I recently came across a TechCrunch article that cited some heartening statistics, reporting that the number of women starting companies has doubled over the past three years. The findings were published by Women 2.0, an incredible organization focused on increasing the number of female founders in technology startups.
The data came from a poll Women 2.0 took of their own community. Women 2.0 ran the same survey in 2008, and reported that 25% of their audience were founders of tech startups. In 2011, over 50% of their community report that they are women founders.
Although the findings don’t represent the entrepreneurial community as a whole, the increase in numbers demonstrates an upward trend. TechCrunch commented: “… it likely does indicate that many of those 2008 respondents who claimed to be “thinking about entrepreneurship” actually followed through and launched their own companies. And that, in and of itself, should serve as solid inspiration for women entrepreneurs.”
What might account for this new development? Over the last year, there has been a marked increase in media attention focused on the lack of women entrepreneurs in the tech community. The discrepancy has become common knowledge, and with that knowledge has come intensified efforts to provide women not only with networking and connections through events, but also through education around entrepreneurship and access to funding.
Organizations like Watermark, Women 2.0, and Astia are leading the way in curating conversations around such salient topics as funding sources, marketing and alliances, exit strategies, leadership practices, and successfully integrating work and life.
If you’re a woman founder, what were the most critical resources that played a factor in starting your company?
