Women Pivotal To Driving Change In Narrative
Atlanta, Georgia, 8 March 2023 — Women are their own ‘worst enemies’ when it comes to getting a seat at the table, with more women having an opportunity to be part of capital raise initiatives, but not pushing women that are sole founders forward.
Mellissah Smith, CEO of marketing technology firm Robotic Marketer, is speaking out on International Women’s Day about the importance of addressing the under-representation of women in the tech industry and the need to change the narrative of both male and female VC’s in the raise capital process.
As a female tech entrepreneur and CEO, Smith has experienced firsthand the challenges of being a sole female founder in the tech industry. “When women are excluded from investment in their tech businesses, we miss out on seeing the full potential of what is possible. Their valuable perspectives and ideas that could drive innovation and growth, are paramount to investors getting return on investment.”
Smith believes that investors are missing a big opportunity to create positive change. “The reality is that men are currently more likely to have access to the networks and resources needed to secure funding for their companies,” she said. “By promoting gender diversity in tech company ownership, we can level the playing field and ensure that innovative ideas and talented individuals are not overlooked.”
“But we need to go further than that. We need to trust that women are as good as men at building tech companies without the need to lean on male co-founders. They can do it alone with the right management team in place.”
The challenges facing women in tech are well-documented, with studies showing that women are under-represented in leadership positions and face a variety of biases and obstacles in the industry. To address these challenges, Smith recommends that companies take steps to promote gender diversity and inclusivity, including implementing mentorship programs, offering flexible work arrangements and actively recruiting women for leadership roles.
“We need to change the narrative around women in tech. Too often, women are portrayed as lacking the skills or ambition needed to succeed in the industry, when in reality, they face a variety of biases and obstacles that hold them back.”
“Even when they do show ambition and capability, they are not given a seat at the table in the same way as men.”
“As a female tech founder I have been astounded mostly at other women investors who want to play with the big boys but proclaim loudly that women sole founders are too risky. How many men have been given investment that have proven track records as a sole founder. There are many.”
Contact Mellissah Smith, CEO, Robotic Marketer at info@roboticmarketer.com