Triangle Startup Weekend: Women is bringing together guest speakers and mentors starting Friday to help female entrepreneurs launch and grow new businesses.

As part of the program, the organizers have partnered with Marbles Kids Museum to make sure parents can focus on entrepreneurship while children can have fun and learn at the same time.

TSW: Women begins Friday night, Oct. 10, and concludes Sunday.

Marbles Kids Museum, which recently opened two new STEM-focused exhibits focused on providing children aged 10 and younger an opportunity to learn, play and gain hands-on experience, will provide free family passes to all attendees of Triangle Startup Weekend: Women.

“Marbles is excited to partner with Triangle Startup Weekend on this celebration of entrepreneurship,” said Pam Hartley, vice president of play experience at Marbles Kids Museum. “Today’s entrepreneurial men and women will share their innovative ideas at the event, and the future’s entrepreneurs will spark knowledge here at Marbles.”

Other benefits include vouchers to the weekend’s MAXrewind: Retro Movies at the Marbles IMAX movie theater, a MakeShop on October 12, and a pumpkin carving activity on October 11.

The Triangle Startup Weekend: Women event seeks to achieve a 1:1 ratio of women to men within their attendees. As with all Startup Weekends, an initiative led by UP Global, attendees will form companies and build prototypes throughout the weekend, culminating in a pitch contest on Sunday.

Three female executives are serving as judges for the startups:

  • Kathryn James, Program Director at Blackstone Entrepreneurs Network North Carolina

“James is the Program Director for Blackstone Entrepreneurs Network North Carolina, bringing more than 25 years of software development, client service, sales and start-up executive management experience.

“Most recently, Kathryn has been a founding member of a privately owned start-up focusing on the continuing care retirement community. Prior to that she was the Director of Entrepreneurship at CED and, the co-founder of several businesses and startups focused on sustainability and software. She has held senior management roles in high tech startups in the Triangle and in California. She started her career working in software development and implementation, followed by business organization, merger integration and strategy consulting for international clients at Accenture. Her entrepreneurial life started in building business infrastructure for gazelle companies while growing Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneurial Consulting practice in San Jose.

“Kathryn has a BS in Computer Science from Western Michigan University and an MLA from North Carolina State University. She brings great experience and community contacts to our Network.”

 

  • Brooks Bell, Founder and CEO at Brooks Bell

“Bell is the founder and CEO of Brooks Bell Inc., the premier firm focused exclusively on enterprise-level testing, personalization, and optimization services. She launched the company in 2003 by combining her study of psychology with a passion for digital design. In doing so, Brooks became a pioneer in bringing the scientific disciplines of A/B testing and optimization to the traditionally subjective field of marketing. A passionate entrepreneur, Brooks co-founded HQ Raleigh and ThinkHouse Raleigh— two communities that help empower, foster, and cultivate companies that produce long-term job growth and positive social impact.”

 

  • Malaika Mose, Product Manager, Enterprise Technologist, Digital Strategist

“Paquiot-Mose is a Senior Product Manager of Information Integration at IBM. She has over 11 years experience in data management, starting off as a developer, then moving to management. Her functional experience includes product management and LEAN product development. She has domain expertise in information integration, data warehousing, Big Data, enterprise database, middleware, SOA, media and entertainment specifically online video and new media. She has been known to participate in the occasional hackathon and her favourite baked goods include Britts donuts, in case you were wondering.”