Women 2.0 Brings the World's Largest Women-Focused Tech Conference to Las Vegas

NEW YORK, Oct. 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Responding to increasing interest in women innovators in technology and startups, Women 2.0 is holding a second female-focused conference this year, taking place in Las Vegas.

Nearly 100 founders, tech executives and investors from Silicon Valley, New York and elsewhere, are currently confirmed to speak and mentor at the two-day event, which is taking place November 14-15 at the Bellagio Hotel. It is organized around the theme "Vision 2020" and will explore the ways tech innovations will have concrete effects on our day-to-day lives in the near future.

Keynote speakers include Google[x] VP Megan Smith and Kay Koplovitz, the media visionary who founded USA Networks and Springboard Enterprises. Elaine Wherry, co-founder of Meebo, and Bridgette Beam of Google Ventures, will offer workshops for entrepreneurs while the Founders of funded, growing startups such as Shapeways, Citrus Lane, Stifix and others will speak and mentor on trends in innovation they are seeing.

The event will also feature a startup competition for early-stage, female founded startups, called PITCH. Founders will have the opportunity to pitch their companies live on stage in front of a judging panel that includes:

• Andrea Zurek (XG Ventures)
• Albert Wenger (Union Square Ventures)
• Joy Marcus (DFJ Gotham)
• Aileen Lee (KPCB and Cowboy Ventures)
• Shanna Tellerman (Google Ventures).

Winners will receive a package of prizes including meetings with Kevin Rose, Google Ventures and iconic investor Esther Dyson, as well as office space from Silicon Valley Pad and Rackspace cloud services.

Panels are set to explore the ways different tech trends will impact work, life and play, including a look at the future of ecommerce with Katrina Lake (Stitch Fix) and Soraya Darabi (Zady.com); a discussion of the future of funding with Ash Fontana (AngelList) and Christine Tsai (500 Startups); and an exploration of how tech is impacting dating and romance with Dawoon Kang (Coffee Meets Bagel), Lori Cheek, (Cheek'd) and Cyan Banister (Zivity).

A wearable tech fashion show will highlight the work of pioneers in this much buzzed about space, including Linda Franco (Machina), Roopa Vasedevan (Hate Couture) and Kristin Neidlinger (SENSOREE). Lunches and an evening cocktail will provide intimate networking opportunities.

A special intimate live performance will be by Congo Sanchez, drummer for Thievery Corporation.

Shaherose Charania, co-founder and CEO of Women 2.0 says, "We carefully selected Las Vegas as our destination conference this year. There is a growing tech community driven by the efforts of Zappos' founder, it is also a frequented location that allows hard working founder and tech company employees to break out of their day-to-day and open up their minds to creativity."

Event sponsors include Google for Entrepreneurs, Turnstone and Eventbrite.

Interested in covering the event? Please get in touch at [email protected] for additional information or for assistance in arranging interviews with speakers, PITCH finalists or the Women 2.0 team.

About Women 2.0
Women 2.0 is an emerging global media company for aspiring and current female entrepreneurs to launch successful scalable, innovative ventures. Women 2.0 distributes its intellectual capital across multi-platforms online (mobile, social, web) and offline (events, workshops, conferences).  Women 2.0 is a global network and social platform for influencers that drive trends and decisions — as startup founders and as consumers.

For more information visit: www.women2.org 

SOURCE Women 2.0