As we move through and perhaps past, the Me Too, movement I find myself asking, “Where is the change?” Are women better off today than we were 7 or 10 years ago?

Fewer women in tech than pre dot-com era

In 2010, a friend of mine who was an Executive VP at an emerging tech company, sat with me on the eve of one of our industry’s most important trade shows. We reflected on how there were less women in leadership roles than before the dot com bust. The percentage of women in the tech world was less than 20% and the women who were there were, frankly, aging. Why weren’t young women pushing up the ranks?

Alliance of Channel Women is born

All these questions led me to the foundation of a non-profit group for women in the technology channel. I joined forces with 2 other female leaders and we created an organization which became the Alliance of Channel Women. It was immediately embraced and grew rapidly in membership and influence. One of the main principles of the group was to mentor young women into tech and to mentor each other into leadership roles.

Women are a tech minority

Here we are in 2019 and as we look at the numbers, it’s discouraging to see not much has changed. Women are still the minority in tech. The pay gap still exists and has only budged in a few areas of the country, there has been no discernable improvement on a global scale. Although awareness has exploded in the area of gender diversity and sexual discrimination and harassment, it is still a tricky business for women, especially young women, to navigate into leadership in tech.

High profile women in tech

The good news is we do have more role models than ever before. High profile women like Sheryl Sandberg, Susan Wojcicki, and Ginni Rometty are showing us it’s not impossible to break the glass ceiling and reach the top. Most of us have women around us who are in positions of leadership. Over and over again, studies tell us that role models make the difference in whether young women ascend the ranks or languish.

The future of women in tech

My own experiences attest to this. I have been fortunate enough to mentor a number of young women. They are extraordinary in their own right, in terms of their intelligence, drive and work ethic. They have come out of college and entered high powered jobs at big enterprises like IBM and Fox. They’ve been willing to make the sacrifices necessary, including leaving friends and family to re-locate, putting their energy into their careers versus boyfriends and working the long hours it takes to pay your dues. I have every confidence in them and their ability. My continued involvement in their progress is one of the greatest satisfactions I experience in my career.

Female tech mentorship still needed

I know the need is still there. The obstacles are still there. And, the bright young women still need role models close at hand to mentor them, to sponsor them, to invest in them. My passion for mentorship only grows stronger as I see fruit from the work we’ve done in the last nine years. I continue to advocate for female leadership and look for new ways to engage women from all perspectives to join together with this common purpose. Please contact me if you share my commitment, together we continue to make progress and be the change.

“The percentage of women in the tech world was less than 20% and the women who were there were, frankly, aging. Why weren’t young women pushing up the ranks?”