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Broadening the On-ramp for Women-run Companies

Posts about:

Accelerators

Should a Company that Has Raised an Angel Round Join an Accelerator?

I recently met with one of the female CEOs in whom I’ve invested to encourage her to apply for the MergeLane accelerator. I encouraged her to apply because she is an exceptional entrepreneur who has been making impressive progress with her business. She asked me a great question: “As an investor...

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A Love Letter to MergeLane’s Sponsors

Startup accelerators are growing in numbers in the US and the world. I’m not going to bore you with the granular details of the economics of these programs. Generally the objective is as follows: Make great investments in great companies Offer something special enough to the community that...

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The Art of Playful Accountability for Big Rocks

Every week during our accelerator program, the teams have to choose a “Big Rock” goal for the week. If they don’t meet that goal, they have to do something like sing karaoke during our team meeting or tell an embarrassing childhood story. The MergeLane team plays too. Since we’re trying to help...

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How to Get a VC to Answer a Meeting Request

I, like many active angel investors, receive several meeting requests a day from companies looking for angel funding. As I was going through my inbox today, I started thinking about what separates the best meeting requests from the rest of the pack. When deciding to answer an email from an...

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How to Ask for a Startup Investor Intro

I am asked to make an introduction to people in my network several times per day, but unfortunately, I can’t say yes to most of these requests. I thought it might be helpful to share why. Here it goes: My intros are a reflection on me. Because of this, I typically only make intros when…

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Hey Women: Take up More Space and Ask Brilliant Questions

I woke up in the middle of the night last night – a night that falls toward the end of the inaugural class in the MergeLane accelerator for companies with at least one female leader. Things have gone well. Eight diverse and talented companies that cut across tech, consumer web, and consumer...

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Hey Silicon Valley VCs: We’ve Got 8 Female-led Startups Right Here

We hear it all the time from Silicon Valley VC firms, corporate boards, and the C-suite. It goes something like this: “We WANT to have more women in our ranks, but we just can’t find enough great candidates.” The perception on diversity in pipelines is entrenched, and so long as the seekers...

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MergeLane Demo Day | The Compliments that Made Me Cry

I hate crying almost as much as I hate being labeled as a “female entrepreneur” or a “female investor.” Both of these things make me feel weak and vulnerable, as if I’m somehow not strong enough to play in the major leagues. But if there is one thing I’ve learned on this incredible ride of…

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What You Need to Know to Apply to the 2016 MergeLane Class

With our first program complete, we are excited to put our attention on next year and our second startup cohort. We are hearing from startups all over the world about their interest in our next program. We meet them at our QuickPitch events, and we will be meeting more at MergeLane event...

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Dating Ring, Kindara and Havenly Founders Talk Accelerators: MergeLane Onramp Live

MergeLane is launching Onramp Live to share fantastic insight from startup mentors, angel investors, VCs and exceptional leaders. We’re kicking this off with an interactive online discussion with the founders of Dating Ring (as featured on Gimlet’s StartUp Podcast, Y Combinator Grad), Kindara...

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What Is an Accelerator and Is It Right for Your Startup?

As a mentor for several accelerators, an investor in accelerator participants, and the co-founder of MergeLane, an accelerator for high-growth startups with at least one woman in leadership, I often find myself explaining the ins and outs of startup accelerators. I recently invited...

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The Application for MergeLane 2016 is Open – Apply

Today we opened the application for the second class of the MergeLane accelerator. Our 2016 class — starting on February 1, 2016 – will comprise 10 fantastic startups with least one female in leadership. We could not be more excited about meeting these entrepreneurs.

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MergeLane Runs on Conscious Leadership

There are a number of unique things about MergeLane – the venture fund we launched in 2014. We increasingly think that one of our key unfair advantages is that MergeLane runs on principles of Conscious Leadership.

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MergeLane Accelerator Announces 2016 Startup Cohort

The accelerator for companies with at least one female in leadership welcomes a dynamic batch of new companies. MergeLane, the investment accelerator for companies with at least one female in leadership, today announced its 2016 cohort of ten exceptional startups. MergeLane’s 2016 program...

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The Definitive Guide to Startup Valuation

The valuations set for each round of financing can have significant consequences for startup investors and entrepreneurs. Thanks to new and improved startup resources, it’s now much easier to understand how high startups can value their company. However, the question of how high a startup should...

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A Template for Startup Investment Wire Instructions

I frequently find that entrepreneurs fail to provide all of the information I need to execute a wire to invest in their company. To save time and hassle for entrepreneurs and startup investors everywhere, I’ve created a simple template. See below or download this word doc. You’re welcome.

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The Close: How to Actually Accept an Angel Investment

As an active angel investor and the co-founder of MergeLane, an accelerator and fund focused on companies with at least one woman in leadership, I’ve made 24 investments over the past year. All 24 of those entrepreneurs followed different investment-closing processes, many of which created...

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How Techstars, Foundry, Startup Week and MergeLane Walk the Walk on Startup Diversity

I was recently asked to speak at two Boulder Startup Week sessions on startup diversity to provide my perspective as a female investor with experience investing in women-led companies. Admittedly, when I was asked to speak on these topics, I was a little miffed. Two more invitations to speak...

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MergeLane Announces New Innovation Camp – Apply Now

Most transformative ideas over the past 15 years have come from startups. The freedom to experiment creatively and to fail quickly produces true disruption. Leveraging combined decades of experience by the MergeLane founders in working with leaders on innovation, MergeLane is launching a new...

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Azure Antoinette’s MergeLane Demo Day Opening Poem: “Ordinary” Has Never Been My Goal

2016 Demo Day was kicked off by the formidable, brilliant, and inspiring poet Azure Antoinette. We hope this poem helps to keep you going when your entrepreneurial journey gets tough.

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2017 MergeLane Startup Accelerator Applications Are Open

MergeLane, the accelerator and fund for high-growth startups with at least one woman in leadership, is now accepting applicants for its 2017 accelerator. This program will pair a select cohort of startups with industry-leading mentors and CEO coaches to dramatically increase the startups’ growth...

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New Lifetime Policy: A Money-Back Guarantee on Everything

This post, written by MergeLane co-founder Sue Heilbronner, first appeared at her site. This policy also applies to all MergeLane activities, including our November Women’s Leadership Camp. We wanted to be sure to share her thinking (our thinking) here as well. As of today, I’m formally enacting...

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Turning the Tables: Elizabeth Kraus Interviews Sue Heilbronner, Co-Founders of MergeLane

This episode of the Real Leaders podcast features Elizabeth Kraus and Sue Heilbronner, co-founders of MergeLane, the investment fund and accelerator targeting companies with at least one female in leadership. Here Elizabeth turns the tables on Real Leaders Host Sue by asking her about her goals...

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The Startup Dilemma: Do We Have Time to Accelerate? MergeLane is a Yes

This is a guest post by Ann Stewart Zachwieja, COO of Globig. a MergeLane 2016 Accelerator participant. Those of you leading a startup will recognize the driving pace. There is no such thing as a 40-hour schedule or free weekends. You solve problems in your dreams, Slack ideas to your teammates...

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MergeLane’s High Expectations Help BallotReady Bring Non-Partisan Voter Guides to this Election

This is a guest post by Alex Niemczewski, CEO of BallotReady, a graduate of the 2016 MergeLane accelerator. BallotReady is an online non-partisan voter guide that helpers voters make informed decisions all the way down the ballot. If you live in Illinois, Colorado, California, New York, Ohio...

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MergeLane: A Game Changer for TomboyX

This is a guest post by Fran Dunaway, CEO of TomboyX, a graduate of the MergeLane 2015 Accelerator. TomboyX manufactures and sells clothing and accessories by and for “tomboys.” Over the last year we’ve learned we are more than just a great brand. Our MergeLane experience was a game changer.

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MergeLane’s Third Accelerator Cohort Has It All

It is that time again. The moment when we have the privilege of sharing our upcoming accelerator cohort with the world. We are happy to announce the third MergeLane Accelerator class that will begin on February 12th. We are thrilled to add these exemplary nine companies with at least one female...

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Before You Even Think About Raising Money, Read This

At MergeLane, we (and most of the startup investors I know) subscribe to the philosophy that startup success is determined by team, team, team, market and idea, in that order. We look for incredibly tenacious founders with a track record of making the seemingly impossible possible, a deep passion...

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Podcast with Seth Levine of Foundry Group: One “Middle-aged Guy’s” Reaction to Sexual Harassment in Venture

Hear MergeLane’s Sue Heilbronner and Foundry Group’s Seth Levine in an open and intimate discussion of the sexual harassment news that emerged from Silicon Valley over the last two months. Seth has been an instrumental advisor and personal investor in MergeLane since day one. Foundry has made...

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