Did you know, between 1997 and 2014, the number of women-owned businesses in the U.S. rose by 68%, twice the growth rate for men and nearly one and a-half times the rate for all companies, yet only about 7% of investor money goes to women-led startups. It’s time to change that statistic! The upcoming Startup Weekend Women’s Edition in Sacramento is aiming to increase that growth rate here locally and help women launch their business ideas into successful startups.
If you’re not convinced that Startup Weekend can help you launch a successful business, just ask Cinde Dolphin, founder of Kili Medical Drain Carriers which was launched at the 2014 Sacramento Startup Weekend Women’s Edition.
I sat down with Cinde over coffee recently to get her perspective on how Startup Weekend helped her launch her business.
How long have you been working on your startup?
The notion came to mind about three and half years ago and then when I attended the Women’s Edition Startup Weekend it actually became more of a company and a product. That was about three years ago.
What did you learn from participating in Startup Weekend Women’s Edition in 2014?
Collaboration works. Having a team of people solve a problem made it much more efficient and effective for the product that I needed to present to the marketplace.
How did what you learn propel your startup forward?
Because it was a brand new category, I needed to learn how to present it to my potential customers and having a variety and diverse group of individuals, we were able to explore all the different platforms that would be appropriate for this product.
What kind of advice can you offer to those interested in exploring a startup idea but are feeling held back?
Jump in! Bring your idea, explore it with other people. Make it a priority for you to learn while you’re at Women’s Edition even if your idea isn’t selected.
There you have it. No excuses. It’s time to launch your idea and get the help and collaboration from fellow attendees, mentors, and organizers.
When: Friday – Sunday, February 9 – 11
Where: Capitol Event Center, 1020 11th Street Sacramento, CA 95814
Register: http://communities.techstars.com/usa/sacramento/startup-weekend/11476
Startup Weekend Women’s Edition is a welcoming and supportive environment for women to:
- Develop new ideas into reality
- Strengthen valuable leadership and networking skills
- Receive beneficial coaching from local startup and tech experts
- Winners have an opportunity to be featured as one of Techstar’s Global Startup Weekend highlight
More details about the event:
- The February event will be the second ever Women’s Startup Weekend in Sacramento.
- Keynote speaker is Aye Moah, Chief of Product & CoFounder of Boomerang
- Attendees have access to over 20 mentors throughout the weekend, all part of the area’s startup community.
- Hands-on learning, networking, trying new skills, and a chance to win prizes to help your new startup get off the ground.
