Women in Business, Jobs, Women Entrepreneurs, Women in the News: News On Women

Former MGM Exec Stephanie Palmer Launches "Good in a Room" Blog. Learn How to Make the Right Pitch for Your Idea!

Stephanie Palmer, a former MGM studio executive, has launched the blog "Good in a Room."  In her blog, Palmer showcases effective pitches from the film, TV, advertising, and venture capital industries.  She started the blog to create a library of “what works” so that people can see good pitching in action.  Then, they can customize what has worked for other people to help them pitch their own ideas. Current posts on the blog explore such topics as the one thing you must do when pitching a celebrity, the short pitch that won $5000 for a startup, the original pitch for 'Friends,' and four common examples of things you should not say in a meeting! Stephanie Palmer is the author of the book "Good in a Room".  She has been featured on the Today Show, Early Show, KTLA, Los Angeles Times, and on National Public Radio.  As the former Director of Creative Affairs for MGM Pictures, she heard more than 3000 pitches.  Now, she helps creative professionals learn to pitch ideas and advance their projects. Learn more about how to make a pitch on goodinaroom.com.

Jackie Baptist Explores Issues Facing Women Entrepreneurs in New Documentary "She Means Business".

Jackie Baptist was the Project Manager for Microsoft’s "Your Office Your Terms" campaign focused on women entrepreneurs. Jackie was so impressed by the stories of these amazing women she became Executive Producer of the documentary, "She Means Business". Jackie is passionate about the subject. "Our motivation is to get the voice of women entrepreneurs out on a broader scale and bring their incredible journeys to a wide audience," says Jackie. "There are many organizations working with women entrepreneurs and doing an incredible job (Springboard , WIM, NAWBO, Women 2.0, NCRW, WIPP and more). We want to contribute by telling their stories. Complex, authentic human struggles are universal – everyone can relate to a person trying to build something to last.  In telling these stories, we hope to increase the attention paid to women entrepreneurs.  Most importantly we would like to inspire women to go out there and realize their dreams, don’t be afraid, build your business, and ask for what you want.  It all begins with you. Over the past eight to nine weeks, we have recruited a long list of advisors and supporters that are helping us with connections and building an incredible network."

The "She Means Business" documentary will focus on three to four young female-driven businesses, following their successes, failures, struggles, and miracles, exploring the key triumphs and issues that women entrepreneurs face. Read more about the project on shemeansbusiness.org. 

3 Stories for InternetWeekNY - Ringing the Bell on the NY Stock Exchange, "Fashion 2.0 All Stars", and Women Connecting at All Levels!

Even before the NYTimes wrote about more tech startups moving to New York, David-Michel Davies was busy ringing the bell on the NY Stock Exchange with NYC Chief Digital Officer Rachel Sterne (pictured left), to celebrate the success of his conference, InternetWeekNY. All week lots of tech talent was on display, introducing new products, debating business plans and discussing the trends in revenues and advertising. And women were a big part of it.

And since it is New York, the fashion industry participated in a big way. Over 100 thought leaders from the fashion/tech community gathered for an Internet Week New York “Fashion 2.0 All Stars" Q&A. "Style Coalition" CEO and Fashion 2.0 Founder,Yuli Ziv (above, second from left) conducted one-on-one interviews with select winners from the 2012 Fashion 2.0 Awards, “social media powerhouses” Cannon Tekstar Hodge, (pictured above far left)Manager, Social Media, Bergdorf Goodman; Aliza Licht, (second from right) SVP, Global Communications, Donna Karan International; and Lindsay Knaak-Stuart, (far right) Director of Marketing Strategy, Kate Spade New York. The women discussed how social media is changing their business. Each had their own take on twitter, facebook, tumblr and pinterest, and what they mean to their companies.

Many of the top women in New York Tech were speaking or hosting events, but there were also many women at all stages in their careers attending. Some of the interesting women I met after I spoke with Rachel Sterne as I walked around the headquarters included Carole Walker, (pictured directly above) Vice President of Trade Marketing Solutions for Demand Media, who had previously spent time at Mars Inc as Vice President, Integrated Marketing at Mars Snackfood us. Demand media ran several events on content, brands and social engagement. Denise de Castro, (pictured right) Vice President, Director of Client Services at Flightpath, and I were listening to Billy Beane of "Moneyball" fame talk about - what else - baseball, and all the life lessons he learned from it on how to be successful. I also met Jen Abel, (pictured left) who works in Business Development at General Assemb.ly. That company ran some learning seminars, the company's expertise. General Assemb.ly was started to provide educational programming, space, and support to "facilitate collaborative practices and learning opportunities" among entrepreneurs and others. It was great to see women connecting at every level and supporting each other at the events.

BodyMedia, Inc., whose CEO is Christine Robins, Completed a $12 million Funding Round.

BodyMedia, Inc., the wearable body monitors company whose CEO is Christine Robins, announced the completion of a $12 million funding round. Before joining BodyMedia, Christine had been the CEO of Philips Oral Healthcare, and also spent 17 years at S.C. Johnson. Read more about the deal in the prnewswire press release.

Triptrotting, founded by Aigerim Shorman and Shana Zheng, Raises $1.5 million in series A Funding

Golden Seeds joined the list of investors in Triptrotting, Inc's Series A financing of $1.5 million. Triptrotting was founded by Aigerim Shorman (pictured left) and Shana Zheng (pictured right). Read more in the prnewswire press release.

Fullbridge, Inc., founded by Candice Carpenter Olson, raised a $5.5 million in Funding

Fullbridge, Inc., founded by Candice Carpenter Olson who is also co-CEO, raised a $5.5 million investment round through investors including GSV Capital Corp. Candice had previously co-founded of iVillage. Read more about the deal in the Business Wire press release.

SoMoLend LLC, Founded by CEO Candace Klein, Raises $1.17 million in Seed Funding

SoMoLend LLC, an alternative borrowing software-as-a-service lending platform founded by CEO Candace Klein, raised $1.17 million in seed funding led by CincyTech. Candace saw that small businesses needed more lending resources beyond traditional banks, and so she founded the company. Read more in the marketwire press release.

ModCloth, Co-Founded by Susan Gregg Koger, Raises $25 million in VC Funding.

ModCloth, the online retailer co-founded by Susan Gregg Koger (pictured with her Co-Founder husband Eric), raised $25 million in new VC funding led by Norwest Venture Partners. Susan started thrift shopping for unique vintage finds when she was in high school. The company board of directors includes several women: Theresia Gouw Ranzetta of Accel, Ann Miura-Ko of Floodgate, and co-founder Susan Gregg Koger. Read more about the funding in the company press release.

Drawbridge, Founded by Kamakshi Sivaramakrishnan, Raises $6.5 million Series A Funding

Drawbridge, founded by Kamakshi Sivaramakrishnan, raised $6.5 million in Series A funding from Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Sequoia Capital. Kamakshi had been with Google and before that a Research Scientist at AdMob before founding Drawbridge. Read more in the article on techcrunch.com.

Eleven Biotherapeutics and CEO Abbie Celniker Raise $20 million in Series A financing

Eleven Biotherapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company whose CEO is Dr. Abbie Celniker, raised $20 million in Series A financing. While Abbie is not one of the founders of the company, she has 20 years of experience in building late-stage protein therapeutic discovery and development programs. Abbie, who holds a PhD in molecular biology, is a former global head of biologics at Novartis. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

4 Reasons why Entrepreneur Phylise Sands Found Success in her Startup, Red Daisy!

Has Phylise Sands (pictured) found the magic formula for starting a business with her company, Red Daisy? Many people would say yes. Her first discovery was an underserved market. For her it was the difficulty of finding intimate apparel that fits well and looks good. Concentrating on satisfying her customers with a good fit, Phylise started looking for resources. “My most important resource was my intimate apparel engineer. She is an expert in the field.” Says Phylise. “I came to her with concepts, designs, and details. She helped put the products together so they fit well.”

But as we know, a good product isn’t always enough for success. You need passion. Phylise feels that she is helping her mother and sister who have breast cancer by contributing to the breast cancer research foundation to help find a cure. “Right now we donate 10% of proceeds year round from the "red" bras,” says Phylise. “With all the positive feedback we are getting, I am hoping to donate from more of our garments in the future as well as give 20% from our specially designed pink models coming out in August in time for breast cancer awareness month.” In addition to donating for research, Phylise believes an important part of the cure is prevention. Her products are equipped with small charm with a daisy petal on it that serves as a reminder to get mammograms and other appropriate screenings.

Combining her products with the right passion, Phylise began networking, seeking advice from other mothers, friends and family. “I am constantly networking. If I find that a friend or family is connected to some media outlet I am on top of it right away. I spend time thinking about all the people I know, including neighbors, parents from school, doctors, store owners etc... They always seem to know someone and you just have to reach out.” And don’t forget to persevere! “Perseverance is making things happen from nothing,” says Phylise. “I constantly plug away, contacting new stores and buyers. If someone says no initially, I go for seconds and reach out to them again and again to get a yes. If you have a great product and a good cause you can make things happen.”

Now Red Daisy is on its way, making a difference in women’s lives every day. That’s quite an accomplishment. While I can’t guarantee the same kind of success for others, I believe Phylise has definitely found the road to travel if we want to have a successful business: Find an underserved market that fills a need for people and creates a passion in you, and look for like minded people who want to help!

SocialKaty, Inc., co-founded by Katy Lynch, recently secured Series A Funding

SocialKaty, Inc., the social media marketing company co-founded by Katy Lynch, recently secured Series A funding from technology investment firm Lightbank. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

Ruby Ribbon Inc., founded by CEO Anna Zornosa, Raised $3 Million in Seed Funding. Patricia Nakache will join CEO, Anna Zornosa, on the Board of the Company

Ruby Ribbon Inc., a fashion commerce company founded by CEO Anna Zornosa, announced its’ launch and raised $3 Million in seed funding from Trinity Ventures. Patricia Nakache, a General Partner at Trinity, will join Ruby Ribbon Founder and CEO, Anna Zornosa, on the board of the new company. Read more in the company press release.

Evergreen Behavioral Solutions, Inc, and CEO Krista Conley, Raise $250,000 for Vtrim.

Evergreen Behavioral Solutions, Inc and its CEO Krista M.C. Conley implemented Vtrim, the online clinical treatment for weight loss and healthy weight management developed by the University of Vermont, and raised $250,000 in Series A funding. Total funding raised since starting in 2011 was $975,000. Read more in the article on vermontbiz.com.

Sandy Abrams Writes about "Mompreneurs - A Fighter Pilot's Wife Designs Babiators Shades"

Sandy Abrams writes a great article on Huffpo today about Molly Fienning (pictured), Co-Founder of baby aviator sunglass start up Babiators who is also mother of a new baby. The article, "Mompreneurs: Fighter Pilot's Wife Designs Babiators Shades", highlights some lessons learned by Molly starting up a company - "know your partners well and get good PR". Read more of the important lessons Molly has learned so far as a working mom in Sandy's article.

And read what the fighter pilot Dad had to say in the interview of Ted Fienning on cnbc.com.

Citrus Lane, founded by its CEO Mauria Finley, raised $5.1 million is Series A Funding. Weduary, Founded by Brit Morin Raises $1.25 Million in Seed Funding

Citrus Lane, which supplies a monthly box of products recommended for moms-to-be and parents with children and was founded by its CEO Mauria Finley, raised $5.1 million is Series A Funding from GGV Capital and Greylock partners. Mauria, who holds a  master's degrees in computer science at Stanford, has held leadership positions at several leading technology companies including AOL, Good Technology, PayPal and eBay. Read more about the deal in the Business Wire press release.

Weduary, the company that helps you to create social wedding websites founded by Brit Morin (pictured left) who is also the company's CEO, raised $1.25 million in Seed Funding from investors including Marissa Mayer, Aileen Lee and Founders Fund. Read more on techcrunch.com.

Umbel, cofounded by Meredith Maycotte, (pictured right), raised $3.7 Million in Series A funding led by Austin Ventures. Meredith’s background "is a fusion of database marketing, consumer research and creative branding". Read more in the company press release.

3 Tips from Deluxe Corp to Help Women Small Business Owners

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects women-owned businesses to create five million new jobs by 2018. And many female business owners have more than one job – they’re also mothers, wives and heads of households. Robin Driscoll owns RD Photo Services and is currently participating in Deluxe Corporation’s Project REV 2012, an exclusive yearlong program that is helping 10 U.S. small business owners improve their marketing, find more customers and grow sales. Robin understands the challenge behind balancing a small business with motherhood. She encourages mothers to protect boundaries so that work doesn’t overflow into family time by unplugging at the end of the day. “You’ll find that separating work and family time will help make you more productive during both,” says Robin.

Other suggestions for women business owners to balance work and family life from Deluxe include: 1) Stay in touch at school – Even if you can’t make it to every soccer game, try donating supplies for the classroom or help out in other ways that don’t require you to take time off work; 2) Limit the time you spend online – While web marketing is smart, cost-effective way for small businesses to reach their customers, it can take up a lot of time. To save time, try Deluxe’s Web Solutions Package to help your business achieve a professional online presence; 3) Don’t let guilt get you down – While many mothers feel guilty about working away from home, try not to be your own worst critic. Balancing business ownership with motherhood is more than a full time job so tap into the resources available to you, and remember to take care of yourself too!

MySocialCloud.com, co-founded by Stacey Ferreira, recently raised close to $1million in seed funding.

MySocialCloud.com, a technology startup that allows people to store their usernames and passwords for all their online websites for auto-login, was co-founded by Stacey Ferreira. Stacey, a 19-year old Freshman at NYU, co-founded the company during her senior year of high school with her brother, Scott. They recently raised a seed round of funding of just under $1 million and officially launched the website in late February. Read more on nyu.edu and on techcrunch.com.

To Work or Not To Work. Is that the Right Question? Every Woman's Dilemma - just ask Entrepreneurs Amy Pressman, Wendy Tan White, Victoria Ransom, and Julia Hartz.

As Shakespeare might have said if he lived today - To work or not to work - "that is the question"!

"Whether it is nobler in the mind to" (be a mother at home or at work) and "to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune" (no matter which you choose!), 

"Or to take arms against (this) sea of troubles and by opposing, end them"!

Will there ever be an end to this sea of troubles, the role of women in this economy? Sramana Mitra (pictured left), Founder of 1M/1M, has an answer. "You have to have enough self-esteem to make the right decision as it applies to you and not to fulfill somebody else’s expectations". Sramana interviewed several women entrepreneurs who work with their spouses and asked how they were faring. The women were all very different - different backgrounds as well as different types of companies, but one issue was the same, they put their hearts into what they were doing. You should read their stories because they have a lot to say about the "answer" for women looking to fund their startups or trying to work with children. Amy Pressman (pictured right) founded Medallia with her husband; Wendy Tan White founded Moonfruit with hers; Victoria Ransom founded Wildfire with hers; and Julia Hartz founded Eventbrite with hers. Each of these women played a different role in their company and faced different challenges, but they were all successful in their own way.

There is one problem Shakespeare pointed out which I noticed is common to us all. "To sleep, perchance to dream—ay, there's the rub!"As every mother and woman entrepreneur knows, sleep is not an option!

Practically Green, Founded by CEO Susan Stevens, Raises $1Million in Seed Funding

Practically Green, founded by CEO Susan Hunt Stevens who was seeking a green lifestyle in light of her son’s food and environmental allergies, raised $1million in seed financing led by CommonAngel. Practically Green encourages people to make healthy green choices at home and at work. Susan, who holds an MBA from The Tuck School of Business, had been the SVP/General Manager of Boston.com, owned by the New York Times Company. See prnewswire press release.