Sharon Vosmek, CEO Astia Message from the CEODaring to go big. What are your limitations? This month I have spent much of my time reading. The combination of messages has left me searching for opportunities – my optimistic self cannot hold back. The Economist tells us that the tech bubble may be back and social networking entrepreneurs may be heading in to the eye of an opportunity storm. This opportunity (or bubble) is perfect for the female population according to Aileen Lee and others (see Why Women Rule the Internet, by Aileen Lee, Partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers). And yet, I have learned from people like Lesa Mitchell at the Kauffman Foundation that our economy is running on half cylinders because women experience (or create) glass walls that prevent them from going big with their businesses and subsequently they experience a new glass ceiling when it comes to key business success metrics of business size and achievement. At the same time I am reading the personal journey of Cherie Blair, lawyer, philanthropist and wife of Prime Minister Tony Blair (prepping for my conversation with her at the 2011 We Own It Summit). In Speaking for Myself, Mrs. Blair speaks frankly of the many decisions along her path to becoming an entrepreneur, lawyer, wife, and trusted confidant to the PM. Each decision on her path was greatly influenced by role models and her immediate network. Here at the end of my month of reading I see a thread – and thus the opportunity. Women – to play big we need our community to engage with us. We need role models, trusted advisors, and investors to encourage and invest in us. This seems the opportunity that will allow – even enable and encourage us – to play big! Astia is a global community dedicated to the success of women-led high growth companies. Join us! In closing, another author comes to mind… Dr. Suess - “Oh the places you will go!” Daring to go big. What are you limitations? Cheers, Sharon Vosmek, CEO Wondering if Astia is right for you or an entrepreneur you know? Give us a call or drop us an email: info@astia.org.
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…
Visit Astia and complete your application to be considered for the Astia Entrepreneur Program. Astia 2011 CalendarAstia Entrepreneur Programs Astia Investor Forums Annual Events Astia NewsPress ReleasesAstia Partners with Band of Angels This month, Astia and the Band of Angels announced the launch of AngelConnect, a partnership between the two organizations that offers Astia’s portfolio companies’ direct access to the Band’s network of seasoned, Silicon Valley angels that includes its membership, venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, and other industry leaders.
The first Investor Forum was held on May 3rd and will be an ongoing forum throughout the year. Band members provide their expertise and advising to our companies within the sectors of technology, life science and energy and hopefully some funding along the way! Selected companies include: Astia attends the Facebok Town Hall with President Obama
The Town Hall was part of the White House Initiative and Startup America Partnership of which Astia is a founding partner. Learn more and watch videos here: Facebook Townhall on WhiteHouse.gov Astia Champion, Lesa Mitchell of the Kauffman Foundation - Women Entrepreneurs Are Trapped Within Glass WallsMore here. Astia 2011 New York Client Calls out to the community for supportTo raise funds to join the Astia Portfolio Help A First-Time CEO Get to Astia in NYC! You can Read more about this ambitious entrepreneur on TheNextWomen. "Astia Blog Notes Guest Blogger Twain Liu"‘This is a Man’s World but it would be nothing, NOTHING without a woman or a girl’ Community NewsAMEXCO : "Nifty Fifty" Women Entrepreneurs Leads Spikes in Sales and Growth Women of Outstanding Achievement Awards 2011 Female Venture Capitalists use Intuition, But Dont Drink the Kool-Aid Contribution to the Female Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Increases Success for Fund Raising The Advantage of Being Different - Indu Navar, CEO and Founder Serus Corporation Interview Education & Women Entrepreneurs Are Key To Sustainable Economic Growth In Africa - New Report Government of Saskatchewan has proclaimed the week of May 9 to 15 as Women Entrepreneurs Week Botswana – Women Entrepreneurs Convene to Sharpen Business Readiness Malaysia – Women Entrepreneurs told to Spread Wings Overseas Turkey - Businesswomen uphold Turkey’s global reputation for integrity Somali Women Entrepreneurs Carve a Niche in Boston Jalak Jobanputra on European Startups & Venture Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg Challenges Women to Be More Ambitious Never Been a Better Time for Women Entrepreneurs Founder Labs Brings Its Silicon Valley Flair for Fostering Startups to Manhattan How Following Your Gut Leads To a Product The Importance of Entrepreneurs Being Coachable Marissa Mayer, Google: Advice for Female Entrepreneurs & How to Deal with Failure |
In This Issue
SUPPORT Astia as a donor! 2010 Marked the beginning of the Decade of the Woman Entrepreneur. 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 | Astia is also on Linked-In and Facebook. Be sure to join our groups! www.facebook.com/astiaglobal
Astia Investor Advisory Council JOIN Astia's Investor Advisory Council Alloy Ventures
How to Get Connected Silicon Valley New York Europe India |
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Market Updates |
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Silicon Valley
Charging full speed ahead in Silicon Valley, our Life Sciences, Clean Tech and Technology Committee meetings kicked off this month with enthusiasm, energy and new ideas. We are raising the bar on our sourcing and network outreach, including how we are engaging with our investor partners. With that, we had the annual Investor Advisory Council meeting on May 25th at Andreessen Horowitz, where we welcomed several new investor partners to this thought leadership group. If you are a venture capitalist and wish to learn more about the Investor Advisory Council, please contact Kindra@astia.org. Also this month, we hosted White House Policy Advisor, Doug Rand to engage in a thoughtful dialogue around the Startup America initiative and what it means for high-growth entrepreneurship. In January of this year, Astia joined the Startup America Partnership, a private/public initiative aimed at dramatically increasing the prevalence and success of innovative, high-growth U.S. startups. Astia events included a roundtable discussion led by Mr. Rand to discuss the future of mentorship to support entrepreneurship, as well as an evening reception where Astia partners and supported had the opportunity to meet Mr. Rand and discuss current White House efforts. Staying active in the community, Astia team members, Sharon Vosmek, CEO, Kindra Tatarsky, VP of Silicon Valley and Catherine Berman, VP of Strategy and Partnerships spoke on panels at the Women in Business conference at Stanford recently. In addition, Sharon presented the Astia International Business Case Study to Professor Tom Kosnik's class at Stanford. Kindra spoke at New York TiECON on the Women's Forum Panel. We are thrilled to welcome Carolyn Beaty to the Client Services team as a Program Coordinator. A recent graduate at UC Berkeley with a B.A. in English Literature and a minor in Public Policy, Carolyn has nonprofit experience working in local literacy and education organizations 826 Valencia and The Office of Letters and Light. Later this month we will be welcoming our summer interns. India
India is full of entrepreneurs ready to become part of the Astia community! We are inspired by this list of 10 Leading Women Entrepreneurs in India. There is still work to be done, according to TiE: 78% women from poorer families in India are keen to become entrepreneurs, yet only 15% of women hold senior management positions in privately-held businesses in India; the global average is 24%. However, research is supporting efforts to build better balanced teams with diverse opinions. A study conducted by Ernst & Young titled ‘Groundbreakers’, observes: “At a time when our global economy is facing its greatest challenge in decades, we have to capitalize on the contributions women can make. While many corporations and governments have for years been making efforts to tap the hidden potential of women – and many have launched laudable initiatives to do so – now is the time to accelerate those efforts. It’s time to place renewed emphasis on women as a resource to move businesses and economies ahead.” Referenced from here. Astia continues to serve women entrepreneurs globally and move forward on growing our India Market. |
New York
We welcome the Spring 2011 qualified companies to the Astia portfolio! We look forward to introducing them to the community, their peers and folding them into the Astia network .We have launched the information on the two-day intensive New York Entrepreneur program which will be on June 14 - 15. You can find Program Details and Schedule and Registration; all portfolio companies are invited to attend. Astia is thrilled to announce new leadership in New York with Jeanne Sullivan of StarVest Partners graciously agreeing to Chair the Astia New York Advisory Board. With this leadership, we look for the New York market to continue its growth and support of women's leadership and entrepreneurialism. Astia team members Jen Shelby and Kindra Tatarsky attended NY StartUP! 2011 this week as guests of Jeanne's and StarVest Partners. warm thank you goes out to the volunteers that helped New York with some behind the scenes projects – Goutham Bhadri and Mila Popov - as well as to Renee Diresta who helped out at screening day. Thank you for being part of our community and for your support of Astia! We are also recruiting a few volunteers to support the program on June 14 - 15. All interested parties, please contact vanessa@astia.org. Europe
On 11 May, Astia Europe held it’s Investor Forum, which featured presentations by nine companies from Astia Europe class of 2011 and 2010 and Astia Silicon Valley 2010. For the full list, click here. The Investor Forum was hosted by Osborne Clarke and included a keynote address by Tim Hames, BVCA . The day provided a perfect opportunity for the Astia Europe community to connect. VP of Astia Europe, Simone Brummelhuis, was a judge at the National Varsity Pitch Competition which is the UK's premier start-up competition for university students and graduates across the country, event was held at the National Consortium of University Entrepreneurs (NACUE). Joana Picq, member of the Astia European Advisory Board was a judge at the NEXT Conference in Berlin. Coming up in June, NESTA will host an event called The Startup Factory and will present the latest research on the phenomenon of growth accelerators in the UK and Europe followed by a highly interactive debate on the opportunities and challenges. Speakers include Simone Brummelhuis, Astia; Reshma Sohoni, Seedcamp; Jon Bradford, Springboard; Carsten Kolbek, Startup Bootcamp; Alice Zagury, Le Camping; Paul Miller, Bethnal Green Ventures. The Astia Europe team is doing research on the viability of a Life Science focused entrepreneur program during Fall 2011 in Europe. This program would be to support early and later stage Life Science companies, women in pharma, and academics in commercializing their Life Science projects. For more information to join the Life Science working group contact Simone@astia.org. |
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Client News
DegreeArt, an online retailer of "accessible, original art by emerging artists," has raised £300,000 investment in its first fund raising round led by angel investors. DegreeArt.com is the brainchild of Elinor Olisa and Isobel Beauchamp. Founded in 2003 during a time when E-commerce was a relatively new concept, Isobel and Elinor saw the potential of bridging the gap between emerging artists and art collectors. Since its inception, they have redefined and maintained DegreeArt.com as a prominent leader in online art sales. Read the full article here.
ElectronVault was featured twice in Greentech Media in the past week. First was a quick message about "Peak Oxides" and the second was an introduction to the company.
Exergy Technologies Corp has announced a new program for customers to allow easier acquisition and implementation of its high purity water recycling platform, EthorCEL®. The program allows customers to adopt the technology without the need for capital, and reap the immediate savings in offers in water and cost savings.
Please vote for our designers Jess Rizzuti and Adriana Vargas for the InStyle Fan Fave Award!
Formotus, Inc. got some great national exposure this month when co-founder and CEO Adriana Neagu was tapped to participate in President Obama's town hall meeting broadcast live from Facebook Headquarters. Formotus enables any size business to quickly replace paper forms on clipboards with electronic forms on iPads and Android tablets.
Frontier Markets has partnered with D-Light, Greenlight Planet, and Envirofit to market and sell solar lights and stoves in Rajasthan. They have recieved major support by local Microfinance Institutions, the Child Development and Women Empowerment Government District Office, and Dairy Corpuses. They will be presenting their outcomes in May in Amsterdam. To read more, please click here.
In closed beta, Hey, Neighbor! is already receiving great press. CEO Barbara Pantuso appeared on the Martha Stewart radio show to discuss Collaborative Consumption and the Sharing Economy. She was also interviewed in a feature article in NY Tech. Additionaly, UK writer Rachel Bostman interviewed Barbara and sited Hey, Neighbor! as an example of the next steps in online marketplaces while WIRED featured Hey, Neighbor! as a hot example in a new wave of peer-to-peer marketplaces. We'’re gearing up for a public launch in June. Follow updates @heynbr.
In April, HarQen, Inc. proudly accepted the 2011 ACA Silvertip PwC Entrepreneurship Award for revenue potential and scalability. Additionally, HarQen added three new team members: Marc Della Torre and Payam Keyhantaj for Business Development and Kevin Lindbergh as Director of Strategic Accounts.
Magnolia Prime Founder and CEO, Karen Routt, was profiled in the Spring 2011 issue of the San Francisco Bay area publication Active Over 50. Read the issue here: Active Over 50 - Spring 2011 Edition. Karen also attended the AWE*some Film Festival (Aging with Excellence) and spoke on an intergenerational panel.
Maplecroft – the global risks mapping company led by Alyson Warhurst was on Sky News! “Jeff Randall Live” and was interviewed by Principal Analyst Anthony Skinner on the global security implications of Osama bin Laden’s demise and ramifications for the MENA region as a whole. Maplecroft '– launches new Interactive Dashboard Interactive Dashboard and invites Astia members to trial resources and tools, which may be helpful if they are sourcing from or operating in emerging markets.
MiniMonos officially launched out of beta in April 2011, attracting more than 150,000 registered members -- nearly 200% growth in userbase in just six months. The company also launched a partnership with Miniclip.com, one of the largest games aggregator sites in the world, and released official MiniMonos merchandise through The Store.
MyLawSuit. Michelle Colucci, Founder/CEO, is currently an EIR at Stanford's Global Entrepreneurial Marketing Master's program. Michelle is working with a group of students researching whether companies are using virtual video solutions to sell into their audiences. She would like to have her students work with Astia companies. Her request is the following: If any Astia companies are using video solutions and would be open to talking about your experience, please contact Michelle directly at: Michele@MyLawsuit.com. The students would like to conduct a short interview to determine potential customer habits/needs/research.
Ology is experiencing hyper growth and we are looking for incredible engineering talent at the moment and are putting out feelers for potential candidates. We are also recruiting a Product Manager in Consumer Web applications. Interested parties should contact Vivian@ology.com.
PROFUSA, Inc. is developing an in vivo sensor platform to enable continuous monitoring of body chemistries for health management. Two recent publications authored by co-founders Dr. Natalie Wisniewski and Dr. Kristen Helton in conjunction with biomaterials expert, Dr. Buddy Ratner at the University of Washington, were featured in the peer-reviewed Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology.
18 Rabbits has been nominated for two categories for the Vegetarian Times Foodie Awards - granola and bars. Please support 18 Rabbits and vote for Gracious Granola and the Cheeky Cherry Chocolate bar here.
The new ChoiceView iOS SDK from Radish allows developers to easily add ChoiceView functionality to new and existing apps for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Radish introduced the SDK at the iOS Dev Camp in Colorado Springs last week. The Denver Business Journal recently ran a feature article, "Radish Tries Out Another Homegrown Product." See the article here. Read CEO and Co-Founder, Theresa M. Szczurek, Ph.D., latest blog on Harry Potter's seven secrets to business hhttp://www.radishsystems.com/success. Radish is using these and every other wizarding trick.
rrripple is a digital ePortfolio and analytics platform and is in need of talented new team members, especially a Senior Level Flex/Flash engineer, a Senior Level PHP back-end engineer, a Senior Level HTML/device developer, a Q/A expert, and an Education Tech UI/UX designer. They are also looking for a VP of Sales to manage direct sales to K-12 and high education institutions, as well as a branding/marketing consultant. Be a part of a creative, collaborative, dedicated team that offers competitive wages and equity, while offering your entrepreneurial spirit and vision to the ePortfolio market.
TriBarter CEO Hedi Katz was interviewed by Green Marketing TV where she discussed the green benefits of barter and how technology can eliminate or mitigate historic barriers to barter. Read more.
TRUUdesigns celebrated National Volunteers month with two wonderful events thanking the volunteers who work tirelessly at Susan B Komen and Women at Work. This month we celebrate Moms and Daughters with a special shared styling session - Gchat or Skype - or if you are in LA - visit our Pasadena working design studio – email stylebar@TRUUdesigns.com | Follow Us.
On Friday, May 13th with a rebranded site and business Wealthsprout has gone live! Take a look www.wealthsprout.com!
Yoomerang is moving its headquarters to Boston over the summer. They will also be launching their pilot iPad application introducing Yoodle play and stories to children and families. Astia Market Spotlight: First Quarter 2011 Trends
Sponsor Spotlight
Moss Adams made a couple recent visits to Astia headquarters in San Francisco. The reason for these visits was due to a gracious donation of services to complete the Astia audit. We thank you for your sponsorship and supporting us during this time of growth and the tasks that come along with it!
Did you know Osborne Clarke sponsored the initial visit to London to help spur the growth of Astia in Europe? One of our original supporters in Europe, Osborne Clarke, continues with their generosity by hosting our London Investor Forum last month. Astia EventsWe Own It Summit
A Summit of leaders to explore women's participation in high growth businesses and identify solutions to move us forward.
WOIS represents a cross-section of entrepreneurs, investors, academia, government, media, non-profit and industry organizations focused on breaking down barriers for women in high-growth entrepreneurship-across the pipeline-from college graduate to founder and CEO. To be considered for the Summit, please email a request for an invitation with your name, organization and a bit about yourself to invitation@weownitsummit.com Date: Friday 10 June 2011 More information here. Astia Silicon Valley Entrepreneur ProgramPre-screened, select start-ups at all stages of high-growth will be invited to join Astia and experience our hallmark program that has resulted in a greater than 60% funding success rate for prior participants. Astia focuses on Technology, Life Science and Clean Technology sectors. Application Deadline: August 1, 2011 Apply here. Partner EventsVenture Capital Roundtable: Operational Strategies for Driving RevenuesThere is no shortage of interesting companies with great technologies, products and/or services in today's crowded marketplace. Developing and executing upon a sound go-to-market strategy is paramount to getting customers and clients to part from their cash in exchange for your next big thing. But how do you go about it? Join us for a highly interactive discussion as some of the area's hottest companies share their insights on what it takes to generate revenue traction and accelerate growth in competitive markets.
When: 21 June 2011 Ernst & Young Entrepreneurial Winning WomenTM program call for Applications!This is a competitive award and leadership program designed to connect a select group of high-potential women entrepreneurs with the advisors, resources and insights they need to become market leaders. With our market leadership and long-standing commitment to entrepreneurship and the advancement of women, Ernst & Young can provide these opportunities like no other professional services firm. Eligibility: Applicants are women CEOs who have founded their companies within the past 10 years and have reported at least $1 million in revenue during each of the past two. Typical applicant company revenue ranges from $1 million up to approximately $20 million annually. Applications Deadline: June 30, 2011. CGI America and the Clinton Global Initiative.President Clinton launched CGI America in response to ongoing economic struggle in the United States. As such, the meeting will focus on recovery and job creation. To maximize impact, the event will be organized around working groups, each targeting a different major opportunity to create jobs. Each attendee will choose a working group, which will convene three times over the course of the meeting and focus on developing ideas for concrete, immediate action. In particular, I would like to invite you to participate in the Supporting Startups and High Growth Businesses working group, which I will be coordinating. Young, high-growth firms are the leading creators of new jobs in the United States. Astia's great work helping to take women-led ventures to scale would make you a great addition to this working group timely. When: June 29 & 30 The 2011 New York Venture SummitIf you are a Startup seeking capital and/or partnerships submit your plan for the opportunity to present at the premier venue connecting emerging growth companies with active Venture capitalists, Angel investors, Corporate VCs and Investment Firms. Presented by young Startup Ventures, The 2011 New York Venture Summit provides an unparalleled opportunity for startups to meet, network and showcase their innovative investment opportunities to a leading group of investors. When: July 21 |
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Silicon Valley | New York | Europe | India |
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