Female-Founded Tech Companies On The Rise

Written by Julia Loten

In a male-dominated tech industry, female-founded businesses that make products to advance society are perhaps more important than ever. Offered more opportunities now than in the past, female entrepreneurs have to take every chance to prove themselves capable of achieving successes on-par with those of men. Female founders receive far less funding than men overall, yet they can produce better results; according to the 10 Year Project, their investments in companies with at least one female founder performed 63% better than their investments in all-male-founded ventures. We as women, and as tech junkies, have a responsibility to support women who are forging paths in the world of technology, whether that may be HealthTech, FemTech, FinTech, or beyond. Here are some female-founded tech companies that are innovating and expanding the world as we know it. 

 

Girlfriend Collective

 

1. Ellie Dinh, Girlfriend Collective

Girlfriend Collective is a clothing brand with sustainable, ethically-made, and size-inclusive activewear. Started in 2015 by Ellie and Quang Dinh, Girlfriend was made for women, but they have just recently released a men’s line. Girlfriend boasts its use of recycled fabrics, one of which is fishing nets discarded in the ocean (Girlfriend aims to help remove 3,562 lbs of fishing nets from the ocean in 2021 alone). As for the techy part, Girlfriend's partner Healthy Seas turns salvaged nets into ECONYL® yarn, which is then processed into textiles. So when customers wear the fashion-forward leggings, sports bras, or other activewear from Girlfriend, they are sporting products that send a message of sustainability in the wasteful fashion industry. 

 

The Darby Smart platform 

 

2. Nicole Sharbiat Farb, Darby Smart

In 2013, Nicole Sharbiat Farb left her position in investment banking at Goldman Sachs to start a commerce platform with software engineer Karl Mendes. A former DIY expert on Good Morning America, Sharbiat Farb designed Darby Smart to harness the knowledge of other expert crafters for ordinary people to learn from. Users can browse through instructional videos on beauty, DIY projects, and home decor made by over 4,000 crafting pros. With the idea that “video is the voice of the future,” Darby Smart aims to connect creatives online and help viewers unlock new methods of crafting and expressing their creativity. In April 2019, e-commerce site Grove Collective acquired Darby Smart as a complement to its digital-first site of natural personal care and home products. New video platforms are commonly started by men, so Sharbiat Farb’s status as a founder of this digital community for learning is rare but impressive.

 

Elisa Miller-Out

 

3. Elisa Miller-Out, Singlebrook

Elisa Miller-Out describes herself as an investor, leader, technologist, and mother. She is more prominently the co-founder and co-CEO of Singlebrook, a custom web and mobile development company. Started by Miller-Out and her husband Leon in 2006, Singlebrook builds and maintains web apps for businesses with Rail and JavaScript. The company is a certified B Corporation, which demonstrates its commitment to sustainability and inclusivity. In addition to her role at Singlebrook, Elisa Miller-Out is also a managing partner at Chloe Capital and a board member at Impact Makers and Women 2.0. She definitely lives up to her self-proclaimed titles and is a computer science icon.

 

 Flori Marquez via Yahoo Finance

4. Flori Marquez, BlockFi

BlockFi is a wealth management firm for those investing in cryptocurrency. Essentially, users buy, sell, and earn crypto on the platform. Co-founders Flori Marquez, who is also SVP of operations, and Zac Prince aimed to make it easier for people to earn crypto, according to CNBC, alluding to BlockFi Interest Accounts, which offer up to 7.5% APY in interest, paid in Crypto. As of March of this year, BlockFi had raised $350 million and boasted a valuation of $3 billion by its investors. The platform seems like a great place to start if you have cryptocurrency that could stand to earn some passive income by gathering interest via BlockFi.

 

In conclusion, female founders rock. Call them Entreprenistas. Call them CEOs. These women, and many more are breaking down barriers and showing the world that women can lead in tech. 

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