If you’re interested in obtaining funding for a startup company, investing in one, or networking with other women who are engaged in startups, Innovate Springfield is hosting a program on Women in Startups and Investment from 4-5:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 20. Innovate Springfield will be facilitating a conversation with women who have started, scaled, sold and invested in companies. Participants will also have an opportunity to provide feedback on how our community can do more to support local female-owned companies and female-led investment opportunities. Complimentary food and drinks will be provided from two female-founded Springfield area businesses, Rolling Meadows Brewery and Artisan and Company. The guests of honor will be Anna Palmer and Danielle David, who will both share their start-up journeys and lead a discussion about investment in female-founded companies.

Palmer is the co-founder and CEO of Wondermile, a marketing platform that drives in-store sales by connecting the products inside of a store with the people nearby looking to purchase. Before founding Wondermile, Palmer was co-founder and CEO of Fashion Project, where she scaled the company to millions in revenue, led national brand partnerships and raised multiple rounds of venture funding. With the sale of Fashion Project in 2016, she took over as SVP of marketing and then COO. Palmer also serves as co-founder and Investing Partner of XFactor Ventures, a seed fund for the next wave of female founders, where she focuses on retail and consumer goods innovation and marketplace businesses. She holds a juris doctorate from Harvard Law School.

David is the founder and CEO of Spoon University, a food media company. She was involved in its first iteration in college and returned after business school and working at Google to serve as the director of operations at Spoon. David worked on a team of three people managing Spoon’s acquisition by Scripps Networks Interactive, owner of the Food Network, and continues to serve as director of operations in New York City. She holds a degree in management studies from Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management.

The event, held at Innovate Springfield’s headquarters at 15 Old State Capitol Plaza in Springfield, is free but attendees are asked to pre-register. For more information, contact Sarah Beth Eck at 670-1770 or sarahbeth@innovatespringfield.org.