The problem of women being left out of the innovation economy is real and the more we connect the dots, not just among entrepreneurs in these fields, but with academics, corporations, researchers and governments looking for public private partnerships, the more successful we will be.

This is a message I have been preaching to women for well over a decade, especially to women entrepreneurs.

I was in Australia last week with our Springboard team to launch our inaugural accelerator program for women entrepreneurs raising equity capital. This is a historic moment.

One thing I learned about Ping. If she has a goal, she will not be deterred by any obstacles.

If you want a close look at cutting edge companies that will fuel our economy, you need to know more about 11 amazing women and the companies they have founded.

As I sat listening to the divergent views emerging among the entrepreneurs, it was clear to me that while some felt they were held back by the cultural expectations of women, others were moving forward with conviction.

We were encouraged by the open discussion and the expressed expectation of rapid growth even though the entrepreneurial market is nascent in India. This was the first of several meetings we had in New Delhi, but the perception of the challenges and opportunities was beginning to take shape.

What we all need to recognize is that capital is not based on meritocracy. It's based on relationships. Yes, the business has to be disruptive or at least scalable to attract venture capital. VC's invest in PEOPLE first, and businesses second.

When we launched Springboard Enterprises in January 2000 in Silicon Valley, there were more than a few skeptics as to whether we would find enough wom...

Recently, two seasoned women investors shared their experience about why some pitches don't persuade investors to write checks.

On one of the last sweltering days of summer in New York, a group of 21 eager entrepreneurs gathered for an all day boot camp on how to position their fledgling companies to attract investors.

Today marks the 10th Anniversary of Springboard Enterprises, the venture catalyst organization that selects, trains and presents women entrepreneurs in high growth companies to raise venture capital.