Editor, Author at Women 2.0

Crowdsourcing Empowers Answer Underground App For Improved College Learning

Editor9 August 2012

Our college-aged children are addicted to their mobile phones. They text thousands of times monthly, and even surf their devices to look up information during class. By Sallie Severns (Founder, Answer Underground)

Let’s face this cell phone addiction. It's not going away. We must harvest it to empower students to better their grades – by providing students free homework help regardless of location or economic situation.

That's why this spring I launched the Answer Underground iPhone app, a powerful crowdsourcing tool that literally puts fellow students and professors in one's hip pocket. Answer Underground is based on the idea that collaboration is fundamental to the learning experience. And the metrics

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Affectiva, Co-Founded By CTO Rana El Kaliouby And Rosalind Picard, Raises $12M Series C

Editor8 August 2012

Commercializing new technology by working with graduate students and professors is a good way to start building a business. By Angie Chang (Co-Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Women 2.0)

Spun out of MIT Media Lab, Affectiva provides emotion measurement and communications technology for marketers and clinical researchers. Affectiva products include Q (a wearable biosensor wristband) and Affdex (facial expression recognition technology). Affectiva raised $12M last month, raising a total of $20M to date.

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College Interns At Startup Companies

Editor8 August 2012

As women in startups, we are highly under represented and as the theme of the 2012 Olympics, women of this generation of startups need to pass on the torch. By Asia Quan (Marketing & Business Development Associate, HealthSouk)

As college students, we are the leaders of tomorrow. We are also leaders of today when offered the opportunity. Our outlook brings about the most advanced and unique ideas.

Startups create and develop products off of the most innovative ideas. This makes startups and college students the perfect match.

Here are the reasons startups need college students - and college students need startups:

First of all, startups need college students as their consumers. As college students, we constantly use the newest

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Care.com CEO Sheila Lirio Marcelo Raises $50M Series E Funding

Editor8 August 2012

Institutional Venture Partners and others invest $50M in Care.com, founded by Sheila Lirio Marcelo. By Angie Chang (Co-Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Women 2.0)

PITCH 2012 conference speaker Sheila Lirio Marcelo, CEO of Care.com, raised $50M in Series E funding led by Institutional Venture Partners (IVP) with participation from existing investors Matrix Partners, NEA and Trinity Ventures. IVP's General Partner Sandy Miller joins the board of Care.com as a result of the additional funding.

To date, Care.com has raised $101M in venture funding since being founded in 2006 by CEO Sheila Lirio Marcelo. The TechCrunch funding announcement whispers of a coming IPO for Care.com which will be exciting...

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7 Tips For Accelerating The Rise Of Female Business Executives

Editor8 August 2012

From Mojiva's women executives, tips for success in the world of go-getting business. By Amy Vale (VP of Global Research and Strategic Communications, Mojiva)

There’s been a lot of conversation around Marissa Mayer’s CEO appointment at Yahoo! Beyond her pregnant status or predictions on performance, one trend seems to be taking root - the glass ceiling is being chipped away at an accelerating pace these days with high profile positions leading the way. But, what about the everyday achievements of women in tech?

Mojiva, a mobile-first global advertising display company offering both a mobile ad network (Mojiva), and a mobile ad-serving platform (Mocean Mobile), is a company that has not one or two, but seven female executives at the helm.

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Geek Squad Exec: What Happens If More Of Our Innovators Are Women?

Editor7 August 2012

"At every camp we bring on instructors and helpers - usually about 40 Best Buy employees per camp - who are local employees and get to work with kids and people from their own communities," Moira Hardek says. By Ann Bednarz (Contributor, Network World)

"Technology is great, but what happens if more of our innovators are women? Or come from economically disadvantaged areas?" says Moira Hardek, who's senior manager of Geek Squad Academy. "The tech field as a whole definitely needs a different point of view, it needs new innovators, and it needs its innovators to look different from the innovators we've seen in the past."

To put on the camps, Hardek works year-round with a core team of six people who create content and plan the logistics of each venue. During the summer months, she adds another 10 to 12 field employees who travel with the team and help run the camps.

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Building The Business Case For Online And Mobile Privacy

Editor7 August 2012

1 in 3 have entirely stopped doing business with certain online companies due to privacy concerns. By Alexandra Ross (Senior Counsel, Paragon Legal)

Do online and mobile businesses that utilize robust privacy and security practices enjoy a competitive advantage? In these areas of technology where clear legal guidance is still emerging, how should companies make strategic decisions regarding their privacy practices? Well, a few recent privacy studies may help answer these questions and build the business case for privacy.

Over the past several years, we’ve seen regulators, privacy watchdog groups and the press focus their attention on privacy. Now, more aware and educated consumers are determining how and when to engage with business in part based on their level of trust

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Code For Oakland: The Most Diverse Hackathon Ever

Editor7 August 2012

Hackathons have always been creative. They remind me of spontaneous music jams - only instead of drummers and saxophonists, we gather as product managers, UI designers and coders. By Romy Ilano (Founder, Snowyla)

Sometimes people ask me why I go to so many hackathons... "Isn't it a lot of work?" I just laugh, because I feel like this is such fun to me. Who wouldn't want to spend a weekend meeting smart, passionate people pushing forward to make stuff for the world to use? This is fun!

Nowadays hackathons have diversified, and there are Government 2.0 hackathons. Yes, government!

Code for Oakland celebrated its second year this July, and it was one of a new breed of Government 2.0 hackathons

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Learn From Leaders Of Product Innovation: Women 2.0 PITCH 2012 Videos Now Available Online

Editor7 August 2012

For $30, get full access to Women 2.0 premium videos for the next 30 days online. By Shaherose Charania (Co-Founder & CEO, Women 2.0)

We have exclusive videos from PITCH 2012, our 1000 person conference last February in Silicon Valley. We recorded all the conference talks, panels and pitches for you so you can pop some popcorn and make it a night of learning and inspiration.

We are excited to be sharing this exclusive content with you. A 30 day subscription to premium Women 2.0 videos will give you access to 6 videos - that's 3 hours of great talks - from female founders including Zipcar’s Robin Chase, Care.com’s Sheila Lirio Marcelo (pictured), Chomp’s Cathy Edwards (acquired by Apple)

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A Father’s Influence On MonkeyWish, The Digital Answer To Gifting

Editor7 August 2012

My enthusiasm for entrepreneurship started at a young age and was sparked by my father. By Kristi Taylor (Founder, MonkeyWish)

Behind every great entrepreneur, there is an even greater family. That’s my belief. From childhood through my years as a wife and mother, family has played an integral role in the pursuit of passion. It began when I was young. Just as most parents do, my mother and father instilled within me the belief that I could do anything I set my mind to. They reminded me every day that there are no limits. With their continued support, along with the support of my children and husband, I was able to develop the universal gift registry, MonkeyWish.

My enthusiasm for entrepreneurship started at a young age and was sparked by my father. He owned a self-storage facility

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From Your “Forty-Godmother” – Here Are 3 Tips For A 20-Something

Editor6 August 2012

This week's 3 tips from one generation to another - from your "Forty-Godmother." By Christina Vuleta (Founder, 40:20)

Women in their forties today are part of the first wave of women to grow up with more choices. We have seen the consequences of delaying marriage, fore-going childbirth or following an unexpected career path in large numbers. And while we all have made different decisions, what we all have in common by the time we hit our forties is the comfort of finally making decisions that are right for us.

We feel stronger, sexier and smarter than ever. We may still have shit happen to us, but we now know “shit happens” and we have a whole vault of experiences and strength to

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This Is What An Angel Investor Looks Like – Joanne Chang

Editor6 August 2012

Women 2.0 profiles women angel investors in our "This Is What An Angel Investor Looks Like" series. By Angie Chang (Co-Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Women 2.0)

Chicago-based Joanne Chang is a healthcare angel investor and advisor with companies in stealth and early-stage mode.

She holds a joint MBA-MS degree in healthcare, clinical sciences and general management from Harvard and MIT.

While Joanne is best known as a Chicago-based healthcare angel investor, she invests in areas outside of Chicago - and in consumer as well. Find out more about the healthcare angel investor below:

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Is It Time To Rethink The Stigma For Tech Companies Led By Couples?

Editor6 August 2012

Two other recent acquisitions by companies led by couples: Kush sold to Smule, and Yell bought Moonfruit. By Liz Gannes (Writer, AllThingsD)

Romantically involved tech company co-founders are having a good year.

In the past four months of big-ticket tech exits, Wildfire, co-founded and led by the engaged couple Victoria Ransom (CEO) and Alain Chuard (head of product management), was bought by Google for at least $250 million; Michael (CEO) and Kass (COO) Lazerow’s Buddy Media sold to Salesforce for $745 million-plus; and LinkedIn purchased married couple Rashmi Sinha (CEO) and Jon Boutelle (CTO)’s SlideShare for $119 million.

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Low-Cost Ways To Earn “Brand Bragging Rights” Using Your Existing Products And Services

Editor6 August 2012

Women 2.0 readers save $150 on the Smarter Branding For Startups class for creating a powerful brand. By Brenda Bence (Instructor, Udemy)

Bragging rights – everybody wants them. But when it comes to your brand, do you honestly have them? How confident are you that your products or services are truly superior to your competition?

If your answer is “not that confident…”, then hang with me. I’ll share some ideas for how to create a perception of superiority even if your products and services are the same as your competitors.
If your answer is “very confident!” then it’s key to get your products or services in the hands of potential customers, even if it means you have to give the away for free.... Read More...

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How Long Is Your Startup’s Runway?

Editor5 August 2012

Why runway is one of the most important things for a startup founder. By Florence Lowe (Founder & CEO, SQBlueSky)

From a simple Google search:

Noun: run·way [ruhn-wey] 1. Strip of hard ground along which aircraft take off & land. 2. Raised aisle extending into the audience from a stage.

Let me suggest a third definition.

3. The amount of time a startup founder has to figure it out and make it happen before they have to give up and go find a job.
... Read More...

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