Pulling teeth easier than pulling dollars from VCs

Jan. 20, 2009

The President of a new women's startup company is heading to Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, helping to care for families at a non-profit medical clinic.

Leigh Behrens, who leads the Personal News Network (www.pnn.com), is volunteering for the Friends of the Children of Haiti (www.fotcoh.org), a grassroots non-profit.

Behrens has been presenting her firm, which she describes as "The Global Water Cooler for Women," to Silicon Valley Venture Capital firms.

"The emerging model for entrepreneurship is one that ties social responsibility with business success," she says.

Plus, "PNN is a social media company for women who want to influence change, and I can't think of a better expression of the spirit of our community than to travel where the need is extreme, and I can help made a difference in improving the lives of women and families."

Behrens has volunteered for Friends since 2004, and sees this trip as aligning with the current call for renewed commitment to community service in the U.S. and around the world.

And she compares the experience of VC presentations and her work in Haiti this way:

"I've actually gotten pretty good at helping to pull teeth," she says, "and I think it's easier than pulling dollars from VCs."

Behrens will be sharing her experience on www.pnn.com.

About PNN.com

PNN.com, "The Global Water Cooler for Women," is a San Francisco Bay-area-based social news and blogging network. 

It was founded in 2007 by Lauren Elliott, the software designer responsible for the creation of the “edutainment” industry via his co-design of the “Carmen SanDiego” software series. 

Leigh Behrens, president, is an award-winning journalist and nationally recognized online media leader who’s held top roles at the New York Times Co. and Chicago Tribune.

PNN.com's offices are located in Rohnert Park, CA.

For more information: editor@pnn.com/707-664-6211