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Women 2.0, Founder Friday Launching In Detroit

DETROIT -- A San Francisco-based organization of women entrepreneurs is establishing a Detroit chapter.

Women 2.0 will launch its Founder Friday events in Detroit Friday, Nov. 16 at the downtown Detroit Masonic Temple. The event is scheduled for 6 to 9 p.m.

"Women 2.0 is a media company with a mission and a niche," said Sepi Nasari, who carries the title "vice president of all things offline" at Women 2.0. "Our niche is technology, and our mission is to help increase the number of female owners in technology startups."

One of the ways Women 2.0 accomplishes that mission is through its Founder Friday events.

Founder Friday is open to aspiring and current entrepreneurs, technologists and investors and is free to both men and women to network and connect.

Nasari said 16 different cities now have Founder Friday events.

"Detroit is a city where entrepreneurship is growing and changing the way business is done, and we definitely think it is ready" for Founder Friday events, Nasari said. "We are trying to build an online community of entrepreneurs, technologists and founders and bring them together. We are hoping to identify the influencers in the city who can teach entrepreneurs what resources they need to start a new company, educate them as to the resources available to start a new company, and inspire them to create a new company."

Women 2.0 has partnered with Google for Entrepreneurs in the effort. Featured speakers at the event will include Nasari and Kaili Holtermann, head of marketing for Google for Entrepreneurs.

Nasari is a veteran entrepreneur herself, having started her first company at age 21, fresh out of the University of California at Irvine. She sold the company two years later. She was involved in two other startups before going to work for Women 2.0 about a year ago.

About 150 people are expected for Friday's event. To sign up, visit http://founderfridaydetroit111612.eventbrite.com/#.

The Detroit launch of Founder Friday corresponds with Global Entrepreneurship Week, a worldwide celebration of the innovators and self-starters that help drive job creation and economic growth.

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