June 2021 Female Tech Leaders Magazine

ISSUE NO. 19

FEMALE TECH LEADERS

MIND-BLOWING BUSINESS WOMEN STATISTICS 2021 PRECISAMOS FALAR SOBRE SEGURANÇA DA INFORMAÇÃO

HOW TO GET BETTER RESULTS WITH ‘INCLUSIVE THINKING’

O PODER DAS COMUNIDADES TECNOLÓGICAS FEMININAS

WWW.FEMALETECHLEADERS.COM

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WELCOME LADIES! by

Candyce

Costa

We have been looking more and more into investment and female founders. The reality is the number of investment that goes to female founders is very low, in some countries, could be 2% of all investment. We are collaborating with a few organizations to bring this topic to the table.

I hope you enjoy this edition and keep following us!

Stay safe!

Candyce Costa Founder and Disruptor

OUR MISSION

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To empower and nurture digital and tech women in business and life to achieve their true potential and connecting them to create a collaborative and powerful community.

OUR VISION To create the most collaborative and encouraging platform to accelerate the change of the role of women in business and in the modern society.

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INTERVIEWS ÅSA BREDIN ERNA ŠOŠEVIĆ HANNA RAFTELL KATHARINA BEITZ MARJAANA AURANEN - EIRA-TERESÁ JORET MARIÁNNÁ RALUCA CRISAN YASSAMAN OMIDBAKHSH

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW LINA LAAS

ENTREVISTAS GLAUCIA LEMOS ISABELLA LEAL

ARTICLES MIND-BLOWING BUSINESS WOMEN STATISTICS 2021 HOW TO GET BETTER RESULTS WITH ‘INCLUSIVE THINKING’ DIVERSITY IS NOT ABOUT POLITICAL CORRECTNESS OR KEEPING UP WITH THE TRENDS O PODER DAS COMUNIDADES TECNOLÓGICAS FEMININAS NO PROCESSO DE DESENVOLVIMENTO E EMPODERAMENTO DE MULHERES PRECISAMOS FALAR SOBRE SEGURANÇA DA INFORMAÇÃO CIÊNCIA DE DADOS EM CRÉDITO - COMO FUNCIONA?

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Support our magazine collaborations EMMA@DIGITALBUSINESSWOMEN.COM

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AMAZING THINGS HAPPEN WHEN WOMEN HELP OTHER WOMEN KASIA GOSPOS

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INTERVIEW

ÅSA BREDIN FVP Technology at King

Tell us about you and your career, Åsa!

I started my career as a developer, working within the telco industry. I really loved the problem-solving and that there are always new things to learn in working with software development. It was that curiosity that took me into project and team leadership roles. For the last 10+ years, I have worked within the games industry-leading organizations up to 450 people delivering technology products.

At King, I lead our Game Platform Engineering organization where we build and run King’s Game Platform that supports all of King’s live games with over 258 million monthly active users, as of Q1 2021, which means billions of transactions everyday, 24/7.

A day in your business life!

Video calls are key with working from home, but I very much miss the interaction from being in an office. I have frequent 1on1s with my direct team, going through their goals and priorities and if there is anything blocking them.

Today I presented at our monthly All hands meeting for the full Game Platform team where I covered our top priorities and how we are doing against them. Typically my time is spread across working with our business goals and our people goals. Topics vary quite a bit from being very long-term projects as our ongoing Cloud migration to more tactical questions such as hiring decisions.

Do you think there is a diversity issue in the tech sector? How the lack of women in technology has affected you?

Yes, there is a diversity issue but there is also awareness of the problem. I am happy to see that most companies have clear goals on increasing diversity as well as educating on the topic. At King we have yearly goals on increasing the diversity mix of our employees.

I have been fortunate to have worked in quite diverse teams throughout my career. On occasions I have been the only woman in the team and I think it does impact the dynamics. I have a great network of female tech leaders which is an amazing support to have, both for knowledge but also when you do feel like “the-only”.

ÅSA BREDIN Technology is a male-dominated field. How could the tech industry be more inclusive for women?

We need to increase the number of women enrolling in technical education, having programming as part of the curriculum early in school for example.

I think there are a lot of great initiatives around, such as Women in Tech, Women in Data Science and similar, where women have an opportunity to network and share knowledge and expertise. These events feel very encouraging as you see a room full of talented women.

When it comes to the workplace, it is really about the culture in the company. You need to work hands on with inclusion and diversity for everyone, not only women, to feel welcome.

Did you encounter any problems returning to work following having children/maternity leave in terms of work/life balance, childcare, flexibility?

I’ve been lucky to be in companies where parental leave was encouraged both for women and men and supported by leadership. When your manager leaves early to pick their children up from childcare you know it will be ok for others too.

What are your suggestions to encourage more young women to pursue careers in Tech?

We need to be better in showing the huge variety of jobs that exist in the tech industry, there is a whole range of roles from tech art to game development to core infrastructure so there is something for everyone! Being part of bringing new products into the hands of people across the world is just the best place to be, let’s make sure young people understand the opportunities!

At King we sponsor Hello World, a Swedish organization focused on getting more kids interested in STEM subjects with a focus on diversity, and we are also a founding partner of Ada, the National College for Digital Skills, based in the UK. Are there any particular women in tech who have inspired you?

There are lots and lots, I am inspired by the people I work with and people I read about or listen to everyday. I think the key is to stay curious and connected, that way you get lots of input and inspiration for your own job and career.

What are some of the biggest challenges that women in the world of technology face today?

We still see reports on women not being included and outnumbered and some leaving the tech industry due to bad experiences. Everyone needs to be part of solving this, to create an inclusive environment for everyone.

What advice and tips would you give to women who want a career in tech?

Go for it, it is an amazing industry to be a part of!

My advice is to join a meetup group or network to listen in, build up a network of your own so that you have support both for tech questions and career advice. Having a mentor is a great way to grow and to find great opportunities. Don’t limit yourself, say yes to challenges and just make sure you have people to support you.

What are your plans for the next five years?

I’ve learned that everything changes so I don’t make long-term plans. I do however want to continue working with products that are tech heavy and where you have an opportunity to impact on a large scale!

WE ARE ALL RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR OWN HAPPINESS. IT GOES FOR WORK LIFE AS WELL AS PRIVATE LIFE, IF YOU’RE NOT HAPPY WHERE YOU ARE THEN YOU NEED TO TAKE ACTION YOURSELF. KEY PRINCIPLE ÅSA BREDIN

ERNA ŠOŠEVIĆ Founder and CEO of Bizbook

Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your career /business please?

I like to present myself as an entrepreneur. By vocation, I am a lawyer, although my work experience included the sales and procurement sector, administrative affairs and legal. After 11 years of work experience in the real sector, it was difficult to resign from my previous job, but I simply felt that I could give a lot more of myself and that my corporate position was holding me back. I was lucky that the software company Ant Colony LTD recognized my idea, with whose support in 2017 I launched Bizbook, the first digital marketplace for private sector.

After a tough start, people recognized my work and the vision I had for our country. Bizbook won the title of the best B&H startup for 2018 at the international competition BETAPITCH, as well as the regional award for achievements in digitalization of companies in 2019, “Runner UP” in Podgorica. That same year, I received the “Strength of Excellence” award in the Entrepreneurship category from the B&H Women Entrepreneurs Association, and I am also the first woman entrepreneur to give a speech in Brussels at the European Political Summit in Brussels in December 2017 on the position of women in the B&H startup scene.

I am a speaker at many local and regional and European conferences on start-ups and entrepreneurship, a mentor and advisor to startups, a judge at start-up competitions and an advocate for greater involvement of women in entrepreneurship.

Amid the crisis caused by the expansion and measures to combat COVID-19 (March 2020), we received a development investment from the Swiss Government through the Market Makers project I registered a company, hired a team and started developing a third version of the platform and based on supply and demand, connects companies in cooperation. Every company creates their profile on Bizbook and publishes content that is aimed at developing their business.

Bizbook currently brings together over 850 companies from all parts of our country that do business with each other daily through the platform.

A day in your business life!

ERNA ŠOŠEVIĆ

Being a woman entrepreneur in Bosnia and Herzegovina is very challenging. We are a very traditional society and family is always a priority, which requires a lot of time, as well as your business.

My workday starts at 6 in the morning when I start the day with my morning little rituals: I drink coffee, put on make-up and get dressed, after which I wake the children and prepare them for school and kindergarten, while I schedule daily responsibilities with my husband. I have been in the office since 9 am, where we usually hold a team meeting to plan activities and analyze current problems, and suggest potential solutions that will be tested in the coming period. I dedicate the first part of the morning to writing emails and responding to partners, clients, and associates. Meetings are present every day on my workday, online or offline, because it is very important for me to expand my network and connect with people who can improve my business in various ways, but also to meet those whom I can use through business.

Often I have lunch with the team because it’s a great way to connect on a human level and learn more about them, which helps me make a variety of decisions related to their positions, potentials and promotions.

After lunch, I use the time to review our finances, review the bills we need to pay, check how additional features are developing and when they will be released, face customer support issues and plan the next workday with a cup of coffee.

There is a lot of work every day for the founder of a tech startup, but I have learned to set priorities, which makes it much easier for me to handle several important things at once. It is not always easy, but it should not be, because that is exactly what makes us constantly develop and improve.

Technology is a male-dominated field. How could the tech industry be more inclusive for women?

Yes, that male-dominated industry has put women at a disadvantage from the beginning, with no desire or strategy to put diversity on the agenda. The advantage of the change is various organizations and movements that have dealt with gender issues at tech and startup conferences, but again, we can talk about the problem, but that does not mean we will solve the problem, so we have to do something about it.

That is why I became the chapter lead for Sarajevo for the SoGal Foundation of New York, the largest global platform for diverse entrepreneurs and investors, with a mission to reduce the gap in diversity in entrepreneurship and venture capital. Through working for them, I realized that diversity gives value to every business, mostly because diversity teams bring better results, while women founders are more innovative in their solutions than their male counterparts.

Therefore, we need to start from ourselves, be an example of diversity and show the advantages of those who are underrepresented in entrepreneurship. To be more advanced in providing diversity, the technology industry needs an alternative approach to finding and keeping women who are talents in this field, and more investors willing to invest in women’s tech startups. Not to be misunderstood, I do not think that women need relief, but the same conditions and opportunities as their male colleagues. We also need to highlight women leaders in this sector, inspiring those looking for ways to realize their tech ideas. Finally, we need to build a community of women in the tech industry that will support each other, but also encourage the development of their companies by hiring and strengthening diversity in entrepreneurship.

ERNA ŠOŠEVIĆ Do you think there is a diversity issue in the tech sector? How the lack of women in technology has affected you?

Looking back over the last few years, globally the technology industry has tried to put more effort into promoting and increasing diversity, but things don’t seem to have improved much.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, this situation is unfortunately terrible, but mostly because of the cultural and geopolitical situation, which is not conducive to strengthening diversity in entrepreneurship. That only 13% of startups in our country have only one woman in an executive position, while 8% include those whose founder or co-founder is a woman, shows that a great path of awareness is ahead of us. I think it does not relate the reason women are underrepresented in the tech industry to education, innovation and the ability to be part of positive processes, but to undesirable environments. Let me give you an example: Bosnia and Herzegovina have a fund to support entrepreneurship, for the allocation of which it announces a call three times a year. The rules for allocating funds do not specify the category that a woman with a tech business idea can apply for those funds, for which there is no logical explanation, except for the authorities’ lack of interest in encouraging women to decide on a technical career. When women lose opportunities, they are actually wasting time to realize their potential, which is why they often lag in their careers and because of personal circumstances, such as marriage or the birth of a child, often give up development in the tech industry. Considering that I am a woman pioneer in the tech startup scene of Bosnia and Herzegovina, I can confirm that it was difficult to “clear” the road for the first time. When there is no diversity, there is no community, you have no one to turn to for advice and role models in moments when you have big dilemmas or tough decisions to make, but in four years a lot has changed. More and more girls are interested in the tech startup scene, private universities are offering great courses and opportunities for improvement in technical sciences, and software companies have hired women for leading positions. There is still a lot of work to be done, but progress is present.

Did you encounter any problems returning to work following having children/maternity leave in terms of work/life balance, childcare, flexibility?

I was lucky that at the time of the decision to start my own business I already had two children and a great organization with a husband who from the beginning supported my idea and the actions that followed. I can say that there were no negative consequences for me as a mother in the tech industry, moreover, it allowed me the freedom to be with my family more than before. Girls often approach me at tech conferences and ask for advice regarding starting a startup and starting a family. I must emphasize that one does not exclude the other and that it is a great bonus for every family if a woman is innovative, creative and willing to take risks. On the other hand, there are very few positive examples in this segment and women have to make a lot of compromises and be content with the minimum in order to keep their positions and advance in their careers. As an example, I cite frequent illegal dismissals from work while women are on sick leave or degradation of position due to prolonged absence, either due to childbirth or some other reason. The solution to these problems is just more women owning companies that will change the culture and practice of companies ’attitudes towards women and encourage their career advancement at work and give them support as mothers, wives and daughters.

ERNA ŠOŠEVIĆ What are your suggestions to encourage more young women to pursue careers in Tech?

I think this is one of the biggest challenges of today’s tech industry.

There are a lot of benefits for both parties and if we look at them carefully, it is really time to reduce gender differences.

Inspiration for girls to commit to a tech career starts in the classroom. Besides tailoring the curriculum, women in the tech industry need to be made available to girls in schools and universities, provide internship programs in companies founded and run by women, form female mentoring, and create startup incubators and accelerators to implement diversity reform until results begin. be visible and measurable. Of course, in order for inspired girls to continue their education and training in technology, it is necessary to enable them to apply for scholarships, and to give them at least basic support in the development of their idea.

Ultimately, diversification will not only help companies develop a larger, better and more diverse talent pool, but can also increase innovation within their departments.

Are there any particular women in tech who have inspired you?

It is interesting how some people can inspire us and give us the strength to persevere in the realization of our idea. My role model is Dorcas Muthon, a computer scientist and entrepreneur, and one of the leading innovators in Kenya and East Africa. Her work is behind some of most commonly used web applications in Africa, and her organization, AfChix, work to encourage girls to choose to work in the tech industry and help women develop their careers. It is known that in 2008 she was awarded for her work on correcting the gender imbalance in technology, and last year they admitted her to the Internet Hall of Fame.

Her work and achievements are proof that the environment does not have to be a factor influencing the success of us. Dorcas Muthon is my daily motivation to push the boundaries of women’s opportunities in the tech industry of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

What are some of the biggest challenges that women in the world of technology face today?

It is not a myth that development opportunities are not the same for women and men on the technology scene. The enormous challenge is certainly the unwillingness of investors to invest more in tech startups of women founders. Another thing is the assessment of the value of the startup and the inequality in the amount of investment in relation to the percentage of the share in the company that the investors are looking for.

Also, enabling equal pay and benefits would be an open call to create a better, more diverse ecosystem that would attract more women to technology, including “flexible labor policies.”

From my experience, I say that the biggest challenge is to decide to take a path that is difficult. There are many examples that no obstacle has been large enough for those who want to succeed in their intention to break stereotypes and allow other women to reach opportunities that were not possible before. We are a change and if more of us opt for the tech industry, we will be reluctant to change things “from within”

ERNA ŠOŠEVIĆ What advice and tips would you give to women who want a career in tech?

If you want to build a career in the tech industry, perseverance and resilience are all because professional advancement is difficult. Every day comprises minor difficulties, which is why the key skill I realized I needed to perfect was perseverance. You cannot be a “complete” person to be a successful entrepreneur. Be a “to the next” person. Hit a wall, break it, climb over it, or walk around before you realize it was a small brick, then hit the next wall and repeat all over again.

I also learned that people like to say “no” founders of startups that are developing new products. You will hear the word “no” when starting your business more than you ever thought possible. If one “no” can knock you off your feet, then you’re in trouble. You are doing something important, so it should be difficult. If it was easy, everyone would do it.

What are your plans for the next five years?

My vision for the next 5 years is for Bizbook to become the first digital service for the private sector in the Western Balkans region, specifically aimed at micro and small and medium enterprises. In order to achieve the goals, Bizbook refers to the addressee markets of neighboring countries: Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, Montenegro and Northern Macedonia, because there are no specialized B2B platforms in the region with the option of international expansion. I expect Bizbook can influence the development of innovative business processes and communication in the above markets of 630,834 registered SMEs with 1,977,398 employees.

The development of Bizbook would enable me to realize my great desire, which is a “Training center for women in tech” who want to work in the tech industry, where through our processes, they would learn about the technical development of a product, take part in developing new features, to get mentoring support and even developing their tech ideas with our support, which will later turn into their own companies.

My work is more than earnings and I will always strive to return to the community the trust they have given me, supporting those women who want to be part of the solution, not part of the problem.

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PEOPLE DON’T TAKE OPPORTUNITIES BECAUSE THE TIMING IS BAD, THE FINANCIAL SIDE UNSECURE. TOO MANY PEOPLE ARE OVERANALYZING. SOMETIMES YOU JUST HAVE TO GO FOR IT FAVORITE QUOTE BY MICHELLE ZATLYN ERNA ŠOŠEVIĆ

HANNA RAFTELL CEO Fimento

A day in your business life, Hanna!

My days are structured as much as they are unstructured. I am an early riser and like to get started. I believe in having long and short-term goals and targets and to write them down. As I do like to measure things, having clear OKRs to understand what the objective is and then clearly stating the key results gives a powerful framework to stay on track for what I want to achieve. I try to set aside at least one day per week that is meeting free where I can focus on a specific task(s). It helps me get into the flow and often is the time where I ‘get shit done'!

I have, over the years, become much smarter in how I work and how I can leverage my network to achieve things. I am a huge believer in sharing information and contacts and I believe in radical transparency.

My background is sales and business development and I will always want to be close to clients, there is not a day when I do not speak to and / or interact with clients. But at the same time, I am managing a product lead company and this means being very close to the product team. The first hire we did was a VP of Product and the second hire the CTO. One advantage of setting up a company from scratch is that you get to create processes. I do not believe in processes for the sake of it but I am a true believer in having processes that create scalable solutions in everything you do.

We also run a company with a distributed model, this is not due to Covid, but because we believe in it. This model also requires close attention to collaborative tools that all stakeholders use, or you will lose creativity and communication.

What I love with my business life is that I learn so much and I am fortunate to keep surrounding myself with some amazing people. To see people grow and enjoy what they are doing - that gives me energy.

HANNA RAFTELL Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your career /business please?

After graduating from University of Uppsala and The University of Lausanne where I studied Economics I was determined to enter banking and finance in London. My first job was in fixed income on the trading floor. I learned a lot, and I found the environment fast-paced and stimulating. After a couple of years in fixed income, I joined Salomon Smith Barney as they were building out their European Equity franchise. This gave me a great opportunity to build and to manage the Equity Sales team for Nordic clients. Not only did I get a fantastic chance to build something, but I was also surrounded with some amazingly smart, energetic and ambitious people. The colleagues I met and friends I made during this period are part of my global network to date. After ten years in London, my husband had the opportunity to relocate to Hong Kong with his job. Although on the managing director trajectory at Citigroup I was also going on maternity leave, so we took the decision I would be on maternity leave in Hong Kong. Hong Kong ended up being our family home for the next ten years. I left my job in London and with that the large corporate environment. All my jobs since have been with smaller and privately held companies which has allowed for a more entrepreneurial environment. I absolutely love the phase of building and achieving, to see something grow out of little or nothing. During my time in Hong Kong, I set up two overseas businesses and saw one sold to a large American corporation. To live and work in Hong Kong was of course a different learning experience than London. It is this love of constantly learning new things and to be challenged that I find motivating.

All through my career, I have developed teams and I find it extremely rewarding to see young talent flourish. I was early on part of the graduate recruitment team at Citigroup. When building a team it is always interesting to look at what motivates a member. I have had the opportunity to both mentor and coach a number of talented individuals. In my quest to learn more about motivation, setting goals and seeing things in a different light I formalized my training by becoming a certified coach. This was a great mid-career learning experience. In many coaching situations, you meet people that feel ‘stuck’, making them see more options and perhaps a different reality to what they believe they are facing can be transforming. In 2016 we made a family decision to move to Sweden, which in some ways was harder than moving to Hong Kong, perhaps because I had never worked in Sweden. Opposed to when moving to Hong Kong I had quite a bit of pre- and dare I say misconception of what it would be like to live and work in my home country. Fueled with ideas and inspiration from my time in Asia paired with all the talk of Fintech in Sweden it was natural to embark on the digitalisation of the industry. It was also a golden opportunity to sit back and reflect on why I wanted to do something and what I wanted to focus on. Through a project building a coaching platform, I got a hands-on crash course in building a tech platform. Plowing through books on the subjects of SaaS models, agile development and various tech success stories.

How could I have been anything but intrigued. The digitalisation theme also fits very nicely with my mission to improve and democratise banking and finance as I believe it is much done by technology. These days I also have the privilege to be on a couple of Boards as a nonexecutive director.

Are there any particular women in tech who have inspired you?

I find Melinda Gates a truly inspiring woman for all the work she does for Women and Women’s education. I also think that Sheryl Sandberg with ‘Lean In’ has done a great job in encouraging women to raise their hand, speak out and be at the table. Reshma Saujani, Founder and CEO of the organisation Girls Who Code - yes let's get more girls to code.

HANNA RAFTELL Do you think there is a diversity issue in the tech sector? How the lack of women in technology has affected you?

Do I think there is a diversity issue in the tech sector? Yes I do and Yes there is ; ) .

I can only go to our own company where we, of course, have a mission to be a well diversified company. It is harder to find female developers, as there are fewer of them already at the University level, there is definitely a supply shortage. This clearly affects our ability to reach 50/50 gender equality amongst developers, but it is no excuse. But I am proud to say that overall in the company, we do reach gender equality. From diversity you gain so much in creativity and productivity, there is no other way.

Technology is a male-dominated field. How could the tech industry be more inclusive for women?

In many aspects, the technology sector resembles what the financial sector looked like and in many ways still looks like, including at a senior and management level it becomes harder to retain the few women that do join. I think that the way you become a more inclusive employer is by demonstrating that you do not have to become somebody else to succeed.

You can be you and although we might have different ways we communicate or deal with things it is the end results that counts. I also think that female role models are a good way to lead the way. I also believe you have to start where it all begins, at School. We need to ensure that we break through those mis- and preconceptions about gender stereotypes already at a young age. Furthermore, the technology sector would benefit if the financial markets become better in allocating capital to female lead (technology) companies, then hopefully we will see more female led success stories. Another opportunity is to widen the perception and the stereotyping that working in tech equals ‘just’ coding as it entails many different aspects for example, problem solving and designing.

Did you encounter any problems returning to work following having children/maternity leave in terms of work/life balance, childcare, flexibility?

Would you ask a man this question?

I have three children who were little at the time we lived in Hong Kong and I was fortunate to have a set up that worked very well for our family. We had great help and support with both childcare and household work. I also have a very supporting husband with whom I have always shared childcare and household chores with. I also had a job that was flexible, which was a necessity to make it work, as I travelled extensively for work.

What are your suggestions to encourage more young women to pursue careers in Tech?

I have three daughters and I try to get them interested in Tech. I do think it starts early.

Drawing the parallel to the Finance sector I notice boys and then men typically take a greater interest in personal finance and investment. This is a real issue, as this is part of gender equality when it comes to ownership of assets and capital allocation later in life. It also creates in-equality when it comes to raising money. Look at how little VC funding is allocated to female lead startups, all sectors included. I think creating networks and mentor programs help and is one way forward. But I also think that women should be very clear with their employers what it takes for them to succeed and flourish. Let us, together, as employer and employee, find an environment that women in tech can and will thrive in.

HANNA RAFTELL What are some of the biggest challenges that women in the world of technology face today?

If Women don't get a foothold in Tech then women risk to fall behind in society and financially as so much revolves around technology. Women in technology face the same challenges, I believe, as women in banking have done and still do. I believe the challenges that women in tech face are very much similar to the bigger societal challenges. On a positive note, one thing that technology allows and one thing the pandemic has sped up is the digitalisation. This is an aspect that I think will help women. It will help women to stay productive, from wherever they are and when it works for them. I believe many women around the world leave the workforce or slow down their careers once they have children, this does not need to be. And even if women don't work in tech they are big consumers of tech and that we should not forget. It is incredible to see women in third world countries being empowered through tech. And one of the most important aspects of gender equality is education and that too can be enabled by technology.

What advice and tips would you give to women who want a career in tech?

Just do it! Don't let anything of anyone stop you.

What are your plans for the next five years?

My five year plan is to continue to build fintech for a sustainable financial sector

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OUR GREATEST GLORY IS NOT IN NEVER FAILING, BUT IN RISING EVERY TIME WE FALL. FAVORITE QUOTE BY CONFUCIOUS HANNA RAFTELL

KATHARINA BEITZ Founder, Tech Strategist, Columnist & Podcaster

Tell us about you and your career, Katharina!

I think my career is anything but typical. I studied philosophy, with a strong focus on social philosophy and technologies. In the meantime, I got the opportunity to gain a foothold in the Berlin club scene as one of the few female bouncers. I was pretty successful in that. The network, feeling of community and loyalty between creatives and people doing something always fascinated me.. At the same time, I just kept studying, getting more and more interested in tech, applied ethics and digital tools.

Unfortunately, the real economy and tech hardly play a role in academic philosophy, so I had to look elsewhere.

My MBA in Shanghai, Paris, London and Silicon Valley convinced me completely: we need to think differently about the connection between entrepreneurial innovation, ethics and the digital world. So I founded 2 companies: Overbites, with which I show young companies and SMEs ways into working business models and fundings. And then the Initiative Digitale Gerechtigkeit (Digital Justice Initiative), with which I have a lot of plans for the next few months to initiate debates in society as a whole. We are currently producing a Germanlanguage podcast. Last year, I added a third company to my portfolio: Resilient Resident. We have developed roof module concepts and have been presenting the concept to policy makers and expert panels for several months. With funding from the EU and the Berlin Senate, we have already received a lot of publicity for this idea. The further development of this will try to meet the climatic conditions of a metropolis and the claim of a real, social smart city for everyone.

A day in your business life!

KATHARINA BEITZ

Every day is different and I like to keep it exactly this way. I work completely remote and only need to be on site for a few appointments. In the morning, I'm preparing a talk, a new column or a podcast, and that's where my day starts. The intensity and pace of my work is enormous, every meeting needs full attention and every company has different roadmaps and challenges. There is no blueprint to get business model innovation for tech companies going.

It depends on individuals, resources and their needs. I've been trying to get out more and take breaks for some time now. I am also an advocate of few but priority ordered lists.

Otherwise, it doesn't work to be stuck on 3 projects at the same time. (And the fourth one is often not far away.)

I read a lot, listen to podcasts every day, and have at least 10-15 conversations during the day with other people all over the world. I like the pace at which I move. And the ideas that I implement quickly.

My day ends late. I usually work until 11 pm, if not later. In exchange, I take the liberty on a Tuesday to decide that sometimes no business happens.

My head is always on new projects and upcoming topics - that's why I deeply enjoy silence if it is possible. There is no better way to get that in nature. And you will find me in the evening, depending on where I stay, at the beach, in the neighborhood or walking somewhere.

Do you think there is a diversity issue in the tech sector? How the lack of women in technology has affected you?

I didn't have any role models in the tech sector for a long time. There are few philosophers who are interested in technologies, teach themselves programming and soldering, and then gain a foothold in the hardware tech sector. I didn't even know why the concept of Role Modeling would be so important. At some point I didn't care anymore, I couldn't wait forever until everyone was ready. If there were walls, I went through them. If I wanted a place at the table, I sometimes built the table myself. Of course, I have my doubts sometimes, but I'm not afraid of contact and network. I believe that's something from my background as a doorwoman and bouncer. I have to persuade myself to always muster the energy, but my inner mission gives me no other choice.

Today I think I spot more Role Models, but maybe appearances are deceiving and I'm just looking more closely now?

Are there any particular women in tech who have inspired you?

Michelle Dennedy, formerly Cisco Chief Privacy Officer. When I first worked with her in Berlin on a smart city research project, I was incredibly impressed with how different and persistent someone could be. It was partly because of such encounters that I made the journey to California at that time and will soon be back in the USA.

KATHARINA BEITZ

What are your suggestions to encourage more young women to pursue careers in Tech?

We have also had quite different numbers. If you look at the data, who wanted to study computer science up until the 80s, it was often women. The moment PCs suddenly came on the scene, that number plummeted, and it plummeted scary low.

What happened there? Well, the marketing machines picked mostly guys to market to. So today we're faced with the results of huge campaigns that told the boys were "nerds and engineers". That shaped entire generations, because these PCs were suddenly bought primarily for the boys. So as soon as the studies started, the women couldn't keep up, they had much less access. All of this can be shown wonderfully with statistics (and also the advertising of the time is on Youtube, look it up). The professors at the universities naturally promoted those first who excelled with knowledge. Honestly, who still wants to learn when 89% of the lecture hall is already so much further ahead? There were countless dropouts of women and few took the field in the years to come.

What does this story show us?

The potential is clearly in the schools and also in education. We will always encounter the same situation in the lecture hall, if we don't stop these pointlessly gendered stereotypes. Young women are interested in technology, but they lag far behind in their prior knowledge. This demotivates immensely. Companies, and especially marketing departments, have a responsibility, and this responsibility is being demanded more and more.

We just don't need to pretend that this is an act of charity. We need a clear political stance that must be defended. And we need to stop pretending that women are inherently less able to deal with technology. We were many, and we are good in what we're doing.

Did you encounter any problems returning to work following having children/maternity leave in terms of work/life balance, childcare, flexibility?

I see this very often in my surroundings. The struggle for mothers is real. I have the greatest possible flexibility myself and know very well how privileged my access to jobs, networks and conferences is.

Technology is a male-dominated field. How could the tech industry be more inclusive for women?

I think from today's perspective that real and close mentoring is very helpful. And I recommend that to every young female founder as well. Find people you look up to, ask for tips on LinkedIn or any platform, and off you go. I've become very pragmatic about that in the meantime. In the past, a world would have collapsed if I'd had to dare to do that. Today I know: between you and the person is often only a click on the LinkedIn profile. It's that easy? Yes. People like to support. And there are plenty of ways to get involved - whether you're an introvert or not.

The question can be answered in an entire book (and it has been, in part). There is a lot you can do on the individual level. On the overall social and political stage, this topic should never "cool down".It needs a constant reminder of why we are facing these problems. Political decisions are often made when public pressure is too great. That's why I salute all initiatives, womxn and companies that dedicate themselves to the task of making technologies tangible and available to all.

KATHARINA BEITZ

What are some of the biggest challenges that women in the world of technology face today?

Stereotypes are everywhere. We perceive tech these days as incredibly complex and heavy work. It often is, but it's also damn cool. To be able to build things, whether virtually or as a hardware product, is one of my main drivers in the morning.

Women statistically get much less funding than men. It's easy. We need more money.

Especially in the start-up phase, we don't need to have any illusions, but have to face the hard facts: we often support and fund those who are similar to us. We don't have to be ashamed of that either, I think that's very natural. But we need to develop tools and clear rules so that this doesn't become discriminatory. As long as we don't do that, no one needs to come to me with "we're already doing everything that's possible".

And: often the current Women in Tech events are self-referential and that was okay for many years, strong networks had to form. Now we have many Women in Tech events, and that's great. It's just that the men and companies that aren't super progressive don't play a big role there. It's also important to keep them accountable. I don't need excuses anymore. That part of the century is over.

What advice and tips would you give to women who want a career in tech?

1. Seek mentoring. If you're an introvert, start with one career platform and search!

2. Build networks and do so very quickly in college or wherever you are right now. The best day to start is today.

3. Raise your prices and demand clear benefits from companies you work with. A fruit bowl is not a benefit.

What are your plans for the next five years?

I'm moving to Chicago at the end of 2021 and will stay on my remote paths for now. Overbites in particular is playing an increasingly important role for me. The question of how we build business models around the best products in this world fulfils me. This is where I urgently want to go further, connect with people and share my knowledge.

I'm also very interested in how we can give creatives and developers more access to the business world. We need more people with different perspectives on our problems in the world.... Everything I do is related to that.

So it's going to continue.

What's your favourite quote?

I heard that last week during a conference and I loved the focus where we are right now with our innovation hubs and accelerators.

"We have no issue finding solutions and ideas, we have an infinite number of them. We simply have not defined enough problems."

Stick to the problem and stay there for a while - I would add.

WE HAVE NO ISSUE FINDING SOLUTIONS AND IDEAS, WE HAVE AN INFINITE NUMBER OF THEM. WE SIMPLY HAVE NOT DEFINED ENOUGH PROBLEMS FAVORITE QUOTE KATHARINA BEITZ

MARJAANA AURANEN EIRA-TERESÁ JORET MARIÁNNÁ

Red Stage Entertainment, Managing Partner & Narrative Designer

Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your career /business please?

I'm co-owner and narrative designer in Red Stage Entertainment, a small video game company located in Tampere, southern Finland.

We focus on creating games that stay in people's hearts and minds, emphasizing the storytelling and meaningful themes behind the games. In addition to creating our own IP Skábma, an adventure game inspired by indigenous sámi culture and stories, we develop smaller games, scripts and videos for b2b clients.

A day in your business life!

It changes every day.

Usually, my day starts with writing and ends with writing. But since the small business owners have to wear more than one hat, there is always something else too, meeting to attend, brainstorming with the colleagues, e-mail to answer, budget to be checked...

One minute I can be writing an intensive dialogue for the game, the next: I'm trying to hunt down our voice actor who, of course, has left to the Norwegian mountains for two weeks to herd her reindeer.

What are your suggestions to encourage more young women to pursue careers in Tech?

I believe the positive representation of female leaders is one thing and the second is leading the way early on from the childhood.

MARJAANA AURANEN - EIRA-TERESÁ JORET MARIÁNNÁ Do you think there is a diversity issue in the tech sector? How the lack of women in technology has affected you?

The tech sector, including games, is still being seen as "the male industry" for some reason.

All-male companies are still quite common everywhere and I don't think that people, when starting up their own businesses, even think about that should they include both, female and male, owners. And it is not only gender, it is all minorities in general. Although it is easier for minorities to get into the game industry, versus, f.e the "traditional" heavy industry, there are still long way to go: mainly because diversity is not something that owners usually actively think about and promote.

Personally, I didn't think about the gender issue before we started the company, since in sámi culture both, girls and boys, are raised to be strong and independent. I've always taken my own paths and detours. For me it was a no-brainer that the women can be leaders and tech company owners.

Only when I talked first time with the "male veterans" of the tech sector, I noticed that certain dismissive tone and naturally, if my male colleague was with we, they usually addressed him over me. For me it all signaled that as a female owner I'm not as worthy or serious as a male owner.

However, that belittling hasn't happened to me inside the game sector that often, and I believe it's thanks to the game developers associations and some of the biggest game companies in Finland, who has taken huge steps in a last past few years to include women and minorities. They have created a conversational culture where harassment and discrimination issues are addressed openly and created a code of conduct, so we could all have a safe space to meet, work and operate.

What advice and tips would you give to women who want a career in tech?

Just do it. If you are interested, even just a little, start going to the free industry events. For examples in Finland we have several game communities to join: Igda, Finnish Game Jam etc.

Sign up for Hackatons, Game jams and other easy to access events to meet both professionals and hobbyists.

After a while, one probably knows if games or tech is something one wants to do for a living.

Then after that finding right courses, applying to schools and studying: getting the skills needed. And learning and improving those skills even if not studying full time: the internet is full of free tutorials and softwares to start with.

And don't buy that piffle about women being bad programmers! Women are actually considered to be better: code written by women is more likely to be approved by their peers than code written by men (sadly this same study, if I remember correctly, noted that this is only true as long as the peers don’t know that the code had been written by a woman.).

I know, still a long road ahead. But we can do it!

What are your plans for the next five years?

I'll have to think about it when I get there.

MARJAANA AURANEN - EIRA-TERESÁ JORET MARIÁNNÁ Technology is a male-dominated field. How could the tech industry be more inclusive for women?

Firstly we need more female owners and secondly a co-operation between female owners.

Thirdly: we need more campaigns aimed for young girls to promote the tech sector so that they'll understand that they have all what it takes to succeed in the industry. That the skills needed aren't based on a gender.

I see children's coding camps and game jams for teens etc. all as the foundation we are building today for the future tech companies. Gender neutral upbringing and education will eventually lead to more tech companies owned by women.

Are there any particular women in tech who have inspired you?

For me by far the most inspiring people in tech are the indigenous women, like Shyra Barberstock, a founder of Okwaho International, a social network for indigenous entrepreneurs. When small in numbers, or otherwise underdogs, we need these kinds of places to team up.

Respect for her, not only for being a woman, but for being an indigenous woman: that is a double glass ceiling to break.

What are some of the biggest challenges that women in the world of technology face today?

If we don't take into account the obvious things like misogyny, male investors favouring maleowned companies, lack of representation in leading roles etc. I would say the biggest challenge is inside our heads: impostor syndrome is more common among women and especially women of colour. We need to see our value and start trusting our skills!

Generalizing the problem: most of our job applications comes from the men who have just graduated from the school and are clearly lacking all the skills needed for the job, but who, for some weird reason, are sure they can handle a senior level challenge we are offering to them.

Whereas only a few applications comes from us women, and even with several years of experience in the industry, we seem to struggle to praise ourselves and promote our skills.

We need to stop doing that.

What's your favourite quote? "Äläpä hättäile, istu mättäälle" Basically it means that when in panic, sit down and relax.

ÄLÄPÄ HÄTTÄILE, ISTU MÄTTÄÄLLE MEANS WHEN IN PANIC, SIT DOWN AND RELAX. FAVOURITE QUOTE MARJAANA AURANEN - EIRA-TERESÁ JORET MARIÁNNÁ

RALUCA CRISAN People Operations Manager at Fabrit Global

Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your career /business please?

Graduated with a Master Degree in Economics with the University Babes-Bolyai, I have been developing my career in human resources and business operations, working in a number of international companies in IT & Software development industry. I worked in corporates and startups. I also experience the startup foundation as I am co-founder of one startup. I'm passion for building talented teams and efficient internal processes.

A day in your business life!

In a business life every morning is a start for a new adventure. From internal meetings to setting up with the team the priorities to a constructive discussion with the customers to understand their needs. From searching talented people to grow the team, discovering new and fresh clients through product involvement, every minute to spend my business is a challenge.

At the end of the day the most important is to keep healthy your mindset.

Do you think there is a diversity issue in the tech sector? How the lack of women in technology has affected you?

The tech sector is still dominated by men, but the Covid -19 crisis seems to change this situation and bring more women in tech sector as founders, entrepreneurs, angel investors, and as VCs investment managers.

The lack of the women in technology affected me in the way where people seem to not have enough confidence in my capabilities because I'm woman.

Are there any particular women in tech who have inspired you?

ELLEN PAO from PROJECT INCLUDE, She cofounded Project Include, which aims to improve employee diversity and inclusion across the industry.

RALUCA CRISAN As you learn to become a leader, how do you also gain more confidence?

I gain more confidence through the every day actions when you see that people and the team have a good feedback for you.

They follow-up your ideas and trust you as leader, they also saw that a good leader encourages them for the effort made. more confidence I gain when I see the customer happiness and when you see that the value added by our work together in their life.

What’s a leadership lesson that you’ve learnt that’s unique to being a female leader?

As female leader a good leadership lesson which I learnt was that a women need to made more effort than a man, and need to work more to evolve. A woman will be always more complex than a man but always need to made a double effort for the same work as a leader to be done and to be recognised.

What do you think are the main challenges and opportunities for the next generation of women leaders?

The are more and more opportunities for women in the same time to become leader in tech sector will be a fight to find a balance between personal life and business. Other challenges could be advocating on their own behalf - women cannot rely on the men ambition which is perceived as a positive attribute. Building alliances, men learn to “play the game” through longstanding business conventions that help them build alliances and influence others. But women may need to find alternate routes to building mutually beneficial alliances and strategic relationships.

The opportunities for the next generation of women leaders are the dedicated programs for women support them and their business, a diverse workforce, gender equality and inclusivity which became policy.

Do you recall any biases or assumptions made about you?

I don't recall any bias or assumptions made about me. As said only small things as confidence in capabilities, as for the men is easier to do do business with men only. As things changed in the last 3-5 years in tech sector, it look more encouraging for women to play the game as leader.

What advice and tips would you give to women who want a career in tech?

The women leaders should trust in their superpowers, ones of listening and learning; experimenting and persevering when doing what’s hard; and crystallising lessons into actions that bring systemic change. But most importantly, we should encourage them to not be afraid to dream big or to start small, as seeking solutions to the day-to-day problems facing us and our communities can lead to broader change in the world. As women leaders, we should and can operate under the existing patriarchal system by sharing our accomplishments and ambitions, so as to change and shape our communities’ perceptions about women’s ability to lead, and create a source of inspiration for women to rise above the gender bias and fear.

What are your plans for the next five years?

The plans for the next five years are to build a successfully business in tech sector and to be number one in the industry where we activate. I also want to encourage the young tech girls to join us in our adventure. I am optimistic that, if we equally leverage men and women, we can transform what has been a multi-faceted crisis into possibilities that will unleash Romania's enormous potential.

DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR WHAT YOU WANT. IT IS EASY TO ALLOW INSECURITIES ABOUT AGE/EXPERIENCE LEVEL TO PREVENT YOU FROM MAKING A BIG DEMAND, OR ASKING FOR A MEETING WITH AN INFLUENTIAL PERSON, OR EVEN ADMITTING THAT YOU NEED HELP FAVOURITE QUOTE BY OLIVIA PAVCO-GIACCIA RALUCA CRISAN

YASSAMAN OMIDBAKHSH Co-CEO & co-founder of eyerim

Tell us about you and your career, Yassaman!

Since an early age, I have been involved in building and growing startups from ground up while studying and working in SEA. I was lucky to be part of some of the most pronoun and fast growing e-commerces in the Asian ecosystem such as Lazada (now part of Alibaba group), Zalora, Nova and more. This continued until I decided to co-found eyerim from Kuala Lumpur.

Fundraising has been a continuous mission for me - raised ~6milEUR in several rounds to sustain and grow eyerim. After 6 years of running my own business, I must admit it doesn’t even come close to the complexity and importance of people’s management and leadership. Nonetheless I thrive to learn and grow everyday, and use my experience to mentor and advise up and coming startups as far as my capacities allow.

A day in your business life!

Meetings, meetings and more meetings. At this stage, I am blessed to have created a roster with senior, dedicated and experienced people. From micromanaging and doing a lot of dayto-day tasks across the company in the early days, now I need to keep the team spirit high, maintain the vision and lead the company to higher growth trajectory.

What are your suggestions to encourage more young women to pursue careers in Tech?

We are living in the age of data and content, and power of media has an immensely strong influence. Thanks to technology itself, the general population is becoming more aware of the possibilities to challenge the society and make the world a better place.

Like I said, we are following a natural evolutionary trend in this topic and there's no stopping it.

It is fascinating to witness the adaptation of society to this change. And more and more by encouraging and welcoming female enthusiasts in this sector, the curve will become steeper. I think this is a natural encouragement on its own and thanks to this, young women will have all the more courage to step in the curve and come up with the next big idea to make the world a better place.

YASSAMAN OMIDBAKHSH Do you think there is a diversity issue in the tech sector? How the lack of women in technology has affected you?

Yes - I believe there is a huge gap. I must admit, I've had the pleasure (although unfortunately very limited), to work with talented, ambitious, smart women who are very capable in their own area and those were some of the most inspiring moments for me. I have noticed, women (contrary to popular belief), are mainly executors and less of talkers. We need more technology oriented women in this sector and in leadership positions. I have seen numerous studies in sizable companies across various sectors, where the performance, efficiency and on top of all "team morale" has been the highest with women in leadership positions. I certainly uphold this statement from my own experience and observation.

Generally, diversity is necessary across all areas of our lives - being gender, cultural, ethnicity, etc. It is proven how having different personality traits in a team strengthens that team and helps bring them closer to their goals. I can only imagine, diversifying deeper within genders and ethnicities in organization can have immense value and benefits by fostering different thought patterns and tackling problems.

Technology is a male-dominated field. How could the tech industry be more inclusive for women?

Talking again from personal experience - when attending university (or even prior to that), it wasn't the easiest for a very young girl to easily fit into the already socially constructed norms of male oriented industries, namely technology sector. I have been fortunate enough to go against the norm and always stand up for myself, perhaps by luck or by choice. But not everyone has this luxury which did open my eyes to the reality of many. One example I can think of among my (strong, liberal, independent) friends and colleagues - especially in the Finance sector - all were faced with extra challenges early on throughout their careers numerous instances of bulling, shaming and pestering in heavily male oriented work environment/industry.

I guess all of us, as women, came far to have gained the confidence and alternative mindset to have the strength and courage to stand-up to these challenges, but for young girls, about to face the world this is not an easy feat. And that's ok. I truly believe this is the best time to take ownership of the narrative and encourage one another. Historically speaking, the social norms have always been shifting gradually and that's normal. Nothing ever came easy throughout not only the history of mankind but also in nature. Alot of fights have been fought, alot of sacrifices have been made for us to attain the many luxuries we have now. And I strongly believe we as women are at this point of time: to take ownership of this evolution.

For obvious reasons, it is absolutely dangerous and wrong to put the emphasis on male patriarchy and blame the genders for any inequality. Rather, we should all steer the ship with our own hands and set sail to the direction we choose. Slowly, in few years and next generations, the gaps will be filled and we will have a more equal world which was made by us, not given to us. We, as women, not only have to strive professionally, but also have the herculean task of dominating and scratching out the traditions. With the right mindset and more success stories yet to be written we will get there soon.

What are some of the biggest challenges that women in the world of technology face today?

Connected to the story above, I think the biggest challenge - like any other start-up story - it's not the founding part, nor the beginnings, but the scale-up. For women, we have to truly earn the leadership positions through sweat and tears (literally). And I also genuinely believe that's what makes women better leaders and executors - they don't take it lightly. After-all, all the effort didn't come easy and you don't treat valuable things with mediocrity.

YASSAMAN OMIDBAKHSH Are there any particular women in tech who have inspired you?

Not particularly. Although, I recall clearly when Marissa Mayer was appointed the CEO of Yahoo and similarly when Susan Wojcicki to Youtube, there was a lot of heat in the media (most negative to my recollection). I was quite young back then and was very inspired with how these women were pushing against the norm and claiming their rightful position. I also clearly recall how internet was name calling Marissa (in ways I'm sure you can imagine) just because she was a visionary with a strong-will and determined personality. Not too long after, when I was faced with similar challenges in my leadership role, was faced with similar stereotypical backlash. Looking back at their stories, made me laugh... how miles apart, at the end of the day, we are faced with similar "unnecessary" challenges.

What advice and tips would you give to women who want a career in tech?

Well, I would say if you have a vision or an idea go for it and don't dwell on the what ifs and society's perception. But a more general advice, don't also just start a company to make money and sell fast. Especially if you don't have any previous experience in that field. If you have an idea, you should be prepared to invest the big part of your life on growing and nurturing it for many years. It's the biggest luxury in life to be able to earn money and learn at the same time by working in that particular sector before you're ready to build your own.

And lastly, and I believe a very important trait to always hold on to: humility. In this overpopulated world of tech and startups it's easy to get lost in the spotlight early on and miss the chance to build something truly great and lose focus. I have seen this happening to a lot of my peers in the space, unfortunately.

What are your plans for the next five years?

At this point I am in a learning and research phase. Seeking to broaden my knowledge in various tech fields quite extensively to digest and sort out my thoughts with everything that's happening in the tech industry. There are so many new fascinating technologies being developed leading to a freer world by empowering communities and limiting consolidated authoritarian powers. DeFi is one beautiful example which offers enormous possibilities that can be adapted to various industries to empower the users/consumers/fan base and support the companies in a transparent, honest way. I absolutely adore this technology and we are just at the beginning of a beautiful transformation.

It is also fascinating to see how more startups are entering the Space sector. Again, this is one field, which I greatly believe will become less regulated and more open for private sector and entrepreneurs to manipulate. There are many Serendipities aka unplanned fortunate discoveries to be made here as well and I am keeping a close eye. I have been a science and physics geek since childhood and still trying to stay up-to-date with the developments here.

After eyerim, I would certainly want to get involved in deeper levels of technology in any of these fields and be more hands on, learn more, compile knowledge and eventually build something new again.

SOMEWHERE, SOMETHING INCREDIBLE IS WAITING TO BE KNOWN. FAVORITE QUOTE BY CARL SAGAN YASSAMAN OMIDBAKHSH

MIND-BLOWING BUSINESS WOMEN STATISTICS 2021 Do you know that 36% of women own a small business?

However, in the countries of the Middle East this number is less than 10% while in the USA women own four out of ten businesses?

Women dominate sectors like beauty, health, and fitness industry as well food places and restaurants, retail stores, education-related businesses, and provide business services and in the USA, there are more than 12 million women currently own some kind of business.

Entrepreneurship statistics show that only 30% of female business owners are younger than 40 (takes years to build connections and financial capital) and that more than 80% of these women have a college degree.

Tech industry At the moment, there are 12 "unicorns" founded by women (or part of the founder team) in a total of 357 unicorns globally but according to a consulting group study, women-owned businesses are safer for investors and women are 9% less likely to seek funding in the first place because they are subjected to more scrutiny than their male counterparts when facing investors.

Only 50% of the startups have at least one female founder and at least one woman sits on the board of directors in half of the world startups but things are changing and we now see that 60% of startups have some program to increase the number of women in executive positions because it has been proved women in leadership brings a better return on investment or better annual earnings.

Reasons for a woman starts a business Flexibility - women want to work from home because of family commitments To have more control over their future and escape the glass ceiling To follow their passion and have a fulfilled and meaningful life To avoid the gender pay gap that exists in the corporate world

Challenges for a woman starts a business Lack of knowledge: Just 39% of women think they are capable of running their businesses because they think they do not possess adequate entrepreneurial skills.

Lack of self confidence: Studies reveal that women doubt their decisions more often and are more prone to self-criticism.

Lack of funding and capital or even access to fund: 2.8% of funding went to women-led startups in 2019 and had fell to 2.3% in 2020.

Lack of network: women are 27% less likely than men to have a strong network on Linkedin

Facts to blow your mind The Census Bureau found that full-time, year-round working women earned 80% of what their male counterparts made in 2016. If change continues at the rate seen since 2001, women will not reach pay equity with men until 2119.

Another survey revealed that roughly 74% of women said flexibility is more important than making the most money. In USA Only about 12% of decision makers at VC firms are women, and most firms still don’t have a single female partner, according to an analysis last year. Of all partners at these firms, only 2.4% are female founding partners — who, as Fast Company notes, “control an outsize proportion of a firm’s investment decisions.”

But there’s another big shift that has more recently come to light, as figures from 2020 have been tallied: a substantial drop in venture capital funding for women-led startups. This wasn’t just part of an overall decrease in VC funding. In 2019, 2.8% of funding went to women-led startups; in 2020, that fell to 2.3%, Crunchbase figures show.

About Candyce Costa London-based Candyce founded Female Tech Leaders three years ago as a result of her own experience in Technology and being an entrepreneur.

Her main goal is to create a platform for tech women around the world to be seen and be proud of their stories and adventures in the tech industry showing resilience, strength, and a growth mindset is a magical formula to create your own path to leadership and achieving your dreams.

HOW TO GET BETTER RESULTS WITH ‘INCLUSIVE THINKING’ This article was written by Marissa Ellis, Founder and CEO of Diversity and was originally published in www.diversily.com blog as part of a 6-part Inclusive Leadership series. In Part 1 I shared why knowing yourself is the first step to becoming an inclusive leader. In, this article, Part 2 we’ll ask, why now? In Part 3, we’ll explore the inclusion awakening. In this article Part 4, we'll talk about ‘Inclusive Thinking’

Learning to think inclusively will profoundly change the way you see the world. It will change the actions you take and the decisions you make. Plus, once you start doing it, it is very difficult to go back. It is something that becomes intrinsically part of everything you do.

The business case for diversity and inclusion is solid. The research is conclusive — there are huge benefits to diverse and inclusive teams. Here are some examples: Leadership commitment to diversity and inclusion nearly doubles employee’s sense of inclusion and engagement (Bain Research).

High levels of engagement increase profitability and productivity by 20% (Bain Research).

All the data you need to put together the “business case” (Awaken).

Leaders in the future will need to have diversity and inclusion built into the way they operate.

“Whilst there is a wave of world’s momentum towards the creation of inclusive work culture, diversity and inclusion initiatives are still falling short. Leaders need to be comfortable being uncomfortable, having thoughts challenged, and embracing an environment that promotes, supports, and listens to all voices. Forming an inclusive culture is imperative to a successful business and society.”

Priya Guliani, Head of Operations, GBA-UK and WBAF Senator-UK

Emotional intelligence is a concept that is well understood. Leaders need emotional intelligence. But what about inclusive intelligence?

What does it mean for us to think inclusively?

Inclusion is one of these topics that gets talked about a lot, but we don’t always mean the same thing.

So, what does it mean to be an inclusive leader?

Remember my mantra from Part 1? Become myself. Lead everyone.

Inclusive leaders constantly ask this simple question.

‘Will this work for everyone?’

Invariably the answer is no. Often work is needed to think about the ‘other’, that is the ‘edge cases’ who can collectively often form the majority. This is how we make everyone feel welcome, valued and like they belong. This in turn creates a better experience, more opportunity and better results for everyone. This is how we get the real feedback and the true insights that help us create a future reality that is better for everyone.

Instead of asking ‘Why change?

We need to turn the question on its head.

We need to reframe it as ‘Why not change?’

If we can build this thinking into everyday practice, into people’s day jobs, then we start to change mind sets. We can get people challenging, rather than inviting microaggressions. If we target our people on what they have done to make their workplace more diverse or inclusive we will naturally drive progress. When you walk into a room, in a business context, where everyone looks the same, it should not feel like a familiar unquestionable norm, it should standout that this is something to be addressed. We need to acknowledge our blind spots and proactively address them.

Forward thinking organisations are no longer asking ‘why?’ but exploring ‘how?’. These organisations need inclusive leaders to help them achieve their goals. Organisations are looking to grow inclusively, and they need people from all backgrounds who will support them on this journey. They need inclusive thinkers, and as the focus increases, everyone will need an inclusion story. For example, these are becoming common interview questions for leaders: What have you done to foster an inclusive culture?

How have you demonstrated that you are an inclusive leader?

How have you built diverse teams and fostered inclusion?

Historically organisations have engaged in bias training. But this has backfired in some cases as the white male majority felt that they were positioned as evil or to blame. It also isn’t very action orientated. Plus, often it is mandated which shifts the motivation and engagement of the participants.

I believe we need to take a different approach which is why Diversily have developed The Diversily Inclusive Leadership Workshop Series. We need to develop people’s inclusive thinking skills and shift minds to think in different ways. There are two key factors that drive real change.

The first is perspective taking. When people are able to see the world through other people’s eyes, they start to see inequalities they were blind to in the past and they start to question their role in driving change.

The second factor is action. People need tangible ideas for steps they can personally take. By focusing on these two key factors participants of our workshops emerge, not just with a new way of seeing the world but with concrete actions they can take.

The Diversily Inclusive Leadership model defines nine core behaviours that inspire inclusive action in terms of leading self, leading individuals and leading groups. We help to give people a common language and a way to self-assess themselves to identify areas to work on. It is hugely empowering and motivating to seed this kind of change.

Building inclusive workplaces, products and services is one of the most pressing challenges of our time. To do this we need inclusive thinkers leading the charge.

The important aspect is listening by seeking to understand vs. to be understood. An I&D ally’s words and actions must always be in sync. They can ensure the organization’s culture is continually underpinned by embracing diversity and respectful behaviours, encouraging two-way communication between leaders and employees.

Priya Guliani, Head of Operations, GBA-UK and WBAF Senator-UK

Historically communicating inside a company used to be about “spin” and “polish”. What leaders need now is authenticity, transparency, and a very clear way forward. People want to work in an environment where they are treated as human beings, not resources or numbers on a spreadsheet.

Once you become a leader. Your job is no longer to be great at doing the work. Your job is to serve the people who are doing the work. We get lots of training on how to do the work but not so much on leadership.

Leadership is a choice. It happens when someone steps up and causes a change to happen. It happens when someone enrols other people to help them make that change. Irrespective of your seniority or role you can influence the behaviour and attitudes of others around you and be a part of driving a transformational change for good.

How often do people in your team say things like ‘I am worried’. ‘I made a mistake’. ‘I need help’. ‘I don’t understand’. Then ask yourself, is it because they don’t feel these things or because they don’t feel safe sharing. Might sharing put a target on their head? The Google Aristotle project showed that phycological safely is the number one factor for great team work. If you want to increase performance you need to connect with people’s thoughts and feelings. You need to see people as individuals and you need to think inclusively.

Which of the following responses do you think will be likely to get the best result?

“Your performance was down last month. If you don’t step up in the next month I don’t think I’ll have much choice but to initiate a formal performance review.”

Or “Your performance was down last month. How are you? Is everything ok?”

Our job as leaders is to help people to be at their natural best. Not to get the best out of them.

Slave traders got the most out of their slaves. Your job is not to get every last drop at the expense of every other aspect in their lives. You are not a slave trader. You are a leader who understands how to create an environment where people will thrive.

What practical things can you do, tomorrow that will make a difference?

“I would start with the basic ground-level rules – listening and respecting each other regardless of relationship, hierarchy, technical competency, age, gender or race: Respect other perspectives, opinions and contributions …

Listen to truly understand (not to respond!)

These qualities lead to fostering #diversityofthoughts and delivering richer outcomes; as well as opening access to the best #talent globally, maximising your #market reach anywhere in the world.”

Lana Tahirly Abdullayeva, Growth, Strategy and Innovation Advisor

It is important to think about diversity by design and inclusion with intent.

We need to get comfortable with the uncomfortable. We need to embrace and not back away from difficult conversations. Often the issues are buried and not confronted so people suffer in silence and eventually just leave.

Leaders need to be clear about what they expect from people and demonstrate role model behaviour.

This means standing up to and challenging bad behaviour. If microagreesssions are just accepted these will never change. Often people don’t know what microagressions are or recognise them in daily life. My top tip is to do a google search for ‘microagression’ and then flip to image view. You’ll soon get the idea!

It is also really important to find a ways to open the doors for feedback and make everyone feel responsible for inclusion. Curiosity and empathy are great traits to foster in your team to build great culture.

If you’d like to find ways to immediately add true value to your people and improve their personal and professional life, switch your thinking and your frame of mind and do the following.

View your people as your own biggest success. Acknowledge and appreciate them and help them succeed in their career. Foster diverse talent and gain collective strength through difference.

Leave your ego at the door and let your authentic self shine through, even if this involves sharing some of your vulnerabilities. Give away all of the credit — when things go well.

Take the responsibility when things go wrong.

Be a servant leader to your people. Know and empower everyone, giving them what they uniquely need to thrive.

As leaders, we have to take responsibility for our own development, our thinking and our actions. We also have a responsibility to educate ourselves about the experiences and challenges of people who are not like us. We can’t expect to be spoon-fed and we have to proactively remove our own blind spots by broadening our perspectives. We have to assess situations that are unique to us and apply our knowledge and experience to find the right and relevant solutions. You can use The Diversily Inclusive Leadership Change Canvas to help you take charge of your own leadership development journey. You can download it for free here.

Remember, next time you are making a decision ask yourself this one question; ‘‘Will this work for everyone?’

Will it work for women, or people from ethnic minorities, or people of different religions, or people with disabilities or people of different ages, or people with caring responsibilities or people from LGBTQ communities or people not like me. Once you start thinking in this way you broaden your own perspectives and will start finding solutions that work better for everyone.

Stay tuned for Part 5 of this leadership series where we’ll explore why being an inclusive leader is so hard.

Marisa Ellis is an advisor, strategist, speaker and best selling author.

She is the founder of www.diversily.com and the creator of The Change Canvas, and other visual, business frameworks that are used around the world by global brands and start ups alike to drive positive change.

She helps business leaders, entrepreneurs and change makers do better business; business that is purpose-led, humancentred with diversity and inclusion at the core. Her highly rated strategic management methodology, uses The Change Canvas to connect strategy to execution and empowers high performing, inclusive teams that deliver continuous value.

She has over 20 years of experience driving transformational change in the tech sector, from well-known names such as Reuters, Barclays, lastminute.com to high growth start-ups and accelerators.

DIVERSITY IS NOT ABOUT POLITICAL CORRECTNESS OR KEEPING UP WITH THE TRENDS

BY SUSANNE BIRGERSDOTTER

In this day and age of globalization, the world can finally see and appreciate the power and beauty of diversity. But while technology and innovation have enabled us to connect and collaborate, we, as humans, haven’t been able to always keep up with the trends and changes. Sadly, not a few organizations I know are still ages away from the ideal workplace that we aspire to be – equal, fair, inspiring, and nurturing. Despite all the good things that are happening to our world or our businesses, I believe that diversity can bring it to even greater heights. Today’s gifts of advanced technology and awakening awareness give us the perfect opportunity to embrace diversity and bring it into our realm.

My biggest advocacy is gender equality in the workplace and women empowerment. And that is only a small aspect of diversity.

A diversified team, working in harmony and understanding, is strong, creatively superior, dynamic, and engaging. People from all walks of life come with diverse experiences, knowledge, ideas, viewpoints, and skills. Bringing it all to your company is a powerful force that can spell the difference between mediocre and greatness.

Diversity is not about political correctness or keeping up with the trends. It is acknowledging and respecting the beautiful idiosyncrasies of humans. And with this, we do not only embrace what is beautiful and natural, but we are also using it to forward our cause and realize our dreams.

Creating and/or transitioning to a diverse team can be tough. But, once we’ve changed our mindset and start opening our minds to the possibilities and opportunities it presents, embracing workplace diversity is not even a question.

Here are the three main factors that will foster a diverse team; Leadership – It all boils down to the company leadership. We need business leaders who will support and commit to the diversity movement. We need CEOs who will create policies and measures that will allow everyone in the team to shine and bring their best selves to the table. And managers who will ensure that those policies and measures are observed. This is not about male or female leader, it’s about a leader creating workplace decisions that will allow diversity/equality to work in everyone’s favor.

Equality – It is high time we address the parity issues in the workplace. Wage gaps, gender prejudice, and character profiling should stop. We cannot continue giving men higher wages just because they are males. We must stop attaching competences to the color of our skin or our religious affiliations. Everyone should have an opportunity equal to everyone else.

Diverse Recruitment Team – These are the people who are actually forming your team. It could be just you, your partner, or an entire HR team, the recruitment team are crucial to creating a diverse team. People will tend to prefer those who look, think, and operate like them, and without the awareness and sensitivity to the issue, they will follow their instinct.

You can start by creating proper guidelines and procedures on how to attract and retain the best talents without any prejudices other than their professional profile.

To make an impact, go for at least 20% percent minority representation. One woman in a team of ten will make a go-to secretary, two women will make a duo to reckon with.

If we are all the same, we would be dispensable and meaningless. We are all the same and all different at the same time. It’s time we embrace and celebrate that!

Do you have any dynamic business ideas? What’s stopping you? Let’s discuss! If you haven’t yet, join the successful sisterhood here. Learn more of my business and life journeys from my book, Pivotal Moments, here. It is also available in Kindle from this link.

About Susanne Birgersdotter Susanne is a Swedish self made entrepreneur and investor, has gone from designing her first app from her kitchen table to becoming one of the most influential entrepreneurs and brand builder within 7 years. Susanne’s strong instincts and intuition has helped her grow her companies including designing a #1 ranked app and founding IGOTCHA, SthlmAppLab, SBDM & Birgersdotter Innovate. Susannes biggest passion in life when she's not building business is Female Entrepreneurship, Health, Fashion - Tech and food.

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

LIINA LAAS Founding Partner at The Better Fund

Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your career /business please?

My background is in early-stage startups, mainly in the blockchain and fintech fields.

I've helped multiple startups grow fast in a bootstrapped environment and I am always looking for the next big thing in technology. I do believe that we can create amazing things in a collaborative way and there's so much innovation currently. I am really glad to be part of it.

I am currently working with startups as well as raising a fund that focuses on tech startups founded by women. We will focus on startups in the CEE region and our goal is to bridge the gender pay gap and investment gap and as a whole back powerful women that will become role models for the future generations.

What drew you to venture capital (or investment) and working with startups?

While working with multiple startups was rather shocking for me at the beginning was how few women there were in the space (especially in blockchain and fintech). I've been advocating for more equality for years now but the turning point for me was seeing the OECD numbers of gender pay gap in 2020 where Estonia, my home country took #1 place again - we have the highest gender pay gap in Europe. This seemed so backward to me as we are doing really well in tech and our startup scene is booming. Somehow women don't get a place at the table.

The numbers in investment gap, especially in CEE paint an even sadder picture - in 2020 only 1% of funding was raised by female-led teams, 5% by mixed teams, this means that 94% of all investment went to male only founding teams. When we look at results, women-led teams and diverse teams perform significantly better than all male-led teams. This seemed backward to me, therefore I started researching more and realised that the problem will not solve itself by talking about diversity.

So from there the snowball started rolling. I found the best partners to join me in our mission and we are now working hard to turn equality into reality.

Which investment spaces are you most excited about?

LIINA LAAS

We focus on the CEE region as we see that it has the highest potential for growth currently.

The Baltics is a true powerhouse in startup success and the wider CEE is catching up fast.

We've seen our first unicorns and people are hungry to build more. Also the capital goes much further than in other areas - seed round of €400k will not get you as far in the US or Western Europe.

The talent and skills are already available in CEE and the momentum is high - when people believe they can achieve it, they most likely will. That's why I am most excited in this region currently.

When it comes to the industries we favour tech powered by impact - solutions that make an impact on the environment, health and education. How we can bring more good into the world through innovation and making sure we don't leave a heavy carbon footprint.

What are the important and critical points to take into consideration between entrepreneurs and investors relationship?

I think it is very important to find the right fit. It is usually a very long relationship - 10 years!

Need to consider what the entrepreneur needs. When it's early stage, usually on top of the funding they also need some advice, some connections, someone to be able to help them in some of the areas.

Some entrepreneurs don't need that as much and this is fine as well - many investors want to be silent partners. So in this sense, I think being open with one another about what are the needs of the company and what the investor can contribute on top of the funds (if anything) is important.

And most importantly, trust is important. Both the entrepreneur and the investor have the same goal - for the company to succeed, however if they don't trust each other, it will probably be a rocky road.

My personal principle is this - do business with people you want around, people with integrity, people you trust.

What do you think are the main challenges and opportunities for the next generation of female leaders in Europe especially in Estonia?

Challenges are still the same. We are taking steps towards equality but progress is slow.

Discrimination still happens on all fronts, not just towards gender but also race, disabilities.

Discrimination is the same - it's not okay whatever it is aimed at.

Currently, we see the issues where people have become anxious, populist parties are driving their aggressive agendas and in many ways we are regressing. Social media has given everyone a voice and that is often taken advantage of and used to bully others. Women make up roughly 50% of the population in the world. Yet we are minorities. Why? We do not have the same rights and opportunities. So at this point all I can say that we need to just keep going, making a change, don't accept the situation if you are not okay with it. Discrimination is not okay and it will never go away if we pretend it's not ok.

Our prime minister should not be called a lost flower by a chauvinist MP, women should not be seen as assistants instead of CEOs. Women should not be seen as a business risk rather than opportunity. I'd say if you are planning to start your own business - go for it! Find the right people, if you need advice go and ask, if you need investment go and ask. Someone will say yes eventually and you can make an impact. Help others out as well. This is not something that we need to do to oppress men, we need to build a society where everyone can thrive.

LIINA LAAS Why did you founded your VC "The Better Fund" and what are your focus with your investments?

The Better Fund (like a few of my other projects) were born out of sheer frustration. I was not ok with the fact that women have access to such little capital when all of the statistics and my own personal experience and stories I have heard from others all say the same - when we have balanced teams business does better. We all do better financially and also the work environment will be more healthy.

I have spoken to over 100 women in the startup and investment field over the past year. The story is the same - each woman apart from one said they've been discriminated based on gender. And I know there are many different opinions. However questions and statements such as: Who's looking after your children?

Is your husband ok with this?

How will you focus on work when you have kids?

We're not sure if a woman is up for this challenge.

Are you lactating over there ??

Do you have the right to represent this company?

These are just some of the questions women I've spoken to this past year have shared.

They don't belong in a boardroom, job interview or investment meeting.

Our fund is not giving women a hand out - we look at the opportunities and evaluate based on team, idea, experience, scalability and potential. We look at the diversity of the team people from different backgrounds working together find solutions faster.

We do not ask women or men if they want to have children or who's looking after them whilst they are building their business.

Could you shortly tell us the story behind The Better Fund and Estonia ecosystem?

The Estonian startup ecosystem is truly booming. But we have the same issue as elsewhere 15% of women are founders, yet they only raise 1-2% of the total funding. This needs to change.

Women need to be able to build their businesses to success, become role models for the future generations and after exits become investors.

Only by giving women the true opportunity can we reach a society when women in business is normal. And it should be normal because we are very good at it. It should not be a question but the biases are stuck so deep in our unconscious that it will not change overnight.

You mentioned that "a mother has superpowers (is more motivated and hungry to suceed)" so what kind of superpowers a woman who is also a mother has? Do you have any story to share with us?

I can really only talk for myself on this as women are very different, some don't want children and this is fine as well. For me they have never been an obstacle in my work, they are motivation. There was a definite shift for me when my daughter was born. I was already motivated and had big plans but that imminently changed from - oh, I'd like to do x y z to I must succeed, there is no other option. I must build success to provide for my kids as well as build a better world for them and be a role model.

On the side of superpowers - well yes, you learn to survive on no sleep, having to juggle kids, home, work and family time. And as I mentioned above, failure is not an option. Kids need to be looked after and work needs to be done so parents both mothers and fathers have to adapt to become more productive.

DO BUSINESS WITH PEOPLE YOU WANT AROUND, PEOPLE WITH INTEGRITY, PEOPLE YOU TRUST. ADVICE LIINA LAAS

BRASIL ENTREVISTAS

GLAUCIA LEMOS Cloud Advocate em JavaScript/Node.js na Microsoft

Conte-nos sobre você e sua carreira.

Glaucia Lemos é Cloud Advocate em JavaScript/Node.js na Microsoft. Ama realizar contribuições em projetos Open Source. Atua como Member & Contributor no Node.js Foundation e no React Community realizando contribuições nas traduções do site Nodejs.org e Reactjs.org para o português e também é Volunteer & Tech Speaker do WoMakersCode.

Conta pra gente como é um dia na sua vida profissional!

Começo o dia respondendo e-mails do time de Produtos e do time que eu pertenço: JavaScript Advocacy Team. Geralmente dedico 1h para responder esses e-mails.

Logo após, começo o meu engajamento com a Comunidade Técnica Brasileira. Mas, como?

Por meio das mídias sociais, tais como: Twitter, Linkedin, Facebook e até mesmo Instagram ou TikTok. Mas, por que isso? Pois no nosso time de Cloud Advocacy temos como lema que é: "Go where the developers are." Que traduzindo significa: "Ir onde as Pessoas Desenvolvedoras estão."

Nesses engajamentos, procuro, na maioria das vezes, coletar feedbacks de produtos e escutar eles, pois uma das principais funções de um Advocate é: sermos a "ponte" entre a Comunidade e o time de Produtos. Pois não adianta de nada eu realizar uma palestra sobre um determinado produto que Advogo, funcionar perfeitamente nas minhas demos e no dia a dia não funcionar direito para quem está ali, todos os dias, lidando com os problemas com o cliente final. Para nós: essas coletas de feedbacks são extremamente importantes. Tão importante que, mensalmente as direcionamos todas elas para o EVP Cloud + A.I da Microsoft - Scott Guthrie. E, apreciamos todos os feedbacks vindos da Comunidade Global!

Após isso, procuro criar conteúdos em forma de: blog posts, podcasts, videos e live codings.

E, no final do dia, procuro dedicar entre 1h a 2h para me atualizar. Pois é de extrema importância, me manter atualizada com os assuntos relacionados a Hard Skills ou Soft Skills!

GLAUCIA LEMOS O sector de tecnologia ainda é um campo dominado pelos homens. Qual seriam os seus conselhos e dicas para as mulheres superarem os obstáculos enfrentados?

De fato, posso afirmar com todas as palavras que essa situação não é somente aqui no Brasil, mas infelizmente de caráter mundial! Pois eu tive a oportunidade de trabalhar por 1 ano numa empresa Argentina pessoalmente (Buenos Aires, 2015) e eu era uma das poucas mulheres que estava trabalhando no projeto dessa empresa. O conselho que dou é: desde o princípio se impor! Não permitir falas, tais como: "ah... deixa! Acho que você não vai conseguir resolver esse meu problema. Verei com uma outra pessoa." Nesses momentos é que não podemos, como mulheres, nos render e permitir esse tipo de fala. São nessas falas que, acabamos meio que 'cedendo' essas péssimas atitudes, piorando o ambiente e o clima da empresa.

Já provamos, em diferentes formas, que nós podemos e conseguimos mudar o mundo trazendo soluções para toda a sociedade. Seja ela em diferentes esferas, tais como: na ára de Engenharia, Educação, Jornalismo, Artes e etc. E, sempre procurar meios de criar boas discussões de que, é muito importante haver a escuta de ambas as partes (entre homens e mulheres), para que haja sempre e principalmente o respeito mútuo. Pois tudo começa no respeito!

Se na empresa que a mulher atua não houver um time de D&I, propõe um na sua empresa. É de suma importância a discussão da Diversidade e Inclusão em todas as empresas especialmente na área de Tecnologia onde na sua maioria são homens! E, propor até que alguns homens façam parte desse time. Para que os mesmos possam ser propagadores de um ambiente mais inclusivo e diverso no time e em toda a empresa. São essas as dicas que dou.

Quais são os maiores desafios que as mulheres que desejam se aventurar no mundo da tecnologia enfrentam hoje?

Acredito que, em como lidar com o tempo do trabalho e família. Quando digo família: filhos(as). Então, como as empresas podem lidar com inúmeras mães de família que tem filhos ao lidar com horários diferenciados de entrada e saída, reuniões e outros pontos? Isso é algo que precisa ser discutido entre ambos os lados. Outro ponto a ser mencionado é uma determinada mulher que deseja obter um cargo de liderança numa empresa de Tecnologia.

Sejamos sinceras? Podemos contar nos dedos as empresas que possuem mulheres com cargos de liderança em empresas de Tecnologia. Enquanto pudermos contar nos dedos, indicará que ainda é um grande problema.

Há alguma pessoa específica em tecnologia que te inspira?

Sim. 3 pessoas! (será que posso mencionar 3?!) E, que inclusive eu tive a oportunidade de conhecer essas 3 pessoas.

São elas: + Anders Hejlsberg (criador do TypeScript, C#, Delphi e Turbo Pascal) + Cynthia Zanoni (Fundadora da WoMakersCode e Partner Technology Strategist na Microsoft) + E, uma pessoa que, pode ser que muitas pessoas não conhece: Karine Lago (MVP em Data & CoFounder da DATAB). Acho o trabalho que ela faz sensacional e inspirador!

Qual seria sua mensagem para as mulheres que estão tentando entrar na tecnologia?

A mesma mensagem que eu sempre menciono em todas as minhas palestras, quando me pedem para contar sobre a minha carreira. Tenham: paciência, persistência e humildade. Pois com essas 3 palavras, qualquer pessoa (pode ser homem ou mulher), conseguirão respeito, que é tão necessário em quaisquer esfera da nossa sociedade, da Comunidade Técnica Brasileira. E, com isso, só tende a crescer tanto em sentido pessoal, como profissional!

GLAUCIA LEMOS O problema de diversidade (não somente o baixo número de mulheres) no setor de tecnologia existe, fato. Você poderia compartilhar a sua jornada pessoal com a gente?

Eu passei por algumas situações, principalmente quando eu trabalhei no exterior (nesse caso na Argentina, Buenos Aires - 2015), por certos preconceitos por ser mulher e por ser estrangeira. Os dois primeiros meses na empresa, não foram fáceis, confesso. Mas, depois que eu tive uma conversa com o meu líder (Martin Coronado - por sinal, uma excelente pessoa e profissional), fez uma reunião com todo o time e todo aquele preconceito deixou de existir e começaram a me enxergar como algo que poderia agregar e muito no time. Depois que retornei ao Brasil, abri a minha própria empresa (de 2016 à 2019). Então, devido a isso, muitas das vezes eu trabalhava desde a minha casa ou de vez em quando nas empresas. Então, por conta disso, os preconceitos deixaram de vez de existir.

Desde que comecei na Microsoft (03/2019) tenho procurado me empenhar a cada dia nessa questão da Diversidade e Inclusão. A Microsoft é tão engajada com essa questão que devemos incluir, nos nossos projetos, a questão de D&I. Quando eu falo de D&I, também quero dizer em sermos inclusivos em relação a conteúdos non-English. Pois nada melhor do que aprender alguma stack ou tecnologia nova no seu próprio idioma. E, sabemos muito bem que, na sua maioria, as documentações das tecnologias/stacks, são em inglês. No nosso país, são poucos que tem recursos para realizar um curso de inglês. Fiz um estudo sobre isso e: em média um curso de inglês tem uma duração de 5 anos. O valor de um curso de inglês custa, média: R$ 500,00. Calculando que, há livros e matrícula para pagar a cada 6 meses, coloquemos mais R$ 500,00 a cada 6 meses. Bom, no final dos 5 anos a pessoa que paga um curso de inglês hoje no Brasil tem que desembolsar em torno de R$ 45.000,00 a R$ 55.000,00 - um valor de um carro Etios - Toyota). E, quem hoje no nosso país tem essa condição uma vez que o salário mínimo gira em torno de R$ 1.100,00? Não dá.

Então, a inclusão também inclui localizar conteúdos! E, internamente tenho procurado me movimentar, em conjunto com os meus chefes: David Smith e Simona Cotin, a sermos mais inclusos em conteúdos não localizados, incluso também conteúdos para pessoas surdas e cegas!

O que as empresas podem e devem fazer para atrair mais mulheres para o sector de tech e para posições de liderança (não somente na atração de talentos mas também na retenção destes talentos)?

Novamente, como respondi na pergunta anterior: as empresas deveriam levantar dados, de tempos em tempos, e buscar entender todo o contexto da empresa. Como? Entendendo quantas mulheres atuantes existem na empresa e principalmente em cargos de liderança.

Pois não adianta de nada também admitir inúmeras mulheres e na liderança da empresa não tem nenhuma mulher.

E, sobre a questão de manter essas mulheres, procurando criar grupos de discussões mensais para escutar cada uma delas. Seja via 1:1 ou grupos internos de comunicação da empresa. Só ouvindo as 'dores' é que a gente consegue mudar contextos e até implementar coisas que podem melhorar e muito o clima da empresa em relação a esse ponto! É o que eu sempre falo: comunicação aberta + escutar as pessoas + discussões saudáveis = propor melhorias e melhorar o clima da empresa - em qualquer contexto de uma empresa.

Seja ela de caráter: familiar, pequeno, médio, grande e de capital aberto! ;)

GLAUCIA LEMOS Segundo Maria Klawe (Presidente do Harvey Mudd College) existem 3 motivos alegados pelas próprias mulheres para que elas não entrem no mercado de tecnologia: falta de interesse, não acreditarem serem boas em tecnologia e não acharem que irão trabalhar com pessoas com as quais se sentiriam confortáveis ou felizes. O que podemos fazer para inverter esta realidade?

Concordo com as falas da Maria Klawe (Presidente do Harvey Mudd College). Mas, gostaria de acrescentar algo que pode mudar um pouco esse dado: o incentivo da família! Mas, por que isso, Glaucia? Simples. Vamos raciocinar aqui: numa família quando há filhas mulheres se aproximando da data em prestar um determinado vestibular, o que as famílias na sua maioria indicam ou 'forçam' para que suas filhas sejam?

Muitas dizem: "Minha filha, preste vestibular para: Administração, Medicina, Psicologia, Arquitetura, Jornalismo ou Recursos Humanos (...)." E, por aí vai! Notem que, nunca indicam profissões relacionadas à: Engenharia, Matemática ou Exatas.

Eu ainda acho que, se esse conceito mudar, vindo desde as famílias, esse dado pode melhorar e muito. Outro ponto que pode ser adotado: é as empresas levantarem dados, de tempos em tempos, e buscar entender todo o contexto da empresa. Como? Entendendo quantas mulheres atuantes existem na empresa e principalmente em cargos de liderança. Pois não adianta de nada também admitir inúmeras mulheres e na liderança da empresa não tem nenhuma mulher.

Focando nesses dois pontos, acredito eu, na minha humilde opinião, que esses dados podem melhorar demais e termos cada vez mais mulheres ingressando na área, não somente de Tecnologia, mas demais áreas de Exatas!

O que você acha que devemos fazer para encorajar mais meninas a considerarem uma carreira em tecnologia?

Incentivando todas as mulheres e mostrando a elas que é possível delas conseguirem seus respectivos espaços na área de Tecnologia. E, que elas podem sim, serem o que elas desejam aqui. Desde sendo uma Pessoa Desenvolvedora, Arquiteta de Sistemas/Software ou até mesmo sendo uma CEO de uma grande empresa de Tecnologia. Mas, como podemos fazer isso? Engajando essas meninas/mulheres em grupos de mulheres, tais como: WoMakersCode, PrograMaria e tantos outros grupos su-brepresentados que podem engajar essas mulheres a ingressarem na área de tecnologia organizando bootcamps ou Hackings de Carreira (como já acontece semestralmente na WoMakersCode). Encontros esses que, já pude fazer parte de participar de um dos eventos presenciais, é a coisa mais linda. Pois dividimos nossas: dores, desejos e ambições (no bom sentido) em avançar e alavancarmos na área de tecnologia! Essa ajuda mútua é muito importante, pois cria-se uma rede de incentivo onde quando uma estiver se sentindo desanimada, essa rede se torna um grande apoiadora dessa pessoa! É por isso que, eu gosto de pertencer a esses grupos (no meu caso - a WoMakersCode) e incentivo a cada menina/mulher que estiverem lendo esse artigo a ingressarem nesses grupos!

Qual é a sua frase favorita?

Learning to Code is Like Learning to speak a new Language. - Anônimo

LEARNING TO CODE IS LIKE LEARNING TO SPEAK A NEW LANGUAGE. FAVORITE QUOTE: ANONIMO GLAUCIA LEMOS

ISABELLA LEAL QA Engineer

Conte-nos sobre você e sua carreira.

Sou Engenheira de Qualidade, Desenvolvedora Back-End e Fundadora da comunidade MINAS T.I Conta pra gente como e um dia na sua vida profissional!

Todos os dias, antes de começar a trabalhar eu tomo um chá ou café, depois disso começo meu trabalho, como sou QA, minha função e garantir a qualidade de softwares através de estratégias de negócios, e principalmente os testes, que existem vários tipos para se realizar de acordo com a necessidade que a aplicação apresenta para ser avaliada e testada.

O sector de tecnologia ainda é um campo dominado pelos homens. Qual seriam os seus conselhos e dicas para as mulheres superarem os obstaculos enfrentados?

Meu conselho e serem persistentes, por ser mulher vão querer que você faça tudo mil vezes melhor e não importa o quanto você seja boa, sempre haverá pessoas que vão procurar algum brecha ou alguma forma de te diminuir, mas você também encontrará pessoas que vão reconhecer você tanto como pessoa e como profissional, foque nisso. Sempre que você sentir que vai cair você vai conseguir se levantar e continuar caminhando não importa o que aconteça, persistência e a chave pra você focar nos seus estudos, objetivos e dificuldades que vocês vão passar nessa trajetória.

O problema de diversidade (não somente o baixo numero de mulheres) no setor de tecnologia existe, fato. Voce poderia compartilhar a sua jornada pessoal com a gente?

O problema da diversidade que a gente ta falando e da diversidade seletiva, queremos incluir pessoas negras, pessoas LGBTQIA+, porém tem pessoas que por exemplo gostam de abraçar a diversidade mas tem preconceito com pessoas trans, e acabam fechando essa porta para essas pessoas, sendo que elas também fazem parte desse ciclo de diversidade. Não podemos esquecer das pessoas PCD, são pessoas que lutam bastante principalmente na parte de inclusão e diversidade, ainda temos uma dificuldade muito grande em questão de dar apoio para pessoas PCD.

ISABELLA LEAL Segundo Maria Klawe (Presidente do Harvey Mudd College) existem 3 motivos alegados pelas próprias mulheres para que elas não entrem no mercado de tecnologia: falta de interesse, não acreditarem serem boas em tecnologia e não acharem que irão trabalhar com pessoas com as quais se sentiriam confortáveis ou felizes. O que podemos fazer para inverter esta realidade?

Acho que e se descobrir, trabalhar bastante a parte de não deixar auto sabotagem e a insegurança tomar conta, isso cria barreira da gente se descobrir na vida profissional e pessoal, já vi várias mulheres desistir ou perder bastante tempo de foco devido a essas coisas, eu mesma, por exemplo, já passei muito por isso. No começo a insegurança acontece muito, isso e super normal, mas temos que ficar atentas e aprender a lidar com isso, e se necessário, procurar ajuda profissional sempre.

Quais são os maiores desafios que as mulheres que desejam se aventurar no mundo da tecnologia enfrentam hoje?

São vários, mas no meu ponto de vista de tudo que eu já vi, acho que são os cargos altos ou como podemos dizer de alta liderança, pois a maioria são homens.

O que as empresas podem e devem fazer para atrair mais mulheres para o sector de tech e para posiçoes de liderança (nao somente na atração de talentos mas tambem na retencao destes talentos)?

Oportunidade, não só de oferecer mas sim de abrir as portas pro aprendizado, ninguém nasceu sabendo, todos tiveram que aprender bastante sobre o que fazem hoje e principalmente praticar esse aprendizado, então o que deve ser feito e dar essa chance da pessoa aprender.

Há alguma pessoa específica em tecnologia que te inspira?

Na verdade essa e uma pergunta difícil, são várias mulheres que me inspiram, acho difícil demais até parar pra pensar nessa pergunta.

Qual seria sua mensagem para as mulheres que estão tentando entrar na tecnologia?

Como eu havia dito anteriormente, continuem tentando, sejam persistentes, cada pessoa tem o seu tempo.

O que você acha que devemos fazer para encorajar mais meninas a considerarem uma carreira em tecnologia?

Incentivo, isso falta bastante, somos incentivadas somente a profissões e cargos que a sociedade impõe como algo feminino.

NUNCA É TARDE DEMAIS PARA SER O QUE VOCÊ SEMPRE QUIS SER. FAVORITE QUOTE ISABELLA LEAL

ARTIGOS

Laurie Wang

O PODER DAS COMUNIDADES TECNOLÓGICAS FEMININAS NO PROCESSO DE DESENVOLVIMENTO E EMPODERAMENTO DE MULHERES A área de tecnologia durante muito tempo foi considerada uma área masculina, mesmo as grandes descobertas dessa área terem sido feitas por mulheres, como Ada Lovelace e Grace Hopper. E isso vem mudando, mesmo sendo poucas em comparação com a quantidade de homens na área, nós mulheres estamos cada vez mais resgatando o passado histórico de mulheres fantásticas na tecnologia e tomando consciência das possibilidades e a transformação que podemos fazer.

Mas eu nem me apresentei ainda né?!

Oi galera meu nome é Laura, tenho 21 anos atualmente eu sou palestrante, instrutora, feminista e cofundadora da comunidade AI Girls, além disso sou cientista de dados na IBM e participante de diversas iniciativas internas que visam a diversidade na empresa e na tecnologia. Gosto de filmes e séries medievais como Game of thrones e Senhor dos anéis, sou apaixonada por Inteligência Artificial e ciência de dados.

Esse texto que estou fazendo é especial para vocês mulheres, onde falarei sobre a influência das comunidades femininas no processo de desenvolvimento das mulheres na área de tecnologia, e também para vocês homens que possam incentivar as comunidades e as mulheres na área de TI. As comunidades femininas têm um papel muito importante no nosso processo de autoconhecimento e empoderamento, sou uma das felizardas desse processo de transformação interna devido as comunidades. Empatia, autoconhecimento, networking, empoderamento e conhecimento são alguns dos exemplos da troca de valores e carinhos que obtemos.

Vou contar para vocês a minha história (sem graça kkk), mas que me fez ser quem eu sou.

Eu nunca quis ser de TI, eu queria ser engenheira química com ênfase em Petróleo, a matéria de química orgânica amoleceu meu coração e ocupou meus pensamentos.

Mas como eu cresci na periferia, a área de tecnologia acaba sendo bem atrativa por apresentar bastante oportunidades, então passei no curso de Ciências da computação na UAM (Universidade Anhembi Morumbi) onde me formei em 2020.

No início da graduação eu estava muito perdida, pois não me encaixava de jeito nenhum na minha classe, todo mundo lá já queria fazer TI e já manjavam de algumas coisas e eu sempre tive um aprendizado mais lento e fui muito mal no começo. Na minha sala só tinham 3 meninas contando comigo, então infelizmente piadinhas machistas, sexistas eram muito comuns lá, e essa falta de representatividade feminina me fez questionar se realmente tecnologia era lugar para mulher.

Em 2017 foi um ano bem difícil para mim, tive algumas crises de ansiedade e a famosa síndrome do impostor começou a me dominar. A síndrome do impostor é um fenômeno que ocorre principalmente em mulheres da área de tecnologia, em que a pessoa se sente inferior o tempo todo, com autocríticas e auto sabotagem, além dos pensamentos que ficam ocupando a mente "Eu sou uma fraude e vão me descobrir " e também nunca se dar o crédito de tudo que conquistou, dizendo que teve sorte ou atribuindo o sucesso à outra pessoa. Mas nesse mesmo ano uma colega muito querida me apresentou as comunidades femininas de tecnologia, onde eu fui bem acolhida e consegui trabalhar esses meus problemas.

E o que seria comunidade?

Comunidade é um grupo de pessoas que mesmo tendo opiniões diferentes se reúnem para falar (ou aprender!) um assunto em comum.

Grande parte das comunidades femininas surgiram por conta da pouca participação das mulheres na área de tecnologia

Eu participei de várias comunidades e cada uma delas representavam uma fase de estudo e meu objetivo no momento, por exemplo eu ia muito mal na faculdade na matéria de Java e as meninas da DevJavaGirls me ajudaram muito através de grupos de estudos e meetups.

As pyladies me ajudaram muito no meu processo de migração de área através do Grupo de estudos de ciência de dados, além disso desempenharam um papel bem importante na minha transformação interna, pois eu sempre tive uma síndrome do impostor (hoje eu tenho consciência disso), sempre achei que eu não era o suficiente e que eu era uma farsa, mas em um workshop de Python básico eu fui como monitora. E gente! O impacto que eu tive no dia percebendo o quanto eu podia ajudar as pessoas, e mesmo eu não sabendo de tudo, o que eu sabia poderia abrir portas e possibilidades para as meninas que estavam lá, foi muito grande e eu comecei a me permitir, me permitir errar, aprender e recomeçar.

O AI Girls é uma comunidade que eu tenho um grande carinho pois além de eu ser cofundadora e organizadora, ela tem um objetivo lindo que é o protagonismo e a permanência de mulheres nas áreas de IA e ciência de dados e para isso incentivamos um ambiente confortável para que as integrantes possam palestrar e compartilhar conhecimentos com outras mulheres. A gente conseguiu alcançar mais de 500 mulheres e estamos em mais de 10 estados do Brasil como: São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Amazonas, Distrito Federal, Ceará, entre outras.

(foto acima do nosso primeiro workshop sobre Introdução a chatbot com Watson Assistant)

Você provavelmente deve estar se perguntando por que surgiram tantas comunidades para mulheres..

Elas surgiram por conta da pouca participação de mulheres na área de tecnologia, engajando e proporcionando eventos gratuitos para que todas possam ter acesso à informação.

Normalmente muitas mulheres entram em comunidades por vários motivos, seja para melhorar o skill técnico, seja para ajudar outras mulheres, procurar apoio ou para conseguir migrar de área.

Mas o que as comunidades me proporcionaram?

Conhecimento Possibilidade em poder ajudar os outros Oportunidades para conseguir entrar na área Amigas e muito networking Me ajudou com autoconfiança Então foi isso galera, espero que vocês meninas e mulheres não desistam dos seus sonhos e está tudo bem você não saber logo de cara com o que quer trabalhar, a área de TI é enorme e depois explorar algumas dessas áreas você vai conseguir se encontrar. E se você se sente sozinha na empresa e precisa de um apoio, venha para as comunidades femininas de tecnologia, vamos apoiá-las e deixá-las cada vez mais forte.

(ultimo hackaton que participei em 2019 da NASA, com um time composto 100% de mulheres)

Autora: @Laura Damaceno de Almeida Cientista de dados na IBM, onde trabalha com machine learning para auxiliar os clientes na tomada de decisão e atuarem de forma proativa no ramo. Graduada em ciências da computação e co-fundadora da comunidade AI Girls.

quero colaborar

PRECISAMOS FALAR SOBRE SEGURANÇA DA INFORMAÇÃO Não é de hoje que sabemos que isso é evitado de se falar até mesmo se tratando dentro da área de tecnologia, podemos dizer que segurança as vezes pode ser um tabu, pelas coisas que ela aborda, causa um certo tipo de medo em algumas pessoas ou até desconfiança, sendo exatamente que essa área cuida dos nossos dados, nossa privacidade, é ela também faz parte de várias profissões mesmo não sendo exatamente dentro da área de tecnologia Mas o que exatamente uma profissional da área de segurança faz?

Existem várias profissões dentro da área de segurança, irei citar algumas dessas profissões : Analista de SOC : Garante a segurança de dados e realiza atividades como prevenção, detecção, resposta a incidentes e avaliação de vulnerabilidades.

Analista de Pré Vendas em Segurança : Análise de necessidades do negócio e infraestrutura doa seu clientes, para definição de conjunto de soluções que se aplicam as mesmas.

Consultor Forense : Tem o objetivo investigar um incidente seguindo o estado-da-arte dos métodos de aquisição, preservação, recuperação e análise de dados, investigando suas causas e responsáveis, indicando onde a segurança deve ser reforçada pelo cliente e fornecendo evidências para treinamento, conscientização e penalização de infratores.

Analista da Segurança da Informação : Responsável por analisar os riscos corporativos relacionados à informação gerenciada por sistemas e infraestrutura de TI. Analista de Segurança Pentest : Tem a responsabilidade de realizar testes de vulnerabilidades na infraestrutura da sua organização ou em aplicações, seja elas da própria empresa ou de clientes e parceiros, realizar a analise de vulnerabilidades e ajudar a equipe de Blue Team nas remediações dessas vulnerabilidades por meio da Gestão dessas vulnerabilidades e elaboração de relatórios de testes. Geralmente o Analista de Segurança (PenTest) ele anda lado a lado com o Blue Team.

DevSecOps : Segurança da informação integrada em todos os ciclos e níveis da sua aplicação, automatizar o trabalho de segurança para que o fluxo de trabalho não fique lento, selecionando as ferramentas certas e construindo essa nova vertente sobre a cultura DevOps dentro da empresa.

Mas porque exatamente decidi escrever este artigo? Durante o tempo que possuo até hoje como profissional em desenvolvimento de software, percebo o quanto e importante incluirmos essa questão da segurança é importante em todos os sentidos, em projetos, códigos, é milhares de outras coisas, estarei citando alguns erros graves que acontecem que os profissionais é as práticas de segurança podem nos ajudar a evitar que aconteça.

SQL Injection : É uma técnica de ataque baseada na manipulação do código SQL, que é a linguagem utilizada para troca de informações entre aplicativos e bancos de dados relacionais, pode ocorrer também por neutralização imprópria de caracteres especiais usados no SQL. OS Command Injection : Carga injetada pelo invasor é executada como comandos do sistema operacional. Os ataques de injeção de comando do SO são possíveis apenas se o código do aplicativo da web incluir chamadas do sistema operacional e a entrada do usuário for usada na chamada.

Buffer Overflow : Ocorre quando o programa recebe mais dados do que está preparado para armazenar no buffer. Se o programa não foi adequadamente escrito, este excesso de dados pode acabar sendo armazenado em áreas de memória próximas, corrompendo dados ou travando o programa, ou mesmo ser executado, que é a possibilidade mais perigosa. Se um programa qualquer tivesse uma vulnerabilidade no sistema de login por exemplo, você poderia criar um programa que fornecesse caracteres de texto até completar o buffer e depois enviasse um executável, que acabaria rodando graças à vulnerabilidade.

Cross-site Scripting : É uma vulnerabilidade encontrada em aplicações Web que permite a inserção de códigos maliciosos, a serem executados quando a página for acessada por outros usuários.

Missing Authentication for Critical Function : Este ponto fraco descreve um caso em que o software não executa a validação da identidade do usuário antes de permitir o acesso a qualquer funcionalidade privilegiada do aplicativo. Essa vulnerabilidade geralmente é introduzida durante a fase de arquitetura e design do processo de desenvolvimento de aplicativos.

Missing Authorization : Por causa dessa fraqueza, o software não pode determinar se a autorização do ator, tentando obter acesso a quaisquer dados ou executar algumas ações, foi correta e precisa ou não. A falta de verificação do controle de acesso permite que qualquer usuário acesse todos os recursos e ações que deseja. Pode causar exposições de informações, negação de serviço e execução arbitrária de códigos, essa fraqueza dá aos atacantes a capacidade de ler e alterar dados confidenciais e também obter acesso a funcionalidades privilegiadas.

Use of Hard-coded Credentials : O software contém credenciais codificadas, como uma senha ou chave criptográfica, que ele usa para sua própria autenticação de entrada, comunicação de saída com componentes externos ou criptografia de dados internos.

Missing Encryption of Sensitive Data : O software não criptografa informações sensíveis ou críticas antes do armazenamento ou transmissão.

Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type : O software permite que o invasor carregue ou transfira arquivos de tipos perigosos que podem ser processados automaticamente no ambiente do produto.

Reliance on Untrusted Inputs in a Security Decision : O aplicativo usa um mecanismo de proteção que se baseia na existência ou nos valores de uma entrada, mas a entrada pode ser modificada por um ator não confiável de uma maneira que ignora o mecanismo de proteção.

A segurança atua de diversas formas em diversas áreas, se após isso te despertou um interesse em saber o que é preciso para atuar nesse área irei deixar um artigo que irá te ajudar bastante nessa questão : https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/estou-indeciso-por-ondecome%C3%A7ar-na-%C3%A1rea-de-seguran%C3%A7a-dos-santos/

Também existem comunidades voltadas para segurança, vou deixar algumas aqui : Minas T.I : Comunidade voltada para apoiar mulheres cis e trans que desejam entrar pra tecnologia ou que já estejam dentro da área.

Womcy : Uma rede para profissionais de segurança cibernética na América Latina.

Cybersecurity Girls : Associação de inclusão de mulheres dentro da área de cyber segurança.

Cyber Security Tutors : Projeto mais comunitário que visa fornecer conteúdos relevantes relacionados a segurança da informação, mentoria para ajudar os mais novos na área e até profissionais também, treinamentos e etc.

Vou deixar algumas referências da área de segurança, caso fique curioso em conhecer mais afundo sobre diversas profissões : Andréa Thome : Executiva, Líder Brasil da Womcy, Empreendedora e Especialista em soluções de consultoria para GRC - Governança, Riscos e Compliance, Auditoria Interna, Segurança da Informação e Governança de TI por mais de 25 anos.

Leticia Gammill : CEO da Womcy, profissional sênior de gerenciamento de vendas com mais de 15 anos gerenciando os clientes da Global 2000.

Raul Cândido : Analista de Forense Digital e Resposta a Incidentes com experiência em diversas ferramentas de ambiente corporativo.

Joas Antonio : Consultor de cibersegurança, pesquisador de segurança da informação pela ExperSec, Fundador da Cyber Security UP, Bug Hunter, Membro do SANS, Membro Associado do CIS, Voluntário no Projeto TOR, Membro e Pesquisador da OWASP, Membro do IEEE, Assistente de Ensino Sênior na Cybrary, Cyber Educador pela Microsoft, +400 Certificados e +42 certificações internacionais.

Tamires Almeida : Pré Vendas em Segurança, focada na análise de necessidades do negócio e infraestrutura doa seu clientes, para definição de conjunto de soluções que se aplicam as mesmas. Especialista em soluções de segurança Cisco, Netskope e Fortinet, Tamires é focada em soluções e infraestrutura em nuvem.

Maria Victoria Trecco : Consultora de projetos de segurança de redes. Desenvolvimento de projetos de segurança de rede, implementação de soluções e frameworks para ajudar as empresas atingirem maturidade em segurança de dados.

Alcyon Ferreira : Head of Cyber Security na Poupex, Escritor, Líder do Capítulo OWASP de Brasília, Instrutor credenciado pela EXIN, PodCaster do SecurityCast e Professor na UnB e IESB. Daiane Santos : Membro fundadora da Companhia Júnior do curso, Unect, e também Diretor Administrativo. Desenvolve projetos voltados para a Internet das Coisas e Acessibilidade, escrevo sobre tecnologia, segurança da informação e jogos, e discuto sobre Políticas de Privacidade e Segurança da Internet das Coisas.

Daniel Moreno : CEO e Pentester da BlueSafe, autor de vários livros, todos com ampla aceitação na comunidade de TI. Entusiasta em Linux, Pentest e Python, também escreve e ministra treinamentos e palestras sobre o assunto, está divulgando projetos com o intuito de ajudar a comunidade no desenvolvimento e aperfeiçoamento de novas ferramentas.

Esse artigo teve o objetivo de falar da importância da segurança é também um pouco sobre onde começar, quais tipos de profissionais estão nessa área, o que fazem, é também ressaltar a importância de desenvolvimento seguro de softwares é outras funcionalidades.

Isabella Leal QA Engineer Software Developer & Founder at Minas T.I

CIÊNCIA DE DADOS EM CRÉDITO - COMO FUNCIONA? A ciência de dados é a profissão do momento e não é à toa. Ela tem se tornado uma profissão essencial no mercado de trabalho e todas as empresas querem ter um time de cientistas. O motivo? É simples! Muita gente não sabe, mas a ciência de dados está presente em praticamente tudo o que consumimos hoje: nas nossas redes sociais, em aplicativos de compras, nos assistentes virtuais e até mesmo no crédito que nos é concedido por instituições financeiras. E hoje vamos falar um pouco sobre a ciência de dados em crédito e como podemos aplicá-la nesse tema que é parte tão importante das nossas vidas.

Quando estamos falando sobre crédito, temos que levar uma coisa muito importante em consideração: o risco de concedê-lo! Temos que ter sempre em mente que a concessão de crédito vem sob condições de incerteza e sempre há possibilidade de perda. Por que? Porque a partir do momento que damos crédito a alguém, esperamos que a pessoa nos pague de volta para que não haja prejuízo. Mas sabemos que nem sempre isso acontece e temos que estar preparados para prever esse tipo de situação. Para nos ajudar a fazer essas previsões, temos o famoso modelo de credit scoring, que ajuda a prever se a concessão de crédito pode gerar perda ao credor. Mas o modelo de credit scoring sozinho não faz todo o trabalho, né?

Juntamente com ele temos uma área que faz a gestão do risco de crédito e cabe a esta área aplicar as políticas e modelos para fazer uma avaliação completa do risco de crédito dos clientes.

Agora vamos conhecer melhor o modelo de credit scoring, que é uma das partes mais importantes na gestão de risco de crédito. O modelo de credit scoring é a denominação dada para fórmulas que calculam os escores de crédito. Esses escores são como notas que damos para a vida de crédito dos clientes e, geralmente, quanto maior a sua nota, melhor pagador você é. Para a criação desses modelos, são levadas em consideração inúmeras variáveis relacionadas à sua vida de crédito: Dívidas que você possui ou já possuiu no mercado; O valor que você que você deve; Consultas em seu cpf; Seu histórico de crédito; Sua procura por crédito no mercado.

Olha o tanto de coisa que é levada em consideração. Incrível, né? Nós costumamos escolher um público para treinar e testar o modelo, uma data de referência e coletar variáveis que olhem um período para trás dessa data de referência para nos dizer como nosso público se comportou durante um certo tempo. Depois olhamos, a partir da data de referência, como esse público se saiu ao adquirir algum produto de crédito de nosso interesse e criamos nossa variável resposta verificando quais pessoas foram boas pagadoras e quais não foram dentro de um horizonte de tempo. Com isso, podemos obter nosso modelo e os escores. Com esses escores que o modelo nos dá baseado nessas informações sobre a sua vida, conseguimos uma forma de quantificar seu risco de crédito. E seu uso é feito pela equipe gestora de risco, como dito anteriormente. Essa equipe cria faixas de risco com os escores dos clientes, como mostra o desenho abaixo:

Os que ficam nas faixas laranja e vermelha (que são as pontuações mais baixas, implicando em maior risco) não costumam receber crédito. Quem está na fase amarela (que é uma pontuação mediana, implicando em risco médio) pode ou não receber o crédito dependendo do ponto de corte do escore na política feita pela equipe gestora de risco. Por fim, quem está nas faixas verdes (que são as melhores pontuações, implicando em baixo risco) costuma receber o crédito sem grandes impedimentos.

Você pode estar se perguntando: 'Tá bom, Andressa, mas a gente precisa ter um modelo para poder quantificar esse risco? Não daria simplesmente para uma outra pessoa fazer isso?".

Bom, a resposta é: sim, daria para outra pessoa fazer. Aliás, antes da chegada em massa dos modelos no mercado em geral, era isso que acontecia: toda análise de crédito era feita por pessoas, chamadas analistas de risco de crédito - e elas ainda existem em alguns lugares e para alguns produtos. Se elas existem, qual a vantagem de se usar um modelo?

Temos diversas vantagens, dentre elas:

Maior consistência na avaliação: Quando temos uma pessoa avaliando o crédito de outra pessoa, podemos ter uma avaliação subjetiva dependendo de como o analista esteja naquele momento.

Quando temos um modelo, isso já não acontece. Ele vai olhar para os dados de diversas pessoas com os mesmos critérios sempre; Tomada de decisão mais rápida: Um analista leva um certo tempo para analisar diversos dados e tomar uma decisão concreta. Já um modelo consegue tomar a decisão em poucos segundos (ou até menos!); Gama mais ampla de dados contemplados: Um analista consegue lidar bem com uma quantidade limitada de dados, enquanto um modelo já não possui grandes limitações nesse quesito.

Neste artigo tentei mostrar a vocês como a ciência de dados aplicada a crédito ajuda as empresas do mercado financeiro (bancos, empresas de empréstimos, varejos, seguradoras, e por aí vai) a mitigar seus riscos e perdas e que é uma área de extrema importância que segue em crescimento.

No próximo, falarei mais sobre o passo a passo para obtermos um modelo de credit scoring que tanto foi citado por aqui Autora: @Andressa Freires The best way to introduce myself is to say that I'm passionate about data and people! I am a data scientist at PicPay and one of the representatives of the inclusion and diversity group, and also a part of the culture group and mentor for the inclusion of diversity in the Data area. I'm a columnist for AI and Diversity for Female Tech Leaders magazine. I am the administrative coordinator of UneAfro, which offers popular courses to black and low-income youth. I'm part of AfroPython, which is a movement for inclusion and empowerment of black people in the Information Technology area. I am a mentor at BOSS. I am an event coordinator at AI Girls, which is a movement to include women in Data. I'm also part of PyLadies, UXPMP. I have been in the data science area for more than 3 years and before PicPay I also worked as a data scientist at Koin and Itaú (internship), in addition to having done scientific research in Computational Neuroscience at USP.

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