5 Female Tech Entrepreneurs to Watch
September 13, 2013
When people think of forerunners in the tech industry, it’s often men who come to mind. But the fact is that leading entrepreneurs in the field are increasingly female, and not only are they making huge profits, they’re also changing the landscape of the tech world as we know it.
As a recent article in the Harvard Business Review pointed out, we’re currently in the midst of the rise of female entrepreneurs around the globe. More and more women are leaning in and creating their own companies, even in the notoriously male-dominated tech industry. In an article OpenView published last week, .406 Ventures founding partner Maria Cirino noted there is still a lot of ground to cover to bridge the gap, but the five women below serve as inspiring and successful examples for anyone thinking of diving in and starting their own business.
5 Female Tech Entrepreneurs to Watch
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1) Julia Hartz: Co-founder and President, EventBriteEventBrite is an organization that allows anyone to sell virtual tickets for a variety of different events. Whether it’s a fundraising fashion show or a concert that’s been sold out for weeks, EventBrite users can create a customized event page, promote it via social media, and collect their profits online. Hartz has become famous for giving EventBrite a warm and familial company feel, while also skyrocketing profits to $600 million in 2012. Quote: Sometimes I feel like I’m standing with a pitchfork on the porch and saying, “Goodbye, destructive egos. Goodbye, backstabbing. Goodbye, policies.” That stuff won’t work here. |
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2) Kathy Mills, CEO, Strategic CommunicationsStrategic Communications provides business and government clients with communication and IT services. By 2012, its gross revenues skyrocketed to $42 million. Its services include PBX Telephone and Voicemail Systems, Video-Conferencing Solutions, and Infrastructure Wiring. Quote: My husband and I were the first in my family to start a company… in 1984, after the Commodore 64 came out… We sold everything we had and opened one of the first computer stores in Louisville. In 1992, we sold that business, and I opened Strategic Communications two years later. |
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3) Kate Matsudaira, Founder and CTO, popformsPopforms helps companies with limited budgets “develop and grow” their employees. By providing tools that help staff grow as leaders, Matsudaira believes that teams will flourish. Before popforms, Matsudaira managed teams at Amazon and Microsoft, as well as growing companies like Moz and Decide (now part of eBay). She also is the creator of a popular blog, katemats.com. |
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4) Ranjini Poddar, Co-Founder and President, Artech Information Systems LLCNot only is Artech a unique tech company because it is run by a woman, it is also the largest women-owned IT staffing company in the U.S. That’s not to underplay, of course, the fact that it also makes nearly $400 million per year. |
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5) Tiffany Crenshaw, President and CEO, Intellect ResourcesIntellect Resources provides consulting, recruiting and hiring solutions for businesses in the health-care IT market. Its gross revenues climbed from $1.5 million in 2010 to $30 million last year. To boot, Intellect Resources placed fourth on the Forbes list of the 50 fastest growing women led companies. Quick Fact: Tiffany is a finalist for the 2013 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. |
We Want to Hear from You
This is obviously a small list. Who are some of the other women driving growth and innovation in tech?
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