In Support of Female Entrepreneurs and Their Advancement
MergeLane, an accelerator founded to advance women-run startups, is touring the East with events in Boston, New York City and Washington DC. The events will cover the topic of women in entrepreneurship and will include guest speakers for each city. The aim of MergeLane is to bring more women into the startup community and achieve investor returns through the acceleration of high-growth, gender-diverse companies. In an effort to close the gender gap in venture capital and in the startup community, MergeLane will be choosing ten stellar female-led companies to accelerate for the 2016 program.
“When we were introduced to MergeLane, we were impressed with the list of mentors and the flexibility the program offers. We wanted to be part of a program that could propel idaciti to the next level and fast-track strategic thinking and business planning.” –Idaciti, Class of 2015
“Our firm supports a broad range of high-growth startups around the world,” said Mark Weakley of Bryan Cave, LLP. “We are delighted to support MergeLane’s mission of providing early-stage, female-run companies with more opportunity to reap the benefits of key resources in the startup ecosystem.”
The 12-week accelerator is designed to meet the needs of women-led businesses in any industry. For its first program that finished in April 2015, MergeLane will accept eight companies. MergeLane offers a guaranteed investment of $20,000 to each participating company with up to $100,000 of discretionary investment upon completion of the program. With a reduced residency requirement designed specifically to suit companies with diverse leadership teams, MergeLane full-time program will include virtual curriculum, mentorship and coaching.
MergeLane will be accepting applications September 1st through November 23rd. Applicants should have at least one female in leadership, a business with some evidence of traction and a proven or implied ability to scale. If your company meets the MergeLane criteria and would like to attend an upcoming event, please go to http://mergelane.com/events.
- Boston 7/30 at HubSpot. RSVP.
- New York City 8/4 at kbs + Ventures. RSVP.
- Washington D.C. 8/6 at Bryan Cave. RVSP.
About Merge Lane:
MergeLane is a mentorship-driven investment program with a strong focus on promoting women-run startups. Headquartered at Galvanize Boulder (the residential program weeks will be held offsite), MergeLane will run a 12-week program for a select group of high-growth businesses. Participating companies will each receive at least $20,000 in guaranteed funding and the opportunity to garner an additional $100,000 in funding. Participating firms receive executive coaching and mentorship. Founded by Sue Heilbronner and Elizabeth Kraus, MergeLane is committed to discovering, accelerating and investing in exceptional women and the companies they run. To learn more, visit www.MergeLane.com.
Photo courtesy of Startup Stock Photos [FLICKR]
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