. MyReceipts Founder, Birame Sock is also the Cartier Women's Initiative Award recipient in 2010.


TravelSort has launched its exclusive luxury hotel sales, starting in the New York and Las Vegas markets. To participate, you must register on TravelSort and complete a profile, then buy credits. 2 complimentary credits available to Astia supporters, use code ASTIA, exp. 3/31/11. TravelSort's new reverse auctions were mentioned on USAToday.


TravelsinTaste launched its next private dining experience - "Deep Sea Delights and Saucy Sea Bites" at SHO Shaun Hergatt. This once-in-a-lifetime culinary experience allows you to experience Chef Hergatt's award winning cuisine and interact with chef and sommelier alike at a member's only evening. Click here to join the party.


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Market Spotlight: Q4 2010 US VC Market Trends

  • Venture-backed company exit activity was driven by a record-breaking M&A market and the biggest quarter for IPOs since the third quarter of 2000, according to the Exit Poll report by Thomson Reuters and the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA).
  • There were 32 venture-backed IPOs valued at $3.6 billion in the fourth quarter of 2010, almost three times the number of IPOs seen during full year of 2009.
  • 17 of the fourth quarter offerings were Chinese based venture-backed companies.
  • For the full year 2010, 26 number of companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and 46 listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange.
  • Of the 32 IPOs in the fourth quarter, 20 were trading at or above their offering prices as of 12/31/2010.
  • As of December 31, 2010, 88 venture-backed M&A deals were reported for the fourth quarter, the average disclosed deal value was $157.7 million up 18 percent from Q3 2010.
  • Fourth quarter volume marks a 21 percent decrease from the third quarter of 2010, but brings the total number of venture-backed M&A exits to 420 - the largest full year for M&A exits since records began in 1985. The previous record was set in 2007, when 380 venture-backed companies were sold.

Market Spotlight: Q3 2010 Global Clean Tech Trends

  • Global clean tech venture investment totaled $1.53 billion across 152 deals
  • Following a record 1H2010, economic concerns and a difficult exit environment showed through
  • Investment through the first three quarter of 2010 ($5.7B) is ahead of FY 2009 and very likely to top 2007, meaning 2010 will record the second highest annual total investment
  • Asia defies the drop, while California shows largest fails
  • China takes 2 of the top 10 deals, and accounts for a 3-year record of 10% share of global investment
  • Transportation top VC sector by dollars invested; energy efficiency attracts most deals
  • Top sectors for amount invested are Transportation, Biofuels and Smart Grid
  • Capital availability uncertainties are growing

 


Sponsor Spotlight


AOL & AOL Ventures combine to be Gold Sponsors!

AOL & AOL Ventures stepped in and gave Astia a boost in response to the exciting White House Initiative on Startup America. Their commitment takes them to Gold $50,000 sponsors. To facilitate a strong relationship between Astia and AOL, Adam Smith, AOL Ventures will join the Silicon Valley Advisory Board. Mike Brown, Jr of AOL Ventures currently serves on the New York Advisory Board. We are thrilled to have the increased participation in the community as well as the financial investment.

 

Lowenstein Sandler supports Astia from Coast to Coast as a Silver Sponsor!

Lowenstein Sandler is a valued Astia SILVER ($25,000) sponsor in Silicon Valley and now also NYC. Lowenstein Sandler continues to grow how it supports Astia. Ray Thek, a partner at Lowenstein Sandler has just joined the NYC Advisory Board. Ray is the Vice Chair of Lowenstein's Tech Group and advises tech and life sciences companies in all aspects of corporate finance, acquisitions, divestitures and strategic alliances. Ray is active within the NY venture capital community and is also a board member of the NJTC, an advisory board member of the Edison Innovation Program, and on the Executive Committee of AngelVineVC. Welcome Ray! We also extend many thanks to Matt Kirmayer for his continued involvement with Astia. Read more about Matt below in our Advisor Spotlight. All in all, thank you Lowenstein Sandler for your many contributions!

 

SNR Denton rises to a Global Gold Sponsor!

SNR Denton (formerly Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal) is now proudly an Astia GOLD sponsor ($50,000)! SNR Denton and Astia enjoyed a tremendously successful 2009 and 2010 partnership and thus we are pleased that Maggie Kavalaris and her team will be increasing their 2011 participation to include all three Astia markets: Silicon Valley, New York, and London! SNR Denton will be active members of all three Astia advisory boards and we look forward to future events hosted in their lovely facilities. Congratulations and thank you!

 


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Advisor Spotlight

Matt Kirmayer

This month we spotlight community member, Matt Kirmayer, a member of the Silicon Valley Advisory Board since 2005. Over these 6 years Matt has provided key leadership to the Astia executive team as well as business expertise to numerous Astia clients. Those who are active in the Silicon Valley community know that they can expect to find Matt actively supporting the organization and our clients at most Astia events. Our clients continue to call on Matt long after his Advisor role has ended - having proved himself over and again to be an invaluable resource to them as they grow their businesses. Matt recently joined the law firm Lowenstein Sandler - bringing to the firm the opportunity to participate in the Astia community as Silver sponsors. We are thrilled to have Matt and his colleagues at Lowenstein actively engaging in the community (see sponsor spotlight above to read more about the relationship). Matt is truly a great spirit with a fun nature that makes us all smile every time we see him. Thank you, Matt, for all you do for and on behalf of Astia. You are exemplar of Astia - Astia is you!

 


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Astia Events

Astia Committee Meet and Greet

San Francisco - March 16, 4:00-6:00pm

If you are on a committee and would like to attend, please inquire for more information at [email protected].

Astia NYC Entrepreneur Program

Application Deadline: March 18th, 2011

Pre-screened, select start-ups at all stages of high-growth will be invited to join Astia and experience our hallmark programme that has resulted in a greater than 60% funding success rate for prior participants. Astia focuses on Technology, Life Science and Clean Technology sectors.

Apply here.


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Astia Partner Events

Cartier Women's Initiative Awards

March 15th, 2011

The Cartier Women's Initiative Award, a joint project with the Women's Forum, is a social entrepreneurship competition aimed at creative, financially sustainable and responsible women-led start-ups, in all countries and industries. The Awards are given each year to 6 laureates in the following categories: Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America, Middle East and North Africa, North America and Sub-Saharan Africa.

What can you win?

  • One year of personalized one-to-one coaching with Cartier, INSEAD and McKinsey
  • 20 000 USD each
  • Networking opportunities & media exposure
  • Invitation to one week of activities in France during the Finale
  • Invitation to the Annual Global Meeting of the Women's Forum
  • An exclusive trophy created by the workshops of Cartier

To apply: candidates must complete the application form online before 10am CET on March 15, 2011. For any inquiry, please contact Freja Day, [email protected].

 

The Africa Entrepreneur Network Presents Astia at their March Monthly Networking Event

March 23, 2011

The Africa Network (TAN) is a global non-profit organization with the sole mandate of fostering entrepreneurship and technology among people of African descent.
The monthly networking events are an opportunity for TAN members to interact on a monthly basis and listen to accomplished speakers from the world of technology, business and government. Astia will be the March featured guest, join us from 6pm-8:30pm at Fenwick and West LLP, 801 California Street, Mountain View CA Cost: $5 for members and students (students please bring ID) and $10 for non-members. Snacks and drinks will be provided.

RSVP here.

 

AMITA Event: Women Entrepreneur Panel

March 24, 2011, 6:00 - 8:30pm

Have you ever considered starting a company or joining a start-up? How do you evaluate opportunities and decide when to take the plunge? How do you finance your startup? We'll explore the paths of several women entrepreneurs who have successfully built bootstrapped and VC-funded ventures. Come and learn and be inspired by a panel of distinguished women from a variety of industries who have taken different paths to success. Light refreshments will be provided. Moderator: Sramana Mitra (Founder One Million by One Million) Panelists: Amy Pressman (Medallia), Jennifer Gill Roberts (Vivecoach), Carol Realini (Obopay), Wendy Lung (IBM Venture Capital) and others

Register here.

 

Berkeley Entrepreneurs Forum- Transparency as a Business Strategy

March 31, 2011

Businesses are being held to higher standards for social responsibility, environmental stewardship and respect of privacy - without sacrificing market performance. This creates new challenges for businesses, but also powerful opportunities to leverage transparency as a strategy to engage stakeholders, understand customer sentiments, elevate brands and ultimately drive profits. An exceptional panel of thought-leaders from diverse fields will examine the complex issues of transparency in the 21st Century - sharing personal stories, business advice and actionable recommendations.

Register here.

 

Stiftung Charité Entrepreneurship Summit

April 11 - 12, 2011

The Charit� Entrepreneurship Summit is an international forum for inventive scientists, clinicians, advanced MD or PhD students, and tech transfer managers as well as venture capitalists, business angels, experienced entrepreneurs, business developers, and foundations from across Germany and Europe (400+ participants). Participation is free for members of research institutions, for start-up teams, and for tech transfer professionals while space is available. Astia CEO, Sharon Vosmek, will be speaking at this event.

RSVP here.

 

Berkeley Entrepreneurs Forum- 13th Annual UC Berkeley Business Plan Competition Finalist Presentations & Awards Ceremony

April 28, 2011

The UC Berkeley Business Plan Competition is the marquee entrepreneurship event at UC Berkeley, nurturing entrepreneurial action across the campus community. The Competition provides entrepreneurs with the best possible resources - including education, networking, team creation, mentorship and new venture financing - to help turn innovative ideas into real businesses. We will showcase the finalists of this year's Competition and award prizes to the winners. Forum audience members will be invited to participate in the selection of the People's Choice Award and the Elevator Pitch Award, which carry a $5,000 and $1,000 prize respectively.

Register here.

 

Astia CEO, Sharon Vosmek, to speak at Bailey Fisher Summer 2011 London Networking lunch

June 8th, 2011

An informal invitation-only lunch for senior female decision makers in the technology sector from in and around the Cambridge cluster.

Attendance at this event is by invitation only, at a cost of £10 per head. Due to the popularity of previous events, places must be booked and paid for in advance. If you are a female CEO, CXO, Non-exec Director, VC or business angel in the technology sector and would be interested in attending this or future events, please contact [email protected] or [email protected]


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