Betaspring is a mentorship-driven startup accelerator program for technology and design entrepreneurs who are ready to launch a company and change the world. Apply by 6/12 for our fall session, which begins on 8/26.
Sunny Bates
Sunny Bates and Associates
Operating at the nexus of executives, scientists, artists, creators, entrepreneurs, educators, philanthropists and visionaries worldwide, Sunny Bates provides the energy fueling countless game-changing ventures in media, technology, business, the environment and the arts. A magnet for talent, passionate about innovation, strategically savvy and adept at identifying investors, Sunny plays lead roles ranging from member of TED’s influential Brain Trust to guiding muse for crowd-sourced, creative projects funder KickStarter. She makes her home in New York City and travels the world whenever possible.
Sunny Bates operates wherever executives, scientists, artists, creators, entrepreneurs, educators, philanthropists and visionaries connect around the globe. Present at the birth of the digital revolution, In 1988 Sunny founded her executive search firm, Sunny Bates Associates, which played a pivotal role in propelling Priceline, Oxygen Media, Fast Company and MapQuest to the top ranks of category-busters.
With an encyclopedic contact list, a firm grasp of the skill-sets that start-ups require and the benchmarks they need to hit to go the distance, and a mind-meld enthusiasm for every project she takes on -- Sunny is the renewable energy source fueling countless game-changing ventures in media, technology, business, the environment and the arts.
With a client list that includes Ford Models, Fidelity Investments, Sony, MTV, the National Academy of Sciences, NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program, Comedy Central and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, among many others, Sunny has distinguished herself in the care and feeding of pioneering creative and philanthropic efforts such as the Acumen Fund, Creative Capital and KickStarter.
A member of the Brain Trust of TED, Sunny also serves on the advisory boards of Endeavor Global, Middlebury College, Jawbone, DailyFeats, among others.
Sunny is frequently invited to speak at industry conferences, sharing her expertise in building and leveraging the power of networks. Adamant advocate for CEOs, techies and creative content-providers alike, she is the author of How to Earn What You’re Worth (2003, McGraw-Hill), a guide to taking the stress and uncertainty out of compensation negotiations.
A graduate of Cornell, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Energy and Economics, Sunny has two college-age daughters. She makes her home in New York City and travels the world whenever possible.