ITP's Women Entrepreneurs Festival 2012

WE Alum Starts PlumAlley.co

mly2 — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 14:55:01 +0000

I have worked over the last year on something I care deeply about – the advancement of women in entrepreneurship and technology. PlumAlley.co, the premier destination site for discovering and supporting female founded businesses will go live on September 6th. Every week PlumAlley.co will profile a female founder and a curated selection of her extraordinary products for purchase on an exclusive basis for a limited time.

I have had the honor to meet many exceptional women and their amazing companies as the founder of JumpThru and a co-founder of the WIM Accelerator. PlumAlley.co was founded to provide a way for female entrepreneurs to reach a broad audience who want to support women by directing their purchasing power. The first offering for sale on PlumAlley.co will be one-of-a-kind fossils that will be made into custom jewelry by award winning and eco-friendly jewelry designer, Monique Pean.

I would greatly appreciate your help in spreading the word about PlumAlley.co. Please forward this email and encourage your friends to sign up for the weekly email presenting the female founder of the week at this link. You can also post the news about PlumAlley.co on twitter or Facebook using the links below. Many, many thanks.

Warmest regards,
Deborah

Deborah B. Jackson
Founder and CEO of Plum Alley
twitter @dbdj1007

Ayah Bdeir and LittleBits secures $3.65 million

mly2 — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 19:29:18 +0000

Congratulations to 2012 WE panelist, Ayah Bdeir and her company, LittleBits!

http://techcrunch.com/2012/07/18/toys-grow-up-littlebits-picks-up-3-65m-pch-deal-to-build-out-its-open-source-hardware-vision/

LittleBits, an “open source hardware” startup that makes electronic building blocks to design objects for work and play, has today announced the addition of two significant building blocks of its own: it has picked up $3.65 million in funding; and has signed a manufacturing deal with PCH International to scale up its business. The Series A round of funding was led by True Ventures, with participation from Khosla Ventures, O’Reilly AlphaTech Ventures and Lerer Ventures and will be used to staff up and expand the range of products from the 30 currently on offer.

We Alum in Forbes Article

mly2 — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 14:36:29 +0000

WE Alumna, Suzanne Seggerman featured in Forbes article:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/tomwatson/2012/06/04/are-you-a-social-entrepreneur-5-key-questions-you-need-to-ask/

Are You A Social Entrepreneur?

by Tom Watson, June . . . → Read More: We Alum in Forbes Article

Smarteys releases Paycheck Planner

mly2 — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 15:44:52 +0000

From WE Alumna Adrissha Wimberly

I wanted to send a special note to you to let you know that we’ve been making some great changes here at Smarteys. A week ago, we released our new tool, Paycheck Planner, and a new site that we are extremely proud of.

Paycheck Planner is a simple-to-use tool for people transiting from campus to career to plan their paychecks. The company uses a DIBS philosophy – debt, income, bills, and savings – that is influenced by company advisor and renowned Behavioral Economics researcher, Richard Thaler.

Here is the link to the announcement http://t.co/DEbQu08q.

BiblioCrunch.com at OReilly Tools of Change

mly2 — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 15:40:52 +0000

TWO women-owned companies won the startup showcase at O’Reilly Tools of Change in February 2012! One of them was BiblioCrunch.com, started by WE Alumna, Miral Sattar.

Here’s the link and the video! Link . . . → Read More: BiblioCrunch.com at OReilly Tools of Change

WE Festival Pics and Videos!

mly2 — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 01:20:09 +0000

Thanks to the handwork of a lot of people – the WE Festival 2 videos are now up!

http://vimeo.com/channels/wefestival2

Pictures are here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/itp-nyu/sets/72157629018003813/

Some Press and Blog Posts about WE2

mly2 — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:01:47 +0000

WE Festival coverage in Huffington Post:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nancy-hechinger/can-women-have-it-all-def_b_1076433.html

Festival Co-Organizer, Joanne Wilson’s address to the audience:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joanne-wilson/women-entrepreneurs_b_1215895.html?ref=women&ir=Women

“Women Entrepreneurs Gather at NYU”, The Network Journal.
http://www.tnj.com/entrepreneurs/entrepreneur-news/women-entrepreneurs-gather-nyu

Joanne Lang to speak at WE Festival
http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2012/01/18/6061889.htm

Broadway World
http://broadwayworld.com/article/NYUs-ITP-Program-Hosts-Arianna-Huffington-117-18-20120116#

By Gotham Gal
http://www.gothamgal.com/gotham_gal/2012/01/womens-entrepreneur-festival-re-cap.html

By Emily McKhann – The Motherhood
http://www.themotherhood.com/blog/?p=1551

By Nancy Hechinger, “Why Is the Women Entrepreneurs Festival So Different?”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mobileweb/nancy-hechinger/women-entrepreneurs-fesitval-_b_1220893.html

NY Daily News – Female Entrepreneurs Find Funding Community in NY
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/golden-ladies-nyc-female-entreprenuers-find-funding-community-york-article-1.1009894?pgno=1

Baking for Good
http://emily.bakingforgood.com/2012/01/19/women-entrepreneurs-festival/

Blog post from a man! He was working the festival.
http://www.gothamgal.com/gotham_gal/2012/01/post-festival-blog-post-from-a-young-man-who-was-behind-the-camera.html

By Lisa Duggan, The Motherhood Online
http://www.themotherhoodblog.com/2012/01/women-on-verge-of-entrepreneurship-by.html

By ITP Student, Anh Ly
http://nyuentrepreneur.org/2012/01/the-women-entrepreneurs-festival-gives-it-straight/

CBS News by Laurel Touby
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505143_162-57382539/the-investor-edition-featuring-allison-goldberg-and-david-s-rose/

WE Festival Photos!

mly2 — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:01:08 +0000

http://www.flickr.com/photos/itp-nyu/sets/72157629018003813/

Photos taken by:

Manuela Donoso, Mika Cardona, Lilia Ziamou and . . . → Read More: WE Festival Photos!

Investors Panel Summary

mly2 — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:30:49 +0000

Venture capitalists Shana Fisher, Sarah Tavel, Joy Marcus, Nancy Peretsman, and Joanne Wilson come together in the Investors Panel for an insightful discussion into entrepreneurial investment. Each investor discusses what motivates her to invest, what an initial investment may look like, and what they consider a “good investment”. Panelists give brief introductions, . . . → Read More: Investors Panel Summary

Community Makers Panel Summary

mly2 — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:29:13 +0000

The Community Makers panel was moderated by Chris Tardio and included a variety of entrepreneurs who focus on building tight-knit communities. After the introductory round of descriptions, Chris asked the panelists where the genesis of their idea came from, and the panelists answered with thorough descriptions and stories. Emily McKhann of The Motherhood described the way the problems posed by Hurricane Katrina served as a catalyst for her “neighborhood for moms” model of an online community.
The panelists also discussed how they have built brands around excellent names, sustaining a community by patiently nurturing it as Barbara Pantuso does for her website Hey, Neighbor!
All of the speakers also focused on building connections around issues or problems– helping people to feel that they are not alone in their struggles or questions. Allison Floam of The Fix and Tereza Nemessanyi of Honestly Now particularly stood out in this respect. Amanda Hesser’s site Food 52 shows how important content curation is but also how important guidelines and serious structure are in order to encourage excellent content.
Overall, the exchange of ideas, personal stories and honest answers about monetizing websites was free-flowing and informative for all attendees.

Art Makers Panel summary

mly2 — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:27:40 +0000

All speakers in the field of the arts talk about how they are drawn to the art world and how they develop their curiosity and creativity into their businesses. They also stress having ambition about their work and one speaker said you are the company itself which is inspiring . . . → Read More: Art Makers Panel summary

Makers Panel summary

mly2 — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:26:16 +0000

All speakers are makers either physically or digitally. Their businesses are reflected in their passions. They all continue to make what they are passionate about and see through no matter what. Also they build relationships beyond . . . → Read More: Makers Panel summary

Taste Makers Panel Summary

mly2 — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:22:44 +0000

The Taste Makers Panel brings together a group of inspiring women to discuss their passions for food, fashion, and culture and how their passion drove them in the creation of their businesses. The panel includes Emily Olsen, Sara Kate Gillingham-Ryan, Katie Armour, Doni Belau, and Jennifer Hyman; and is moderated by Rachel Sklar. Each panelist . . . → Read More: Taste Makers Panel Summary

Change Makers Panel Summary

mly2 — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:47:35 +0000

The Change Makers panel was composed of a group of inspiring women who have all found ways to make a difference by addressing problems in an innovative way.
Moderator Jessica Harris led the discussion, guiding the panelists through discussions of their own background, process of starting their own business, personal experiences, challenges and lessons learned. Each panelist shared her motivation for creating her company– from Carin Maio’s frustration with apartment-hunting in New York to Joanne Lang’s feeling unprepared for a family medical emergency. The women touched on themes of embracing failure, being flexible, coachable, gathering mentors and allies. The audience was engaged, nodding as the panelists described the rollercoaster of starting one’s own business. Many audience members asked honest questions, following moderator Jessica Harris’s model of frank discussion. Some brought up the question of how to find early adopters, others asked what the panelists would have done differently if they could have gone back, still others wondered how to begin to find a team. Panelists answered honestly, referring to organizations that had helped them such as TechStars or sharing wishful thinking such as incorporating analytics earlier on in the development phases.
The success of the panel was clear given the number of questions, nods and interested audience members who approached the panelists afterwards. Furthermore, the supportive nature of this Festival came across clearly when many of the questions evolved into praise for the panelist entrepreneurs’ exceptional success and exemplary work.

Knowledge Makers Panel summary

mly2 — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:45:43 +0000

Moderated by Diana Rhoten, The Knowledge Makers panel centers on education and how it relates to community, entrepreneurship, and pedagogy. Panelist share their personal experiences and insights into creating enterprises that address the needs of education, as well as transforming personal passions into thriving business ventures. Panelists include Pooja Nath Sankar, Sarah Elizabeth Ippel, Jennifer House, . . . → Read More: Knowledge Makers Panel summary

WE Festival has begun. Welcome by Joanne Wilson

mly2 — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:17:33 +0000

Today’s session of the Women’s Entrepreneurs Festival has started! The floor at ITP is bustling with women connecting with one another, connecting to the wireless network, and disconnecting to listen and take notes during Joanne Wilson’s insightful welcome remarks. . . . → Read More: WE Festival has begun. Welcome by Joanne Wilson

WE Starts tonight!

mly2 — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:48:17 +0000

We are very excited for the start of the WE Festival tonight with our keynote address from Arianna Huffington!

Twitter . . . → Read More: WE Starts tonight!

WE Alum Successes: Eggzy and Hey, Neighbor!

mly2 — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:29:06 +0000

Sunset Magazine mentions Eggzy and Hey, Neighbor! – both were WE! start-ups from last year!

Hey, Neighbor! started by Barbara Pantuso.

http://www.sunset.com/home/sharing-economy-00418000074416/

Eggzy started by Sharleen Smith.

http://www.sunset.com/home/sharing-economy-00418000074416/page2.html

XX for Xmas list is live!

mly2 — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 19:12:12 +0000

A growing list of women owned businesses for you to do all of your holiday shopping this season! Put together by WE Alumna, Tereza Nemessanyi

The XX for Xmas list is live.

Home base of the growing list is on the Honestly Now blog. Pls FB, Tweet, Stumble, Follow, and ADD suggestions.

http://news.honestlynow.com/2011/11/25/buying-xx-for-xmas-a-holiday-guide/

(We continue to add…panting… — we have 40-ish here, only 300+ to go…)

Here’s the Tumblr post for you to Heart and Follow: http://honestlynow.tumblr.com/post/13316398688/xx-for-xmas-a-holiday-guide

On the Tumblr, we’ll continually post individual awesome gift items, like pictures of Rachel wearing giraffe hats. Here you can TUMBLE YOUR OWN pics of YOU indulging in each other’s cool items!!!!

You can Tweet: Buying XX for Xmas: A Holiday Guide — great gift ideas from women-led co’s http://bit.ly/tX5nBv #BlackFriday #xx4xmas

Watch for and vigorously Tweet gift ideas that YOU love. Spread the word to help each others’ businesses GROW!!

We’ll be publishing a PDF, too (figuring that’s media-friendly for the dinos).

And keep submitting stuff HERE.

ho ho ho,

Tereza

tereza nemessanyi
co-founder + ceo
h onestly now inc.

tereza@honestlynow.com

+1.917.453.5262

WE Alum Success: London/Boston-based start-up creates Weathermob

mly2 — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 16:44:51 +0000

Congratulations to WE 2011 Alumna, Julia LeStage

London/Boston-based start-up creates Weathermob, a social network for the world’s favorite conversation starter – the weather

Reports come in from over 35 countries in first three days after app’s release as a free download on the App Store

Weathermob, a London/Boston-based start-up supported by original investors in ASOS.com and lastminute.com, has launched a social network for the weather. Available free for iPhone, Weathermob is an app designed to make talking about the weather as social an online experience as it is already is for the millions of people who use it to open conversations with strangers, colleagues, friends and family in real life.

Weathermob debuted as a free download on the App Store last week, and in its first few days has seen reports from across the US and UK, as well as more than 30 countries, including Brazil, India, Japan, Australia, Dubai, Mexico and even from the Himalayas, with a picture report posted from Nepal.

Weathermob is a social weather app. It mashes up real-time meteorological data, location-based services, photo sharing and user sentiment to create an app that enables users to report on the weather right now in their local area and share it with their friends while expressing how it’s making them feel.

Weathermob’s users hold the key to determining how many people are really only happy when it rains and whether a city’s cheerfulness is directly proportional to how many sunny days it gets a year. Weathermob is publishing daily mood rankings of major US and UK cities via the app and its Twitter account @weathermobapp. Early results have seen Bristol as the happiest city in the UK, and Philadephia and Miami vying for happiest city in the US.

Founded by former Channel 4 (UK) executive Julia LeStage, media magnate, tech investor and Chairman of ASOS.com, Lord Waheed Alli, experienced CTO Ben Griffiths, veteran tech investor Tori Hackett, and social media specialist Frank Lampen, Weathermob brings together investment, creativity and technical expertise from London and Boston, two world cities with lots of weather. A fact brought home to the founders as Weathermob’s beta testers grappled with the freak snowstorm that hit New England in October.

“We discovered that users were reporting the storm in really creative and personal ways, often just as much about the way it was affecting them as the weather itself,” said Weathermob, CEO Julia LeStage. “We saw just as many pictures and videos of cosy log fires, hot chocolate and red wine as we did reports of snow and ice. It was far more fun – and much more meaningful – than only watching someone in a TV studio and suit, talk at me about cold fronts.”

This experience convinced the founders that a social weather app like Weathermob has the potential to become a daily habit for a global audience. “The stereotype might be that only Brits are obsessed with the weather, but the truth is that the weather is one of those universal things that everybody’s got to deal with. So we’re confident that this is the probably the first social network on which everyone – whether (pun intended) it’s your mother or your neighbour – always has something to say.”

Weathermob is a free download from the Apple App
Store: http://itunes.apple.com/app/weathermob/id463729367

Moms Make Great Entrepreneurs

mly2 — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 18:07:58 +0000

Highlights several mom-owned businesses in Jersey City, NJ, right across the Hudson from NYC.

http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/2011/11/18/multitasking-moms-make-their-mark-on-local-business/

WE Festival in Huffington Post!

mly2 — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 17:32:34 +0000

‘Can Women Have It All? Define ‘All’”

by Nancy Hechinger, WE Festival Co-Chair

November 4, 2011

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nancy-hechinger/can-women-have-it-all-def_b_1076433.html

WE Applications Decisions

mly2 — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 17:20:10 +0000

Thanks to those of you who have already applied! We are reviewing all of the applications and plan to announce our decisions by November 15. Stay tuned!

We still have space, so if you’re still thinking about it, please apply now! Application deadline is November . . . → Read More: WE Applications Decisions

NYU Entrepreneurs article: Should Women Stop Starting Female-Niche Businesses?

mly2 — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 17:31:59 +0000

I just came across this blog post on the NYU Entrepreneurs website:

“The Internet Debate: Should Women Stop Starting Female-Niche Businesses?” by Lexi Lewtan, October . . . → Read More: NYU Entrepreneurs article: Should Women Stop Starting Female-Niche Businesses?

TechCrunch Article

mly2 — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 19:49:36 +0000

Women 2.0: Number Of Women Founders Doubled Over Past Three Years
by Sarah Perez

Women 2.0, an organization whose goal is to increase the number of female founders in technology startups, is sharing some good news today: the number of women starting companies has doubled over the past three years. The new data comes from a survey of its own community, which includes everyone from actual founders and co-founders to aspiring entrepreneurs.

http://techcrunch.com/2011/10/18/women-2-0-number-of-women-founders-doubled-over-past-three-years/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29

WE Alum Success: Sanem Alkan and AudioVroom

mly2 — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 15:09:03 +0000

From WE Alum, Sanem Alkan:

I am excited to announce to the WE network that AudioVroom was selected
as the first music software featured on Facebook’s new mobile web
application platform and is now live for all Facebook users to enjoy.

AudioVroom is a next-generation music service unlike any other: It does not
require us to look for a particular song or artist name if we don’t feel like it.
It highlights what is trending on Twitter or other social networks, including
our own group circle on Facebook. We just sit back and click once to launch
multiple radio stations based on our mood.

Within a couple of weeks, we will be able to experience the full power of
the AudioVroom platform by launching music sessions with friends online
or in real life (or both) and earning all sorts of tastemaker awards including
concert tickets and artist promos.

It took about a year to put this platform together. None of this great work
would have been possible had I not connected with two experts in music
analytics and project management respectively. These engineers made
all the right connections on the tech side, while I took care of all business
projects (legal to funding).

Besides hard work and luck, we owe part of our success on talented software
coding and business development consultants, angel investors, as well as a
select group of forward-thinking companies (including Facebook) who have
been encouraged and guided us during our fast-paced journey.

Facebook version news & panel info

http://www.facebookmobileweb.com/showcase/

http://www.insidefacebook.com/2011/10/10/third-party-facebook-mobile-

apps/

https://developers.facebook.com/blog/post/575

http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/ideas/view/12394

AudioVroom links to enjoy & share
AudioVroom http://www.audiovroom.com/
Blog http://blog.audiovroom.com
Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/AudioVroom
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/AudioVroom/205153622845098
YouTube http://www.youtube.com/user/AudioVroom

____

Hope everyone enjoys and shares feedback on AudioVroom. Thanks for the
support!

Application Deadline – November 11

mly2 — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 14:35:58 +0000

We are receiving a fantastic response and want to get back to all of you as quickly as possible. We are setting the application deadline for November 11, 2011.

Apply now! It only takes a . . . → Read More: Application Deadline – November 11

WE Alum Success: Deborah Jackson and JumpThru

mly2 — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 17:40:30 +0000

“Alum” of the first WE Festival, Deborah Jackson launched her new business, JumpThru in February, 2011:

Longtime 85 Broads member, Deborah Buresh Jackson, who was one of the women profiled in the book, More Than 85 Broads, has launched an exciting new company, JumpThru, a women’s business accelerator. (www.jumpthru.net) After 21 years in investment banking, serving on numerous Boards, and angel investing, Deborah founded JumpThru to accelerate the success of female founded companies that use the internet and technology.

One of JumpThru’s products is a fun curated letter focused on content for women who have backgrounds outside of technology to connect with the exploding world of technology. You can subscribe to receive the letter at www.mytechletter.com. Make sure to opt in and provide your email address.

JumpThru is leading the way with firsts for women in tech. This past summer, JumpThru hosted the first female Hackathon with Girl Develop It for 18 women coders and designers. Check out the JumpThru website to see Fast Company’s article about the weekend that produced an interactive educational game to prevent sex trafficking. JumpThru is offering the first women’s accelerator program in 2012 with Women in Wireless to create mobile products for women. Deborah’s company started the trend in social media and the popular hashtag referring to female founders and other women as “wildly capable women”. Please spread the use of this tag (#wildlycapablewomen) to help promote women and allow them to be easily searched on the internet.

Other initiatives are underway for female founders and those wanting to support them. Send an email to the address below if you wish to be notified of future events and initiatives. You can reach Deborah@jumpthru.net.

Press Coverage from WE Festival 2011

mly2 — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 17:09:36 +0000

A Tech Event That Actually Features More Women than Men
By Adrianne Jeffries, November 24, 2010
http://www.observer.com/2010/daily-transom/tech-event-actually-features-more-women-men
Featuring 6 of NYC’s Most Interesting Women in Tech
http://www.observer.com/2010/daily-transom/slideshow/six-nycs-most-interesting-women-tech
Including ITP Alums Despina Papadopoulos and Britta Riley
———

Huffington Post:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/06/women-entrepreneurs-festival_n_817069.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jenni-avins/the-inaugural-women-entre_b_818677.html

———

Forbes:
http://blogs.forbes.com/elmirabayrasli/2011/03/07/in-entrepreneurship-there-are-no-rules-ladies/

———

Examiner.com
NYU’s ITP Hosts First Women Entrepreneurs Festival
By Larry Byrd, Jan 31, 2011
http://www.examiner.com/fashion-events-in-new-york/nyu-s-itp-host-first-women-entrepreneurs-festival-review

———

Video archives and summary here:
http://vimeo.com/channels/itpwefestival2011

Photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wefest/sets/72157626043729025/

Applications are open!

mly2 — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 13:39:09 +0000

We are now accepting applications for the WE . . . → Read More: Applications are open!

Check out Last Year’s Festival

mly2 — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 13:17:25 +0000

Click here to watch video footage and photos of the first WE Festival which was held at ITP, NYU on January . . . → Read More: Check out Last Year’s Festival

ITP Alums Interviewed in Business Insider

mly2 — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 17:00:57 +0000

http://www.businessinsider.com/internet-next-big-thing-2011-10

Business Insider

“What Will It Take to Become the Next Big Thing?”

by Shira Levine, Oct 8, 2011

Featuring an interview with ITP Alumni Alex Kauffmann and Jason Aston . . . → Read More: ITP Alums Interviewed in Business Insider

WE Alum Success: Sarah Baird and Takeashine

mly2 — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 17:39:58 +0000

From WE 2011 attendee, Sarah Baird:

Greetings from New Orleans! I just wanted to shoot y’all a quick note and let you know that my non-profit, Takeashine, has officially launched! Takeashine is an online crowdfunding platform for low-income students to bridge the gap between high school and college. We’re launching this fall with a pilot class of five, each of whom are raising $5K towards their college. On February 1, we’re going city wide (and already have about 50 student applications!) and then will be expanding to three cities a year for the next three years.

Takeashine is being incubated as part of the Social Entrepreneurs of New Orleans New Venture Accelerator, which gets a lot of support from the Echoing Green network. I’d love for you all to check it out, let me know your thoughts and spread the word to your networks! I’ve also included our promo video below if you’d like to share it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHT5aQHb-1Q.

WE Alum Success: Tereza Nemessanyi and Honestly Now

mly2 — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 17:37:25 +0000

From Tereza Nemessanyi who attended WE 2011:

At the 2011 festival we were rolling out Honestly Now 1.0. We learned a ton from it very quickly — some things were working and some things definitely not. At that point we were running at a very low burn rate off a convertible note I’d raised in the fall. But we felt the market was moving fast, and if we moved this slowly and incrementally we’d never get there (we outsource our development, so there is a direct correlation between spending and value back on the site). We could “slap lipstick on the pig” or look at it in a deeper, more holistic way based on what we learned. We also realized that we needed to move to a different level in UX, and brought in an amazing woman (and mom!) to help us rethink it — elevate the good things, eliminate the stinkers, and knit it all together in a simple, intuitive and engaging way. This product ‘reboot’ was a pretty bold decision, and not easy to make. It would increase our burn rate considerably and thus shorten our runway. But we felt if we go slow we’d definitely lose.

We just relaunched the site this week, and also announced a seed Series A round of funding, led by the women’s angel group Golden Seeds. We’ve hired our lead developer and have some great business development prospect irons in the fire. While the core value of the company has state very solid through this period, our public messaging around our company vision has been tweaked. The core of that challenge is that the tech establishment (mostly male) and women consumers (not-so-techie) respond very differently, and at times opposite, to certain positionings. We are incredibly excited about our new product, and thrilled to have investors who really believe in what we’re doing — which is trying to bring the way WOMEN think and interact into the infrastructure of the web. We now proudly say that Honestly Now is a Q&A social game that helps us make excellent personal decisions, together. It works really well — we honestly believe that if people do this, the word will get better and better. Now we just need the world to start using it. So — #shamelessplug — if you haven’t gone into HonestlyNow.com and asked a question, DO IT! :-)

WE Alumni Success: Lisa Duggan and The Parent du Jour

mly2 — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 17:34:05 +0000

We will be highlighting some successes of WE 2011 alumni and what’s happened to their businesses since the last conference.

From Lisa Duggan:
“On July 18, 2011 Lisa and her partner Steve launched The Parent du Jour, an “online book about contemporary parenthood being written one day, and one parent, at at time.” (http://theparentdujour.com). The goal of the project is to publish the ‘stories’ of 365 moms and dads from around the world and to show, rather than tell, how families are making work + life, work. So far, parents from all over the United States and Canada have participated, and the first bi-lingual and international parent-stories will appear in October. Lisa and Steve continue to seek contributors. For more information, email Lisa directly at liduggan65@yahoo.com.”

Reflecting on Last Year’s WE Festival

Calli Higgins — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 22:56:15 +0000

This is a snippet from Lisa Duggan’s blog post, “Rowing Ahead”.

The original, full-length post can be read here.

Lisa Duggan is co-founder and publisher of The Parent du Jour, an online documentary exploring contemporary families, one day, and one parent at a time. Follow her progess on Twitter @theparentdujour.

***

“Every time I scaled back on my career, to focus on my family and kids, I worried that I was letting down my young, ambitious self.” —Joanne Wilson, WE Festival, January 2011

In January of this year I was one of 150 lucky attendees at the first Women Entrepreneurs Festival, hosted by the Interactive Telecommunications Program at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.

I’m sincere when I use the word lucky here: over 500 women had applied for a spot at this conference dedicated to, “sowing the seeds for a community of women entrepreneurs in NYC”. It certainly felt like luck, or some larger force, delivering me back to NYU, where I had begun my academic career twenty-five years earlier. Entrepreneurs at all stages of development were invited to participate. Opening keynotes included New York City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn and Joanne Wilson, one of three chairwomen for the event.

WE are finalizing our panels!

lah432 — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 03:36:18 +0000

WE 2012 will take place Tuesday January 17, 2012 in the evening for our keynote address from Arianna Huffington!

The Panels will happen on Wednesday January 18, 2012 all day long. This time we have seven great panels lined up and the theme is about being a “Maker”.

Knowledge Makers Community Makers Change Makers Makers Taste Makers Art Makers

and an . . . → Read More: WE are finalizing our panels!

WE2012

lah432 — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 15:11:04 +0000

Welcome to Women Entrepreneurs Festival 2012. Check back for more info on the . . . → Read More: WE2012