Improving gender diversity in deep-tech scaleups

It's not the pipeline, It's the System. June 23rd is celebrated as 'International Women in Engineering Day" #INWED Sadly the harsh reality, engineering colleges in India produce the highest number of women in STEM graduates/engineers and many of them actually do make it to the workforce. The real challenge is their retention and progression. With 2+ decades in tech and now consulting for tech companies on their Gender Equity Strategy, I’ve seen this challenge firsthand. The issue isn’t talent availability, it’s systemic. In most households, a woman’s career is still seen as optional. That mindset and bias bleeds into workplaces, shaping how women are hired, retained, and promoted. So what can organisations do, 1. Relook at org culture and design. Are your systems, policies, and leadership norms built equitably to support who stays, rises and how. 2. Representation matters, especially in especially in mid and senior levels, invest in retention and have hiring goals across grades. 3. Move from gendered to gender neutral policies. Eg. Maternity to Parental Leave Policy that supports all care-givers. Reframe workplace policies from “women-centric benefits” to equitable caregiving support that normalise shared responsibility and reduce bias. 4. Women in Tech Returnee programs - I've seen immense success in these programs, that offer companies experienced tech talent with a little investment. #Vapasi from Thoughtworks, #Spring from Publicis Sapient are two examples 5. Conduct Stay Interviews, Not Exit Interviews. Understand why women leave and what it takes for them to stay and grow and act on the inputs. 3. A Clear Career Progression Path with mentorship and sponsorship - Bias in growth opportunity for #WIT is real, if there is no intentional support to overcome these bias, talent walks away. 4. I Need to See More Like Me! There is a lack of role models. Accelerated Women in tech leadership programs, fast-tracking the leadership journey of high potential women are some ways to address this. 5. Collective Ownership. Gender Diversity in tech is not a HR, leadership or DEI responsibility. Make it the very fabric of the org. to drive shared accountability. 6. Data is not just diagnostic, it's directional. It guides us on investments to be made, unseen bias and where and what needs to change, it's your mirror don't ignore it. #Inclusion is a organisational capability and leaders are it's torch bearers. Their actions, direction and decisions every single day, signal what truly matters. The Women in tech, talent pool exists. The question is, are you ready to retain, grow, and lead with them? #WomenInTech #WIT #GenderEquity #DiversityInTech Diversity Simplified Image description: A newspaper article titled “It’s Not the Pipeline, It’s the System” from Times of India, Bangalore edition which highlights the gender gap in engineering.

The #AI industry needs women.   Let's talk about a future for AI with gender diversity at its center, not just as an afterthought. When we discuss battling bias in AI for the next leap in the industry, we are not only talking about models and datasets. We also need to consider the representation in the AI industry.   Businesses are stronger when there's diversity to tackle difficulties from different angles. The percentage of women working in AI today is approximately 30%, according to the World Economic Forum (2023), with a significant gender gap at the executive level. But as we build an AI-powered world, we need more women represented at the top and technical positions.   At Defined.ai, we are taking steps to increase gender representation: 42% of our employees are women and 39% of them are in senior management positions. We always make sure we represent diversity in language, age, sexual orientation, and cultural background in datasets and within our organization.   As a women founder, CEO, and engineer in this industry, I plan to share more reflections during this Women's History Month starting tomorrow. Join me in this discussion and share your thoughts below!   #Diversity #Innovation #WHM #Gender

When Burcin Ressamoglu, Chief Executive Officer of Pluxee UK (Sodexo Benefits and Rewards Services new brand) asked me to join her in a fireside chat as part of their Women in Tech series, I could not refuse. I have seen Burcin blossom into the leader she is today – determined and skilled at addressing challenges head on to successfully grow the business, while being a compassionate leader, a role model for women and a DEI ally. We discussed the lack of representation of women in tech roles. Globally women represent just 27% of tech roles. In the US, women make up 52% of the U.S. population and 21+, 40% of STEM degree holders, and only 29% of STEM workforce. And the quit rate is 53% for women in tech vs 31% for men. We unpacked the causes for these appalling statistics, including – women being the “onlys;” their contributions ignored and women consistently spoken over and robbed of their ideas; and are limited by stereotypes that men are better in STEM roles. This coupled with a hostile work environment makes it challenging for women. We shared the shocking statistic that 60-70% of women in India, China and Brazil report sexual harassment in Tech workplaces and in the US, the figure is 52%. Women have disparate experiences in the workplace based on their intersectional identities. For example those who are women and ethnic or racial minorities, or women of color in the US, they hold less than 10% of computing roles as compared to white women who hold 16% of such roles. So what can we do? Leaders in Tech workplaces MUST be more intentional in addressing representation of women from recruiting to developing and promoting women in Tech. They MUST hold their teams accountable for mentoring and sponsoring women. Above all, they must address the hostile work environments. And for that, every male MUST be an ally and ensure they actively address harassment in the workplace and manage their own unconscious bias about women in Tech. My advice for women in STEM: Ask for what you want/speak up; network; be intentional about your brand; sponsor others and develop proteges; be authentic and own your unique leadership style- don’t imitate men. We got some excellent questions from the audience including how organizations can recognize and put in place polices and practices to address the dual burden that many women have of responsibilities at home and work; the benefits and drawbacks of hybrid workplaces on women and my thoughts on the attacks on DEI. Thank you Burcin for inviting me and thanks for your thought provoking and insightful questions. Above all thank you for being a role model, for mentoring women and being intentional in your commitment to a diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace. For a recording of the webinar, click here: https://lnkd.in/deYFYVXb #WomenInTech #Leadership #DiversityEquityInclusion #WomenInSTEM #TechIndustry

After the launch of Tech Sis, I heard the same question countless times from countless male friends, ecosystem partners, etc. -- "How can I help?" Well, after talking with many abundantly talented women in the fintech/VC/banking spaces, I have some thoughts! I present... 💜 Amplifying Female Voices in the Workplace: A Guide for Male Allies 💜 Creating an inclusive workplace means ensuring that everyone’s voices are heard—and that means allies have an important role to play in helping talented women gain visibility and access to growth opportunities. Here are some ways male allies can champion their female colleagues and move the needle on career equity: Speak Up for Women in Every Room: Support women’s contributions not just publicly but behind closed doors as well. If you’re in decision-making meetings, ask yourself, “Whose voice is missing?” and actively advocate for her input. Allyship is about supporting women where it counts, especially when they're not present. Recommend Women for High-Visibility Roles: When new projects or roles open up, look at the skills women around you bring to the table and put their names forward. Many women face barriers to promotion not due to skill gaps but because they haven’t had the chance to shine. Be the one who brings their name into the spotlight. ✨ Share the Stage, Literally and Figuratively: If you notice women getting interrupted or overlooked in discussions, use your position to bring the focus back to their insights. In meetings, invite their input and be a voice that redirects attention where it’s deserved. On panels or speaking engagements, advocate for gender diversity in lineups and let women lead the conversation whenever possible. 🚨 Sponsor, Don’t Just Mentor: 🚨 🚨 🚨 🚨 While mentorship is crucial, sponsorship—actively recommending women for critical career steps—has an even greater impact. Seek ways to sponsor women by vouching for their potential and championing their goals to others in your network. Women often progress faster when they have sponsors pushing them forward in tangible ways. 🚨 🚨 🚨 (Can you tell I really wanted to emphasize this one?) Celebrate Women’s Wins: Be the first to recognize and celebrate women’s successes. Acknowledging accomplishments in a genuine way amplifies their impact and keeps the momentum going for the next opportunity. Every small recognition strengthens a culture of mutual support. Every little step counts when it comes to fostering an inclusive environment. When we’re intentional about allyship, it doesn’t just support individual careers—it changes company culture and creates a stronger, more resilient workforce. We are here to help create spaces where women’s voices aren’t just heard but are truly valued and elevated! 💜 What did I miss? What advice can you offer me to continue to be a champion for my fellow women (and overlooked men) as well? #womeninfintech #womeninfinance #womeninVC

The report by the The Alan Turing Institute showing that just 2% of funding for AI startups goes to female founded companies isn't surprising - because only 2% of ALL funding goes to women. The reason it's a bigger conversation is because the scale of impact that AI is going to have is so huge that it's hard to comprehend. There are a few things that we need to get right as a bare minimum: 🪸 Women (and for that matter any underrepresented and underestimated group) must be involved in building 🪴 They must be part of the data sets we build on 🪺 They must be part of the governing bodies who pass regulations and laws So what can investors do? 🌛 Set thresholds. Forget quotas, and bring in the reverse - thresholds. Commit to only investing in one or two founding teams with no diversity per year. Stick to it. 🦩 Reflect on your biases. Take a real look into your pipeline. How many diverse teams did you have at the top of your funnel, and how many of those did you actually invest in? You've got one of two problems: you aren't reaching a diverse network at the very top, or you're filtering out diverse teams in your own process. Fix it. 🥬 Find and support brilliant people. This doesn't mean investing in them right now (but you should do that too), it means building a network of diverse individuals who you can encourage to, one day, build in this space. #AI #Technology #Investment #Funding #VentureCapital #genderequality