Women entrepreneurs find unity in seeking success
The companies have different missions: One connects artisans with fashion companies that will commission their work; one markets eco-friendly options to prevent and fight fires; and the other helps immigrants find domestic work without paying exorbitant recruiter fees.
But they were brought together Friday by what they have in common. Each was founded and is run by a woman. Each was drawn to Houston for the inaugural Circular Summit gathering of some 250 businesswomen offering and receiving advice on making it in the male-dominated world of entrepreneurship. The founders of Piece & Co., Miraculum and HelperChoice were the finalists making presentations during a competition called Pitch with Purpose.
“It’s a great atmosphere,” said Ann-Christine Langselius, founder and CEO of Miraculum, which makes fire-prevention products. “Everyone is working toward the same goal, which is really nice and supportive.”
Langselius won the contest, earning $10,000 from Guggenheim Partners and Dell. The other finalists also won products from Dell and money from Johnson & Johnson.
All participants at the twoday event at Hotel ZaZa also got to network and gain advice from nearly 40 speakers, who shared inspirational stories and tips to help women entrepreneurs succeed. During a Q&A session, Alli Webb, the founder of Drybar, a chain of salons that solely
do blow-dry styling, was asked about selecting a public relations firm.
Webb’s advice: Find a firm that will help entrepreneurs grow. When they grow, the entrepreneurs will have more money to pay the PR firm. That can be a tactic for negotiating the price.
“You want somebody who’s really passionate about you and what you’re doing,” Webb said.
To spread these nuggets beyond Houston, Circular Summit placed a heavy emphasis on social media. Jesse Draper, who interviews entrepreneurs, investors and business moguls as creator and host of “The Valley Girl Show,” served as social media DJ.
In addition to reminding women to tweet, Draper would bring up women to make a 30-second business pitch. At one point, she had the entire room stand up and pitch at the same time.
Draper found it exciting to see men outnumbered in the convention seats.
“I am just so, so excited about all of you being here,” she said.
Jane Wurwand, a skin therapist and co-founder of Dermalogica, told attendees there’s no reason they shouldn’t succeed.
“Great things are sometimes messy,” she said.
And at one point, CEO Catalina Girald of lingerie company Naja, which focuses on empowering and employing women, flung panties into the audience.
During one panel discussion on accessing capital, the speakers recommended making concise pitches, knowing the company’s data and doing homework on the potential investors.
And creating a team that compensates for the founder’s weaknesses.
“We have a lot of geniuses who are in love with their product, but they don’t know how to sell it,” said Juliana Garaizar, managing director of the Houston Angel Network. These individuals need a business-minded partner.
Elizabeth Gore, entrepreneurin-residence at Dell in California, talked about the need to take risks.
“If you don’t take a risk, you’re always going to work for people who do,” she said.
Gore co-chairs Circular Summit with Houstonian Carolyn Rodz, founder of Circular Board, a virtual accelerator for women entrepreneurs.
In one of the event’s cuter moments, 11-year-old Mikaila Ulmer, the entrepreneur behind BeeSweet Lemonade who was once featured on “Shark Tank,” grilled venture capitalist Jordan Hudson.
“So let’s get down to business,” the girl said, turning to Hudson. “First question that I’d like to ask you is: What makes you a good VC?”