Celebrated Silicon Valley entrepreneur and venture capitalist Heidi Roizen invited me to her home to talk about her career and her new venture: Skinny Songs. A former executive at Mobius Venture Capital, Heidi has recently been featured on the Martha Stewart Show, Oprah & Friends Radio and The Early Show. We had an animated discussion about her motivations for this 180 degree career change and how she’s still keeping one foot in the tech world.
Heidi changed focus from software to song writing: what all-time-high became her impetus for change?
What inspired the lyrics for “Skinny Jeans” and “You Da Boss” and how did her Stanford degree help?
How does being politically INcorrect help her business?
How does she deal with the critics?
Why does she describe her product as “a sound track without the movie”?
What does she mean by her “portfolio career”?
What’s next for Heidi? News about her new book: “Can’t buy thin.”
I met with San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed at his swanky corner office on the 18th floor of the gleaming City Hall just three days after Barack Obama was elected President of the United States. We discuss what this historic election means for Chuck and his Green Vision for Silicon Valley; and how he got his moniker The Green Mayor. We also explore:
1. Chuck’s own dramatic journey from poverty in Garden City, Kansas (digging trenches) to top public servant in Silicon Valley
2. How the Beach Boys influenced that journey
3. Why his military background helped shape his green motivations today
4. What Mike Honda said to inspire his bold Green Vision
5. Why Silicon Valley companies from Fairchild to startups are getting into clean tech.
6. How a Green Mayor walks the green walk at home and why his lawn has brown spots.
To listen to Part Two of the interview on Tesla, tactics for attracting clean tech etc, click here
In part two of my interview with Laurie Yoler of Growth Point Technologies we explore the historic role Tesla Motors has played in changing the way consumers and car manufacturers view alternative energy vehicles. Tesla founder, Elon Musk says he wants to make Tesla the Apple of electric cars, but for now, he’s had to downshift on his new model plans.
How did Tesla wake up large car makers to the fact that consumers were demanding more choices?
What was Laurie’s role in the early days of Tesla Motors? Why was she so passionate about the company’s mission?
Why did Tesla choose San Jose for its new manufacturing plant and headquarters?
What is Laurie’s motivation for backing clean technology? Does she want to save the planet or make a buck? Or both?
I met with Growth Point Technology Partners Managing Director, Laurie Yoler just 12 days after the historic bailout of the US financial system was signed into law. She’s a seasoned investor in emerging technology, a specialist in clean tech and serves on the board of Tesla Motors, where she was an angel investor. Laurie gives a fascinating insight into the psyche of venture capitalists at this historic time and explains why she remains optimistic. We also explore these questions:
How long will it take before the market stabilizes?
How will the IPO, Merger & Aquisition and private placement markets be affected by the financial turmoil? What about those frothy valuations?
What clean tech trends have emerged this year?
What’s hot in clean tech and why is clean tech in Europe ahead of the US?
I interviewed LinkedIn director, April Kelly, at the Women In Technology International (WITI) conference in Silicon Valley. She’s a former PayPal executive who describes herself as an effervescent leader and energetic coach. I asked her:
– why is it worth joining a (biz) social networking site like LinkedIn?
– tips on building our brand and optimizing our online profile?
– how can you rebrand yourself and build a new career using LinkedIn tools? (April has some great ideas for you if you’ve lost your job, or are looking for a new opportunities)
She outlines how to use “recommendations” and “answer” forums to build your reputation and establish your expertise online. Checkout her online profile if you need inspiration.
Just back from WITI‘S 14th annual Women and Tech Summit in Silicon Valley (Oct 12-15th) and the potent energy is still with me. There is something incredibly empowering and energizing about gathering hundreds of go-getting women in a conference hall. Wish you could bottle that energy.
WITI’S motto is “no woman stands alone” and just how apt this is, given the current financial meltdown and shaky economic climate. We had senior executives announcing their personal emails from the podium, others inviting young entrepreneurs to get in touch after their talks, a real feeling of “let me help you get where you want to get sista.”
From the impressive keynotes of Cathleen Benko, Vice Chairman at Deloitte LLP and Sandy Carter, VP at IBM; the success strategies of Life Coach Kathleen Hill to the Clean Tech investment experts like Laurie Yoler and Marianne Wu, each one inspired and energized a packed auditorium.
I had the opportunity to interview several outstanding panel members for Fresh Dialogues, including LinkedIn’s April Kelly, GrowthPoint Technology Partner’s Laurie Yoler (who’s been involved with Tesla Motors from the early days) and Mary Vincent of Green Solutions. Check back soon to hear their take on the current financial crisis, how to leverage Web 2.0 to help your business, and one woman’s leap from Sun Microsystems to entrepreneurship and how global warming helped inspire that leap.
I had the opportunity to interview several outstanding panel members for 
