Women In Computing

There's a lot of discussion about the gender gap in AI adoption. But not many seem to be asking why it exists - and what it means. I talked about this with Nina Benoit on her The AI Sustainability Podcast. The answer is not what most people think. Recent research shows that women's lower adoption of AI is driven less by skills or access than by systematic differences in how they perceive the societal risks of AI, such as mental health impacts, climate effects, privacy violations, labour disruption. Women express greater concern about AI's broader consequences, and these concerns directly influence their engagement with it. This isn't 'being behind'. It's thoughtful consideration. Here's what Nina and I discussed: ➡️ Why structural barriers matter more than individual ones. The gender gap won't be closed by telling women to 'lean in'. It will be closed by addressing legitimate concerns about how AI is built and deployed. It will also be closed by changing which AI innovations are funded. ➡️ Why representation isn't optional. When AI is shaped by a narrow group, it serves narrow interests. Fostering diverse leadership and diverse voices in AI isn't just about fairness; it's about creating technology that works for everyone. ➡️ What shifts the trajectory. When women see the societal benefits of AI being addressed properly, rather than dismissed, adoption increases substantially. Community, strategic education, perception and real influence over how AI develops all matter. We also discussed She Shapes AI's mission to amplify responsible AI leadership and entrepreneurship, and how our Executive AI Intensive programme helps leaders to develop the strategic skills needed to critically assess AI, ask the right questions, and lead its implementation confidently and responsibly. Listen to the full conversation 👇 Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/eJM8C4Ti Spotify: https://lnkd.in/ezmj5XRm DM me for a special AI Sustainability partner offer for our Executive AI Intensive course. _ _ _ I'm Julia Stamm, founder of She Shapes AI. I work with leaders navigating AI transformation with purpose and responsibility. If you're asking similar questions, let's connect.

I'm happy to share the release of the #WiSER White Paper, "Igniting a Global Sustainable Economy," following the impactful discussions at the WiSER Annual Forum during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week - ADSW 2025. This report highlights the critical role of female entrepreneurs in driving climate solutions and provides actionable strategies to bridge gender gaps in finance, scalability, AI, mentorship, and accessibility—especially for women in the Global South. Why This Matters: Women-led ventures are key to unlocking innovation in sustainability, yet systemic barriers persist. This paper outlines 5 recommendations: 🔹 Increase Gender-Focused Investment : Boost funding, financial literacy, and microloans for female-led climate projects. 🔹 Scale Women-Led Ventures : Streamline policies and partnerships to accelerate growth. 🔹 Harness AI & Digital Tools: Bridge the AI literacy and access gap to empower business expansion. 🔹 Strengthen Mentorship and Networking: Build cross-sector collaborations to provide women with the resources to succeed. 🔹 Empower Women in the Global South : Address legal and financial barriers, invest in STEM education, and improve access to markets and resources. Dive into the full report below or on Masdar (Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company)’s website for insights on turning these strategies into action: https://lnkd.in/dyAFPEP2 Thanks again to my fellow roundtable participants: Lawratou Bah, CFA, Mirella Amalia Vitale, Natasha Shenoy, Hajar Alketbi, Manal B., Mariam Alnaqbi, Shaima Al Mulla

Over the years, I’ve often said that the clean energy transition is all about technology, infrastructure and INCLUSION! Reading recent data on the role of women in renewable energy has reinforced this for me. Today, women make up about 32% of the renewable energy workforce, compared to just 16% in the traditional energy sector. That’s progress! But there’s still a long way to go and we all are thriving for it! If we’re serious about building a sustainable energy future, we need to bring more diverse voices to the table. When women lead local energy solutions, communities see better outcomes, whether it’s through entrepreneurship, self-help groups, or hands-on project management. Some projects have shown income rises of up to 28% for women-led initiatives and a visible shift in community prosperity. The takeaway is simple: Clean energy is so much more than powering grids. It is also about powering livelihoods, inclusion, and systemic change. #CleanEnergy #GreenJobs #InclusiveGrowth #WomenInEnergy #EnergyTransition #Leadership #Sustainability #RatulPuri

𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗣𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿! I am delighted to share my latest research, "𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗵𝗲𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻-𝗟𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽𝘀 𝗔𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀," published in the Journal of Entrepreneurship and Management. Women make up nearly half of the global population but are still significantly underrepresented in tech leadership and entrepreneurship. My study dives deep into the opportunities and challenges faced by women leading social-impact tech startups, shedding light on: 💡 How women are leveraging technology to address societal issues like education, healthcare, and sustainability. 💡 The contrasting experiences between mature ecosystems in industrialized nations (e.g., the UK and the US) and emerging markets like India. 💡 Barriers such as funding gaps, networking limitations, and sociocultural hurdles. 💡 Innovative business models and leadership approaches that women are championing to drive community-oriented and sustainable growth. The findings underscore the importance of tailored support from policymakers, investors, and organizations to empower women in tech entrepreneurship and amplify their role in driving social change. I hope this research inspires more female innovators and contributes to building ecosystems that foster inclusivity and impact. Feel free to read, share, and discuss! Let’s keep the conversation going to create a future where women in tech entrepreneurship thrive globally. #WomenInTech #SocialImpact #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #Research #TechForGood

#LCAW26 insight 3 of 5 = I was struck by the sheer number of women leading the conversation on climate across the 40+ London Climate Action Week events I attended last week. 💪🌍 This isn’t just encouraging. It matters. The evidence increasingly shows that diverse leadership teams make better decisions on climate, investing more in clean technologies, placing greater emphasis on climate risk, and bringing broader perspectives to long-term resilience and adaptation. As the energy transition accelerates, we need every source of talent at the table. Around the world, the momentum is unmistakable. 🇮🇳 In India, TATA Power’s solar manufacturing facility in Tamil Nadu operates with an 80% women workforce, demonstrating that women in clean energy isn’t an aspiration - it’s already happening at industrial scale. 🇸🇬 In Singapore, women now occupy Chief Sustainability Officer roles at both the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and GIC, influencing how trillions of dollars are allocated towards the transition to a low-carbon economy. 🌴 Across the Caribbean - a region close to my heart - new initiatives are developing the next generation of women leaders in energy and climate. That feels especially important because the communities most exposed to climate impacts should help design the solutions that strengthen resilience and adaptation. 🇬🇧 And here in London, I saw investors, founders, scientists, engineers and board members - many of them women - building the next generation of climate tech, clean energy and e-mobility businesses. There is still a long way to go. Women represent less than one-fifth of senior leadership across the global energy sector, despite making up almost half the world’s talent. Yet organisations with more diverse leadership consistently outperform on innovation, governance and managing complex risks - all capabilities that are essential for delivering energy security, climate resilience and the net-zero transition. From Mumbai to Singapore, the Caribbean to London, the direction of travel is clear. Now let’s convert that momentum into investment, board appointments, executive leadership and decision-making power. Because the energy transition will be stronger, more resilient and more successful when everyone has a seat at the table. Link to International Energy Agency (IEA) insights on energy and gender -> https://lnkd.in/e4UXgZ-6 Photos feature María Mendiluce of We Mean Business Coalition on a panel with Sabine Hoefnagel and Ingrid Reumert at a Women Leading on Climate event at LinkedIn’s office in London. (You can just make me out in the second row on the left).

If your next climate solution isn’t designed with #women from day one, it’s already incomplete. Women are not only among the most affected by #climate impacts; they are also key guardians of community-led climate and biodiversity action. When projects consider #gender from the start, they are more likely to build climate resilience, restore ecosystems, and support economic development. This is why gender-responsive Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) matter: they create green jobs, strengthen food and water security, reduce climate risks, and ensure women are not just beneficiaries, but leaders. The recently launched “Gender-Responsive Nature-based Solutions Toolkit” shows how to do this in practice, with a clear framework to integrate gender at every stage: planning, implementation, and management. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dDJhJYAQ The Toolkit was developed by Arup and Social Development Direct (SDDirect) with the Donor Committee for Enterprise Development. I’m proud to have contributed through the GGWG as part of the International Trade Centre team. #NatureBasedSolutions #GenderResponsive #ClimateAction #Sustainability #SmallBusinesses #ClimateSolutions #GreenEconomy #ClimateJustice #InclusiveGrowth #WomenInClimate #Biodiversity Kerry Max Ella Duffy Sara Candiracci Melina Heinrich-Fernandes Larissa Miranda Heinisch

Why women-led climate projects deliver 63% better returns—yet receive only 6% of funding 📊 I just published an article exploring what I've learned building infrastructure in the climate space, featuring the brilliant work of fellow women founders who are changing how we approach sustainability: 🌱 Maddy Cooper at Flourish - Building the communication infrastructure that helps major brands like Nike and Allianz tell authentic sustainability stories without greenwashing fears 💰 Elizabeth Landau at GreenPortfolio - Creating transparency tools that help investors understand what their money is actually funding across 20,000+ stocks and funds 🔗 Taza - Our marketplace connecting enterprises with 94,000+ verified sustainability solution providers to solve the discovery crisis The pattern? Women founders are building the infrastructure that makes the entire climate ecosystem work. For investors: The highest returns in climate tech might be hiding in women-led infrastructure plays. For enterprises: Effective sustainability transformation requires the right discovery tools, communication capabilities, and financial alignment. For other founders: The climate space needs more infrastructure builders focused on enabling rather than competing. What infrastructure gaps do you see in climate tech that need building? #ClimateFounders #WomenInClimate #SustainabilityInfrastructure #ClimateInvesting #CleanTech

Let’s break down barriers!    As the climate tech sector accelerates innovation to combat climate change, a troubling gender disparity in funding persists. A recent analysis from Jenni Chance, Ludo Findlay and Olivia Byrne derived from PwC’s ‘State of Climate Tech 2024’ report highlights some critical takeaways:    𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Solo female founders captured just 5.28% of climate tech deals in early 2024 and a mere 1.14% of total funding; male-only founders dominate with 91.56% of total funding.    𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲-𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞, 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐄𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡: Women founders are slightly better represented in early-stage funding, securing 3.79%—higher than the general norm of 2% across all VC sectors. However, their share diminishes drastically in mid and late stages, indicating a worrying trend as startups progress.    𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬: Female founders are particularly active in specific sectors, with Industrial and FALU (Food, Agriculture, Land Use) each accounting for 31% of deals.    𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Notably, over one-third of deals involving female founders focus on climate adaptation, showcasing a commitment to solutions that address the pressing impacts of climate change. This contrasts with male founders, where only 13% of funding is directed to similar offerings.    In conclusion, while female founders in climate tech showcase remarkable resilience and innovative solutions, systemic barriers remain. It is vital that we foster an environment that supports their ventures through advocacy and targeted initiatives. Together, we can amplify the voices and innovations crucial to our planet’s future.  💚💪     Find the link to the full article in the comments.    #ClimateTech #FemaleFounders #Investment #GenderEquity #Sustainability 

On the Leading Women in Tech podcast, we talked about why representation in leadership matters more than ever in emerging technology. One of the concerns I shared is the gap we’re seeing in AI experimentation. Studies show women are experimenting less than men. I’ve seen it myself. The hesitation often comes from good instincts like a preoccupation with ethics, bias, or unintended consequences. But if women are not experimenting, not building, not shaping these systems, the technology will still move forward. And it will be shaped without us. We’ve already seen what happens when research and tools are built from one perspective and then applied broadly. Healthcare is a clear example. Data built primarily on men has been extrapolated to women. We risk repeating that pattern in AI and other emerging technologies. We are facing climate challenges, technical disruption, and geopolitical complexity all at the same time. We need diversity of thought to address that complexity. That includes women at the table building, experimenting, leading. You don’t need to be a technical expert to start. Ask AI questions. Use it in your work. Encourage your teams to experiment. This will always be the least amount of technology we will have access to. This International Women’s Day, my message is: Don’t hesitate to lean in. We need your perspective. We need your courage. And we need you shaping what comes next. 🎧 Listen to the full Leading Women in Tech podcast episode, link in comments

Two Passions, One Journey: Women in Leadership and Sustainability 🌿👩💼 For the past two years, I've been deeply committed to two causes: women in leadership and sustainability. Recently, I had the chance to dive into some data that brought these passions together, and the findings were powerful! 🌟 5 Key Takeaways: Women Lead, Sustainability Follows: Companies with top climate grades (A+ and A) have 100% women in leadership, showing a strong link between diversity and sustainability. Diversity Matters: As climate grades drop, so does female leadership. A lack of diversity might hold some companies from reaching their sustainability goals. Workforce Impact: Companies with more women in the workforce tend to have more women in leadership, driving sustainable practices. Top 5 Role Models: Companies like Sims Ltd (Australia) and Vestas Wind Systems (Denmark) excel in sustainability, with strong female leadership. Real Correlation: The data shows that women in leadership play a key role in pushing sustainability initiatives forward. Why This Matters? Because it shows that when women lead, change happens. It’s not just about hitting quotas or being ‘politically correct’ – it’s about making real, impactful decisions that create a sustainable future for all of us. We need more companies to recognize that empowering women isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s the smart thing to do. Let’s continue to support, uplift, and celebrate women leaders because, as this data shows, they’re not just part of the change – they are the change. 💪🌱 (Data source: https://lnkd.in/gfv57j-B) UN Women (Women’s leadership and political participation): https://lnkd.in/gMHeGMcs Women in Leadership CSUEB WOMEN IN TECH ® Global Women in Leadership (WIL) #WomenInLeadership #Sustainability #DiversityMatters #DataStories #Empowerment #LeadershipJourney #ESG