Women Must Have a Place at the Tech Table: International Women’s Day Edition

“In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will be just leaders."

Sheryl Sandberg's quote shows us her acute understanding that while there exist glass ceilings still to be broken and new records to be set, everyone, no matter who they are or where they come from, can lead innovation and set a groundbreaking path. It is her quote that has resonated with me for many years and has helped me carry out some of my notable career goals, from leading WhiteSmoke to an IPO as a CEO, to now acting as managing director of Techstars Tel Aviv and promoting female leadership in tech. ‘Impossible’ is only what we tell ourselves.

It is no secret that women are a minority in the tech ecosystem, both in Israel and internationally. Even as the industry develops and we see a greater inclusion of women in a variety of positions, including leadership and technical roles, it might surprise you to learn that a recent study by Deloitte showed that women make up under a third of the tech workforce. Under a third! The tech ecosystem continues to be a male-dominated space and when you add the investment mechanisms that interact closely with the tech sector, we see an even further dilution of female representation.?

As managing director at Techstars Tel Aviv, I consistently work to promote female founders and female-led ventures. Techstars Tel Aviv is a major contributor to Techstars' $18.2B market cap, with 4 companies acquired, and, to date, we have invested in 91 Israeli companies throughout our network. Out of these successes, many were female-powered initiatives. From this, we can understand that ‘impossible’ is only what we tell ourselves.

I believe that to increase female representation in tech and change the paradigm, women must act. We do not need to adapt to the tech industry, but must find a way for the tech industry to adapt to us. How do I propose this?

First, I believe in networking with other women and building a cooperative ecosystem that supports female founders. Whether it is through sourcing novel enterprises at Techstars that may be outside the scope of the mostly male-dominated space, uplifting other women in their career moves and successes, or helping others to enter the sector, I see it as within our capacity as women to change the current narrative. Second, I see successful women as being able to balance their careers and their families and actively promote this viewpoint with the women in my network. They are not mutually exclusive as some might have us believe and I try to embody this call to action everyday in my work, maneuvering between my work at Techstars, my husband, and my family.?

Moreover, I manage and champion an organization called Yazamiyot, which helps Israeli women enter the high-tech sector. We are honored to have partnered with the likes of Google, Microsoft, and AWS in defining new programs that are aimed at providing needed technological and enterprise resources for female-led ventures. With the help of our partners, we have been successful at pushing dozens of women-run businesses forward, successfully raising funds and developing innovative products. It is through carefully targeted steps like this that I aim to help address the shortage of women in tech and help more women to lead tech ventures. With a more female perspective, who knows what new innovations could be out there.