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Follow on Google News | Local Tech Accelerator’s Women Entrepreneurs Take New GroundDemo Day of Starter Studio’s accelerator program will feature several women leaving behind traditional career paths to launch technology companies in Central Florida.
By: Starter Studio Several of the companies presenting their five-minute “pitch” were founded or co-founded by women entrepreneurs. These women already have accomplished careers, but are sidestepping traditional careers and traditional notions to take the plunge into entrepreneurship. Sarah Eli Mattern, CEO of SavvySuit, a cloud-based legal case management system, has a law degree and still logged hours as a local legal aid attorney while completing the intensive curriculum that emphasizes quick product prototyping and real-world testing with potential customers. Another graduate, Wendy Nissan, is co-founder with her husband, Eric Nissan, of DIY.FUND, a financial services startup that promises to bring the tools of professional wealth managers to the everyday “do-it-yourself” Wendy, a former bond salesman with a Wharton degree and a C.P.A. credential, and Eric, a former Chief Technology Officer on Wall Street, both jettisoned lucrative New York careers, moved their family to the Orlando area and now juggle the demanding rhythms of family life with the intensity of bringing a new online financial service to market. Yana Nesterova is a co-founder of b-rollstock.com, an online marketplace where video and film editors can acquire royalty-free background footage. Educated at the Art and Industry Institute in Moscow, Yana had a distinguished career in marketing communications for global brands such as Nestle and PepsiCo, but traded the long hours of ad agency life for the longer—and riskier—hours of tech entrepreneurship. “I‘m excited about all of our Starters,” asserts Donna Mackenzie, Executive Director of Starter Studio, “but I will admit I get a special thrill at seeing these women entrepreneurs go all-in to launch a tech startup. Amidst a national dialog about the importance of bringing more young women into careers in computer programming, and the still-low numbers of women tech execs, I am very excited by the accomplishments— In all, ten companies out of 72 applicants were accepted into the fourth class of Starter Studio that began in August of this year. Demo Day kicks off at 6 p.m. on November 5th at downtown Orlando’s Cheyenne Saloon and Opera House and is the culminating event of their intensive 12-week journey from cocktail napkin concept to sellable product. Tickets for the event may be purchased here (http://www.eventbrite.com/ About Starter Studio Starter Studio launched its first class in November 2013 and to date has graduated four classes and 29 companies from its program. As a result of Starter Studio’s rapid success, it was selected by the Small Business Administration in August 2014 for a National Accelerator award. End
Page Updated Last on: Nov 03, 2015
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