Women Disrupting Tech

What’s keeping female founders from getting funded? Join me as we hear from FEM-Start co-founders Marian Spier and Simone van Bijsterveldt what needs to change and how their platform helps women raise capital confidently. We talk about: 02:30 Founding FEM-Start 05:16 Navigating Challenges During COVID-19 08:23 Barriers for Female Entrepreneurs 11:31 The Importance of Visibility and Networking 14:1...

In this episode of Women Disrupting Tech , I speak with Julia Jakimenko, founder of Cyberette. Her startup is building a platform to detect deepfakes across video, audio, and images, and restoring trust in the process. Julia studied human rights law. Today, she’s leading a company that’s redefining how we respond to misinformation, AI-generated content, and digital safety. We talk about: 03:20 Jou...

In this episode of Women Disrupting Tech , Jo Sarah, founder of Umaversity, shares how her platform is breaking taboos around women’s sexual and mental health. 🚨This episode contains open conversations about women’s sexual health and trauma. Listener discretion advised. We talk about: 03:55 Introduction to Jo Sarah and Her Mission 05:22 Understanding Women's Sexual Health and Education 08:00 Impa...

Is there a business case for corporate volunteering? In episode 107 of Women Disrupting Tech , we explore how giving back can drive real business value. 🎙️ Meet Karlijn L’Ortye, serial entrepreneur, leadership coach, and founder of MO The Movement . She started her first company at 22 and has spent the last 15+ years coaching executive teams and building purpose-driven ventures. Now, she’s on a mi...

In this episode of Women Disrupting Tech , complex communications expert Kirsten Heukels shares what she has learned from 25+ years of guiding people through complex communication, power dynamics, and team breakdowns. If you're building or backing a startup, this episode will help you decode human behavior in the workplace with more clarity, confidence, and connection. We talk about: 02:45 The Jou...

In episode 105 of Women Disrupting Tech , James Felton Keith , economist and founder of Inclusion Score, shares how diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are reshaping corporate responsibility, insurance, and the future of finance. We talk about: 🔹 How the ISO 30415 standard helps companies audit and improve workplace culture 🔹 Why the rising cost of social inflation is driving up insurance pre...

Farshida Zafar shares how embracing her authentic self, sneakers, roots, and all, shaped her leadership journey and built a radically inclusive team culture at Erasmus Centre for Entrepreneurship. In episode 104 of Women Disrupting Tech, we explore: 1️⃣ How to succeed in leadership without losing yourself 2️⃣ Why inclusion is more than hiring for diversity 3️⃣ The challenges women in tech face whe...

Can personal pain lead to a platform that changes women’s health at scale? In this episode of Women Disrupting Tech, Anna Christie shares how her fertility journey and burnout led her to co-found Flouria Health — a FemTech platform reimagining women’s healthcare with empathy, innovation, and medically vetted information. We explore: Why women’s health is still seen as a niche How fertility, burnou...

How can public funding drive inclusive innovation? In this episode, Merel Zimmerman and Bibi van Gijzel from RVO share how the Dutch government supports diverse, early-stage startups through Innovation Credit, Seed Capital, and a bold commitment to inclusion. They talk about the power of visibility, the value of non-technical perspectives, and how they build diversity into the funding decisions. T...

In this episode, Gwen Kolader joins me to explore how to use Cultural Intelligence as a leadership superpower. We discuss how understanding cultural differences, challenging bias, and building true inclusion can transform teams. From powerful lessons with the Maasai in Kenya to strategies that work inside global organizations, this conversation is a must for leaders ready to connect, grow, and lea...

What does it take to become a true DEI champion? In Episode 100 of Women Disrupting Tech , Sacha Martina and Danielle Jiskoot from House of Inclusion break it down with honesty, energy, and clear steps. 🎯 Learn the five stages of DEI maturity 🎯 Discover why allyship belongs to everyone 🎯 Hear real stories of inclusion that go beyond policy 🎧 Listen to the episode on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube...

Laurie Lancee, Managing Director of The Angel Initiative, joins us to explore how angel investing can drive real change in startup funding. She shares how her own fundraising experience as a female founder led her to support other women in tech. We discuss how The Angel Initiative is making early-stage investing more accessible, why representation on both sides of the table matters, and how the in...

In episode 98, Sara Okhuijsen and Nima Salami share how they're building OASYS NOW , a platform that makes personalized medicine more inclusive, secure and accessible. From their unexpected first meeting at a student gala to winning Slush 100 and catching the attention of Google and NVIDIA, their journey shows how tech and trust can work together in healthcare. We discuss: Why most clinical trials...

What does it take to drive change in tech when the system is built to resist it? In this episode of Women Disrupting Tech, host Dirkjan looks at the trends shaping the future for female founders, leaders, and changemakers in tech. You'll hear how women continue to disrupt, from boardrooms to startups, even when the tide works against them. We cover: Why the DEI backlash is part of any real power s...

Fashion brands talk about sustainability. But how do they prove it? In this episode of Women Disrupting Tech, tex.tracer founder Jolanda Kooi shares how she is using verified data to build transparent supply chains that empower real change in the fashion industry. We talk about transparency as a competitive advantage, how data cuts through greenwashing, and what it takes to raise the bar for indus...

In Episode 95 of Women Disrupting Tech, Natasha Syed shares how she is fixing hiring for sustainability jobs by closing the talent gap. She explains the role of skills-based learning, the realities of bootstrapping a startup, and what it takes to build a green talent pipeline. As a solo founder, Natasha also opens up about the challenges of building a business from scratch and shares advice for as...

In this episode of Women Disrupting Tech, Michelle Ter Laak shares her journey into venture capital, the role of diversity in decision-making, and the evolving landscape of B2B SaaS. We explore AI, cybersecurity, and impact investing, as well as the shift from traditional VC to a founder-first approach. Michelle also highlights how female investors can shape the future of funding and why we should...

Esther Bisschop joins me to reveal how one cold LinkedIn message changed the trajectory of Th3rd, taking it from the brink of bankruptcy to an acquisition by Snap Inc. We dive into the realities of startup life, from managing uncertainty to adapting to industry shifts and seizing unexpected opportunities. Esther also shares her experiences scaling in Europe, the growing startup scene in India, and...

How can we use biases to future-proof Venture Capital? Sophie Heijenberg, investor at No Such Ventures, is on a mission to rethink how funding works. She has been the only woman on a trading floor, walked into meetings where she was mistaken for the assistant, and now makes investment decisions that challenge the status quo. In this episode, we uncover:✅ Why bias in VC is not just a problem but p...

Daphne Laan started her career in tech before most people had mobile phones. She spent nine years at Google, leading global deals and driving change. Now, she is building Planetir, an AI-powered platform that connects changemakers by fostering real human connection. In this episode of Women Disrupting Tech, we explore why intuition is a superpower in business, how real inclusion means making the r...

Join Victoria Lawson on Women Disrupting Tech as she reveals how she is using AI to build the future of supply chains for fast-moving consumer goods. She also shares her experience as a solo founder and what she learned about fundraising and mindset. Key takeaways from this conversation:• Why outdated processes in wholesale supply chains lead to costly errors and delays• The role of AI in making s...

Femke Cornelissen wasn’t always sure tech was the right path for her. Now, as Chief Copilot Officer, a Microsoft MVP, and the founder of Dutch Women in Tech, she helps companies navigate AI adoption while driving inclusion in cybersecurity and beyond. In this episode, Femke shares how she built her career, overcame self-doubt, and became a visible leader in tech. We learn why AI and cybersecurity...

Did you know that healthcare produces twice as much CO₂ as aviation? Most medical tools are designed for single use, creating massive waste, high costs, and supply chain risks. Dieuwertje Drexhage saw this firsthand while working in a rural hospital in Kenya. She co-founded Layco to change that, starting with reusable vacuum extractors that make childbirth safer, more affordable, and more sustaina...

In episode 87 of Women Disrupting Tech, Hanneke Takkenberg shares her journey from cardiac surgeon to DEI advocate. She reveals how gender biases in medicine affect both careers and patient outcomes. By listening, you'll discover: 💡 The hidden gender gap in medical research and treatment 🏥 How shared decision-making can improve patient care 📉 The long-term financial impact of unequal pay in aca...

What if your gender never limited your career choices? And how do you get into tech and build a successful career without having early exposure to tech? In this episode, Sara Leggese shares how she discovered tech without any early exposure, the role of mindset in breaking barriers, and why visibility matters for women in tech. Plus, we explore the power of role models, career transitions, and wha...