No matter who I’m talking to, or where we’re talking, when I mention the “bitch stigma”, woman’s eyes light up in recognition. Doctors, waitresses, project managers, entrepreneurs…no matter what a woman’s chosen profession is, she’s likely run into this invisible yet potentially crippling issue. Being accused of “bitch” status, is a fear many women struggle…
The Challenges Facing Women Entrepreneurs and Start-Up Loans
Starting a business is one of the biggest roller coaster rides anyone can voluntarily go on, from both an emotional and financial perspective. However, every year, thousands of people decide to take the plunge. One of the most important parts to starting a business is access to capital, but it has recently become apparent that…
Back on the Ronn Owens Show!
We had such a great conversation the last time I was on that Ronn invited me back to ask the question “Is sexism still alive and well?” and the answer is a sad but resounding, “yep.” Everywhere you look these days there’s an issue or conversation that’s impacted by sexism, most notably politics, the tech…
How Gender & Sexual Orientation Are Still Affecting Us in the Workplace
If you’re a straight man, workplace discrimination based on gender or sexuality is probably not high on your list of concerns, but for millions of woman and members of the LGBT community, it’s an everyday reality that’s hard not to be concerned about. Incidences of blatant or subtle sexism and discrimination in the workplace are…
The Ronn Owen Show Interview
Ronn Owens has been a respected radio host on KGO Radio in San Francisco for 40 years, from 10am to Noon 5 days a week talking about “everything from local politics and pop culture to current events, personal issues, or just pain gossip…” so when his producer got in touch with me about coming on…
Under-Representation in Startups Continues
Don’t be fooled by arguments of meritocracy: sexism in tech culture continues even as new research — and common sense — points to women as being uniquely suited to coding. Yet under-representation of women remains a blight on the otherwise free-wheeling reputation of startup culture. Talent alone, it appears, is not the singular factor for hiring and…
Four Common Gendered Insults We Need to Eliminate in the Workplace
It’s 2016, and sexism should be a thing of the past. Even if you know, however, that the gender balance isn’t completely equal, you may not be aware just how prevalent small biases continue to be, especially in the workplace. These little biases may appear in the form of gendered insults in the workplace, often against…
SXSW Walks the Walk for Women in Tech–But Does it on Tiptoe
Sexism in tech culture may have felt a bit of pressure in Austin, Texas, in mid-March, when SXSW not only put the originally cancelled panels on online harassment back on their schedule, but added another 13 panels. Unfortunately, in adding the discussions back into the conference, they also literally marginalized the entire day of presentations, holding the “Online…
How Sexism is Affecting Hillary Clinton: The Double Standard Reigns On
Sexism has long been a rival of working women, whether they waitress at the local diner (“Hey, sweetie, where’s my coffee?”) or work as top executives in large corporations (“Don’t mind her. She’s just a demanding bitch.”), but Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton has elicited an awareness of sexism on a whole new level from the American people, one…
Blatant Sexism of Biotech Culture Exposed by Conference After-Party
The worlds of technology and biotechnology are both fueled by ambitious startup companies, but other than that, they don’t share that much in common – except when it comes to their treatment of women. Both are old boys clubs that exhibit blatant sexism in their cultures. Each winter, the biotech world descends on San Francisco for the…