The coverage is certainly less than stellar. I certainly expect to see that shifting in time--the changing demography of the country demands it.
I run an early stage startup PlusNavigator, Inc. a solution simplifying the shopping experience for plus size women. Founder Institute alum, cited in the NYTimes this past summer, I'm Chicago based. I've learned to pitch my little heart out, and have had favorable interest from respected persons in the VC community...its now a matter of delivering qualitative traction for the business.
The process seems somewhat uniform once you're out there and competing with your fellow peers and their startups, irrespective of race/gender however the process of GETTING into the active conversations around startups, accelerators, incubators, and serious conversations about effectively positioning your company is something that the individual has to own.
My personal path started in desktop support, then enterprise IT sales, and I've always had a strong affinity for tech. Solving the woes of millions of plus size women, by leveraging technology seemed immediately viable.
A lovely tech sis of mine Obi is working on PopInGym, another brilliant idea...and its JOY seeing her at SXSW each year.
While there is a difference between tech enabled companies and tech companies, I think the future of startups makes that difference close near indistinguishable, and it turns into solving every day problems by leveraging tech.
Access to mainstream startup communities makes a difference. Since August, I've worked out of Chicago's highly regarded 1871 digital startup community, having to compete against a large pool of applicants, an in-person interview, and panel voting review for acceptance to work on my startup there. The programming, education, and network fostered certainly helps to neutralize the lack of diversity some.
It seems I have an great deal of female, and black female founder colleagues to name a few Obi (PopInGym), Bolaji (SociaLifeChicago), Feyi (CancerIQ), Christine (ItsAShort.com) among others.
The news coverage certainly isn't sensationalized. We're out there, we have a story to tell, and its inclined to empower other women just like us...because we know there are others out there, waiting to claim their space at the tech table.
I run an early stage startup PlusNavigator, Inc. a solution simplifying the shopping experience for plus size women. Founder Institute alum, cited in the NYTimes this past summer, I'm Chicago based. I've learned to pitch my little heart out, and have had favorable interest from respected persons in the VC community...its now a matter of delivering qualitative traction for the business.
The process seems somewhat uniform once you're out there and competing with your fellow peers and their startups, irrespective of race/gender however the process of GETTING into the active conversations around startups, accelerators, incubators, and serious conversations about effectively positioning your company is something that the individual has to own.
My personal path started in desktop support, then enterprise IT sales, and I've always had a strong affinity for tech. Solving the woes of millions of plus size women, by leveraging technology seemed immediately viable.
A lovely tech sis of mine Obi is working on PopInGym, another brilliant idea...and its JOY seeing her at SXSW each year.
While there is a difference between tech enabled companies and tech companies, I think the future of startups makes that difference close near indistinguishable, and it turns into solving every day problems by leveraging tech.
Access to mainstream startup communities makes a difference. Since August, I've worked out of Chicago's highly regarded 1871 digital startup community, having to compete against a large pool of applicants, an in-person interview, and panel voting review for acceptance to work on my startup there. The programming, education, and network fostered certainly helps to neutralize the lack of diversity some.
It seems I have an great deal of female, and black female founder colleagues to name a few Obi (PopInGym), Bolaji (SociaLifeChicago), Feyi (CancerIQ), Christine (ItsAShort.com) among others.
The news coverage certainly isn't sensationalized. We're out there, we have a story to tell, and its inclined to empower other women just like us...because we know there are others out there, waiting to claim their space at the tech table.