The Best Cities For Women Entrepreneurs? It Takes A Lot More Than Promise

 The top 10 cities for women entrepreneurs:

1. San Francisco, CA

San Francisco is well-known for its entrepreneurial climate, particularly in the technology industry.  With nearby Silicon Valley and a whopping 13.7 businesses per 100 residents, the city has plenty of fellow entrepreneurs for networking and collaboration opportunities.  The Bay Area is also home to three of the nation’s most famous businesswomen, Sheryl Sandberg (COO of Facebook), Marissa Mayer (CEO of Yahoo) and Meg Whitman (CEO of Hewlett-Packard).

2. Seattle, WA

Seattle is one of the most highly educated cities and has a correspondingly high median income and low unemployment rate.  With 12.5 businesses per 100 residents, the city is highly entrepreneurial, and women own around 4 of those businesses.

Organizations like CHEW organize events and panels to encourage female entrepreneurs to open their businesses in Seattle.  Seattle is also home to one of the world’s most famous and civic-minded businesswomen, Melinda Gates, as well as rising chef and restaurant entrepreneur Renee Erickson.

3. Washington, DC

Over one-third of businesses in DC are owned by women, meaning that women in this city can find plenty of female coworkers and mentors.  The city provides plenty of resources to women as well, such as the Washington, DC Women’s Business Center.  The organization, partially funded by the SBA, offers trainings, classes and one-on-one consultations.

4. Minneapolis, MN

Minneapolis has the dual benefits of having a very low unemployment rate and an educated workforce.  Additionally, women own almost a third of businesses in Minneapolis.  Minnesotan businesswomen can meet each other and network at quarterly events at Women Entrepreneurs of Minnesota.  The National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) of Minnesota is very active, providing networking and other events, and nearby twin-city Saint Paul-based WomenVenture offers loans and transitional career services.

5. Portland, OR

This laid-back West Coast city has it all: plenty of businesses, a good share of which are owned by women, an educated general populace and a low unemployment rate.  Additionally, organizations like Women Entrepreneurs of Oregon hold plenty of events for women.  Intel is Oregon’s largest employer, and the company has six Oregon campuses as well as a female Executive Vice President, Renee James.

6. Atlanta, GA

Atlanta has plenty of businesses, a third of which are run by women, and an educated population, making it a great city for female entrepreneurs.  Plus, businesswomen can meet at the various networking events and educational programs run by the NAWBO in Atlanta.  The Georgia Mentor Protégé Connection assists women in finding mentors, and the state provides plenty of trainings and networking assistance for women business owners.

7. Austin, TX

Austin is known for its startups—there are almost 11 businesses for every 100 Austin residents.  Austin has a very low unemployment rate of only 6.2%, which is one reason we rated it as the number one city for job seekers.  With organizations like Austin Women in Technology, businesswomen in Austin will have little trouble finding a supportive and knowledgeable community.

8. Raleigh, NC

Raleigh’s low unemployment rate and high number of businesses per person make it a great city for female entrepreneurs.  Entrepreneurs can check out organizations like Raleigh Business and Professional Women for resources.  In addition, the City of Raleigh has adopted a Small Disadvantaged Minority and Women Owned Business Program, promising to award 15% of the city’s contracts to minority-owned and women-owned businesses.

9. Denver, CO

Denver is a highly educated city with plenty of businesses, 30% of which are owned by women.  The Mile High City also has resources for businesswomen through The Entrepreneur Centerat the University of Denver, which provides mentorship and networking opportunities.  The city even hosts Denver Startup Week, a week of trainings, office hours, parties, mentorship and networking events. The week was so successful in 2012 that the city has announced a second year of the program.

10. San Diego, CA

With an educated population, moderately high median income and entrepreneurial atmosphere, San Diego is a great city for women in business.   San Diego female entrepreneurs can access mentors, workshops, networking events and various small business tools through SCORE and the NAWBO.  There are also several startup incubators in the city that help foster entrepreneurs and their ideas, including EvoNexus and the newly launched cybersecurity incubator CyberHive.

Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/meghancasserly/2013/02/27/nerdwallet-best-cities-women-entrepreneurs-more-than-promise/2/ 

Women Entrepreneurs and Access to Finance Program Profiles From Around the World

Women+entrepreneurs+and+access+to+finance from drakansha

Source:http://www1.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/848d0f80488553a0afe4ff6a6515bb18/Women%2BEntrepreneurs%2Band%2BAccess%2Bto%2BFinance.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CACHEID=848d0f80488553a0afe4ff6a6515bb18

Women entrepreneurs: The Silpada success story

THE SILPADA SUCCESS STORY

Silpada jewelry has become a household name for women around the world who love finely crafted sterling silver jewelry that can be brought right to their home. Bonnie Kelly and Teresa Walsh, co-founders of Silpada, built their business on friendship and hard work and are here to share their secrets to both.

Bonnie Kelly and Teresa Walsh, the women behind Silpada, a gorgeous line of sterling silver jewelry, can best be described as a dream team, combining the spirit of entrepreneurship and friendship. SheKnows had a chance to ask them a few questions about the secret to their amazing success and how they went from two mothers with big dreams to the powerhouse they are today.

"Silpada is a business built on friendship. We started out as best friends and went into business wanting to empower women and allow financial freedom."

SheKnows: You have such a great success story. Can you share a little bit about how Silpada began?

Silpada: We first met in 1985 when our oldest of three children started first grade. We had both signed up as room mothers and immediately became the best of friends. After chatting about how we could earn a little extra cash, we tried a few new business ideas. We had a lot of fun, but it wasn't until we each took $25 from our grocery fund and pursued our passion for sterling silver jewelry that we really began to love our "jobs." We started designing our own jewelry creations and hosting what we called "A Fun Ladies' Night Out Playing Dress-up with Jewelry"! Quickly, one party led to another, and it wasn't long before hostesses and customers began telling us, "You look like you are having so much fun. We wish we could have your jobs!" After hearing this again and again, we decided we would start a company where we could offer the opportunity to other people to build their own business while balancing family life.

Silpada Designs officially began in 1997, and we created our exclusive line of Silpada Designs sterling silver jewelry and our very first Silpada Designs catalog. Friends and customers became independent Silpada Designs representatives, and we realized our dreams of running our own business.

SK: Not only are you successful, but you manage friendship and business so well. Any tips on how to maintain a friendship while working together?

Silpada: Silpada is a business built on friendship. We started out as best friends and went into business wanting to empower women and allow financial freedom. We didn't expect our personal relationship and our "Fun Ladies' Night Out" to also inspire such a strong opportunity for friendships. It's been incredible to watch! For us, we've always looked to each other as mentors, so utilize your friendships in that way. As best friends, we know we can always count on one another. And, it's all about having fun!

SK: Do you have a favorite moment in your rise to success?

Silpada: For the last 15 years, we have been inspired on a daily basis when we hear emotional stories from Silpada representatives about how Silpada has changed their lives. It is our greatest success to share the Silpada business opportunity with other women and hear how it has impacted their lives. It gives us chills.

"Discover your strengths and then follow your passion and dreams."

SK: So many try to enter the jewelry industry. What is it about Silpada that has helped you rise to the top?

Silpada: During the first nine years in business, Silpada simply grew organically by word-of-mouth. From day one, we have been focused on building a solid infrastructure, developing the highest-quality jewelry and supporting our representatives and customers in the best way possible — and this continues to be our focus.

Silpada has always been committed to being the best at what it does; that is, it produces the best products possible and provides the best opportunities for its representatives. This underlying philosophy has fueled the phenomenal growth and laid a solid foundation for Silpada's future.

SK: Family, friendship and a successful business... how do you balance it all?

Silpada: Our approach has always been to get it done instead of worrying about it. We prioritize our tasks and aren't afraid to ask for help if necessary. We also have a wonderful support system in our families, each other, friends, representatives and dedicated employees who we can always count on.

SK: If you could give one piece of advice to female entrepreneurs, what would it be?

Silpada: There are a number of preliminary steps you should take before diving into a new business venture. It's important to do something you're good at and make sure there is a need for your product or service by testing the market. For six years prior to starting Silpada, we pursued our passion by helping women reinvent their wardrobes and hosting home jewelry parties.

A few other guiding principles we live by:

• Most likely if you're really passionate about something and willing to put work into it you will be successful.
• Stay open and flexible for what is around the corner.
• Don't be afraid to try something once.
• Discover your strengths and then follow your passion and dreams.
• Remember, passion and fun is contagious.

Source:http://www.sheknows.com/living/articles/982757/women-entrepreneurs-silpada-success-story

Celebrating Female Entrepreneurship With the Seventh Annual Cartier Women's Initiative Awards

I have often been asked how Cartier, with its venerable history and luxury heritage, came to launch a competition to encourage and promote female entrepreneurs in the start-up phase of business: the Cartier Women's Initiative Awards.

Cartier is no stranger to breaking new ground: from pioneering novel jewelry practices to creating the Fondation Cartier, where avant-garde artists work in total freedom and independence, it stays firmly attached to the core values of its founders: creativity, innovation and responsible enterprise.

It all started with a proposal to be involved in the Women's Forum for the Economy and Society, often dubbed the "Davos for Women." We set about thinking how we could make the most of this opportunity with a meaningful contribution. Not a straight corporate sponsorship, but action.

We asked ourselves: what do women need that we could tangibly bring, on a long-term basis, to improve their economic status and social dignity? We wanted a partnership where women can accomplish their own project and make their mark on the world. We wanted a social impact and to encourage the spirit of enterprise. Across the globe, women continue to struggle to be acknowledged as entrepreneurs and business leaders. In report after report comes the same damning conclusion: access to funding, networks and mentorships are major barriers that stand in their way.

As a company with a majority of female staff and management, we knew this was where we could act. It was important that the business be for-profit; charity is one thing but the true drivers of progress and change are economic empowerment and employment. Women-led firms frequently advocate flexibility, social interest and benefits for the community. Those that have competed in the Awards have created over 1,000 direct and indirect jobs around the globe.

We knew we could support the finalists with international visibility and credibility, and we teamed up with McKinsey & Company and INSEAD business school to create a strong network of professionals who could steer our entrepreneurs towards growth. There is also a financial reward of $20,000 for all Laureates, but it is not the biggest draw: over and again the ladies tell us that the coaching is invaluable, a chance for entrepreneurs struggling to wed business with social impact to tap into the knowledge of global players, with terms like "heartening", "enriching" and "inspiring" returning again and again, from finalists and coaches alike. It's wonderful to hear top experts tell us: "We can all learn from these ladies."

Obviously, an international competition draws a broad diversity of candidates; some are business school graduates, some are salaried workers and executives changing course, others never thought they'd run a company but had a great idea and need help making it a sustainable business. That's where the coaching helps, preparing all finalists in the run-up to their presentations with the international Jury of investors, business leaders and professionals, whose tough decisions come with valuable feedback.

This year is the 7th edition on our journey through women's initiatives, which has taken us from sanitation solutions in the slums of Kenya to beauty products farmed by women in Senegal, paperless receipts in the U.S. to hand-made shoes in Indonesia, chemotherapy toxicity treatments in France to engineering courses for children in Lebanon, hospital ward management in Chile or biomass pellets in Bolivia.

It's a real thrill to be part of this ever-growing network of women working for change. Yes, it's a competition, but one in which everyone pitches in together, long beyond the ceremony itself. Past contestants are full of tips about their experience and applications on our social networks. It's all about community and this is one of the things I love most: meeting dynamic women driving such stimulating projects.

The competition is open to women of any age running any business that fulfils the main value criteria: creativity, financial sustainability and social impact. You can apply online and find more information at CartierWomensInitiative.com. Applications for the 2013 edition are open until March 8th. That's International Women's Day. For us, it's very significant.

We look forward to hearing from all you enterprising ladies!

For more information visit :  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christine-borgoltz/cartier-womens-initiative-awards-2013_b_2568337.html

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christine-borgoltz/cartier-womens-initiative-awards-2013_b_2568337.html

Words of Wisdom from 2012's Top Female Entrepreneurs in Emerging Markets

Further dispelling myths and misconceptions about the achievements and participation of women in economies of emerging markets, this free, 22 page, visual eBook, Success Speaks,published by The Way Women Work compiles career and business advice from women entrepreneurs and upcoming professionals from developing and emerging economies across the globe, including Africa..  

Some of the profiled women have already achieved great success and are named among the Top 10 Power Women in Russian, the Arab 100 Most Powerful Women, Top 25 Indian Women Achieves, and among Fortune’s 100 Most Powerful Women. Others are early and upcoming in their careers. They range in age and industry and position. 

What they have in common with you is that they are all striving for increased success and impact. We know you will be inspired by their words of wisdom no matter where you are in your professional or entrepreneurial journey!

From Africa 

Njeri Rionge is entrepreneur, a seasoned corporate director, and Executive Director at Africa Ignite Consulting and Investing Ltd. In Kenya. Nijeri launched a business incubator to nurture and encourage entrepreneurship in Kenya known as the Business Lounge and the ‘Chief Techpreneur’ at Insite Limited, a company that helps businesses harness the power of online technology. Previously she founded East Africa’s first mass market oriented ISP, Wananchi Online (a Swahili word meaning citizen) which made Internet connectivity affordable for the average household for the first time. Njeri grew the business from a typical start-up to become the largest ISP in East Africa. 

Harriet Ng’ok is an Entrepreneur Consultant with Sinapis Group – a Private Equity in Nairobi, Kenya with a focus on African Start-ups. Harriet is involved in a variety of economic and financial consulting with small/medium sized firms and government. 

From Central America 

Celeste North, from Mexico, founded NuFlick, a site for on-demand alternative and indie films focused on the Latin American market. For the past three years she has produced a podcast on entrepreneurship and innovation at Emprende.la, a site she created with two friends to be a resource for tech. She is also a regular contributor at Opinno, a global network of innovation centers. She writes on topics such as startups in Latin American, women entrepreneurs, challenges and trends in entrepreneurship, and more. 

Estefany Marte , General Manager of A.M. Frutas y Vegetales SRL in the Dominican Republic.  Estefany is helping to change Santo Domingo’s fresh fruit landscape by the way she runs her company. She was selected to participate in the U.S. Department of State’s Women’s Entrepreneurship in the Americas (WEAmericas) Initiative and was specifically mentioned by name by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during a speech about the impact of women entrepreneurs. 

From India 

Lynn de Souza is Chairman and CEO of Lintas Media Group in India, one of India’s largest media agencies. Lynn was named in India Today’s list of top 25 women achievers and is a marketing and advertising dynamo with decades of experience and leadership. 

Yeshasvini Ramaswamy, a certified psychometric analyst, is the Founder and Managing Director of e2e People Practices, an Indian leadership audit firm that helps companies achieve business-people alignment. Among the many other awards and recognition she has received, the United States of America State Department, nominated Ms. Yeshasvini to represent India in the prestigious 2012 Fortune Most Powerful Women Program. 

From the Middle East 

Dr. Manar Al Moneef is Managing Director Imagination Breakthrough at Middle East at GE in Saudi Arabia. Dr. Moneef is at heart, an artist who has a Ph.D., in Molecular Oncology and Genetics. Prior to joining GE, Dr. Moneef attended Harvard Business School and was the Director General of Health Care & Life Sciences at Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA). 

Tamara Abdel-Jaber is the founder and CEO of her company, Palma, a fast growing business and technology consulting firm. Palma has  22 full-time employees and 150 contractors across the Middle East. In 2011, Arabian Business Magazine named her one of the 100 Most Powerful Arab Women, and her company, Palma, was recognized as one of the 30 fastest-growing companies in Jordan. 

From Russia

Lyubov Simonova is a Principal at Almaz Capital Partners, a major international technology venture capital firm in Russia with a wide range of investments including in women-led businesses. She was recently named one of the Top Ten Power Women in Russia by The NextWomen magazine. Her professional background includes a role as head of business and strategy development at a private equity firm and at an Internet company.

Taisiya Kudashkina is CEO and C0-Founder of tulp.ru in Russia, the leading Russian reviews site. Tulp is the Russian yelp: a way to share the information about the best local businesses. Tulp has over a 170K reviews and is continuing to grow.

By:  Rania Anderson

Rania Habiby Anderson is the President and Founder of The Way Women Work, an entrepreneur, executive business coach and an angel investor. Throughout her professional life, Rania has been observing, researching, connecting with and guiding the way women work.  As a leading authority on business women in developing and emerging markets Rania works with business women globally and established The Way Women Work as career and business advice site for women in developing and emerging markets. Rania is also the co-founder of the Women’s Capital Connection, the 8th women's angel network in the United States and an equity investor in women-owned businesses.

Source:http://www.thenextwomen.com/2013/01/23/words-wisdom-2012s-top-female-entrepreneurs-emerging-markets

Female Entrepreneur Startup Interview: "The MBA was the Stamp of Approval for my Fundraising"

Virginia Raemy, Founder of Talentpuzzle

Swiss born female entrepreneur Virginia Raemy is fairly relaxed about her new role as founder of start-up Talentpuzzle. “Its fun, I am enjoying it, I can be creative, and I can take full responsibility, and have no boss”.

She has reason to be content. She just received a couple of hundred thousands pounds of funding from the Venrex Fund and the Aspire Fund.. “And I have 2 smaller angel investors on board, because I was running out of cash at that time", she says in a rather laid back manner.

Start of the Company: No US Partner But on Her Own

The idea for the company came about at the end of December 2008 and started its activities in the summer of 2009, after the hedge fund were Virginia assumed a financial role went under.

With 40.000 pounds of her own capital, she started the UK version of  ‘proven concept’ recruitment portal Bountyjobs, but not as a franchise but totally independent as the people from Bountyjobs had indicated to Virginia that they had no interest in starting in the UK.

The proven concept is a disruptive model that puts the employer in first place on the website by starting a tender process for agencies, who then can decide themselves whether they are interested to help fulfil a vacancy. When a vacancy is fulfilled, Talentpuzzle sends out and invoice and keeps 25% of the commission earned by the agency.

The Route to get an Investor on Board

In order to get things going, Victoria wanted to get outside funding. With a working platform, some recruitment firms as clients she started to contact investors. Even though she had no transaction, no placement made, no income and no success, she could show a proven model in the US to convince potential investors. And she could use the word 'disruptive' when describing the business model.

She called upon her network for introductions. Many networking events, business plan presentations, pitching opportunities and conversations followed. She updated the business plan along the route, but the numbers stayed the same.

Q.What do you need as an Entrepreneur looking for Investment?

"Lots of stamina", says Virginia who encountered at least 20 NO’s before she was courted by Venrex, a seed capital investor who also invests in Smython and many offline companies.

Her advisers gave her the credibility to the outside world, and she gave them some equity in return.

Aspire Fund matched the Funding

Q. When Venrex approved the deal, she was able to use the possibility of the women focused Aspire Fund to match the funding. Each put in couple of hundred thousands pounds, while two angels invested alongside.

The Aspire Fund liked the idea from the start, however "its due diligence process with them was long and thorough, before they actually committed the funds", Virginia says.

Q.Who is in the team? Any Adviser or Mentor?

The first year Virginia was by herself with a couple of outside advisers, who received equity.

Currently, she is looking for a mentor who has HR industry knowledge.

Q.Is she offering Hockey Stick returns to Investors?

“Actually, the numbers are put in very conservative”, says Virginia. And she did not take any salary the first year. Her background as financial expert has helped her in drafting her own financials in the business plan. Up till now, Talentpuzzle has done 10 placements, while there are about 50 vacancies on the site.

Q.Any competitors for Talentpuzzle?

In the last year, two UK companies have started a similar concept. But Virginia is not worried at all, as she finds “that there is room for more parties to divide the market share”. In her opinion, the first mover advantage benefits Talentpuzzle, and the marketing efforts of going to trade exhibits, using the HR press routes and lots of networking with start-ups and PR agencies has proven important in this respect.

Q. And the Exit?

“In three years” she says quickly, “that should be sufficient to grow the business for an exit. Although”, she adds, “it will probably be 5 years.”

Q.And did the MBA help her as an entrepreneur?

“It was a stamp of approval”, the female entrepreneur says and adds: “It made the fundraising much easier.

 by Simone Brummelhuis

Source:http://www.thenextwomen.com/2010/02/26/female-entrepreneur-startup-interview-the-mba-was-the-stamp-of-approval-for-my-fundraising

Top Lessons From Exceptional Women Entrepreneurs

There has never been a greater need or time for women to start businesses.  We need their abilities, experiences and skills more than ever in the very competitive world of commerce.  Today I honor and pay tribute to bright women of all ages who have and will undertake a significant risk to launch a flourishing enterprise.  It’s been my great privilege to be associated with many talented female business founders and they deserve my praise and encouragement.  All are remarkable women.

As an angel investor and venture capitalist, it is my pleasure to engage with a growing number of strong woman leaders.  What I admire most about these tremendous executives is their empathy for employees, vendors and customers.  They seem to have a profound ability to understand and feel what’s in the hearts and minds of people.  As such, they tend to be superb communicators and advisors.  In addition, I value their integrity, industry, insight, kind hearts, conviction and superb people skills.  They are deep thinkers.  They are visionary.   They conceive brilliant strategies and can execute them adroitly.

In many ways, they surpass and out hustle their male peers.  They intuitively manage resources, processes and priorities extremely well. Lastly, and most importantly, they understand the marketplace and its customers.  Perhaps it’s an inherent ability, or a learned skill. Whatever the case, I recognize that women are cognizant of nearly any business issue including their thoughts on the needs, feelings, aspirations and desires of consumers.

Amy Rees Anderson is the CEO of Mediconnect Global

Recently, I asked a few high achievers to share with me the lessons they have learned as leaders of thriving businesses. Here are their comments.

Amy Rees Anderson is the award winning CEO of MediConnect Global, a leader in medical record retrieval and management and one of the largest health information exchanges in the country. Here’s her advice:

• Always do the right thing, no matter what the consequences of doing the right thing will be. At the end of the day there is nothing more valuable than your integrity, both in life and ibusiness. Success will come and go but integrity is forever. If you always choose to do the right thing, it won’t matter what the outcome is because you will be successful as a human being in the areas that matter most. That is true success.
•  Great leaders believe in their people. They help each person to see the potential that exists inside of them and they believe in their people’s ability to achieve amazing things.  I have been truly blessed with many great leaders throughout my career.  They inspired me to accomplish all I was capable of, even when I didn’t feel that confidence on my own.
•  I believe in the power of a “goal poster.”  I have had mine from the time I started my first company at the age of 23. When you limit the goals you make visual, you are limiting the possibilities that can come into your life.  We should never limit the picture we have in our heads because God intends us to be a masterpiece!

Cheryl Snapp Conner is the founder of Snapp Conner PR, a highly successful public relations company.

Cheryl Conner is Founder of Snapp Conner PR

• It’s critical to have a strategic perspective, always. Interestingly, I’ve seen research (from Zenger Folkman) that points out that every top line leader – 100% — is exceptionally strong in this trait, whether woman or man. Yet there are many tremendous women executives who never attain the top role due to lack of this trait.
• The mark of a great leader is that they instill and bring out the best in the team they lead. In times of high pressure, that’s an easy thing to forget as leaders revert to the mode of “the CEO will just charge in and fix it.” That’s a mode of operation that shortchanges both yourself and your team.
• The ability to be quiet and listen is a marvelous attribute. Perhaps the most powerful lesson I’ve learned is when to not talk, but just listen. Especially when situations get heated, it’s valuable to remember it’s the person who’s not speaking who’s generally holding 90% of the cards.
•  Never make a key decision in the heat of emotion. The ability to wait, think and consider options before responding allows you to consider what it is you want to happen, and whether what you’re about to do is the best way to arrive at that goal. In that light, chewing somebody out or reacting in anger will almost never make a situation better, and will generally make the outcome much worse.

 Alison Prince is the President and founder of PickYourPlum.com; a fast growing business that caters to the women.

Alison Prince is the Founder of PickYourPlum.com

Blessing lives through positive work experiences, opportunities, and growth have been key ingredients of our success.  Pick Your Plum has created a culture that encourages happiness and hard work. It has become a part of our daily life and helps our ‘Plum’ team be on the same page.

•  We spoil customers and they reward us.  Random acts of kindness, under promising and over delivering with surprise extras has provided us with a faithful clientele.
• Our motto is Stay Positive.  We note that our tasks are challenging. We work long hours. We know that if we concentrate on what’s negative it will show in our performance and results.  As a company, we strive to rise above what troubles us.  Our daily goal is to be happy, productive and focused on the positive.
• We hire the best people and take care of them.  We focus on people who are loyal, share our culture and work hard.
• We are grateful. We are thankful for an opportunity to build a company that blesses the lives of many people.

Alison Wistner is a Director of Mercato Partners, a private equity fund investing in high growth technology and consumer companies.

Allison Wistner is a Director of Mercato Partners

• As an investor in technology companies, I find myself at the intersection of two areas (private equity and technology) that are underrepresented by women at all levels.  Technology companies, senior leadership teams, boards of directors and investment firms have not attracted women in proportion to their participation overall as entrepreneurs or as graduates of business schools. One of of the reasons may be a lack of awareness.
• In technology companies and earlier stage companies, recruiting is often a function of your network and who you’ve worked with in the past/ leadership team or in a Board room but awareness is an interesting topic for women in these fields. The solution for greater diversity is not a quota, but driving awareness that homogenous opinions prohibit good decision making.
• The best leaders recognize that diversity fosters different opinions and leads to better outcomes.  In male dominated industries, there’s a tendency for women to pattern opinions and behavior around male colleagues to help fit in and succeed.  Some of the most impressive female leaders I’ve encountered surround themselves with people who continually challenge their thinking.  Different is good.
• I’ve found that good leaders are also exceptional communicators.  This is not a uniquely female trait, but women leaders are often better at fostering open environments with frequent dialogue with the senior leaders. The culture of a company is incredibly important, and a lack of transparency becomes a foundation for uncertainty and unhappy employees.  Good communicators earn trust and loyalty among a team and foster better collaboration as a result.

Finally, Kathy Caprino, M.A. is Founder/President of Ellia Communications, Inc. — a leading career and executive coaching and training firm.  Kathy is a career coach, writer, Forbes contributor and speaker on women’s careers, and the author of Breakdown, Breakthrough. From Kathy:

Kathy Caprino is Founder and President of Ellia Communications, Inc.

• “Build It and They Will Come” is not a successful business strategy.  No matter how expert you are in your field, if your business model – the way you plan to generate revenue – isn’t viable or doesn’t support financial prosperity and growth, you won’t be successful.  Get the advice and guidance you need to ensure that your products, services and business plan are viable, your market is well defined and reachable, and your understanding of the financial and marketing landscape is what it needs to be.
• Don’t break yourself against “what is” – use it to your advantage, instead.  In these recessionary times, many entrepreneurs face tough challenges that make them rethink how they’re doing business.  Rather than resisting these challenges, and breaking yourself against them, open your eyes, ears and heart and listen to what the market and these challenges are telling you.  Perhaps your prices don’t reflect the value you’re offering, or perhaps you’re marketing to the wrong demographic, or your offerings are too narrow to serve the client base you’ve attracted.  No matter what the challenge is, look at it closely, and don’t disregard the messages your business is trying to share with you. Use the information to the utmost, to make your business and your offerings stronger and more compelling.
• You can’t do this alone – you need “just right” partners.  You need to hire the right partners — individuals you respect and like, and who have the right stuff to bring your business forward exponentially.  In my Forbes coverage and interviews with successful entrepreneurs such as Brendon Burchard, Tory Johnson, Sara Blakely, Sally Hersherger, Mary Lou Quinlan and others, they all share the importance of building a superlative team who 1) gets exactly what you’re trying to do, 2) is on the same page about how you want your business represented, and 3) includes people you respect, enjoy and who can collaborate well.
• Don’t make “failure” an excuse to give up.  Top startup investor and advisor Judy Robinett shares that the most successful entrepreneurial ventures typically fail three times before hitting success.  Unfortunately, women, unlike men, tend to internalize “failure” and struggle with recovering quickly and moving on effectively.  They often don’t understand that failure is an inherent and holistic part of the success, and they give up too soon. Sara Blakely shared that she heard “NO! – it’s not going to work” a hundred times as she moved forward to build her billion dollar empire SPANX.  The key is to recover from failure quickly, readjust, absorb the core lessons, then move forward as a leader who is better, stronger and more committed to your organization’s success.
• If you don’t have confidence, take action and get it.  Many female entrepreneurs compare themselves with other successful businesswomen and think “I don’t have the confidence they do.”  They don’t understand that you build the confidence and self-esteem necessary by taking action – the confidence comes from the action, not the other way around.  As Brendon Burchard, author of the best-selling books The Millionaire Messenger and The Charge, shared with me, confidence comes from our own will – from our deep conviction that we need to be confident for reasons that are core to our lives, our mission and our values, such as: 1) I have to share my voice in the world, 2) This product needs to be out in the world, 3) I have to do this for family, or 4) I’ve got to do this because it will change the world.

I thank each of these women for sharing their lessons. Our business world includes many more like them, and it needs many more. Who are the women entrepreneurs you admire, and what are the traits they exemplify? I welcome your thoughts.

Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/alanhall/2012/07/29/top-lessons-from-exceptional-women-entrepreneurs/http://www.forbes.com/sites/alanhall/2012/07/29/top-lessons-from-exceptional-women-entrepreneurs/

10 Women Entrepreneurs To Watch From Google Ventures' Portfolio Companies

Meet the female founders in the Google Ventures portfolio.

The venture capital arm of Google formed in 2009, Google Ventures has 100+ companies in its portfolio – check out their nifty infographic for 2012 impact and reach with $300M in funds.

Here are 10 women entrepreneurs who have founded companies backed by Google Ventures. These are definitely female founders to watch:

Aigerim Shorman
(CEO & Founder, Triptrotting)
Born and raised in Kazakhstan, Aigerim Shorman is now based in Los Angeles building Triptrotting, a LaunchpadLA and Google Ventures-backed startup connecting like-minded locals and travelers around the world. Follow Aigerim on Twitter at @AigerimD.

Anne Wojcicki
(CEO & Co-Founder, 23andMe)
After 10 years of healthcare investing, Anne Wojcicki hoped that she could have a positive impact on research and medicine – enter 23andMe, a Google Ventures-backed personal genetics company. Follow her startup on Twitter at @23andMe.

Holly Liu
(Chief Of Staff & Co-Founder, Kabam)
Leader of the people org Holly Liu is a co-founder of Google Ventures-backed Kabam, a social gaming company. Previously, she was in charge of design of all the products including Kingdoms of Camelot. Follow her startup on Twitter at @kabam.

Jennifer Fremont-Smith
(CEO & Co-Founder, Smarterer)
Serial entrepreneur Jennifer Fremont-Smith is CEO at Smarterer, a Boston-based Google Ventures-backed startup that tests people on digital, social & technical skills. Before Smarterer, she founded AnswerSmart and OnDemandCRM. Follow Jennifer on Twitter at @jfremontsmith.

Jennifer Lum
(CEO & Co-Founder, Adelphic Mobile)
Mobile entrepreneur Jennifer Lum is CEO Adelphic Mobile, a Google Ventures company. She was a core member of Quattro Wireless (acquired by Apple) and m-Qube (acquired by VeriSign), and co-founded Apricot Capital. Follow Jennifer on Twitter at @jenniferlum.

Joselle Ho
(Creative Director & Co-Founder, Miso Media)
Creative Director Joselle Ho of Google Ventures-backed Miso Media recently celebrated her five-year anniversary working on the Venice-based music education startup that makes learning an instrument fun and easy. Follow Joselle on Twitter at @joselleho.

Lauren McDevitt
(CEO & Co-Founder, Wantworthy)
A NYC TechStars alum and Google Ventures-backed company,Wantworthy was co-founded by Lauren McDevitt. She loves building new things that solve real problems and is interested in building great products. Follow Lauren on Twitter at @laurenmcdevitt.

Shana Zheng
(Co-CEO & Co-Founder, Triptrotting)
Hailing from Inner Mongolia and the Midwest US, Shana Zhengis now based in Los Angeles building Triptrotting, a LaunchpadLA and Google Ventures-backed startup connecting like-minded locals and travelers around the world. Follow Shana on Twitter at@ShanaZheng.

Sharmila Shahani-Mulligan
(CEO & Co-Founder, ClearStory Data)
After 18+ years building software companies including Netscape, Kiva Software, AOL, Opsware, and Aster Data, Sharmila Shahani-Mulligan founded ClearStory Data. She is is on the board of Hadapt and Lattice Engines. Follow Sharmila on Twitter at @ShahaniMulligan.

Shereen Shermak
(VP Product Management & Co-Founder, Buyside FX)
With a track record in finance startups, Shereen Shermak is bringing transparency to the Foreign Exchange industry withBuyside FX, a Google Ventures company. Her first startup was Fashionplaytes, which she co-founded with Sarah McIlroy and has raised $5.5M Series A.

The investor to watch from Google Ventures is Rich Miner, better known as the co-founder of Android. The Boston-based venture capitalist sourced female-founded deals Adelphic Mobile, Buyside FX and Wantworthy for Google Ventures, bringing them into the fold of its portfolio companies.

Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/women2/2013/01/08/10-women-entrepreneurs-to-watch-from-google-ventures-portfolio-companies/