A PATH TO FOLLOW
Female Founders Succeed Despite Sexism Phoenix tech scene also benefits by RaeAnne Marsh
JAN. 2021
IN BUSINESS MAGAZINE
Female Founders Succeed and Strengthen Tech Scene Despite Sexism
DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION
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Historically, a lot of business has transpired in social settings, high on the list of which is the golf course and private men’s lounges. Hence the term “the old boys’ club.” Transactions may or may not be brought to agreement in such settings, but certainly connections are facilitated that ultimately lead to business agreements. This is not news, but it is the reason women and minorities have had such a hard time breaking through the so-called glass ceiling even in companies with well-intentioned leadership. Then there’s the not so well-intentioned business interactions that overtly denies or denigrates the talent of women and minorities. For the women CEOs in this article, the success of their companies demonstrates the truth of their potential. Strengthening our business community overall, these Phoenix business founders found ways around the prejudice to contribute to a thriving and supportive tech scene for women. Liz Mason, who has now founded five other Phoenixbased businesses, started High Rock Accounting in 2013 in a traditionally male-dominated industry and, rather than beat her head against that brick wall, took advantage of it in a subterfuge to sidestep the problem while getting her business off the ground.
“When I first opened the firm,” Mason relates, “I was working with an awesome growing startup. The company had very prominent investors who also sat on their board of directors. I would go to the board meetings as the acting CFO and would consistently get questioned on the fundamentals of accounting. The board as a whole lacked confidence in my calculations and presentations merely because I was a 29-year-old woman. “I ended up hiring a friend of mine, a 45-year-old white male, to be our representative at the board meetings. I did all the work behind the scenes, spent 15 minutes telling him what to present to the board and the parts that mattered, and he would go give the presentations. The board as a whole accepted his reports without question and frequently praised his work. They had no idea that it was still me doing all the work behind the scenes and he was just the talking head.” Her friend, she relates, was very frustrated by the whole experience and wanted to tell the board the true situation, but the ruse enabled her to service the client while avoiding what she characterizes as “a monthly tribunal focusing on diminishing my contributions and downplaying my abilities.” Rebecca Clyde, co-founder and CEO of marketing software company Botco.ai, was recently named one 2020’s “Most
“Our unique life experiences expose us to numerous pain points/problems and sensitivity/compassion, and an entrepreneur becomes driven to solve the problem.” —Rebecca Romanucci, Founder and CEO, DynoSafe
