Comments on: The face of European tech startups is . . . MALE http://www.rosecantine.com/2007/09/04/face-of-european-startups-is-male/ travel, fashion, food and wine, design, style and tech Thu, 08 Jan 2009 14:45:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Mary Harrington http://www.rosecantine.com/2007/09/04/face-of-european-startups-is-male/comment-page-1/#comment-16550 Mary Harrington Thu, 06 Sep 2007 11:29:31 +0000 http://www.rosecantine.com/archives/632/#comment-16550 I'm not sure the 'problem' is with Seedcamp as such so much as with the culture as a whole. But in addressing that we've got to start somewhere - so off the back of this week I hope to use the Seedcamp network to start connecting female entrepreneurs with a view to changing this culture. I'd be grateful for any support and contacts you can add to this - and hope you will join us ! I’m not sure the ‘problem’ is with Seedcamp as such so much as with the culture as a whole. But in addressing that we’ve got to start somewhere - so off the back of this week I hope to use the Seedcamp network to start connecting female entrepreneurs with a view to changing this culture. I’d be grateful for any support and contacts you can add to this - and hope you will join us !

]]> By: Esme Vos http://www.rosecantine.com/2007/09/04/face-of-european-startups-is-male/comment-page-1/#comment-16549 Esme Vos Thu, 06 Sep 2007 09:31:01 +0000 http://www.rosecantine.com/archives/632/#comment-16549 Mary, Actually, were it not for my sniping, the organizers of Seedcamp would not have noticed that there was a problem with the gender imbalance. Nor would they have been compelled to do something about it. Based on the comments to this article and the emails sent to me, they say they will try harder next time, which is great. By the way, my best friend, also named Mary (Hodder), is the founder of www.dabble.com, a video search engine. You should definitely contact her too. Mary,

Actually, were it not for my sniping, the organizers of Seedcamp would not have noticed that there was a problem with the gender imbalance. Nor would they have been compelled to do something about it. Based on the comments to this article and the emails sent to me, they say they will try harder next time, which is great. By the way, my best friend, also named Mary (Hodder), is the founder of http://www.dabble.com, a video search engine. You should definitely contact her too.

]]> By: Mary Harrington http://www.rosecantine.com/2007/09/04/face-of-european-startups-is-male/comment-page-1/#comment-16548 Mary Harrington Thu, 06 Sep 2007 08:54:05 +0000 http://www.rosecantine.com/archives/632/#comment-16548 Hi, I'm one of the Seedcamp finalists, a co-founder on The School of Everything, and I'm NOT male! Though you're right that women in the tech industry are a minority, I was actually surprised by how many of the finalists and mentors are female - and from my perspective it's been really inspiring to meet other women entrepreneurs among the finalists, alongside female MDs, lawyers, VCs, senior strategists and CEOs. If anything puts women off this industry it's the relentlessness with which we're told that it's so male. Wouldn't you be serving the cause of equal opportunities in the field a bit better if you took the time to find and profile a few female entrepreneurs, rather than overlooking us in the rush to snipe at a percieved sexism? Hi, I’m one of the Seedcamp finalists, a co-founder on The School of Everything, and I’m NOT male! Though you’re right that women in the tech industry are a minority, I was actually surprised by how many of the finalists and mentors are female - and from my perspective it’s been really inspiring to meet other women entrepreneurs among the finalists, alongside female MDs, lawyers, VCs, senior strategists and CEOs.

If anything puts women off this industry it’s the relentlessness with which we’re told that it’s so male. Wouldn’t you be serving the cause of equal opportunities in the field a bit better if you took the time to find and profile a few female entrepreneurs, rather than overlooking us in the rush to snipe at a percieved sexism?

]]> By: Reshma http://www.rosecantine.com/2007/09/04/face-of-european-startups-is-male/comment-page-1/#comment-16547 Reshma Wed, 05 Sep 2007 20:31:00 +0000 http://www.rosecantine.com/archives/632/#comment-16547 Indeed. There are 4 teams at Seedcamp that have women either as CEO or part of the senior team that has been here at SC the whole week. Let's let that issue rest for now. Esme - I surely will contact Mary Hodder. Can you make an introduction for me? This is definitely an important issue for me to improve next year! Indeed. There are 4 teams at Seedcamp that have women either as CEO or part of the senior team that has been here at SC the whole week. Let’s let that issue rest for now. Esme - I surely will contact Mary Hodder. Can you make an introduction for me? This is definitely an important issue for me to improve next year!

]]> By: dragos http://www.rosecantine.com/2007/09/04/face-of-european-startups-is-male/comment-page-1/#comment-16546 dragos Wed, 05 Sep 2007 06:26:43 +0000 http://www.rosecantine.com/archives/632/#comment-16546 Esme - you got it wrong on many aspects. It gotta start somewhere - seedcamp is not perfect, I admit it, but Saul, Reshma and the rest are fully committed to correct errors on the fly. What is most important though, those guys made things happen - the positive spirit and the right context are there and those are the most important things for an entrepreneur in a like-minded community, as you might know. And yes, entrepreneurs do blog, I have been blogging since February 2004, does that make me a better dude than Marc who picked up blogging a few months ago? Don't think so. Finally, at Seedcamp there ARE projects led or having women involved. It might be that there is a big disconnect between the info shown on the blogs or media and what's going on but the media relations is something that will probably be improved considerably in time, me thinks. Esme - you got it wrong on many aspects.

It gotta start somewhere - seedcamp is not perfect, I admit it, but Saul, Reshma and the rest are fully committed to correct errors on the fly. What is most important though, those guys made things happen - the positive spirit and the right context are there and those are the most important things for an entrepreneur in a like-minded community, as you might know.

And yes, entrepreneurs do blog, I have been blogging since February 2004, does that make me a better dude than Marc who picked up blogging a few months ago? Don’t think so.

Finally, at Seedcamp there ARE projects led or having women involved. It might be that there is a big disconnect between the info shown on the blogs or media and what’s going on but the media relations is something that will probably be improved considerably in time, me thinks.

]]> By: Esme Vos http://www.rosecantine.com/2007/09/04/face-of-european-startups-is-male/comment-page-1/#comment-16545 Esme Vos Wed, 05 Sep 2007 04:58:42 +0000 http://www.rosecantine.com/archives/632/#comment-16545 Reshma, Can you answer one question for me? Why is it that NONE of the startups that Seedcamp chose is headed by a woman? I guess, more important, is how did Seedcamp go about reaching out to startups? Via the same old boys network again? I think you need to talk to Mary Hodder, founder of Dabble, about how to reach out to women entrepreneurs. Reshma,

Can you answer one question for me? Why is it that NONE of the startups that Seedcamp chose is headed by a woman? I guess, more important, is how did Seedcamp go about reaching out to startups? Via the same old boys network again? I think you need to talk to Mary Hodder, founder of Dabble, about how to reach out to women entrepreneurs.

]]> By: Esme Vos http://www.rosecantine.com/2007/09/04/face-of-european-startups-is-male/comment-page-1/#comment-16544 Esme Vos Wed, 05 Sep 2007 04:57:13 +0000 http://www.rosecantine.com/archives/632/#comment-16544 Hey Dragos, if Seedcamp is the most important inititative for creating a good entrepreneurial environment in Europe, we' re really screwed. Really. I'm taking up knitting. Seedcamp, I repeat, is a media stunt. By the way, entrepreneurs DO blog, they just don't attend Seedcamp. Check out Marc Andreessen's blog at: blog.pmarca.com. Hey Dragos, if Seedcamp is the most important inititative for creating a good entrepreneurial environment in Europe, we’ re really screwed. Really. I’m taking up knitting. Seedcamp, I repeat, is a media stunt.

By the way, entrepreneurs DO blog, they just don’t attend Seedcamp. Check out Marc Andreessen’s blog at: blog.pmarca.com.

]]> By: Reshma http://www.rosecantine.com/2007/09/04/face-of-european-startups-is-male/comment-page-1/#comment-16543 Reshma Tue, 04 Sep 2007 23:22:07 +0000 http://www.rosecantine.com/archives/632/#comment-16543 Hey, as many associated with Seedcamp will tell you, I (being a woman) complain non-stop about the dearth of women entrepreneurs, women in engineering, women in VC, and women in Banking. But if you count Seedcamp itself as a start-up (which it is)... well, here I am heading it up. So, maybe you can give your fellow woman a break :-). Hey, as many associated with Seedcamp will tell you, I (being a woman) complain non-stop about the dearth of women entrepreneurs, women in engineering, women in VC, and women in Banking. But if you count Seedcamp itself as a start-up (which it is)… well, here I am heading it up. So, maybe you can give your fellow woman a break :-).

]]> By: dragos http://www.rosecantine.com/2007/09/04/face-of-european-startups-is-male/comment-page-1/#comment-16542 dragos Tue, 04 Sep 2007 21:06:55 +0000 http://www.rosecantine.com/archives/632/#comment-16542 Yeah, they might be knitting or just complaining on blogs that arguably one of the most important initiative for creating a good entrepreneurial context in Europe is just a joke. If that... Yeah, they might be knitting or just complaining on blogs that arguably one of the most important initiative for creating a good entrepreneurial context in Europe is just a joke.

If that…

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