Liberty Interactive Kicks-Off Third Annual Women's eCommerce Network

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  • Leading Women Executives Guide eCommerce Entrepreneurs Towards Critical Business Objectives, Milestones
  • 2014 Class Convenes at Silicon Valley Opening Summit

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Liberty Interactive Corporation ("Liberty Interactive") (Nasdaq: LINTA, LINTB, LVNTA, LVNTB) today announced the 2014 Women's eCommerce Network (WeCN), a unique program that pairs established women business leaders and executives (the Council) with five early stage eCommerce companies (the Class) for a six month mentorship period.

The 2014 program commences with an Opening Summit in Silicon Valley, where each Class member is paired with two Council members who will counsel her through a targeted, business-enhancing project. The six month mentorship period then culminates in April with a Closing Summit hosted by Liberty Interactive.

The WeCN provides exposure to best practices and emerging trends, as well as networking opportunities with the broader Council through the Summits and an established Alumni network. The objective of the WeCN is to establish business relationships that will enhance the opportunities for long-term business success and create a foundation for support that ensures the next generation of women business leaders and executives.

“We are pleased to support the WeCN,” said Greg Maffei, Liberty Interactive, President and CEO. “Now in its third year, this growing network has attracted an impressive group of female digital commerce executives – both as mentors and class members. The WeCN has become a powerful tool for founders of young eCommerce businesses with real promise.”

The WeCN 2014 Council is comprised of distinguished business leaders, entrepreneurs and investors from leading brands and companies. Many served as mentors in 2011 and 2012 and are returning again for the third year. The Council members are:

  • Nanon de Gaspé Beaubien-Mattrick, President & Founder, Beehive Holdings
  • Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, Founder & CEO, Joyus.com
  • Susan Feldman, Co-Founder & Chief Merchandising Officer, One Kings Lane
  • Theresia Gouw, Partner, Accel Partners
  • Divya Gugnani, Founder, Send the Trend (a QVC Subsidiary)
  • Jill Layfield, CEO, Backcountry.com
  • Dawn Lepore, former Chairman & CEO, drugstore.com
  • Barbara Messing, Chief Marketing Officer, TripAdvisor
  • Alison Pincus, Co-Founder & Chief Partnership Officer, One Kings Lane
  • Jana Rich, Managing Director, Russell Reynolds Associates
  • Alexandra Wilkis Wilson, Founder & Chief Merchandising Officer, Gilt Groupe

Joining the WeCN 2014 Class are entrepreneurs of early-stage eCommerce companies. Class members include:

  • Ruzwana Bashir, Co-Founder & CEO, Peek
  • Katina Mountanos & Liz Whitman, Co-Founders, Manicube
  • Sonia Nagar, Co-Founder & CEO, Pickie
  • Christy Prunier, Founder & CEO, Willa
  • Jill Sherman, Co-Founder & CEO, Modalyst

Also participating in year-three of the program are executives from Liberty Interactive and QVC, including Andrea Wong, Liberty Board Member and President of International Production for Sony Pictures Entertainment, Claire Watts, CEO, QVC US, Robin Pringle, VP, Liberty Interactive and Courtnee Ulrich, VP, Liberty Interactive.

Andrea Wong commented, “The program format of pairing established and ascending eCommerce leaders to focus on real world business projects gives the Class members a tangible benefit from the Network. It’s also about women mentoring and helping each other to enable early stage business to achieve long term success.”

The third WeCN Opening Summit will take place on September 18, 2013 in Silicon Valley. The day’s agenda includes discussions on building up the team, including management around the CEO, board, advisors, and the structure of the organization and scaling the business, and is designed around an intimate format that encourages direct conversations and relationship building.

About Liberty Interactive Corporation

Liberty Interactive Corporation operates and owns interests in a broad range of digital commerce businesses. Those interests are currently attributed to two tracking stock groups: Liberty Interactive Group and Liberty Ventures Group. The Liberty Interactive Group (Nasdaq: LINTA, LINTB) is primarily focused on digital commerce and consists of Liberty Interactive Corporation's subsidiaries QVC, Provide Commerce, Backcountry.com, Bodybuilding.com, Celebrate Interactive, CommerceHub and interests in HSN and Lockerz. The businesses and assets attributed to the Liberty Ventures Group (Nasdaq: LVNTA, LVNTB) consists of all of Liberty Interactive Corporation's businesses and assets other than those attributed to the Liberty Interactive Group and include its subsidiary TripAdvisor, its interest in Expedia, and minority interests in Time Warner and Time Warner Cable.

Liberty Interactive Corporation
Courtnee Ulrich, 720-875-5420

Source: Liberty Interactive Corporation

Released September 11, 2013