Using magic mushrooms to treat depression; fashion brands embrace 3D design; wearables in the workplace; AI app can detect coronavirus from sound of cough + more
Your go-to place for latest news and updates from the world of emerging technologies and diversity in tech.
Happy Monday everyone!
Only one more week until our team announces big new project we have been working on for a few months now - The FemTech Forum - first global virtual conference about femtech and women’s health. We can’t wait to reveal more details next Monday, but until then we wanted to share with you very relevant article we came across last week!
In this article published on Medium, our colleague Ivan Burazin, founder of the Shift conference, shares with us 15 rules to help speakers create a winning virtual event.
Though the technology has improved by leaps and bounds since then, video conferencing has always taken a backseat to face-to-face meetings and in-person human interaction — until now. While it may seem like a strange “new normal,” it’s one we all must accept in the current climate of social distancing and Zoom calls.
With a huge portion of the world’s population on lockdown (more than 3 billion as of this writing), conference organisers face a new and challenging reality. With all types of gatherings banned, conference organisers have few choices: cancel, postpone…or go virtual.
Read more about this highly relevant topic on Medium!
Thank you for tuning in this Monday, happy reading! :)
This month, we are continuing with our events series ‘From Investor’s Perspective’ and we’re excited to be joined by Juliana Garaizar, VC and angel investor, who also happens to be very knowledgeable about another topic that is very close to our hearts - femtech and women’s health.
Juliana has an impressive portfolio career - she is a Board Member of the Houston Angel Capital Association and the President of the Business Angel Minority Association. A Kauffman Fellow, her fellowship project in bridging the gender gap in investing triggered her involvement with Portfolia where she is an LP for their Femtech Fund and a Lead Investor of the Rising Tide Fund, the Consumer Fund and the Rising America Fund focusing on minorities and LGBTQ. She got awarded the Women in STEM Role Model by the Greater Houston Women Chamber of Commerce in 2019. She is also a London Business School MBA graduate and lives in Houston, TX.
On this webinar, we’ll be discussing her journey as both VC and angel investor, investing in FemTech, consumer trends to watch, differences between US and European markets when it comes to investing in technology companies, how will the current healthcare crisis due to coronavirus affect businesses and fundraising process for early stage startups, best approach to finding investors and pitching to them and more.
We hope you can join us! :)
Upcoming WoW virtual events
WoW members monthly gathering (+ brain power workshop with Daria Tsvenger to reduce anxiety and increase focus) - FREE for members and non-members, 6 May / 6pm BST / 1pm ET / 10am PT
WEBINAR - How to get a grant for your business, 20 May 6:30pm BST / 1:30pm ET / 10:30am PT
WEBINAR - Technology and climate change action, WoW Sydney chapter, May 19 9am BST
WEBINAR - Investing in Sustainability & CleanTech, 27 May 6:30pm BST / 1:30pm ET / 10:30am PT
Premium WoW members get FREE access to all our paid webinars + recorded sessions and resources lists, more info here.
WoW community events, news and updates
Ready to Hack Menopause? Participate in the AARP Innovation Labs Hackster Challenge for a chance to win $16,000 in cash prizes. Apply by May 12. You can also find out more about the organisation behind this challenge by reading our interview with Carey Kyler, Senior Innovation Catalyst for AARP Innovation Labs.
Our friends from Plus X invite you to a webinar with eco-inventor Lucy Hughes, Tuesday 5 May, 12pm BST. Book your ticket here!
Overcoming obstacles & the power of being underestimated with Cindy Eckert, webinar by Femtech Focus, May 6
What Do Investors Really Think? Fundraising during COVID-19 as an Early-stage Femtech Founder / by Future of FemTech, 13 April 3pm BST
VooR 3D unveils VR Merchandising Showroom Amidst Global Crisis / via WoW blog
New on WoW women blog - meet Quitterie de Rivoyre, COO and Co-Founder of WholyMe, company behind healthy, effective CBD products for an active lifestyle.
Retail Futures 2020: Fashion District Innovation Challenge - pitch to some of London’s largest retailers and investors and win a £15,000 cash prize, deadline for applications is July 1.
The Global Hack announces winners and finalists of their recent challenge, with several new ideas about wearables (masks and filters) and sustainability platforms / via WEAR Sustain
Textirama Foundation focuses on innovation, digital transition and value creation in the textile industry. Each year the Foundation launches an open call for ambitious, innovative projects and ideas that challenge the sector, stimulate the transformation and are in line with the vision of the Textirama Foundation. The submission of proposals is permanently open, but the first deadline is October 30th.
Industry events, news and updates
Excited to see FemTech Fund company @MadorraMedical, which is developing non-hormonal treatments for vaginal dryness, featured in this @oprahmagazine print piece on the FemTech Revolution: "New tech addresses some of the most fundamental challenges of modern womanhood." #femtechHow And Why Should The VC Industry Fund A Gender Equal Future / by Tzvete Doncheva, Trending Topics
Dear VCs: COVID-19 isn’t an excuse to backslide on gender equality / by Pam Kostka, Fast Company
VC database w/ 26,000 VCs and what they do. Check it out here.
Why long-term flexible work options could be a game changer for women / by Courtney Connley, CNBC
A Look To The Nonprofit Sector: The Importance Of Women Leaders During The Pandemic / by Alyssa Wright, Forbes Women
A second child care crisis is coming, employers will need to address it / by Shadiah Sigala, ebn
Prenatal Care May Look Very Different After Coronavirus / by Emily Goligoski, The New York Times
How a Startup is Using Magic Mushrooms to Treat Depression / by Hugo Engel, Medium
XRHealth raises $7M to expand its VR telehealth platform / by Dave Muoio, MobiHealth News
Innovation beyond COVID-19: A call to action in healthcare’s new world order / by Tom Cassels, Rock Health
Researchers develop smart contact lenses to monitor and treat diabetes / by Jeremy Horwitz, Venture Beat
Wearables in the workplace: The brave new world of employee engagement / by Kateryna Maltseva, ScienceDirect
Gelatin could soon power our wearables and IoT devices / via phys
US patent office rules that artificial intelligence cannot be a legal inventor / by Jon Porter, The Verge
AI app can detect coronavirus from sound of cough / via NeuroScience News
Fashion brands embrace 3D design / by Maghan McDowell, Vogue Business
Social Sustainability, Overstock And ‘Greenwashing’: How COVID-19 Is Changing The Fashion Industry / by Brooke Roberts-Islam, Forbes
It’s the fashion industry’s moment for tech transformation / by Flora Davidson, Sifted
Six questions to fall in love (with your startup founder) / by Kimberly Eynon, Sifted
For those looking for extra one-on-one support, a number of experienced tech/startup coaches are banding together to offer private Covid Crash-Free Coaching
Wearable Technology: What’s the Role in Early Detection? / webinar by J&J Innovation Labs, May 13
For Women in STEM & Allies
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