Many HNers appear to be outraged that this event is 'female only.' I think creating a conference environment that is restricted to women is very important. For a group that is under-represented in this community, having a safe space where open discussions can take place without fear can help strengthen a growing community of female startup founders (just look at some of these comments; you can't reasonably expect anyone to feel open to discussing these issues when there might be concern for some of these types of responses).
Even as someone who believes in the importance of gender equality, as a male co-founder, I acknowledge that I do have subconscious biases that need to be checked periodically (or better, constantly). When there are more female founders, and more of a presence of female leadership, I believe those biases (and the biases of other men in our community) will decline over time. Having a safe space where supportive discussions may lead to success for more female founders is a great place to start.
Even as someone who believes in the importance of gender equality, as a male co-founder, I acknowledge that I do have subconscious biases that need to be checked periodically (or better, constantly). When there are more female founders, and more of a presence of female leadership, I believe those biases (and the biases of other men in our community) will decline over time. Having a safe space where supportive discussions may lead to success for more female founders is a great place to start.