Women's Leadership Blog

Great contests for (women) entrepreneurs and help getting into them...

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As I've been organizing FWL's new entrepreneurship program- Become a Fearless Entrepreneur- I've been stumbling across some other great programs and resources for entrepreneurs. With deadlines coming up fairly soon for some of them I wanted to share. 

The most interesting, and only new, offering I've seen this week is from Pink Garage Mentors.  Pink Garage Mentors are experienced founders, VCs and C-level women execs who have volunteered to help women interested in applying for start-up tech incubators.  Mentors will read your application pre-submission, help you refine it, and provide virtual coaching to serious applicants.  Their focus is on getting more women into the upcoming Y Combinator and TechStars rounds (and if you haven't heard of those programs, you'll want to keep reading!)  If you would like a mentor for your summer 2009 TechStars and/or Y Combinator application, email pinkgaragementors at gmail.com with a copy of your application and they will match you with a mentor.  Read more at:

patty.vox.com

or

www.adventurista.com

Now that you have a free mentor, you need to know where you're applying.  The two upcoming deadlines are for incubator programs Y Combinator and TechStars. These programs are high profile, because they're national, widely known and respected, and because they award the winners with intensite mentoring AND money.  Usually you get one or the other, if you're lucky.  

Some people knock them because they take a "small" percentage of your company (6-9% generally) or because they're not "real VCs" but my personal opinion is that anything that helps you get your business off the ground if you otherwise might not be able to, is worth under 10%.  I also have friends that are Y Combinator alumns and they have nothing but great things to say about the program...And VC funding.  And an amazing product.

For more info:

Y Combinator

Techstars

To see what a finished Y Combinator site looks like, check out:

Posterous

Finally, these resources are for women interested only in tech start-ups who are fairly far along in their start-up business process, and they're very competitive. I encourage everyone interested in entrepreneurship- off all kinds, not just tech! - to check out our upcoming entrepreneurship program.  Our next informational session is March 2nd and you can register on the Future Women Leaders website or click below:

Become a Fearless Entrepreneur NOW!