Parker Poe to Partner with The Pink Ceiling

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Feb. 1, 2017 - PRLog -- Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP today announced a community service partnership with leading entrepreneur Cindy Whitehead for her latest venture, The Pink Ceiling. As part of their philanthropic work in the community, attorneys from Parker Poe Raleigh will hold regular office hours at The Pink Ceiling's new Pinkubator, a shared workspace opening Wednesday, February 1 in Raleigh, where women-focused startups will work with The Pink Ceiling executives to develop their businesses.

Parker Poe's relationship with Whitehead began nearly a decade ago with firm partner Evan Fultz serving in the role of outside general counsel, first for Slate Pharmaceuticals, which Whitehead co-founded and helped lead until its sale in 2011, and then for Sprout Pharmaceuticals, which Whitehead co-founded and led through its sale in 2015 for $1 billion in cash.

Whitehead's goal in launching the Pinkubator is to foster the growth of female focused startups through her direct mentorship. Parker Poe attorneys Fultz and Josh Morales will take the lead for their firm in assisting Whitehead to advance that mission, donating their time to help Pinkubator startup businesses navigate intellectual property rights and other important legal issues critical to startup success.

The Pink Ceiling, founded in 2016, is a cross between a strategy firm and an incubator aiming to propel female entrepreneurs or innovations designed for women specifically. Their Pinkubator membership offers regular mentorship from Whitehead and her team, brainstorming and input sessions, networking events with expert speakers and unique workspace and meeting rooms. Virtual memberships are available for those who don't need physical workspace at a reduced rate.

"I believe the biggest gap for women is a lack of access to mentors. Having walked a mile in their stilettos, it's my goal to help make their path easier to navigate by sharing lessons learned from my own experiences and facilitating access to other influencers. That may include other investors, business leaders I count among my mentors or trusted partners like Parker Poe," said Whitehead.

"For new business operators, early access to legal support in intellectual property and other areas can be critical in reaching their full potential and achieving their long-term goals," said Fultz. "Having provided Cindy with legal counsel for her past ventures, we knew this was a perfect match to collaborate in support of women-focused businesses across the region and beyond. With Cindy's proven leadership, vision, creativity, and business acumen, we fully expect companies that come out of the Pinkubator to be great success stories."

"It's wonderful for women business owners to have access to a collaborative working environment where we not only can support and learn from one another but also have access to a highly successful and dynamic entrepreneur like Cindy Whitehead," said Karen Kranbuehl, CEO of Say It Solutions, a Raleigh-based startup focused on online self-advocacy training that was one of the Pinkubator's first members. "The Pinkubator provides services expressly designed to offer women entrepreneurs like myself critical professional guidance and advice we need to launch our ideas."

The Pinkubator is located at 4350 Lassiter at North Hills Ave., Suite 260, Raleigh, NC 27608. Interested entrepreneurs can learn more by visiting www.thepinkubator.com, or they can email pinkubator@thepinkceiling.com or call (844) PINK BOSS (844-746-5267).

About Parker Poe

Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP has approximately 200 lawyers in seven offices located in major markets across North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. The firm provides legal counsel to a wide range of clients, including large commercial and public organizations, on litigation, corporate, and regulatory matters.

Parker Poe is a member of TerraLex, one of the world's leading international legal networks. With 155 member law firms and 19,000 attorneys in 100 countries, TerraLex members provide the legal resources and expertise needed to conduct seamless business worldwide.

For more information, please visit www.parkerpoe.com.

About The Pink Ceiling

The Pink Ceiling, founded in 2016 by Cindy Whitehead, will offer strategic consulting or seed investing and commercial support for startups breaking through for women. Providing operational guidance and go-to market strategy, the team will operate as an extension of their clients. For more information, please visit www.thepinkceiling.com.