What's better than attending startup demo days, investor panels and small business networking events throughout D.C.? How about going to a whole week of them. The fourth annual D.C. Entrepreneurship Week is set to kick off Saturday night and will be a must attend for any entrepreneurs hoping to connect in the local startup ecosystem and seek advice from other accomplished entrepreneurs. Plus, there's always the chance that you get that funding that you've been looking for.
DCEW's 2013 incarnation should be it's biggest yet. But that doesn't mean it's changing its tried and true equation for giving entrepreneurs the most intimate experience learning from others entrepreneurs and investors, said Tara Chantal Silver, co-founder of D.C. Entrepreneurship Week. This year's highlight events should again be the "Pitch an Investor" sessions, taking place on Tuesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. While many events like these can be overwhelming for startup founders in front of big audiences, not to mention the investors, Silver said these events are smaller and give those pitching a more comfortable and private atmosphere. Therefore, the results are exponentially better, as entrepreneurs often leave with higher quality feedback to build off of, and sometimes even funding. This year's "Pitch an Investor" events will feature a great group of panelists including Stephen Smoot of Blu Venture Investors, Valerie Gaydos of Angel Venture Forum and Grant Allen of ABB Technology Ventures. As Silver said of her experience at Entrepreneurship Week's past pitch events: "There's so many takeaways."
Another of DCEW's unique trademark events, "Women Who Launch" will be a discussion amongst leading female entrepreneurs in the area on their struggles and successes. Co-founder Jon Leonardo said it's one of his favorite events each year, addressing the amazing and growing demographic in the business world. With Lindsey Mask of Ladies America, Lindsay Burton of Kayo Advisory, Kat Calvin of Blerdology and Twyla Garrett of IME Inc. speaking, the female-focused event should be a great one.
Those are just three of more than a dozen scheduled events, all of which are worthwhile for anyone in the entrepreneurial world ranging from sessions about culture and branding to discussions about regulations and the legal hurdles often overlooked when founding a startup. You can check out the complete schedule here, which kicks off at the Live Local First's Red Tape Party. Most of the week's events will be held at DLA Piper and Cooley Law Firm offices. Make sure you pick out a couple events to go to and register now. Single events are just $15 and a week pass is $99, making this a killer value. Plus the epic closing party at 1776 Friday night is going to be free.
