Latest news with #acceleratorprogram
Forbes
15-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
This Women's Network Turns Conversations Into Capital
Nathalia Rojas and Maggie Rose Macar, Founders, No Pressure Networking In a world where deal-making often happens on golf courses or behind closed doors, No Pressure Networking is flipping the script. What started as a conversation between two women who met in an accelerator program has grown into a bold, community-driven initiative that's rewriting the rules of women's networking and how founders and investors connect. Meet the founders of No Pressure Networking, Nathalia Rojas and Maggie Rose Macar. In six months, No Pressure Networking has facilitated over $2 million in deal flow, which proves that when you center relationships and intention, impact follows. No Pressure Networking is a women's networking group intentionally built to bring together investors and founders, not just to exchange business cards, but to forge real relationships that lead to real deals. It's a vibrant, women-centered space where venture meets vulnerability, capital meets connection, and collaboration leads the way. Networking Without the Pressure Rather than leading new introductions with pitches and business cards, relationship-first networking creates room for real conversations. These environments offer connection over transaction, allowing trust to form organically. This is an important element for women who often invest based on relationships and alignment in values. When networking is done right it's not just about making introductions, it's about building confidence, expanding your circle, and finding partners and allies who want to grow with you. And a growing number of women are using these gatherings to do more than connect - they're writing checks, mentoring founders, joining boards, and redefining what influence looks like. Why Traditional Networking Doesn't Always Work for Women Many networking groups are designed with outdated models that don't reflect how women operate in business. Women often report feeling excluded from the informal power structures where deals are made or feeling like they must 'perform' to be taken seriously. That's why intentional networking spaces matter. When inclusion, trust, and accessibility are at the forefront, these spaces offer a different kind of value. Whether it's a large panel event or a small dinner gathering, women benefit from environments that are curated to foster connection, not competition. Real Conversations That Lead to Real Outcomes A key reason this kind of networking works is because it removes the pressure. Without the need to impress or sell right away, founders and investors alike can get to know each other as people. In these more relaxed, intentional settings, conversations go deeper and often lead to business collaborations, partnerships, or funding opportunities. This isn't just good for women, it's good for the entire ecosystem. As more women step into roles as investors and decision-makers, capital starts to flow in new directions. And that ripple effect is how systemic change begins. The Value of Safe, Supportive Spaces These networks are also important for building confidence. Whether you're new to entrepreneurship or exploring angel investing for the first time, stepping into the unknown can bring up doubt. But when you're in a space where vulnerability is welcomed and questions are encouraged, you realize you're not alone. The bottom line is that No Pressure Networking is not just a movement, it's a model. One that shows you the power of designing for women from the ground up, and one that proves that when you remove the pressure, everything grows faster, including trust, capital, confidence, and impact.
Entrepreneur
11-07-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Flipkart Ventures Launches Leap Ahead 4.0 to Support Early-Stage Startups
The initiative offers equity investments of up to USD 500,000, along with structured mentorship from Flipkart leaders, industry experts, and venture partners. You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. Flipkart Ventures has announced the launch of Flipkart Leap Ahead 4.0, the latest edition of its accelerator program aimed at supporting early-stage startups in India. The initiative offers equity investments of up to USD 500,000, along with structured mentorship from Flipkart leaders, industry experts, and venture partners. This year's focus includes AI-native startups, drone technology firms, and companies enabling quick commerce. The program seeks to foster innovation that supports India's evolving digital economy. Since its inception in 2022, Flipkart Leap Ahead has backed startups like Dopplr, Livwell, Rightbot, Saara, and FlexifyMe. These startups have reportedly scaled with strategic guidance and have secured additional funding. By launching Leap Ahead 4.0, Flipkart reinforces its ongoing commitment to empowering entrepreneurs and creating scalable solutions for India's rapidly expanding internet user base, targeting the next 500 million online consumers.
Washington Post
13-05-2025
- Business
- Washington Post
NFL to ‘reimagine' diversity program, cancels next week's scheduled session
The NFL will not conduct a previously scheduled session of its diversity program for minority head coaching candidates during next week's quarterly meeting of team owners in the Minneapolis area. The league said Tuesday it is revising the program, which provides minority general manager and coaching candidates with networking opportunities with owners and professional training sessions. It plans to resume what it called 'the next iteration' of its accelerator program with a joint session next May for minority candidates for both head coaching and general manager positions, combining sessions that have been held separately. The NFL said next week's session is not being held because it plans to take steps over the next year to improve the program and enhance its chances of success.
