Silicon Beach — Enchantment, Enlightenment or Disillusionment?

So I have been feeling a bit disillusioned with LA/Santa Monica lately. Just feels very crowded — almost New York-ish and I have been longing for open space.

Just to be clear, living in Santa Monica is pretty fabulous — -every Sunday Nick and I hike and then go to the Farmer’s Market where we buy all our fruits and vegetables for the week from the farmer’s themselves, we live 20 blocks from the beach and you can workout every day of the year outside — We are extremely blessed.

Maybe it is all the negative energy that seems to be floating around — -maybe I would just rather commune with nature then be around people energy, this election cycle is really not helping — BUT the last two days has really helped me connect with people who are extraordinary and solidify why I belong here………. for now — -although I really did like Salt Lake City, how clean it is and of course the access to all the mountains!

This week Silicon Beach Fest is taking place on the west side and you can feel how exciting it is to live in LA — but the best thing for me has been connecting with other smart women — — I am moderating a panel on Friday and on Tuesday there was a women’s luncheon for all the women speaking and moderating and even just attending the conference and I met so many smart interesting women doing really awesome things — it rejuvenated me. Yesterday I heard an entire panel of women founders speak on getting VC funding and then last night I heard Michael Dubin speak about selling his company Dollar Shave Club to Gillette for $1-billion dollars. I am really lucky to live here — and to me it is more fun/exciting to go hear this tech innovators speak than it is to go to a music concert, although I am bummed that I missed Guns N Roses — -but the tech people are the new rock stars and having access to these brain trusts is pretty amazing……along those lines sharing on Facebook is often a pretty vacuous exchange, so I am going to try to share some of the experiences that I am lucky enough to get exposed to.

First up is the interview with Jessica Jackley — — the founder of KIVA — -THIS IS an AMAZING INTERVIEW. THIS WOMAN is AMAZING. The INTERVIEW is an HOUR LONG — but if you want watch it — -it is INSPIRING!!!!!! ENJOY LOVE Heather -