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About this event
We have invited Anne Kennedy, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Mastersfund, as our guest speaker for this session. Mastersfund focuses on funding and advising companies led by women at the seed level. Their advisory services include helping female founders of early-stage growth companies scale their businesses and build strong boards. Join us next Friday to learn more about Mastersfund and their investment models, which primarily involve investing in a debt instrument that can be redeemed on an agreed-to-planned schedule, allowing founders to benefit from a clean CAP table and setting up what is called a Structured Exit for the portfolio companies.
What to expect:Â -A topical theme each meeting with guided questions -We may invite some expert guests selectively! -No slides/decks or AV and a loosely structured dialogue
Insightful conversations for topics such as: -Crowd funding sites for investments (background on these and how they work) -When is the right time for fundraising? -Competitive storytelling for entrepreneurs -The venture studio model and if it's right for you as an entrepreneur -How to raise your first $1MM
Date and time:Â 1 hour meeting on the last Friday of each month at 1pm PT/ 4pm ET
Peer Group Host: Gaby Aneas
Peer Group Expert: Coco Brown
Experts
Anne Kennedy President
Fund Manager, 3x cofounder, including the world’s largest consortium of digital marketing companies
• Seasoned NGO and commercial board director with millions of dollars in impact capital raise & management experience • Co-author of 'Global Search Engine Marketing', the industry’s authoritative work on the subject • Industry icon and digital marketing thought leader
• Keynote speaker and lecturer at 100’s of conferences and briefings worldwide
• Advisor to the U.S. State Department, German Marshall Fund, Swiss Contact, and global technology conferences • Over four decades, Anne has advised hundreds of company leaders on the path to growth and successful exit
International author, speaker, and counselor to multi-national internet brands on global digital marketing, Anne Kennedy is a serial operator with nearly five decades of experience in online and offline brand launch, engagement, and public relations. She serves asManaging Director of the Sybilla Masters Fund, and co-host of the new podcast 'VC, Confidential', co-hosted the weekly radio podcast, CEOCoach, and mentored rising EU entrepreneurs for US State, and locally for Ben Franklin Technology Partners in Philadelphia. She is president of Outlines Venture Group, consulting and publishing.
Anne founded one of the pioneer digital marketing agencies, Beyond Ink in 1997, leveling up Hearst Newspapers, Philips Lifeline, Dunkin Donuts and other household-name brands online. The company's best known work includes the stunning online launches of dot-coms such as Zillow, Jib-Jab and Avvo.
To scale her consultancy, Anne formed the world's largest consortium of multi-lingual digital marketing companies in 2005 for search engine and social media marketing in 20-plus languages. In 2012, she co-authored the first book on international digital marketing, Global Search Engine Marketing (Pearson Que Biz Tech).
Anne was a founding Board Director at Helium.com, acquired by publishing giant R.R. Donnelly. She has served on advisory boards at Search Engine Strategies (SES) conferences, TechMaine, and at tech startups in the US, India, Scandinavia, and Europe, as well as numerous startups. She was a trustee for Hathaway brown School in Ohio, for eight years, and served on non-profit boards and governing councils for decades.
Signature talent: illuminating core operations issues to solve pressing business concerns, help leadership teams develop high-value, viable strategic plans, and forge meaningful connections.
Coco Brown CEO
Coco Brown is founder and CEO of Athena Alliance. Prior to her current roles, Coco served as President, COO, and Board Director of Taos, a market leader in IT Services serving hundreds of F1000 companies, including Apple, Cisco, ebay, Facebook, and Silicon Valley Bank. Coco brings rich experience across F1000 companies, start-ups, and nonprofits in the roles of CEO, COO, advisor, and Board member to Athena. She possesses a unique understanding of the breadth of challenges and opportunities of leadership. She empowers leaders to execute successfully, working with them to develop the relationship between a company’s strategy and its organizational design and environment. Coco’s expertise in developing and strengthening these important linkages makes her a powerful C-level advisor and Board member. In addition to serving on the Board of Taos from 2004 to 2014, Coco served as a Board Director for MentorNet during its rebranding, product transformation, and subsequent acquisition by Great Minds in STEM. Coco was on the finance committee supporting the Board of Directors of Samasource and established the Operating Committee for the Silicon Valley arm of Golden Seeds, a New York-based early-stage investment firm. She also currently serves as Chair of the Nominating Committee for the Anita Borg Technology Leadership Award, one of the most prestigious awards honoring women in technology.
Hosts
Gabriela Aneas Member Success Manager
Gabriela is deeply motivated by the concept of crafting meaningful experiences that surpass the delivery of high-quality products and services. With a Master's degree in Customer Experience and Innovation, coupled with a background in Industrial Engineering and Art Direction, she has amassed over 5 years of expertise in redesigning and creating products, services, and interactions with a focus on Human Centricity. Gabriela's approach is fueled by a passion for innovation and driven by a commitment to good design principles.
Fri, Feb 23 @ 1:00pm PT (1 hr)
VIRTUAL (Join us remotely! RSVP for link)
Members Only
Peer Group
Upcoming Events
Join us for a Salon or Meetup to get a peek inside our community! Peer Groups and Learning Circles are exclusively for members - log in here
- ALL events
- A Look Inside Athena
- Peer Group
- Salon
- Meetup
- Orientation
A Look Inside Athena
A Look Inside Athena is held monthly for prospect members to come and understand how Athena works. They will learn more about the backstory of Athena, see a tour of our platform, and have the opportunity to discuss more of what they are interested in and ask questions about joining our community.
Salons
Learn about the most pressing topics facing executives today in an intimate, yet casual, virtual setting. Hosted by board directors and leaders from the world's top brands.
Meetups
Gather with Athena members in your area for a casual, in-person Meetup. These are planned by request and hosted by Athena members in various cities. If you're interested in hosting and/or joining a meetup in the future, reach out to the Member Success Team and let them know.
Peer Groups
We have an incredible community of female leaders at Athena and we want to bring you closer together! Join a Peer Group and build a network of peers you can engage with for guidance, lessons learned and insights around a shared interest. Choose a topic that most interests you or drop in and out of multiple peer groups as it suits you best. You’ll find at least one peer group available to join every week. Each live session goes for one hour, no preparation is needed, just show up as you are. We look forward to seeing you there!
Learning Circles
A Learning Circle is an opportunity to connect with a small group of other Athena members in a focused yet casual setting, creating accountability around targeted learning to assist you in achieving your goals. Over the course of 6 sessions, club members will meet every 2 weeks to participate in an organic, peer-led discussion of the session's "chapters" consisting of 1-2 Athena salons which are to be reviewed on your own prior to the group session. When joining, members are committing to completing all 6 sessions.
Guided Networking
Typically led by one of Athena's coaches, networking events provide members an opportunity to meet one another in a smaller intimate and virtual setting.
Partner Events
These are typically in-person events led by Coco and our partnering companies on topics that are relevant to the industry and audience of our business partners.
Workshops
A workshop is an interactive session for members to actively practice something, such as their pitch. These sessions typically involve breakout rooms, member to member feedback and are not recorded.
Orientations
For members new to Athena looking for ways to engage, these bi-weekly orientations led by an Athena Member Success Manager, provide a live tour of Athena, member success insights, and a chance to get questions answered.
Enterprise Events
Athena customizes virtual learning events with expert business leaders tailored to a unique company’s needs. These events cultivate cross-functional community, development, and learning across the partner organization.
Other
Athena listens and we're always adding new event types and opportunities for members to engage. See what new events we are currently offering members.
No Upcoming Events Found.
Peer Group
Athena's Book Club - Currently reading Burn Book by Kira Swisher
Host: Cristina Scharffenorth
Experts: Anna Goranson, Mirna Daouk
Salon
Strategies to Land Your Next Great Role
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Susan Alban
Peer Group
Go-to-Market Leaders
Host: Analuisa Martinez
Experts: Rebecca Jones
Meetup
In Person: A Coaching Walk with Coco Brown and Sheryl Kline in San Diego, CA (11:00-1:00 PM PT)
Host: Sheryl Kline
Experts: Coco Brown
Salon
Ripped from the Headlines: Risk, Crisis & Tech Governance in Turbulent Times
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Andrea Bonime-Blanc
Peer Group
Board Readiness Course Alumnae
Host: Erin Essenmacher
Peer Group
Engineering and Product Leadership
Host: Cristina Scharffenorth
Experts: SuiLin Yap
Meetup
In Person: Sip and Inspire in Miami, FL (5:00-7:00 PM ET)
Host: Tami Reiss
Experts: Erin Essenmacher
Salon
Understanding and Accessing the ESOP Landscape of Board Opportunities
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Jessica Carps, Randi Feigin, Cora Carmody
Peer Group
Fractional Executives
Host: Cristina Scharffenorth
Experts: Caitlin Sachdev, Shelly Morales
Salon
Unleashing Your Philanthropic Impact
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Alissa May, Holly Copeland
Peer Group
Unleash Your Impact Alumnae
Host: Jocelyn King
Meetup
In Person: Pivot in Power in Seattle, WA (6:00-8:00 PM PT)
Host: Andrea Ostrovsky
Experts: Ambika Singh, Sally Bergesen
Salon
CEO Perspectives with Richard Ridinger, Chairman of the Board at Brenntag and Recipharm
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Richard Ridinger
Meetup
In-Person: Off the Grid Wine Tasting in Atlanta, GA (6:00-8:00 PM ET)
Host: Erin Brown
Meetup
In Person: Athena Walking Group in Mountain View, CA (5:30-8:00 PM PT)
Host: Barbara Troupin
A Look Inside Athena
A Look Inside Athena
Host: Coco Brown
Salon
Financing for Small to Mid-Cap Diversity-Owned Businesses
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Yuriko Mita
Peer Group
Life Sciences Professionals
Host: Analuisa Martinez
Experts: Barbara Troupin
Peer Group
First Time Board Members
Host: Gabriela Aneas
Experts: Cate Goethals
Orientation
Athena Member Orientation
Host: Athena Member Success Manager
Peer Group
HR Leadership
Host: Cristina Scharffenorth
Experts: Geoff Balzano
Peer Group
Black Women Thriving
Host: Gabriela Aneas
Experts: Julianna Hynes, Maeve Richard
Meetup
In Person: Connect with Coco in Moss Beach, CA (5:00-8:00 PM PT)
Host: Coco Brown
Meetup
In Person: Rocky Mountains Meetup in Denver, CO (6:00-8:00 PM MT)
Host: Stephanie Beguin
Peer Group
Building a Company
Host: Gabriela Aneas
Experts: Coco Brown, Julia Vax
Peer Group
Audit Committee
Host: Gabriela Aneas
Experts: Carol Coughlin, Katrinka McCallum
Salon
Miracles, Mysteries, and Motivation
Host: Erin Essenmacher
Experts: Maryann Bruce
Peer Group
Go-to-Market Leaders
Host: Analuisa Martinez
Experts: Rebecca Jones
Peer Group
Nom/Gov Committee
Host: Cristina Scharffenorth
Experts: Karen Cone
Peer Group
Navigating a Career Transition
Host: Analuisa Martinez
Experts: Cate Goethals
Orientation
Athena Member Orientation
Host: Athena Member Success Manager
Meetup
In Person: Impact Circle in Seattle, WA (5:00-7:00 PM PT)
Host: Gavriella Schuster
Experts: Coco Brown
Meetup
In Person: A Walk in Central Park in New York, NY (6:30-8:00 PM ET)
Host: Neeha Curtis
Experts: Rachel Owens
Peer Group
Athena's Book Club - Currently reading Burn Book by Kira Swisher
Host: Cristina Scharffenorth
Experts: Anna Goranson, Mirna Daouk
Salon
AI in the Boardroom
Host: Erin Essenmacher
Experts: Meghan Anzelc
Peer Group
The Board and Beyond for Women in Law
Host: Gabriela Aneas
Experts: Alice Brennan
Salon
Non-Traditional Board Journeys
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Andrea Bonime-Blanc
Peer Group
Engineering and Product Leadership
Host: Cristina Scharffenorth
Experts: SuiLin Yap
Salon
Taking Risks as a Woman
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Karen Bulluck
Peer Group
Fractional Executives
Host: Cristina Scharffenorth
Experts: Caitlin Sachdev, Shelly Morales
Peer Group
Unleash Your Impact Alumnae
Host: Jocelyn King
Salon
Innovating for Impact
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Zenia Tata
Meetup
In Person: WE Global Founderverse Summit & Launch Party (2:00-8:00 PM PT)
Host: Coco Brown
A Look Inside Athena
A Look Inside Athena
Host: Coco Brown
Peer Group
Compensation Committee
Host: Analuisa Martinez
Experts: Suja Chandrasekaran
Orientation
Athena Member Orientation
Host: Athena Member Success Manager
Peer Group
Board Readiness Course Alumnae
Host: Erin Essenmacher
Salon
CEO Perspectives with Jennifer Tejada, CEO of PagerDuty
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Jennifer Tejada, Suja Chandrasekaran
Peer Group
Black Women Thriving
Host: Gabriela Aneas
Experts: Julianna Hynes, Maeve Richard
Salon
Establishing Your Executive Presence
Host: Erin Essenmacher
Experts: Kathryn Vandiver
Salon
Ripped from the Headlines: Risk, Crisis & Tech Governance in Turbulent Times
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Andrea Bonime-Blanc
Meetup
In Person: Colorado Convention in Denver, CO (6:00-8:00 PM MT)
Host: Courtney Harrison
Experts: Coco Brown
Peer Group
Building a Company
Host: Gabriela Aneas
Experts: Coco Brown
Peer Group
Life Sciences Professionals
Host: Analuisa Martinez
Experts: Barbara Troupin
Peer Group
Succeeding in Your First Board Role
Host: Gabriela Aneas
Experts: Cate Goethals
Peer Group
HR Leadership
Host: Cristina Scharffenorth
Experts: Geoff Balzano
Salon
Proxy Advisors - What Do They Do And How Much Influence Do They Really Have?
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Nichol Garzon-Mitchell
Salon
CHRO Perspectives with Sheri Bronstein, Chief Human Resources Officer at Bank of America
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Sheri Bronstein, Belen Gomez
Peer Group
Go-to-Market Leaders
Host: Analuisa Martinez
Experts: Rebecca Jones
Peer Group
Nom/Gov Committee
Host: Cristina Scharffenorth
Experts: Karen Cone
Peer Group
Navigating a Career Transition
Host: Analuisa Martinez
Experts: Cate Goethals
Orientation
Athena Member Orientation
Host: Athena Member Success Manager
Meetup
In Person: A Cozy Evening in Mukilteo, WA (6:00-8:00 PM PT)
Host: Beth Lewis
Salon
Chair[wo]man of the Board
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Gayle Crowell
Salon
Taking an Intentional Pause
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Kim Newton
Peer Group
The Board and Beyond for Women in Law
Host: Gabriela Aneas
Experts: Alice Brennan
Salon
Experienced Board Director AMA with Sheila Bangalore
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Sheila Bangalore
Salon
Experienced Board Director AMA with Nina Vaca
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Nina Vaca
Meetup
In Person: Empowerment Evening in Los Angeles, CA (6:00-8:00 PM PT)
Host: Donna Raphael
Peer Group
Athena's Book Club
Host: Cristina Scharffenorth
Experts: Anna Goranson, Mirna Daouk
Salon
Trailblazing Founders: Breaking Through Invisible Boundaries
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Deepti Pahwa
A Look Inside Athena
A Look Inside Athena
Host: Coco Brown
Salon
Ripped from the Headlines: Risk, Crisis & Tech Governance in Turbulent Times
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Andrea Bonime-Blanc
Orientation
Athena Member Orientation
Host: Athena Member Success Manager
Peer Group
Board Readiness Course Alumnae
Host: Erin Essenmacher
Peer Group
Engineering and Product Leadership
Host: Cristina Scharffenorth
Experts: SuiLin Yap
Salon
New Ventures and Innovation in the Digital Age
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Rika Nakazawa
Peer Group
Fractional Executives
Host: Cristina Scharffenorth
Experts: Caitlin Sachdev, Shelly Morales
Peer Group
Unleash Your Impact Alumnae
Host: Jocelyn King
Salon
How Prescient Boards Evaluate Compliance Offices and Provide Oversight
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Avril Ussery Sisk
Salon
CEO Perspectives with Anika Howard
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Anika Howard
Peer Group
Life Sciences Professionals
Host: Analuisa Martinez
Experts: Barbara Troupin
Peer Group
Succeeding in Your First Board Role
Host: Gabriela Aneas
Experts: Cate Goethals
Peer Group
HR Leadership
Host: Cristina Scharffenorth
Experts: Geoff Balzano
Peer Group
Black Women Thriving
Host: Gabriela Aneas
Experts: Julianna Hynes, Maeve Richard
Peer Group
Nom/Gov Committee
Host: Cristina Scharffenorth
Experts: Karen Cone
Peer Group
Navigating a Career Transition
Host: Analuisa Martinez
Experts: Cate Goethals
Orientation
Athena Member Orientation
Host: Athena Member Success Manager
Peer Group
Audit Committee
Host: Gabriela Aneas
Experts: Carol Coughlin, Katrinka McCallum
Salon
Become an Investor
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Lilia Shirman
Peer Group
Go-to-Market Leaders
Host: Analuisa Martinez
Experts: Rebecca Jones
Peer Group