While the push for gender equality in the workplace is a huge step towards the right direction, there remains a huge striking gap between men and women in the workplace, especially in the realms of tech. In fact, in 2017, according to a report by Crunchbase, only 17 percent of startups were being led by women. To help improve the numbers and narrow down this prominent gap, Julie Queler wants to shine a light on some of today’s most intrepid female leaders in hopes of encouraging more women to follow the unbeaten path:
Accompany
Headquartered in Los Altos, California, Accompany is the brainchild of Amy Chang, former head of Google’s Analytics department. Accompany uses advances in AI and machine learning to be your own virtual personal assistant, giving you all the information, you need about the people you meet with at any given time. Accompany also helps you gain a competitive edge by providing insights that easily pinpoint a company’s most essential partnerships and most valuable employees. Currently, the company has managed to raise more than $40 million from its biggest investors.
Brandless
Another rising star in California’s tech startup scene is Brandless, which is a direct to consumer online company that sells more than 250 products, ranging from food to beauty, all of which are $3 each. Leading this innovative take on consumer commerce is Tina Sharkey, whose past roles include working as the CEO of Sherpa Foundry and senior vice president at America Online. Brandless also features a wide range of household and kitchen supplies including knives, utensils, plates, and hand soaps. They carry a range of cetified organic, cruelty-free, and responsibly sourced products that make shopping not only fun and convenient, but also spiritually refreshing.
HipCamp
Who said classic pastime activities like camping can’t use some tech infusion? With HipCamp, you can discover and book authentic camping experiences around the US. It’s your virtual marketplace for finding both public and private spaces for camping. According to Julie Queler, this is a huge opportunity to unlock the 60 percent of land that is privately owned and managed by the US. It’s founder is none other than Alyssa Ravasio, who founded the site in 2013 after getting frustrated while trying to find a suitable spot to set up camp. Since its inception, HipCamp has added close to 300,000 campsites on its listings, ranging from ranches to vineyards.
Lumi
Packaging materials, particularly those made of plastic, are one of the main culprits of climate change. Fortunately, people like Jesse Genet are coming up with solutions on how to solve this growing problem. Genet’s answer is Lumi, an online company that produces quality yet sustainable packaging materials via its digital platform and its vast network of manufacturers and distributors. The company has gone a long way since being featured on hit business show, Shark Tank, and is now serving clients in 20 countries and 50 states. Some of the company’s biggest clients include the Wall Street Journal, Field Co., and Blackbox.
Shippo
You’ve probably seen Shippo founder’s, Laura Behrens-Wu, face plastered on online advertisements and its brand being featured on several tech sites. As Julie Queler puts it, Shippo streamlines the shipping process of any company using it. With its proprietary API, businesses can simplify the process of shipping and fulfilling orders. They can compare prices of different carriers including the big three – USPS, FedEx, and UPS. The company even goes above and beyond with other services including label printing, package tracking, and paperwork automation.
As female-led startups continue to thrive and print equally impressive if not better results than their male-led counterparts, it will hopefully open the floodgates for more women to join the tech industry. And by tapping into both gender’s capacity to understand and create more advanced technologies, this should fuel a richer and brighter future at a much faster rate.
