Entrepreneur of the Month
Welcome to our December member spotlight! Hi Girls in Tech members, it is customary that we offer one of our highest trafficked pages on Girls in Tech to our women members. Understandably we’re a community focused in technology for women. Though this month with much thought and consideration we decided to share the spotlight with Nate Westheimer, currently Entrepreneur in Residence of Rose Tech Ventures and candidate for the Organizer post in the New York Tech Meetup. Why is Girls in Tech New York supporting Nate’s bid for this very important post? Three reasons:
- Girls in Tech New York believes that Nate Westheimer is the best candidate for the job.
- Nate Westheimer has proven track record of being a successful leader, entrepreneur in tech and community leader.
- Nate Westheimer is a great communicator a quality much needed when interacting with various community leaders in New York’s tech landscape
More importantly, he LOVES Girls in Tech. 
Nate Westheimer was one of the first influencers in the NY Tech community to show his support for our Girls in Tech when we launched our New York Chapter at the Web 2.0 Expo in September this year. So Girls in Tech New York, we hope that you will help Nate’s candidacy for NYTM Organizer and vote for him online on December 11! We’ll send the link when ready or check out NY Tech Meetup for more details.
Nate Westheimer, Entrepreneur in Residence Rose Tech Ventures
http://www.meetup.com/ny-tech/
How many tech startups have you launched and helped launch?
Let’s be honest: I haven’t launched a ton! I’m most known for founding and launching BricaBox. One of my favorite sites I’ve launched in my short career is my blog, innonate.com, because it’s been such a great platform for sharing ideas about entrepreneurship and trends.
What is the story behind BricaBox?
Not being a developer, I found there were a lot of ideas for sites I wanted to build, but the existing list of website builders were too simple. I wanted to create a smarter publishing platform — one where lots of different types of sites could be build easily, by people without programming or design skills.
We assumed BricaBox was sold, yet it was closed down. Why?
Closing down BricaBox was a tough decision, but I’m convinced it was a good one. There were a lot of factors in the works: a deal with a major publisher broke down after a few months invested in the partnership; we were running out of money and not wanting to try and raise money without more milestone hit; and, in the end, we realized that we may have been plain wrong. It was time to move on. At the very least, I’m glad it gave us the opportunity to open source the software. In fact, I wish we had done it earlier, while we were still working on it.
What is the best part of being an Entrepreneur in Residence?
The people. Everyday I get to work with the most imaginative, and innovative people in the world.
How are you helping startups as Entrepreneur of Residence at Rose Tech Ventures?
I think I’m most helpful as a connector. The companies which come through our incubator or come to pitch us get lots of feedback everywhere they go — and I try to help with product and strategy feedback as much as possible — but one thing I can do is introduce them to the right people. I don’t have all the answers for startups, but chances are I know someone who does.
What advise would you offer startup companies in this slow economy?
I’ve been reminding people lately that their greatest asset is their innovation. A lot of big companies are cutting experimental budgets, but someone still has to innovate. That’s the work of startups. In times like these, find ways to get paid by let big companies outsource their innovation to you. That doesn’t mean you have to be a services company. You can still win big on the upside.
Are you the best candidate to be the next NYTM Organizer?
I’m not going to say I’m the best. I’m not running against anyone. I just have a particular idea of where this community should go. I’ve had that platform endorsed by some of the people I admire most in the community, so I’m running with it.
What changes will NYTM members expect from your leadership?
NYTM members should expect a few format changes to the monthly event, but not many. I’m one of those who think it’s a great thing already, and I don’t want to break anything that’s managed to attract thousands exactly as it is. Some ideas I’ve had for changing it include having web-famous MCs instead of boring old me up there hosting the event. I’d also like to diversify what we do with the 5 minute slots somewhat. Maybe a few slots each month should be presentations on a cool trend instead of a company? (By the way, that last idea is Charles Forman’s, so I don’t want to pretend it’s mine!)
What would be your top priorities for NYTM should you be elected as organizer?
Beyond keeping the monthly event fun, the major work I want to do involves better coordinating the greater NY Tech Community. There are dozens of amazing groups — very big to very small — which make up the NY Tech ecosystem. The beauty of a vibrant community is that it’s made up of many smaller organizations, not just a few large ones. So, the first thing I’m going to do is implement organizational infrastructure to better communicate and coordinate among the amazing community organizers who are leading these groups.
Do you agree that there is lack of airtime for women in tech communities like NYTM?
I think it’s shocking how few women we’ve seen presenting companies at NYTM. I don’t necessarily think it’s anyone’s fault, but I think there are things which can be done to change that.
What initiatives and opportunities would you implement to encourage participation and attendance from women in technology across all sectors in New York?
I think we need to draw on people from more diverse industries as well as age groups. Getting students involved, for instance, would be a way to start increasing the number of women involved in tech, because they’d be coming to tech events one year, joining tech companies the next year, and then founding tech companies the year after that. Have you been to an ITP show? There are tons of women techies out there! We definitely need a better environment for them to start companies.
On Nate Westheimer, the Bachelor. Are you single?
Ha! Yes.
Do you like your women geeky?
Describe the best date experience you could dream of.
Anything else you’d like to share with Girls in Tech and the NY Tech community?
Thanks GIT for the opportunity to chat! I’ve been a big supporter from the beginning because GIT represents exactly what’s great about community organizing and the broader tech community. See everyone at the next event!
About Nate Westheimer (full bio)
Nate Westheimer is the Entrepreneur in Residence at Rose Tech Ventures - New York City’s leader in early stage investing. Formerly, Nate founded BricaBox.com (a next generation wiki platform) and served at the Technology Strategist for National Public Media. Nate blogs at innonate.com and guest writes for Silicon Alley Insider, among other outlets.
Would you like to be featured in our Girl in Tech member spotlight? Tell us your story and how your company or idea is helping change the world. Email girls@girlsintech.net