Women in Tech Global Conference: Trends, gaps and opportunities for women in deep tech in Europe

On the final day of the recent Women in Tech Global Conference, EIT Deep Tech Talent Initiative Outreach and Stakeholder Manager, Francesca Barisani, hosted an insightful panel session on “Women in deep tech in Europe; Trends, gaps and opportunities”.

The session was well attended, and Francesca was joined on the virtual stage by four amazing women in tech from our Pledger Community: Monika Ptacnikova (Co-Founder and Regional Lead, Czechitas), Lisa Ambros (VP Business Development, the female factor), Alexandra Badea (Founder, She is Mom), and Rasa Strumskyte (Co-Founder, Talent Garden).

Women in Tech Network

“The inception of WomenTech Network was significantly influenced by my prior experiences and the evident gap in the tech industry.” (Anna Radulovski, Founder WomenTech Network)

The WomenTech Network was conceived by Anna Radulovski as a global initiative to bridge the gap between women seeking opportunities in tech and companies desiring to enhance their diversity and inclusion efforts. The network recognises the critical need to enhance the visibility and influence of women in technology, leadership positions, and entrepreneurship, and by connecting women with role models, offering guidance for career advancement, and fostering a sense of belonging, it aims to create a more inclusive and diverse tech industry.

The Women in Tech Global Conference is organised by the WomenTech Network, one of the world’s leading communities for women in tech with more than 8,000 Global Ambassadors representing 172 countries. To date, 70,000 tech leaders have collaborated with the network to cultivate a diverse global network that reaches 3.5 million people.

Key Takeaways from the EIT Deep Tech Talent Initiative Session

On the topic of trends, gaps and opportunities for women in deep tech in Europe, the EIT Deep Tech Talent Initiative’s session focused on the challenges and biases women involved in deep tech face every day, and what impactful strategies the panellists are developing to help them in their career growth.

• Lisa: It is key to create inclusive environments and ecosystems to create opportunities for women individually where they can upskill, reskill, and get mentored. Organisations can no longer afford to overlook women, or other underrepresented groups, because if you want to exist and succeed in the long run, that’s the only way to go. Additionally, it’s crucial to create this type of ecosystem on a societal level making it the norm so we don’t have to talk about trying to get women into tech because it’s equal.
• Rasa: Deep tech is not a small sector, it’s such a broad area. As women, we have to understand that it’s an explorative journey. There are soft skills, hard skills, and so many leadership skills including super intelligence and emotional intelligence, so there’s room for everyone as long as we stay true to ourselves, and we figure out what is important to us. What is our motivation? What do we truly love? Then be proactive. Instead of waiting for the system, organisation, or workforce to change, we have to drive the change. But for that to happen, we need to raise our hand and say this is what I would love, and this is how I’m going to go about it.
• Monika: We are all role models; to our children, our families, our parents, and friends. Anything is possible, it just needs to start in our minds. I encourage all of you to train your bravery muscle. Try, fail, and try again. Nothing is wrong, you just need to try.
• Alexandra: Take care of your health, especially your mental health. As women we have a lot of pressure and many things on our plate, and sometimes it’s too much, it can be overwhelming. So, try and relax to get more energy for your goals.