New Startup Ladies Platform Targets Startups, Investors

The chief executive officer of The Startup Ladies in Indianapolis says a new online educational platform will serve as a boon for entrepreneurs and investors. Kristen Cooper says Startup Study Hall Online will provide access to the organization’s executive mentors from anywhere in the country. The membership-based platform was announced Tuesday as part of The Startup Ladies’ fourth anniversary luncheon in Indy.

In an interview with Inside INdiana Business Reporter Mary-Rachel Redman, Kristen Cooper, who founded The Startup Ladies four years ago, says the platform will not only support the growing number of women building scalable businesses, but also those who are looking to invest in startups.

"We’ve built a marketplace and if we’re training entrepreneurs with scalable ideas that are truly ready for funding, that draws in people that want to invest in startups, so you kind of have to simultaneously build both sides of the marketplace and we’re doing that," said Cooper. "This is now a source for people that have the capacity to invest at least $5,000 to spend time with people who are building companies and then learn how to invest. We will have that type of education available to them online."

Members will have access to videos, templates, articles and more on topics such as business models, prototyping, product development and intellectual property, among others. Cooper says the platform is being powered by Indianapolis-based tech company Lessonly Inc., which has allowed The Startup Ladies to focus on education and connecting startups.

You can learn more about Startup Study Hall Online by clicking here.

During the fourth anniversary luncheon, The Startup Ladies also held a pitch competition and awarded $1,000 to Marie Maher, founder and CEO of Synapse Sitters. Maher recently appeared on Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick to talk about the startup. We’ll have more from that interview in this Wednesday afternoon’s INside Edge e-newsletter.