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Silicon Valley Spring 2013
Applications: Mar 17, '13
Sessions: Apr 01, '13 - Jul 09, '13
Vision
Our vision is to Globalize Silicon Valley by creating and fostering local startup ecosystems in promising markets across the globe. We aim to help launch 1,000 technology companies per year in over 50 cities worldwide.
Sponsors
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati is the premier legal advisor to technology and growth enterprises worldwide, as well as the investment banks and venture capital firms that finance them. Over the past four decades, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati has established its reputation by having an unmatched knowledge of its clients' industries and deep and long-standing contacts throughout the technology sector. The firm's legal expertise serves clients at all stages of growth, from venture-backed start-up companies to multibillion-dollar global enterprises. The firm's clients include some of the most recognized names in the technology, retail, life sciences, venture capital, and finance sectors. The firm has offices in Austin, Palo Alto, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Shanghai, and Washington, D.C.
First Republic Bank and its subsidiaries provide private banking, private business banking and the full range of wealth management services with an emphasis on exceptional relationship-based service and a solid commitment to responsiveness and action.
Ravix Group - Ravix Group Inc.provides seasoned consulting expertise to outsource the finance, human resources, and facilities functions of early-stage and middle market companies so that management can focus on their priorities to increase the value of their company.
Purplepatch Services is a strategy consulting firm offering technology firms Marketing Communications and User Experience Design solutions.
Grad Profile: @ArtNestInc builds an online community for art creators and aficionados
Grad Profiles highlight the personal and professional stories of Founder Institute Graduates from across the globe.
This profile on ArtNest, a Graduate of the Washington D.C. Founder Institute, was written by Emma Tzeng. Co-founded in January 2012 by Tara Coles and Karina Bania, ArtNest functions as an e-commerce platform for artists and art lovers alike.
It is universally understood that art is timeless. Trends fade faster than tulips in the springtime, tastes and inclinations evolve over time, and life circumstances can change at the drop of a hat; and yet, art outlasts them all. However, just because art transcends time and context, it doesn’t mean that it should remain in the past. The need for creative expression and discovery still resonates as loudly as it did yesterday, and startup ArtNest understands this.
By connecting artists with people and businesses through its online platform, ArtNest empowers users to curate their own art collections and interact with emerging artists around the world while also providing an outlet for up-and-coming artists to sell their pieces.
Founded in January 2012 by Tara Coles, a practicing ER physician, and Karina Bania, a professional artist, ArtNest spawned from a shared desire to make art more accessible and relevant to today’s Internet-centric culture. In their words, they hope to “reinvent and reinvigorate the art world.”
“As a practicing ER physician, I have seen so much suffering and pain,” Coles relates in an interview. “I wanted to build something that celebrated beauty, creativity, and innovation.”
In a similar vein, Bania brings her artistic talent and vision, curatorial instincts, and inspirational writing to the partnership. After graduating from separate bi-coastal Founder Institutes, Coles and Bania realized that by combining their entrepreneurial spirits and talents, the pair could create a truly unique company with high growth potential.
By gathering like-minded art aficionados and artists, the two co-founders want to foster a community that utilizes technology to spread art to everyday individuals across the globe.
Unlike e-commerce platforms such as Etsy and eBay, ArtNest is selective about its product offering: it only features artwork from high-potential emerging artists and even partners with select art galleries to promote their online presence. ArtNest also brings art online by hosting online auctions, art fairs, and exhibitions. In a nutshell, the startup’s mission is to transform the art purchasing experience.
ArtNest caters to design professionals who want assistance in sourcing art for corporate and residential clients. Users can choose from tiered subscription services depending on the level of recommendations and service they wish to receive. In the future, ArtNest plans to establish affiliate relationships with photographers, designers, and art-related vendors.
The startup is currently still in final stages of pre-launch development, as Coles and Bania continue to devote themselves to ArtNest’s core vision of spreading affordable, quality art and design to the masses.
Learn more about ArtNest:
