The underrepresentation of women in entrepreneurship continues to be a disappointing conversation. While females now command 58% of the workforce and hold a higher number of bachelor and graduate degrees than their male counterparts, the number of IT jobs held by women has actually decreased over the last 25 years. However, there is a silver-lining, as female entrepreneurship is on the rise, starting businesses at a rate of 1.5 times the national average.
To kickstart an increased female tech workforce, national and state initiatives like STEM Georgia, Women in Technology and 1000 Girls 1000 Futures are encouraging women and girls to break through the homogeneous firewall and create a more opportunity in the future. Lucky for us ladies, Atlanta is a great place to be a female entrepreneur, as the city has been ranked the 10th largest metro area for women-owned firms. We already have some fierce female frontrunners, so here are a few of our favorite inspirational women who lead the way to show that Atlanta is a great city for women.
Jen Bonnett | Chief Chick
Founder of Startup Chicks, a women’s entrepreneurship resource that has grown to over 2000 members, and current acting General Manager of ATDC, one of the nation’s leading incubators.
Lisa Calhoun | Enterprise Exit Extraordinaire
Founding Partner of Valor Ventures and startup exit extraordinaire ($1 billion dollars worth and growing). Also Founder of Write2Market, one of the leading “Top 10 Agencies for Tech Startups.”
Hillery Champagne | Mobility Growth Gal
Ruler of recruitment and retainment as the Director of the Mobility Industry Expansion at the Metro Atlanta Chamber. Seconds as the Secretary of the TAG Mobility Society Board.
Bernie Dixon | Atlanta’s Startup Angel
Early stage and startup supporter as the President & Chairman of the city’s best-known angel group Atlanta Tech Angels and Founder & CEO of Advising Angels.
Yvonne Druyeh Dodd | Personal Brand Booster
Coach, Consultant and Connoisseur of Brand-Boosting at Evi. D Consulting. Simultaneously serves as an Innovative Subcommittee Member of the Atlanta Regional Committee.
Allyson Eman | Sales Savant with Venture Vernacular
Marketing, communications, and sales savant with over 20 years of experience. Now longtime Executive Director of Venture Atlanta, the largest investment event in Atlanta connecting entrepreneurs to capital.
Rachel Ford | Former Founder turned Techstars Talent
Former startup founder turned freshly minted Program Manager of Techstars, a global ecosystem empowering entrepreneurs.
Amy Hoover | Strongbox Stronghold
Spearheaded shared space, Strongbox West, as Co-founder and Owner of the oldest and largest coworking space in town.
Karen Houghton | Community Connector
Director of Atlanta Tech Village acting as startup community connector at one of the 10 largest tech hubs in the US.
Titania Jordan | Social & Media Maven
Founder of the social media app Privet, and Atlanta Tech Edge hostess with the mostest.
Bronwyn Morgan | Strategic Innovation Idol
‘Mad scientist’ of strategic innovation at Subkulture Strategy & Innovation Lab and astute Associate Director and leader of the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Unit at Georgia State University.
Erica Stanley | Fierce Female with Coding Chutzpah
Coder with chutzpah as the Advisory Board Member of 100 Girls of Code and Co-Founder/Director of Atlanta Women Who Code. Also Co-Founder of social media app, Synapse.
Wei-Chun Tai | Venture Victor
Partner at the Mosley Ventures, a venture capital firm started by the grandfather of angel investing in Atlanta. Serial board member for over six companies and counting.
Pamela Vickers | Software Scholar Who Tackles Teaching
Co-Founder of the Rails Girls Atlanta chapter while simultaneously monkeying around developing developers as the Software Engineering Manager at MailChimp.
Anna Ruth Williams | PR Pundit
CEO of AR|PR, one of the fastest growing tech PR firms in the country and earned title of Early Stage Entrepreneur of the Year in 2015.
Learn more about issues experienced by female founders at the Startup Grind Women in Entrepreneurship Panel, May 27 at 6:00 p.m.
