Winnett recognized for helping to build one of the most prestigious accelerators in the world

BERKELEY, CA / ACCESSWIRE / August 2, 2024 / Berkeley SkyDeck, the global hub for entrepreneurship and leading accelerator, today announced that Executive Director Caroline Winnett has been named to the Forbes 50 Over 50 list in the Innovation category. This prestigious list, created in collaboration with Mika Brzezinski's Know Your Value initiative, honors 200 women who demonstrate exceptional innovation, achieve outstanding business performance, and drive significant impact within their industries. Winnett was recognized for her dedication to building SkyDeck into one of the world's premier accelerators, expanding its reach into Europe and with key partnerships around the globe.

"When I joined SkyDeck as its executive director a decade ago, I knew it would be a unique and challenging journey. Together, we've built SkyDeck into a globally-renowned accelerator, with our alumni collectively raising $2 billion. While I'm deeply honored to be included in this year's Forbes 50 Over 50, this recognition also celebrates the collective efforts of our entire team and community," said Winnett. "These years post-50 have been the most fulfilling of my life, and I absolutely love my work with SkyDeck and our companies to bring their groundbreaking ideas to market."

With an acceptance rate around 1%, Berkeley SkyDeck stands as one of the most competitive accelerators, with more than 1,600 companies as alumni. Since its inception, SkyDeck has seen exponential growth, expanding from 50 applications per class to over 2,000. Each batch, comprising 20-25 startups, receives $200,000 in funding from the Berkeley SkyDeck Fund, $750,000 in free and discounted resources, and access to the vast Berkeley SkyDeck network.

Winnett played a significant role in establishing the unique relationship between the SkyDeck Fund and UC Berkeley: the fund shares half of its profits with the university to continue delivering excellence in education. To date, the SkyDeck Fund has invested in 160 companies and 60% of those companies have gone on to raise additional funding. Furthermore, Winnett has been instrumental in SkyDeck's international expansion with the establishment of SkyDeck Europe in Milan in 2022. She also spearheaded partnerships with many international organizations including the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), the Swedish Energy Agency (SEA), and the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) of Taiwan.

Winnett brings a broad range of experience to her role at Berkeley SkyDeck. She initially was a concert violinist, then a publisher, before co-founding NeuroFocus. As its chief marketing officer, she led the company to over $25 million in revenue and an acquisition by Nielsen in 2011. She subsequently founded a second neuroscience-focused company and served as an advisor to several others. In addition to her work with SkyDeck, she serves on the board of trustees of Cal Performances. Personally, her accomplishments include completing an Ironman Triathlon and scaling El Capitan.

Berkeley SkyDeck recently opened applications for its Batch 19, which is the first to feature three new track chairs for the Chip and Bio Tracks. Batch 19 will also be the first time the SkyDeck accelerator is open to all US and international founders, regardless of their UC Berkeley affiliation. Applications are due August 23, with orientation scheduled for November 4.

About Berkeley SkyDeck

Berkeley SkyDeck is a leading accelerator and the global hub for entrepreneurship. As UC Berkeley's largest and most prominent accelerator, SkyDeck combines hands-on mentorship with the vast resources of its research university. SkyDeck is the only accelerator of its kind that offers the value of a dedicated investment fund alongside the resources and network of a top university. To date, SkyDeck startups have raised more than $2 billion in aggregate. Participating startups have access to SkyDeck's 700 advisors, 70 industry partners, and a network of more than 510,000 UC Berkeley alumni. For more information, see skydeck.berkeley.edu.

Media contact

Songue PR for Berkeley SkyDeck
skydeck@songuepr.com

SOURCE: Berkeley SkyDeck