Badass womxn who have turned their science into successful business ventures and the funding resources that have supported them and others.

About this Event
Badass Womxn Entrepreneurs Coming at You Once Again! VIRTUAL
COVID can’t hold us down! Unfortunately our April in-person event was postponed, but that just means we’ll be virtual.

Women in Science Portland and VertueLab have teamed up to co-host our 2nd annual event intentionally focused on womxn, entrepreneurship, and the business pipeline in science. Joined by a new co-partner this year – OTBC, the event convenes two diverse panels: one with different types of business and science backgrounds, the other giving light to non-traditional funding and support expertise.

Entrepreneur, woman of many talents, and badass educator of virtual science for kids – Lindsey Murphy of The Fab Lab with Crazy Aunt Lindsey – will lead us through the exploration of how innovative ideas rooted in science and tech go from just an idea to a fully implemented business. Our panel of badass womxn entrepreneurs will provide a robust experience for all attendees as they share their personal stories; including when their business (tech) idea originated, their first steps to formation of their company, early funding pathways, navigating partnership legalities, valuable resources, and reflections on challenges they have overcome. More about the panelists below.

We will then be joined by a panel of experts who will elaborate on the funding pathways mentioned by our badass womxn entrepreneurs, along with a tease into their very specific funding resource. More about the funding experts below.

ˆFollowing the main event, we’ll have SPEED NETWORKING. This will be 3 – 10 minute breakouts where you’ll get the chance to connect with panelists and attendees. Short and sweet, it usually doesn’t feel long enough for a chat but that’s the point – if you make a connection, exchange LinkedIn’s, and schedule virtual coffee meetups with those folks.
60-Second Pitch Opportunity…
The only regret we’ve had from past BWE events is not making time to hear more from attendees not on a panel. So in our effort to put on another amazing event full of all the opportunities – this is your chance!

Do you have a business or tech pitch? A resource you want to share with others? Another great idea?

Send us your 60-second pitch video! There are several ways to record your video: use your smart phone, YouTube, laptop/computer recording. You can upload your video or include a link here.

We’ll review pitch ideas that get submitted and get back to you closer to the event date.
4:00 PM | Main event

Opening remarks
Entrepreneur panel
Quick Pitches
Funding & support experts panel
Discussion with all panelists
5:00 PM | Speed Networking

5:30 PM | That’s a wrap!
More about the panelists…
Our Badass Moderator
Lindsey Murphy, The Fab Lab with Crazy Aunt Lindsey |Creator and host of The Fab Lab With Crazy Aunt Lindsey, YouTube’s popular kids science web series that takes everyday science concepts and turns them into fabulous DIY projects children can do at home with their families. Before breaking out on her own in 2017, she spent more than 15 years in marketing and business development, working at some of the worlds most recognizable institutions: MTV Networks, XBOX/Edelman, Nike Inc., and Wieden+Kennedy.

Entrepreneur Panelists
Nyah Zarate, Continuous Solutions |Revolutionizing electric motors through ultra efficient, cost effective technologies. Nyah is an expert in organizational processes, modeling, simulation, experimentation, and hardware in the areas of control and system level integration.

Emily Darchuk, Wheyward Spirit | A farm-to-flask premium spirit company made from whey waste in the cheese production. Emily has forged her badass career as a food scientist in the natural food and dairy industry and now a founder of her own business.

Katie Pettinger, Gadusol Laboratories | Inspired by the natural sun-protection capabilities of fish and plant life, they are a biotech startup producing natural sunscreen compounds found in marine life. Katie is the Managing Director at Gadusol Laboratories along with a few other hats outside the company supporting entrepreneurs; including the OSU Advantage Accelerator.

Funding Experts
Amy Jermain, XXcelerate Fund |Provides a uniquely powerful combination of business education, peer support and a pathway to financing for Oregon womxn entrepreneurs. Amy is tenaciously committed to improving the resiliency and self-sufficiency of underserved groups through several admirable efforts.

Sharon Richardson Howell, Huntington Hill Ventures | A tireless firejumper and storyteller, directing a 20-year, multi-industry career and life experiences across 6 countries and 4 continents — at growth, transformation, monetization, and exits. Currently COO for a (stealth) healthcare start-up, a Member of the Board of Trustees at TiE Global, a Board Trustee for Janus Youth, and a Limited Partner at Elevate Capital, she has been a prolific investor since 2006 in her role as Managing Partner CoFounder of Huntington Hill Ventures. Sharon has also held executive roles for large entities in tech (mobile, gaming), healthcare, and hospitality.

Leon Wolf , VertueLab SBIR/STTR Assistance Program | Helping Oregon companies win grants from a bucket of almost $4B in non-dilutive, federal R&D dollars. Want to have a consult with Leon before or at the event? Sign up here for a consult .