We’re moving beyond conversation and taking action.
That was my first thought when I walked out of Sunday’s Triangle Startup Weekend Women pitch event, the culmination of 48 hours of dreaming up, exploring and building new businesses. The event drew more than 60 participants, mostly women, but with a wide variety of experiences. There were college freshmen, serial entrepreneurs, fashion designers, a Teach for America grad, N.C. State professor, developers, data scientists, immigrants.
Their ideas were impactful, tackling food deserts and food allergies, teacher preparedness and sustainability accountability. They provide opportunity to undocumented immigrants and musicians and career alternatives for those who can’t afford college. Some brainstormed tools for busy families, lives and travelers. One is an effort to build civic pride and knowledge in Raleigh citizens. Another helps us build trust as we transact business online.
It felt different than the two events I attended (and wrote about) earlier this year in which women discussed the challenges they face in starting companies in a male-dominated startup world. We talked about better supporting woman entrepreneurs back then. Now, we’re doing it.
*We’re identifying and empowering leaders. I’m talking about co-organizer Archana Gowda, who attended her first Startup Weekend just over a year ago, then completed UP Global’s Next accelerator. She’ll facilitate her first Startup Weekend in Greenville, SC this weekend. ExitEvent writer Amy Huffman is a new startup enthusiast who jumped right onto the TSW organizing team. And Lizzy Hazeltine, who got her feet wet as internship and program director for UNC’s e-minor program, is one week into her new role as venture advisor at The Startup Factory. She’s already expressed a desire to have a TSW company make the accelerator’s 2015 cut.
Michelle Harper of Akili Software (a Citrix Accelerator startup) and Sophia Hyder of Evolvemint (a ThinkHouse fellow) are first-time founders who took time from building their own startups to lead teams to first and second place finishes at TSW. Harper’s team (pictured above) took first for SmartEats, an app inspired by her food allergies and a recent costly ER visit that helps allergic consumers find safe items to eat at restaurants. Hyder’s Papilia (meaning butterfly) app helps travelers determine what to pack for trips, factoring length of visit, weather, activities and cultural norms.
And co-organizer Liz Tracy of HQ Raleigh and marketing expert Melissa Kennedy (pictured below) get credit for leading the effort to create TSW back in April, and rallying volunteers and supporters.
