An Inside Look at Capital Factory’s Women in Tech Summit
Over 500 tech executives, startup founders, investors and aspiring entrepreneurs came together for an unforgettable day of in-depth discussions, workshops and a $200,000 surprise.
On Monday, October 1 — the first day of Austin Startup Week — more than 500 women and male allies came together to celebrate, elevate and inspire one another. The Women in Tech Summit, produced by Capital Factory in partnership with DivInc and Women@Austin, included programming that ranged from an empowering Google workshop, to a pitch competition for the chance to win a $100,000 Investment.
Speakers included President and CEO of Huston-Tillotson University Dr. Colette Pierce Burnette, Founding General Partner of True Wealth Ventures Sara T Brand, CEO and Founder of EverlyWell Julia Cheek and a fireside chat with Capital Factory Co-founder and Director of Diversity & Inclusion Mellie Price and Bumble COO Sarah Jones Simmer.
Take an inside look:
VP of Product at Optimizely Claire Vo kicked off the first discussion of the day “Leading the Team: Being the Boss” which was followed by “How to Raise Seed Capital” led by Investment Director at Shell Ventures Kirk Coburn, “Advocating for Yourself” lead by health care executive, board member and innovator Cindy Kent, and “Women in Deep Tech” led by Principal Data Scientist at Valkyrie Intelligence Dr. Meredith Butterfield.
The Summit also included a 90-minute #IAmRemarkable workshop — part of a Google initiative to empower women and underrepresented groups by highlighting “the importance of self promotion in their careers” — which culminated in attendees sharing their own experiences and accomplishments.
Throughout the day, attendees shared some of their favorite moments from the Summit across social media.
The Summit culminated with the exciting $100,000 Investment Challenge, which saw nearly 100 startups with female founders apply for the chance to be one of six companies to pitch at the Women in Tech Summit. Dr. Elizabeth Truong, Co-founder and Chief Clinical Officer of Cloud 9 who won the $100,000 Smart Cities Challenge, shared her own experience before announcing the winner.
Benincasa Milano, DearDuck, EverThread and PraxisMetrics were among the six finalists who pitched their startups, but in a surprise twist, both The Mentor Method and Rectify took home $100,000 prizes — because two winners are better than one!
All six companies were extended an invitation to join Capital Factory’s Accelerator program and, thanks to the Hatch program by Digital Ocean, the finalists received $75k in cloud credits with the winners receiving $150k in credits.
More than anything, the Summit was an unforgettable event for everyone involved, and like all events at Capital Factory, it was about building community and making connections.
Interested in being a part of Capital Factory’s diversity and inclusion initiatives? Email us at diversity@capitalfactory.com
View photos from the Women in Tech Summit here
Want to get more involved?
There are many ways to get plugged into Capital Factory, here are just a few:
- Sign up for our Austin Tech Live Newsletter or Dallas Tech Live Newsletter
- Follow @CFWoman & @CFDiversity on Twitter
- Host your next event at Capital Factory
- Apply to our Accelerator
- Become a mentor or coworking member
Up next at Capital Factory!
Inclusive Innovation Summit — Thursday, November 1
What is Inclusive Innovation? Find out from Austin’s best entrepreneurs and executives who are shaping the landscape of tomorrow’s companies in an inclusive and empathetic manner. This full day of insightful panels, interactive workshops, and networking is presented by Capital Factory and The Center of Inclusive Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of Texas.
Latinx Tech Summit — Saturday, December 1
Presented by the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) in partnership with Capital Factory and Prospanica Texas, this engaging, full day summit is the premier destination for Latinx tech leaders, designers, innovators, corporate and government leaders, and scholars. The best and brightest in Latinx tech will have the opportunity to exchange ideas, share their professional journeys, and network with like minded tech professionals.
