Forum Targets Female Techies
Female entrepreneurs looking to take their tech businesses to the next level still have a few days left to sign up for Springboard 2001, the venture forum for women-owned businesses.
A follow-up to January’s groundbreaking Springboard 2000 event, the Feb. 1, 2001, forum in Northern California’s Redwood Shores will give 30 female tech entrepreneurs the chance to pitch their business plans in front of several hundred potential investors.
Organized by the National Women’s Business Foundation in partnership with other women’s groups, the event is an ongoing attempt to help female techies grab the attention of the investing community.
Presenters at last’s year West Coast forum garnered more than $185 million in capital, including three Los Angeles-area entrepreneurs: Laurie McCartney, chief executive of online retailer EStyle.com; Menekse Gencer, co-founder of Internet appliance developer Vistify; and Kathleen Chien of 51net.com, a Chinese-language online recruiting site.
Springboard 2001 is looking for women who have senior leadership positions and major equity stakes in their companies. Their firms should be focused on emerging growth industries such as e-commerce, software, biotech and life sciences.
The deadline for applications is Oct. 15. To apply online, go to the forum Web site at (https://www.springboard2000.org) and click on the Silicon Valley 2001 icon.
