Time: 8:00 am–5:00 pm
Hundreds of tri-state women entrepreneurs will convene at the second annual Pitch Expo and Conference at the Graduate Center of City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue on Wednesday, March 20th 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
Who hasn’t seen Shark Tank on TV and wished for the opportunity to present a product, idea or business plan to an angel investor and gain access to the funds to make their dream a reality? For women the chances of landing a spot on the top rated network television show is as equally slim as their chances of getting financing for their business from a lender, or getting access to angel investors and capital venture groups. One woman entrepreneur has made it her business to help other women launch theirs. Own It Ventures is a woman-owned, New Jersey based company. The founder is a recent Rutgers Entrepreneur Pioneers Initiative Graduate and mother of two sons.
“That’s where Own It Ventures comes in,” says founder and owner of the three year-old women’s entrepreneurial firm who has experienced the challenge of starting her own business first hand. Melissa Gasnick-Cloeter “ We createopportunities for women to craft their business plans and pitches, and put them in front of angel investors, venture capitalist, retail buyers, media and PR specialists in a program geared towards access and success for women owned businesses.”
Small business is credited by economists and politicians alike as the backbone of the American economy, creating 65% of jobs annually. Yet over 50% of small businesses fail within the first five years due to lack of capital investment, many of them women owned firms. In addition, fewer that 2% of women-owned firms in the US ever reach $1M in revenue.
The one-day Own It Venture Conference and Pitch Expo will provide an opportunity for women entrepreneurs to participate in pitching rooms for investors, distribution, retail placement, and media access. Conference speakers include keynote speaker Kevin Harrington Chairman & Founder of As-Seen on-TV, Inc. and a shark from Shark Tank on ABC, Jory Des Jardins, Co-Founder of BlogHer, Kate Wendleton of 5 O'Clock Club, Liz Sigety of Delaware Crossing & Fox Rothschild, Natalia Oberti Noguera from Pipeline Fellowship, Jeremy Andrews from Smart Money, entrepreneurs Aaron Sylvan of Lemonade Heroes, A.J. Khubani from TeleBrands (As Seen on TV), and Collette Liantonio of Concepts TV.
Panels will include discussion on Growth Strategies, the new HealthCare requirements for small business owners, hiring, marketing and SBA loans. The CrowdFunding panel will explorethe options and possible SEC regulations that will affect this type of funding platform. How to Access to Retailers features top buyer representatives from Bloomingdales, Whole Foods Market, Wegmans Food Stores, Harris Teeter, QVC, TeleBrands (As Seen on TV), and others. Keys to Media Access includes representatives from Forbes, USA Today, Huffington Post, Next Women Magazine, BlogHer, Tomorrow’s Trends, and Lemonade Heroes. The Investor Options panel welcomes panelists from GoldenSeeds, TechLaunch, Delaware Crossing, Pipeline Fellowship and Jumpstart NJ.
“Women entrepreneurs are responsible for more than their business dreams and multi-tasking is the mantra of their lives, “ explains Gasnick-Cloeter. “Often women are heads of households, have children and parents to care for, day jobs, or are in school. This Conference is designed to maximize a woman entrepreneur’s time. I hear from women all the time who go to Trade Shows and networking events, a sense of frustration and urgency to meet the right connections. Many express lack of time to meet and network with the people who can truly make a difference in the businesses. Creating this business opportunity for women is my mission in life. The Own It Ventures Pitch Expo and Conference provides that.”
For more information, visual and audio access and interview opportunities contact:
Melissa Gasnick-Cloeter
Phone 908-852-4200 Office
908-399-6192 Mobile
Email: melissa@ownitventures.com