Women working in the technology industry are consistently overcoming an implied bias against them, given that it remains a male dominated sector. But their success in doing so is leading to some inspirational career advances.
Aarthi Ramamurthy and Lisa Kaplan are two such women, and they tell Forbes that there are several specific ways women are beating the bias.
"The main reason there are too few women in technology, I think, is that it's a self fulfilling prophecy," says Ramamurthy, a software engineer who founded and is now chief executive of Lumoid, a San Francisco-based start-up that customers rent and try-before-they-buy everything from wearables to drones. She is convinced that prophecy can be overturned.
Overcoming The Challenge
There are clear ways to beat this bias and succeed in your career, the first being to take part in a useful community.
"We have a small group of women who are part of different start-ups here in San Francisco," says Ramamurthy, "and we all talk to each other and form a mini advisory group."
It is also crucial to remain driven for your goals. Ramamurthy particularly feels the bias as a female software engineer by training, and a lone founder of a company. The constant assumptions she faces a forced her to be particularly tenacious in achieving her aims.
"What's worked for me is to keep on executing what I've wanted to do," she says. "It sounds like a cliché, but nothing really speaks for itself better than results."
Part of the problem is the perception that technology only means coding, when roles far beyond those to operations, sales, product and marketing are equally vital.
Kaplan, VP of global media and entertainment solutions at publishing platform RebelMouse, says that women need to remember they "don't have to be computer programmers to add value". She adds: "The business roles are also a choice and an option for women in tech. If that's your expertise, bring it to your career; don't go and build a new one."
We Still Need A More Flexible Industry
It is vital that women can always have a mentor in their industry, and help others. Kaplan explains: "You can have a mentor and be a mentor, even if you aren't working at the same company." Inspirational women are working everywhere, even where all of the founders are men, she says.
The industry also needs to take a better regard for people's personal lives and for pay equality, because of the massive role women play in success - female run, venture backed companies have 12 per cent higher revenues, according to entrepreneur-supporting organization the Kauffman Foundation.
"We need to make it easier to have children and maintain our careers, so that we don't lose the great women or derail their career paths," she maintains. "Good leave policies and flexible schedules are really key with this."
Kaplan found that the greatest challenge in her career was after becoming a mother, with "the struggle of getting back into the game after taking some time off to be with my kids". By working closely with mentors whom she respected immensely, she was able to make the leap. "I always knew that I loved technology, so when I came back in to the workforce I looked for a way to pair my existing skill set with the market I was most passionate about."
Women across the industry are beating the bias. It's now on the technology industry, and other sectors, to deliver the environment required to help keep the many talented women growing in their careers.
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