Less talk, more action is the way to get more women into Blockchain.

Changing the narrative, sharing vulnerability, mentorship from leaders, taking the geek out of blockchain education, a network to ask for help and to get encouragement, and a buddy system so you are never alone. These were just a few of the actionable ideas percolating to the top of some very engaging conversations had when discussing the nitty gritty of how to get more women into Blockchain.

London Fintech Week 2019 kicked off with a Night for Women in Blockchain, a free meet-up with a simple idea: bring a bunch of women together with smart and articulate practitioners to teach them about blockchain, to present case studies, answer questions and facilitate networking. After downing the last sips of wine and heading home on the tube, where an energy and buzz lingered from newly-met friends and acquaintances, it was not lost on any of us that this could be the start of something meaningful.

The purpose of the Women in Blockchain Meetup was to help increase the number of women understanding and getting into this sector - which to date has been dominated by men. We started the night with some introductions and two wonderful ladies spoke of their ventures in blockchain-based businesses but ultimately it was the breakout networking sessions with a purpose that gave us all the energy and actionable insights to move forward.

Breaking the large group into four teams (helped along by some colour-coded Starbursts), we proposed a separate question for each team to discuss: What are actionable things we can all do to promote Women in Blockchain?What would you want from a Women in Blockchain Network?What three things do you need right now to advance your career in Blockchain?What are your educational needs in Blockchain and how do you want to access education?

The audience was as varied as the responses, conversations and ultimate feedback. In a room of about 90 people, just one brave soul raised their hand to say they were a blockchain expert, a little over a third of the room professed to being intermediate in their knowledge of blockchain and well over half the room admitted to having no experience in Blockchain whatsoever.

Creating a positive network where women can find mentors to learn from, a community to engage with and buddies to partner with was something top-of-mind for all. Women feel intimidated by the tech world and the finance world and blockchain crosses over both; they lack knowledge, they feel vulnerable. Sharing and asking for help lets the world of blockchain feel less overwhelming. Finding someone to connect with online or over coffee also makes the space more approachable and facilitates encouragement and action.

Changing the narrative was overwhelmingly a direction in which to move forward too. Non-technical women may have never heard of a hackathon and don’t realize there is more to it than bringing together a bunch of geeks to code, rather a wonderful opportunity to brainstorm novel and interesting solutions for real-world problems utilizing skills most are well familiar with. They don’t realize that blockchain is about more than just Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies, that it extends beyond the world of financial services and can deliver real benefits in healthcare, logistics, agriculture, the arts and education among many other areas virtually all can all relate to. And most women don’t realize there is a path to a career in blockchain if they have decided the engineering and technical route is not for them.

Helen Disney, Founder of Unblocked, says: “A few of us came together to put this event on because we want to create a network where everyone can learn about and get involved in blockchain. We want to ensure women get more involved at this early stage in this exciting technology so that everyone can benefit. Women are underrepresented in the sector overall and we all want to change this. These meetups give us the perfect opportunity for women from all backgrounds to come together to get the support, motivation and encouragement they need to get into blockchain technology.”

Anna, who attended the inaugural event after a recommendation from a coworker, says: "When I heard about the event, I didn’t know what to expect. I have heard of Blockchain but didn’t know anything about it, so I figured I’d go along and see what I could learn. It was great to have a meetup with high-quality speakers and the ability to engage in group conversations answering the issues that need to be addressed to help women move forward. I got the opportunity to meet like-minded women and am excited to get involved more”

The evening was clearly just the start of the journey to getting more women in blockchain. More questions were raised than answered, more problems uncovered than solutions and we all left with an awareness that more action and less talking was the way forward. But there was a buzz in the air – a desire to be proactive and help, the commitment to build a network and a resolution to help progress. With thanks to our sponsors; Fintech World Wide, Unblocked and Frontier Network, we encourage anyone that wants to get involved to reach out, we are at the very beginning of the journey and we welcome all to share this exciting ride with us.