Third Wave Fashion // OCTOBER 2013 // THE PRIVACY ISSUE | Page 23
M OV E R S & S H A K E R S
We reached out to Co-Founder and Managing
Director Kelly Hoey to find out more.
What inspired you to create Women Innovate Mobile?
e idea for was sparked in the Fall of 2011. My co-founders, Veronika Sonsev and
Deborah Jackson came up with the idea aer looking at the existing startup accelerator
landscape. By startup accelerator landscape, I'm referring to accelerators with an open
application process and a mentorship-driven funding program which take equity in
exchange for the resources provided to the early-stage companies in the program. At the
time, less than 15% of participants in these existing programs were women. Some programs
have had fewer than 3%. Looking at that, we saw an opportunity as investors. We are also
very action oriented, so effecting change by doing vs white papers or op eds, was more our
speed.
Tell us some more about your background. How did you come to work
in tech & entrepreneurship?
Every professional opportunity I've had has come about because of a network or personal
introduction. I've transitioned from lawyer to law firm manager to consultant to founder, all
through networking. My jump to entrepreneurship came about by accident in 2009 when
Janet Hanson, founder of 85 Broads asked me if I'd consider consulting to her global
network of professional women. It was an opportunity I could not turn down - in spite of
being offered the opportunity right when the economy was tanking! Fast forward to 2011, I
knew Deborah and Veronika through various networks (including 85 Broads) and list
serves, so when they began to think about what they needed in a third co-founder, it was
my name which kept coming up. Looking back, throughout my career, I've been