International Women’s Day stands as a global movement celebrating the remarkable achievements of women while simultaneously spotlighting the ongoing quest for gender equality, diversity, and inclusivity. This year’s theme is #Inspire Inclusion.
As 1871 gears up to host its annual International Women’s Day event on 03.07, a question remains top of mind. How can we as a community come together to break down barriers women continually face, especially in the tech industry, so their contributions are recognized and valued equally?
To move to a solution, we must come together, share experiences, listen, raise questions, and grow.
We’ve asked our 1871 member community of women professionals and allies to comment on 4 topics to help us begin conversations that shape tomorrow.
Looking at gender inequality in tech
As women professionals enter the tech ecosystem to build and scale their businesses today, they experience gender-specific barriers, including, but not limited to equity gap, investment gap, and retention.
International Women’s Day underscores the critical need to break down the barriers that inhibit women professionals from participating and leading in tech — a sector pivotal to shaping our future.
“In my 20-year journey through the corporate world, I’ve encountered firsthand the challenges of gender and race bias and compensation gaps,” said Grace Frison, Lead Strategist & Innovator at OM Life Compass and current early-stage member. “I’ve come to realize that the root causes of these issues are not tied to my gender or race, but rather from a broader societal lack of consciousness.”
“The numbers do not lie. In the world of VC funding, women-owned businesses receive just 1.9% of funding. It is absolutely unacceptable. We still face a huge problem with gender equality,” said Olga Burdukovskaya, Co-Founder of perforator.io and 1871 early-stage member.
“I’ve encountered so many of these obstacles in the course of my career, both to me and to my friends — everything from pregnancy and marriage discrimination to gender bias to wage gaps to sexual harassment,” said Reva Minkoff, Founder and President of Digital4Startups Inc and 1871 mentor in PYROS, WMNtech Founders, and LTNtech Founders. “Encountering these things is obviously not optimal, but the more we talk about it and have events like IWD, the more we know that behavior is not ok or our fault, we’re not alone, and we can help educate allies to prevent the behavior from occurring.”
To help counteract the investment and inequality gap, 1871 hosts its annual affinity programs, WMNtech Founders and WMNtech Pitch Competition, to elevate women-led and women-founded startups and support them through sponsoring investor funding, resources, and workshops dedicated to each social group’s unique needs and roadblocks.
BLKtech Pitch Competition, LTNtech Pitch Competition, BLKtech Founders, and LTNtech Founders are also available for Black and Latin founders to gain similar resources and support.
Looking at the impact of diversity
As of 2023, women hold only 26.7% of technology jobs. Compared to entry-level roles, occupations higher in the organization have an even lower representation of women.
According to CIO, women of color face even more significant challenges in the tech industry — and are significantly underrepresented. Only 3% of technology jobs are held by Black women and 2% by Latin women.
1871’s community consists of 50% non-white members, with 30% female founders and leaders at every stage in the business curve, ever-so closely mirroring Chicago’s demographics in tech.
In fact, a study discovered that companies with above-average diversity scores generated 19% higher innovation revenues.
“In my first workplace, I was the first woman hired on the tech team. While working in the midst of the male gender was great, it made me wonder whether the field was just for a certain gender,” said Amarachi Amaechi, Co-founder & Chief Operating Officer at Bitpowr Technologies Inc and 1871 growth-stage member. “Attending International Women’s Day events made a difference in my career and social life; it allowed me to meet women like me who are excelling in their respective careers.”
“Increasing gender diversity in tech companies fosters innovation, broadens perspectives, and enhances problem-solving,” said Dave Kooi, Senior Account Manager at Digital4Startups and 1871 corporate member. “It strengthens company culture, promoting inclusivity and attracting top talent from all backgrounds. Gender diversity isn’t only a moral imperative; it’s a strategic advantage that drives better performance and outcomes in the competitive tech landscape.”
By championing diversity in tech, we honor the spirit of International Women’s Day and catalyze innovation, creativity, and resilience in a field that touches every aspect of our lives. Embracing a diverse community encourages us to reflect, act, and commit to creating a more equitable tech landscape where every woman has the opportunity to thrive and lead.
Looking at mentorship to grow community
In a field that thrives on rapid evolution and complex problem-solving, 1871’s ecosystem continues to expand. Founders, leaders, and innovators alike join us from right here in Chicago to across the globe to network, inspire, and overcome challenges that’ll propel us forward in innovation.
“Community and mentorship has been a key to our success when we first started building Honest Game out of 1871 and making connections via International Women’s Day was a great part of that experience,” said Joyce Anderson, Co-Founder & COO at HonestGame and 1871 growth-stage member. “We started our business in 2019 and, thankfully, were members of the 1871 community right from the start. Without that support and our 1871 mentors, I’m not sure we would’ve clawed our way out of those difficult early days.”
1871’s community-focused initiatives include 170 mentors in our PYROS program and community resource groups, BLKtech Voices, LTNtech Voices, PRDtech Voices, and WMNtech Voices.
Join the equality movement
This International Women’s Day, celebrate with us on 3.07 for our vibrant half-day event dedicated to honoring women’s accomplishments and advocating for a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive tech community—and beyond.
We’ll be in person for networking, keynotes, and Founder & Leader-focused workshops with Sandwina from 8:30 AM – 1:30 PM CST, with virtual live streaming available.
“I have met, connected with, and reconnected with so many amazing women via IWD events. When I first started in my career, the companies I was at didn’t have them, and I’d feel like (or be) the only female leader. Now, from attending these events, I know I am not the only one,” Minkoff said.
‘Inspire Inclusion’ urges us to actively contribute to shaping a world where all feel unity and community, making real change possible together. Every step you take with us is a leap forward for the entire community.
Get more involved beyond our International Women’s Day celebration
Engage with Our Community Resource Groups: Connect, learn, and grow with our community and help shape the future for underrepresented groups – WMNtech Voices, BLKtech Voices, LTNtech Voices, PRDtech Voices.
Participate in Our Affinity & Leadership Programs: Engage in enriching programming designed to help underrepresented groups navigate their entrepreneurial & leadership journey – WMNtech Founders, BLKtech Founders, LTNtech Founders, and Tech Leaders.
Attend Community Events & Competitions: Celebrate entrepreneurs and gain insights on the current tech topics while connecting with innovators – WMNtech Pitch Competition, BLKtech Pitch Competition, LTNtech Pitch Competition, and upcoming community events.
Get Involved in Our Mission: Be a catalyst for change and the driving force behind our mission of inspiring, equipping, and supporting founders and leaders alike. Please contribute to our mission.
Join as an 1871 Early Stage Member.
Attend info sessionSubscribe to our ICYMI newsletter.
Share this post:
