"Drinking the Kool-Aid in Silicon Valley" by Alison Von Diggelen, Journalist and Blogger, FreshDialogues
http://www.freshdialo...
6.30pm in LT3, Bristo Square

The networking event afterwards will be held in Newtown on George Street and will begin at 8:00 p.m. GMT.

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Silicon Valley journalist and Scot, Alison van Diggelen will share highlights from a decade interviewing early stage and successful entrepreneurs and business leaders. Why is the company pitch so important? Why is failure a badge of honor in Silicon Valley? What factors make a fertile ecosystem for entrepreneurs? Why are some Silicon Valley entrepreneurs spectacularly successful but others crash and burn? And how can you learn from their failures and triumphs?

About the speaker:

Alison van Diggelen is a Silicon Valley journalist and commentator. A former columnist for the San Jose Mercury News, and Silicon Valley Biz Ink, Alison is founder and host of FreshDialogues. She also writes commentary for San Francisco’s NPR affiliate, KQED and San Jose’s KLIV radio. Her in-depth interviews and profiles of movers and shakers have appeared in the Silicon Valley Business Journal and San Jose Magazine. Alison’s writing has also appeared in The Financial Times of London, United Parenting Publications and The Glasgow Herald.

In 2000, she created the award-winning website siliconmom.com, a forum and resource for mothers in the wired world. Eight years later, after working with KQED Radio’s Forum team, and its host Michael Krasny, she decided it was time to focus on her strongest passion - interviewing people - especially those working on the green revolution. She founded Fresh Dialogues as a venue for her interview podcasts and commentary.

Alison has been a guest on “Mornings on Two” Breakfast Television, “Silicon Valley Business” (Channel 6), KGO radio and BBC radio. In 2001 The Women’s Fund of Silicon Valley nominated Alison for a Woman of Achievement Award in communication. She was also honored by U.S. Congressman, Mike Honda.

She hales from Bonnie Scotland and worked for investment consultants in London and Paris before moving to Silicon Valley in 1994. She has a BSc. from Paisley University and a Master’s in Land Economics from Cambridge University.

Link to Fresh Dialogues: http://www.freshdialo...

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