The Silicon Valley Podcast Ep 212 From Lawyer to CEO with Emily Ward
Shownotes for Emily Ward
Join us for an insightful conversation with Emily Ward, Founder and CEO of AlcaCruz, as we explore her remarkable journey from VP and Chief Technology Counsel at eBay to the helm of her own tech startup.
Key Questions and Topics:
Career Overview:
Emily shares a summary of her distinguished career leading up to her current role.
Global Market Expansion:
Lessons learned from eBay's expansion into China and global markets.
Strategies for fast-growing startups planning to enter new markets.
Intellectual Property for Startups:
The importance of intellectual property for startups.
Insights on filing patents from a legal and technology perspective.
Mergers and Acquisitions:
Emily's experiences on eBay's M&A teams and the importance of a strong legal team.
Stories and lessons from assessing and acquiring companies like GSI, Bill Me Later, and Braintree.
Diversity on Boards:
Emily's thoughts on diversity on company boards.
Considerations for founders when creating a board.
Leadership Wisdom:
Wisdom on leadership from Emily's extensive speaking engagements in the tech community.
Transition to Tech Entrepreneurship:
Emily's decision to start a tech company instead of a law practice.
Insights on women CEOs in the tech startup space.
AlcaCruz Overview:
Emily provides an overview of AlcaCruz and the problems it aims to solve.
Tech Readiness for Problem Solving:
The intersection of technology and problem-solving for AlcaCruz's mission.
Career Transition Advice:
How Emily's corporate experience prepared her for entrepreneurship.
Advice for individuals transitioning from well-funded companies to starting their own ventures.
Resources for Women Founders:
Insights into resources available for women founders.
Personal experiences regarding advantages and disadvantages in Emily's career.
Connect with Emily:
Learn more about AlcaCruz and connect with Emily.
Closing:
Don't miss this enriching conversation with Emily Ward, where we delve into the nuances of tech leadership, entrepreneurship, and the journey from corporate giants to startup dreams.
Stay tuned for more insights and inspiration!
Connect with Emily
https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilysward/
Full Bio:
CompetesTV uses our award winning MultiView tech for video competitions. Creators use their videos to showcase their talents and share contests to grow viewership and revenue streams. www.competes.tv. Launching soon!
AlcaCruz created MultiView video streaming technology that live streams multiple camera views or multiple games (sports, esports, concerts, channel programming, etc.) into one interactive screen. Available in IOS & Android as CruzTV.
Emily is CEO of CompetesTV & AlcaCruz.
Previously, Emily was Vice President & Worldwide Chief Technology Counsel at PayPal and eBay for many years. Legal tech leader for PayPal’s and eBay’s technologies, products and companies. Legal tech lead on eBay’s M&A teams that assessed and bought GSI ($2.4B), Bill Me Later ($1.2B), Braintree ($800M), and many other companies, as well as divested Skype. Split the IP portfolios for eBay and PayPal during PayPal’s spin-off from eBay. Testified on patent reform before Congressional committee. Successfully resolved bet-the-company lawsuits, including Merc Exchange v. eBay (previous unanimous US Supreme Court decision for eBay).
She has won numerous awards, including being recognized as one of the Most Influential Women in Silicon Valley (SV Business Journal), one of the Top Women Leaders in Technology Law, one of the World’s Leading IP Strategists, Legal Impact Winner, Multicultural Leadership Award, Legal Momentum Women of Achievement honoree and the Direct Women Board Institute program.
She enjoys spending time with family, friends and church, and she and her family are avid dog lovers and currently have 4 rescue dogs at home. They also support the Hope Technology School (a full inclusion school for special needs children).