From groundbreaking startups to innovative solutions, uncover the empowerment, innovation, and leadership in the dynamic realm of women in tech
In the fast-moving and highly competitive tech world, male dominance has long prevailed. However, it’s crucial to recognize that this landscape isn’t completely male-dominated. Despite the challenges, female tech entrepreneurs have risen to prominence, founding some of the most prestigious tech companies.
According to Venture Capital Journal, venture capital funding in the U.S. for companies founded by women has been trending up in recent years, signalling a significant shift in the industry’s dynamics.
Join us as we highlight some of the remarkable women who are reshaping the future of tech entrepreneurship.
1. Morgan DeBaun – Founder and CEO of Blavity Inc. & AfroTech
2. Melanie Perkins – Co-founder of Canva
3. Odunayo Eweniyi – Co-founder of PiggyVest
4. Eva Lau – Co-founder of Two Small Fish Ventures
5. Whitney Wolfe Herd – Founder of Bumble
6. Angelica Ross – Founder of TransTech Social Enterprises
7. Sarah Hawley – Founder of Growmotely
8. Arlan Hamilton – Founder of Backstage Capital
9. Eva Wong – Co-founder of Borrowell
10. Shahrzad Rafati – Founder and CEO of BroadbandTV
11. Esosa Ighodaro, Regina Gwynn, and Lauren Washington – Co-founders of Black Women Talk Tech
Highlighting Women in Tech Worth Watching in 2024
Morgan DeBaun: Morgan DeBaun is the Founder and CEO of Blavity Inc. and AfroTech, platforms that amplify Black voices in technology and media.
Under her leadership, Blavity has become a key player in delivering content that speaks to the interests and challenges of Black millennials, while AfroTech is recognized as a premier conference and digital platform at the intersection of tech, entrepreneurship, and Black culture.
DeBaun’s work exemplifies her commitment to fostering community, innovation, and inclusivity within the tech and media landscapes.
Melanie Perkins: Melanie Perkins is an Australian technology entrepreneur, best known as the co-founder and CEO of Canva. She launched Canva with the vision of democratizing design, making it accessible and easy for everyone, regardless of their experience level.
Under her leadership, Canva has grown into a global platform that simplifies graphic design for millions of users worldwide, transforming the landscape of visual content creation with its user-friendly tools and vast library of templates and resources.
Odunayo Eweniyi: Odunayo Eweniyi, co-founder of PiggyVest, is a leader in Nigeria’s fintech industry. She excelled academically, graduating top of her class in Computer Engineering in 2013. By 2016, she co-founded PiggyVest, the first online savings and investment app in West Africa, significantly impacting financial savings practices.
Odunayo also co-founded FirstCheck Africa in 2021, aiming to address the gender disparity in tech by investing in women-led startups. Her work demonstrates a commitment to using technology for financial empowerment and gender equity in Africa.
Eva Lau: Eva Lau is a co-founder and Managing Partner of Two Small Fish Ventures, a venture fund that invests in early-stage internet companies with strong network effects. With a wealth of experience from her time at Wattpad, where she contributed to its exponential growth, Eva now focuses on helping other startups scale globally.
Her work emphasizes the importance of building companies that can leverage network effects for rapid expansion, supporting the next generation of tech entrepreneurs in achieving global success.
Whitney Wolfe Herd: Whitney Wolfe Herd is the founder of Bumble, a dating app that empowers women by allowing only them to initiate conversations in heterosexual matches. Launched in 2014, Bumble challenged traditional dating dynamics and promoted female empowerment in digital dating.
Whitney’s vision and leadership took Bumble public, making her the youngest woman to take a company public in the U.S. and the world’s first self-made female billionaire. Her work extends beyond dating, advocating for digital safety and respectful interactions online.
Angelica Ross: Angelica Ross is a multifaceted entrepreneur, actress, and advocate, known for founding TransTech Social Enterprises in 2014. This organization is dedicated to empowering LGBTQ+ individuals by providing education, support, and job opportunities in technology.
Angelica, a self-taught coder and seasoned actor, uses her platform to bridge the gap between the tech industry and the LGBTQ+ community, offering resources that foster career development and entrepreneurship. Her work with TransTech highlights her commitment to inclusivity, diversity, and the transformative power of technology.
Sarah Hawley: Sarah Hawley is an entrepreneur who has founded multiple companies, including Growmotely, a platform dedicated to the remote work revolution. Growmotely connects companies with professionals worldwide, fostering a global community that values flexibility, diversity, and efficiency.
Her ventures emphasize creating opportunities that align with lifestyle choices, championing remote work as a means to empower individuals and teams across the globe. Sarah’s work reflects her commitment to innovation in the way we work, emphasizing sustainability, diversity, and personal fulfillment.
Arlan Hamilton: Arlan Hamilton founded Backstage Capital, a venture capital firm dedicated to funding underrepresented entrepreneurs, including women, people of colour, and LGBTQ+ founders.
Starting from scratch and overcoming personal challenges, Arlan has built Backstage into a significant force in the venture capital world, raising over $15 million and investing in more than 160 startups.
Her work aims to address and reduce the funding disparities in tech, proving that diversity leads to innovation and success in the business world.
Eva Wong: Eva Wong is the Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Borrowell, a Canadian fintech company that helps consumers make great decisions about credit.
Under Eva’s leadership, Borrowell became known for offering free credit scores and reports, alongside personal loans and credit cards, aiming to improve financial education and empowerment across Canada.
Her work emphasizes transparency, accessibility, and the democratization of financial information to foster financial wellness.
Shahrzad Rafati: Shahrzad Rafati is the founder and CEO of BroadbandTV (BBTV), a media-tech company based in Vancouver, Canada. She established BBTV to empower content creators to find success and sustainability in their careers through technology and innovation.
Under her leadership, BBTV has grown into a global presence, helping to revolutionize the way content is produced, distributed, and monetized, making it one of the largest media companies worldwide. Her work focuses on harnessing the power of digital content to create positive societal impact.
Esosa Ighodaro, Regina Gwynn, and Lauren Washington: Esosa Ighodaro, Regina Gwynn, and Lauren Washington are co-founders of Black Women Talk Tech, a collective focused on identifying, supporting, and encouraging black women to build the next billion-dollar business.
Their initiative is designed to create an ecosystem that helps black women entrepreneurs find funding, resources, mentorship, and a community of like-minded individuals to support their entrepreneurial journey, addressing the unique challenges they face in the tech industry.
These women in tech have left indelible marks across diverse realms of technology and entrepreneurship. From pioneering financial tech ventures like PiggyVest and Borrowell to championing platforms that empower underrepresented groups in tech such as Black Women Talk Tech, their initiatives span a wide spectrum. Noteworthy innovations include the digital media powerhouse BroadbandTV and the transformative design platform Canva.
This list of women in tech is by no means exhaustive. But through their leadership, advocacy, and commitment to fostering inclusivity and accessibility, each individual is playing a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of the tech industry.