Laura Evans to Judge at Fast Pitch

Women Founders Network: Building the Female Entrepreneur Ecosystem

The focus and goal of WFN is to connect women founders building high-growth businesses not only with the required capital but also with the resources, connections, mentorship and sponsorship that they need to grow scalable, transformative, successful businesses. WFN has awarded and directly invested $485,000 in women-founded companies in the past four years, and alumni have gone on to raise over $30 million in funding. Visit us online at http://womenfoundersnetwork.com.

Annual Fast Pitch Competition – Applications accepted May 1-June 1

Women entrepreneurs are invited to apply via our website to compete in our annual competition for a prize package of cash and in-kind professional services. Through two rounds of voting, the top 10 entrepreneurs are selected to present their companies at the Fast Pitch event in Los Angeles for the final voting round. Last year’s winner (Genneve) received $30,000 in cash + professional services and all finalists received service awards. All top 10 finalists also receive others perks such as individualized pitch coaching and mentoring. We have a Junior Judges program for girls between 10-18 years old that provides educational sessions to prepare them to vote at the Fast Pitch event. The girls selected their winner and presented a $5,000 sponsored cash award. Our deck and a copy of the press release announcing the 2016 top 5 winners is attached.

WFN 2017 Fast Pitch Event & Female Funders Forum

October 19, 2017

California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) at UCLA, 570 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095

Our first annual Female Funders Forum will take place October 19^th from 4:00-5:00pm at UCLA, immediately prior to the Fast Pitch Event. This private invitation-only event is intended for angel investors, VCs, and others who support women founders (e.g., accelerators). It will allow us to explore opportunities for collaboration toward our common goals and how we can work together to advance gender equity. We will also provide all guests with pitch decks of our top 10 entrepreneur finalists prior to the event.

Program Agenda:

4:00-5:00pm – Female Funders Forum – invitation only (CNSI 5^th flr conference room)

5:00-6:00pm – Check-in/Networking Reception for Fast Pitch Event (CNSI Lobby)

Program begins – CNSI Auditorium

6:00-6:15 – Opening remarks

6:15-8:15 – Fast Pitch Presentations by Top 10 (5 min PPT/5 min Q&A with judges)

8:15-9:00 – Networking/Visit Vendor Tables; Judges and Jr. Judges vote in conference rooms

9:00-9:30 – All guests return to auditorium for announcement of winners/award presentations

For more information and to register, click here