Likes & Launch
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WEFestival describes itself as “An event for women entrepreneurs” but it should say THE EVENT for Women Entrepreneurs.
I attended the event two years ago and assumed it would be similar to most conferences: listen in a big room, hear from only the top 1% of leaders without a lot of actionable steps, lots of business cards with little connection. NOT THIS CONFERENCE.
The speakers were fantastic, all coming from different areas of entrepreneurship, not just tech or small business or finance, a true cross section. It’s a great way to gain insights from other industries to apply to your own. It helps you stop to think outside of your own domain and learn something new.
WE Festival builds out time to connect and to learn about the other people in the room. The attendees were just as impressive as the people on stage and the organizers recognized that. Opening time to networking and opening all sessions to questions were key decisions to facilitate those conversations.
The best part, even two years after the event I’m still connected to many of the women I met at WE Festival. They’ve reached out to offer advice and ask questions; It’s a bond I’ve rarely found after most conferences. Of the twenty close connections I made that day, I’ve seen women grow their businesses 10x, pivot business models, land big contracts, or raise capital. I’ve also seen them change careers, get promotions and take on more mentorship roles in the community. The caliber of attendees is unmatched and their ongoing success only improves the WE community over time.
Congrats to Joanne, Susan and the WE Festival team on continuing a great event.
If you are a women entrepreneur or know someone who is, apply to the 2016 WE Festival in NYC. There are 400 spots so spread the word to the women you know who could benefit from an event dedicated to: finding inspiration, revisiting their company vision, learning from the many leaders who’ve done it before, and making lasting connections.
I hope to see you there!
Chicago is not New York Tech.
I moved there in 2011 after we took funding from Lightbank. I was leaving behind friends, a great apartment and a bustling tech community in NYC. It was tough at first but most of my time was quickly consumed with building our business. My day consisted mostly of waking up, going to work, eating three meals there, working out and heading home. Not much of a social life to say the least.
I did go to a few Meetups and events to meet others in the Chicago tech community and to think about something other than gtrot. I met a few core friends in tech, much like the circle I knew in NYC, and we tried our best to get together more than once a month. It was working, but it still felt like the community was missing a space to share all of the amazing things being built in Chicago.
I remember telling a few people that the NY Tech Meetup in NYC was a great way to showcase companies and meet up regularly with friends in the community. I couldn’t find it in Chicago but I kept encouraging others, those with more free time, to consider starting such a meet up in Chicago.
I asked, I encouraged, and I waited.
Nothing. No one was interested in starting a Meetup, they didn’t see how it was different. I wasn’t able to convince them.
Still wanting a community to be part of, with meetups every month, I decided to start it myself. It was something I wanted to exist so I decided to try it out.
A few emails and a few favors from people I knew in the community, we hosted our first event at NAVTEQ in Chicago. Just like NYTECH Meetup, we charged $10 to ensure attendance. We hoped for 50 people, we had 120 show up. Event one was profitable. There were company demos, pizza and beer and plenty to time to network at the end.
Here were two photos from the first event:
Startup Stella demoing FeeFighters.
Seth sharing lessons learned from his media company, Technori.
I was excited to see so many people connecting and to be able to be a part of the community I was seeking.
People started to ask about the next one. Could they demo? Would there be a bigger space? When could they get tickets?
I was willing to get the Meetup off the ground, but I was weary of adding more work to an already full plate. I wanted it to exist, but I didn’t necessarily want to run it.
A second event was scheduled, but before the next one, I had offers to combine forces or find a new home for the growing community. My proof of concept was a success and others took notice.
I got an offer from Technori, and happily sold the *profitable* business. It was a win for the community, to have professionals taking over and a win for me , because now I could be part of the community I wanted, without working on the logistics.
Chicago Tech Meetup went on to become a key part of Technori. They took it from a group of a few hundred to 21,000+. Their events quickly started selling out spaces with room for 400+. It went from a small idea to a huge anchor in Chicago. I’m so excited that it’s thrived so well and grown far beyond what we ever expected.
Tonight marks Technori’s 50th Meetup. If you live in Chicago or know someone who does, I’d encourage you to share this invitation. It’s going to be a great event, including a keynote from Kickstarter’s own Charles Adler.
I’m a firm believer in the power of connecting people to solve problems. Whether in person or online, I’ve always found that you can strengthen a community or a city by giving people places to connect. I’m thrilled to see that Technori is doing that in Chicago, and now expanding to other great entrepreneurial cities.
Congratulations to Technori! Cheers to the next 50!