Advances in tech have always depended on women, even if historically they didn’t always get the recognition or respect they deserved. While that’s changing in modern culture, women still face undue challenges and systemic obstacles.
Thankfully, many organizations recognize this and make intentional efforts to prioritize the innovations and contributions coming from women. Through initiatives to empower women employees or programs to foster leadership and entrepreneurship, they’re working to ensure this generation and the ones to follow face fewer barriers to success.
Here’s a look at how those initiatives play out at some orgs Technical.ly works with across the region.
(If you like what you see, follow the links to their Directory Pages to learn more and explore ways to connect.)
Arcweb Technologies
Arcweb Technologies is on a mission to democratize digital healthcare through open source solutions that expand the delivery and lower the costs of care. In pursuit of this goal, we focus on forming long term partnerships with health and wellness companies and leveraging decades of experience to solve their most pressing software product challenges.
“It’s definitely true that women are in the minority in technology-related fields in the US workforce, and the same is true at Arcweb,” said Marley Kropp, project manager. “However, a company culture makes all the difference in how welcome and how respected you feel.”
In Arcweb meetings where there may only be one or two women, she said she’s heard my male colleagues offer warnings like, “We shouldn’t discuss this policy when there’s only one woman present because we need to hear more voices.” They’ll also regularly offer an opportunity to weigh in, saying things like, “Marley, you’ve been quiet. Would you like to add anything?”
She appreciates the purposeful action. “It’s refreshing to know that the women of Arcweb are respected as professionals,” Kropp said, “and that all of our colleagues have our backs in a male-dominated industry.”
Ballard Spahr
Ballard Spahr is a national, full service law firm with more than 600 attorneys spread across 15 offices. Our attorneys work with entrepreneurs and emerging companies from ideation through exit and understand how to provide expertise while offering our broad network to help businesses grow and achieve great heights. Our ECVC lawyers also advise venture capital funds and angel investors to help seed ventures from the most nascent stages.
“Ballard is dedicated to empowering and supporting women entrepreneurs and technologists through a series of impactful initiatives,” said partner Kimberly Klayman.
She pointed to the firm’s Female Climate Tech CEO event during Philly Tech Week in 2023 as an example. Attended by an impressive 70+ guests, primarily comprised women business owners, entrepreneurs and investors who shared a common interest in climate technology.
“The event provided a vibrant platform for these professionals to connect, fostering meaningful conversations and discussions surrounding their unique perspectives and expertise in the field of climate tech,” Klayman said.
Beyond localized gatherings, she noted, Ballard demonstrates its commitment to empowering women in business through regular content-driven events on a national scale.
“These events serve as a crucial resource for women business owners, offering targeted information on essential topics such as financial planning, board and stakeholder management and preparation for liquidation events,” Klayman said. “By providing this knowledge, Ballard contributes to the professional development and success of women entrepreneurs and technologists across the country.”
CubeSmart
CubeSmart is one of the nation’s largest publicly traded self-storage companies. Our mission is to simplify the organizational and logistical challenges created by the many life events and business needs of our customers — through innovative solutions, unparalleled service and genuine care.
“At CubeSmart, we offer many opportunities for our female teammates and leaders to grow and learn with us,” said Angela Bradley, director of talent acquisition.
The Women @ CubeSmart ERG was established several years ago with the goal to create an open forum for female teammates to meet and support one another in building their community and sense of belonging, she said.
“We strive to empower our women to learn and grow from each other. Through the success of this ERG and many other opportunities for our teammates to grow with us,” Bradley shared, “we are happy to share that in 2023, we promoted 216 female teammates into new roles, creating a strong foundation of diverse talent for the organization.”
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Fastmail
For as little as $3 per month, the Australia-based independent email provider offers completely ad-free products and services — unlike “free” email providers that get paid by selling your data to advertisers. Your inbox stays clear of unwelcome solicitors, and your privacy intact.
“Fastmail has invested in my professional growth,” said Haley Hnatuk, senior podcast producer and marketing specialist. “They have enabled me to attend conferences, take classes at top institutions like NYU with expert professors and make lifelong connections through my Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce’s Young Professional Council membership.”
Hnatuk described other opportunities Fastmail has given her to be a thought leader, both locally and for a worldwide audience.
“Locally, I’ve been able to speak at events for organizations like Hopeworks, a non-profit that uses technology and entrepreneurship to transform lives,” Hnatuk said. “On the global stage, I have stepped into the role of co-host for Season 3 of our company podcast, Digital Citizen, an Apple Top Tech show that focuses on how individuals can live healthier digital lives. We are releasing episodes now. If you are interested, you can subscribe today wherever you listen to podcasts!”
Fearless
Fearless is an impact-focused digital services integrator. Through human-centered digital solutions and organizational transformation, we unlock the power of people, organizations, and tech.
“Fearless directly celebrates women through empowering internal initiatives that bring us together as a community,” said diversity recruitment manager Mirella Armington Cortez.
Monthly “Women in Tech” sessions hosted by engineering lead Parissa Eggleston create a safe space to share perspectives and advice on issues women uniquely face, Cortez said, while the “Ladies of Fearless” Slack channel allows staff members to converge, celebrate each other’s wins and inspire collectively.
“These dedicated spaces are critical because dismantling systemic hurdles takes a village of supportive voices,” Cortez said. She’s witnessed the impact firsthand through her work as an intern coordinator, helping onboard future female tech talent with hands-on skills training, mentorship and “a powerful sisterhood.”
“No workplace is perfect, but I’ve found an authentically inclusive culture at Fearless,” she said. “One where my voice is amplified, not subdued. Where my ambition is propelled by policies benefiting everyone’s multifaceted lives and identities. Where accepting anyone’s true self as an asset is core to driving innovation.”
Kleer
Kleer’s mission is to liberate dental care for the provider and the patients. Through its own cloud-based software, Kleer (pronounced clear) allows dental practices to create fully customized care plans that they offer directly to patients as a subscription-style care membership without interference from insurance carriers.
“Kleer is committed to fostering a supportive environment for our female team members, exemplified through our dedication to principles of equality and empowerment,” said talent acquisition specialist Sarah Colletti. “At the heart of our efforts lies our commitment to equal pay and opportunities. We meticulously benchmark roles and conduct semi-annual evaluations to ensure alignment and continually narrow the pay gap.”
In an industry traditionally dominated by men, Kleer boasts a workforce where women represent 50% of the company, she noted.
“We prioritize workplace flexibility, provide robust support for working parents and invest in comprehensive training and development initiatives,” Colletti added. “Our transparent promotion process ensures fairness and opportunity for all team members to advance in their careers.”
Morgan Lewis
Morgan Lewis’ team of more than 2,200 lawyers and legal professionals provides comprehensive corporate, transactional, litigation and regulatory services in major industries, including energy, financial services, healthcare, life sciences, retail and ecommerce, sports, technology and transportation. We focus on both immediate and long-term goals with our clients, helping them address and anticipate challenges across vast and rapidly changing landscapes.
“Female entrepreneurs and technologists have invaluable ideas, insights and drive, and their contributions to the business world and our community should be supported and celebrated,” said Brian Slough, of counsel at the firm.
“Cultivating a culture of support for women is a priority. We believe that all entrepreneurs should be given the same opportunities to succeed including access to capital, strong mentors, great business planning guidance and the ability to network with industry leaders, among other factors.”
NEXT powered by Shulman Rogers
Shulman Rogers is a full-service law firm with more than 100 attorneys working from our offices in Maryland, Washington, DC and Northern Virginia. Our attorneys work collaboratively across practice groups to support national, regional and local clients and respond to all of their legal needs.
“Here at NEXT powered by Shulman Rogers, we are uniquely aware of the difficulties female founders face when launching, scaling and fundraising for their startups,” said Lisa Friedlander, chief revenue officer.
She pointed to a recent PitchBook report showing that last year female founders and cofounders increased their share of US venture capital raised. At the general partner level, the share of female check-writers at the largest VC firms grew slightly, to 17.4%.
“However, there is still a long way to go to reach parity, and the dreaded 2% number has not changed in decades,” Friedlander said, referencing the percent of VC funding that goes to companies owned exclusively by women.
“Our approach to investor readiness, among other de-risking platform services, assures that our female founded startup clients are poised for success,” Friedlander said, “Our team is passionate about closing the gaps that currently exist and participate with a wide variety of ecosystem partners like Citrine Angels, Springboard Enterprises, The Agora Initiative and many others regionally and nationally.”
Vanguard
Vanguard is different by design. Built in 1975, our radical ownership structure remains unique in the industry to this day — Vanguard is owned by its funds, which are owned by Vanguard’s fund shareholder clients. Our more than 30 million clients worldwide trust us to safeguard their investments. And they’re the reason for everything we do.
Our technical and data crew members are integral to Vanguard’s noble purpose. At Vanguard, you’ll be valued and cared for. We’ll invest in your continued learning and career growth. And we do this because our crew keeps Vanguard different.
“At Vanguard, we strive to create an inclusive and equitable work environment that reflects a diverse community of talents and drives our mission to provide all investors with the best chance for investment success,” said Ann Fitzpatrick Davison, director of HR technology and corporate systems strategic operations.
She pointed to focused programs like the company’s IT Women’s Initiative for Leadership Success, which equips, engages and empowers members to rise to and thrive in IT leadership roles through a focus on building connections, promoting growth and engaging with technical communities.
“We encourage and create opportunities for intentional skill development, mentorship and sponsorship,” Davison added. “We also lead events and share resources focused on belonging, allyship and career advancement. Vanguard IT is a place of belonging for seasoned or new technologists, formal or informal leaders, supportive allies and for those aspiring to move into an IT role.”
Looking for women-friendly orgs in your local tech community? Check out other companies in the Technical.ly network here to find out about their missions, cultures and initiatives.
P.S. If you’re curious about Technical.ly’s services for your own org, find more info here and connect with us.
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