NEA Launches Design Mentorship Program "In the Studio Part II," Appoints Albert Lee And Liz Danzico As Design Advisors

CHEVY CHASE, Md., Aug. 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- New Enterprise Associates, Inc. (NEA), a leading global venture capital firm, today announced the kickoff of the second part of its design mentorship program, In the Studio Part II—an intensive, two-week program for up to six design teams that focuses specifically on go-to-market strategy, team building, and fundraising. Applications are now being accepted for the session to be held November 10-21, 2014, building on the In the Studio 2014 summer program that focused on developing a vision and prototype around a new product or company.

In conjunction with the kickoff of In the Studio Part II, NEA has formalized the role of Design Advisor, appointing Albert Lee, founder of New York City-based product studio All Tomorrows, and Liz Danzico, founding chairperson of the MFA in Interaction Design program at New York City's School of Visual Arts.

"The time, energy and talent Albert and Liz bring to our program is tremendously valuable—both have been instrumental in its development, and we're delighted to formalize their roles with these appointments," said Dayna Grayson, Partner at NEA.  "As we begin to see earlier teams achieve product development and fundraising milestones, the momentum really underscores the need for mentorship opportunities like In the Studio—we're very excited to launch this next session."

The upcoming program builds on the earlier session's product design and technology focus, honing in on key aspects of company building. The teams, Grayson said, will likely be a mix of returning participants and new teams looking to develop go-to-market strategies, get advice on fundraising, and gain team-building insight from leading entrepreneurs and investors.

"I'm excited to partner with NEA to further develop this program for designers with entrepreneurial aspirations," said Lee. "Design plays a critically and increasingly important role in building any business today, and In the Studio brings together talent, resources and mentorship to really help jumpstart the process of founding a company and bringing innovative new products and applications to consumers."

"Good design makes the unexpected possible, and one thing that has really stood out during In the Studio sessions is the inventiveness of the designers," said Danzico. "The teams have united design and technology to show a level of thoughtfulness that's both encouraging and inspiring, and I'm excited to see what unfolds during this fall's program."

Interested designers must apply as a team of two, and will be selected based on their design expertise, which may be gained through design training or equivalent experience, and their penchant for entrepreneurship. Applicants must have formulated product concepts and have an ironed out business vision. The two-week program will culminate in each team developing a market strategy plan, a fundraising blueprint, and a team building goal for their product that solves a critical consumer or enterprise problem.

Click here for additional information and to apply.

About NEA

NEA is a leading venture capital firm focused on helping entrepreneurs build transformational businesses across multiple stages, sectors and geographies. With more than $13 billion in committed capital, the firm invests in information technology and healthcare companies at all stages in a company's lifecycle, from seed stage through IPO. NEA's long track record of successful investing includes more than 175 portfolio company IPOs and more than 300 acquisitions. For additional information, visit www.nea.com.

About All Tomorrows

All Tomorrows is a product studio dedicated to creating tools, services, and experiences that unlock human potential. The product studio is currently exploring the intersection of emotion and technology, through building in the spaces of personal development, mindfulness, and behavior change. A human-centered design lens lies at the core of our product development process. To learn more, please go to: www.alltomorrows.com.

SOURCE New Enterprise Associates, Inc.