Roundtable Topic: Should You Invest In Cryptocurrency?
Sending help from 4 women who get it.
graphic: Chloe Cecilia
The value of bitcoin fluctuates. That’s cool, right? But what does it mean? Cue us banging our heads against a wall. As self-diagnosed non-techfluents we really tried to understand cryptocurrency. Bitcoin by Bitcoin.
And still, we felt lost. Cue: sad violin.
So we went to the experts because we want to gain some cointelligence. Here's who we tapped.
Sarah Austin: A two-time venture backed startup founder and renowned entrepreneur, Sarah’s known for her work with artificial emotional intelligence agents (NBD). Having seen Silicon Valley firsthand, she is also the founder of CodingFTW, a nonprofit organization established to assess and address the gender divide that is so prevalent in the technology industry. (Big deal.)
Lisa Frame: Lisa is based in LA and the head of Content at crypto and financial startup Stackin. She’s also the creator of Crypto Obsessed, a cryptocurrency group managed by women. (Obsessed.)
Madeline Mann: As the head of People Operations Operations at a blockchain technology company, Gem, Madeline is used to explaining blockchain to people. (YES!) She also is the host of Self Made Millennial where she posts videos weekly on how to find and excel in your career.
Nicole Loher: She began her career at Tumblr, obsessed with with social media and emerging technologies within the digital space. She’s now Global Digital Editor at Christian Louboutin and teaches at NYU. (Prayer hands.)
If anyone can explain crypto, it’s them. And thank goodness. Dig into the below.
You’re welcome.
What is the easiest way to explain blockchain to a confused non-tech nerd?
Madeline Mann: Imagine you are back in first grade. Your teacher hands out gold stars for good deeds. The teacher makes one kid in charge of keeping a tally in her personal notebook of how many gold stars each student has. You all grow uncomfortable with this...is she giving herself more gold stars? She was absent the day I got my gold star, was it recorded? How accurate is her account? You all decide to change the system from centralized to decentralized. Everyone takes out their notebooks and copies down her account of the class' gold stars. From now on EVERYONE in the class writes down when someone gets a gold star. Now everyone has their own record of truth and no one can cheat and give themselves more gold stars because when their amount is compared to what everyone else has recorded then it will be proven as a faulty star. This is the principle behind blockchain, it is an archive of actions that is spread across thousands of computers so that it is near impossible to tamper with the information.
Sarah Austin: Blockchain is a technology that allows companies a transparent and secure way to store data in ordered records.
Lisa Frame: Without using terminology like “nodes” or “ledgers,” a blockchain is a distributed record book. Each “block” or “line item” in the book is a transaction that is verified by thousands of other computers not just one person, bank or foundation.
It’s basically the equivalent of sharing a photo publicly on Instagram to verify your outfit is smoking hot, instead of sending one photo to your roommate. You now have a record of hundreds of people verifying that your outfit is goals. It takes out the middleman, which makes it decentralized. Our current banking system is centralized. This means we rely on their private record keeping.
Centralized banking is basically a controlling ex who tells you to change outfits because your dress is "too short," according to “their records.”
Centralized banking is basically a controlling ex who tells you to change outfits because your dress is "too short," according to “their records.”
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Nicole Loher: Simply put, blockchain provides a decentralized database of transactions (as it relations to bitcoin) that everyone within the “network” (i.e. that owns Bitcoin) can see. To simply further - the network is a chain of computers that must approve of an exchange of currency before it can be verified and recorded. Think of it as a decentralized stock market.
OKSO. BITCOIN. What do blockchain and bitcoin have to do with each other?
Lisa: Bitcoin purchases are verified through the blockchain. Instead of one bank saying “yes, she owns Bitcoin” you have thousands of computers, around the world, verifying your purchase.
Sarah: Blockchain is also associated with "Bitcoin" (a popular token), "cryptocurrency" (digital tokens of all kinds) and ICOs (Initial Coin Offerings). A token is a feature of a blockchain technology. With all the buzz and hype around Bitcoin, and money being raised from the sale of digital tokens, there is a growing misconception around the actual value of building a business. This notion needs to be recognized by entrepreneurs who want look past the buzz of cryptocurrency and focus on the underlying Blockchain technology to create new value.
Can you give a sensible analogy that most anyone could understand?
Madeline: Blockchain is to Bitcoin as Windows 10 is to Microsoft Office. Blockchain is the underlying technology of Bitcoin, and Bitcoin is the first and most well known example that utilizes blockchain technology, but blockchain can be utilized in countless other ways.
Bitcoin is the first and most well known example that utilizes blockchain technology, but blockchain can be utilized in countless other ways.
Nicole: Bitcoin is the buzzy cryptocurrency that everyone is talking about. There are many types of cryptocurrency, Bitcoin just happens to be the CocaCola stock of this market. The Bitcoin network orders transactions (think of it like a buy in the New York Stock Exchange) by putting the transactions together into groups called blocks. Each block contains a definite amount of transactions and a link to the previous block.
Speaking of buzzy. Why and how did cryptocurrency start to matter?
Lisa: Now is the answer. Why it matters is because cryptocurrency could be as a big of a technological breakthrough as the telephone or the internet. The blockchain technology is the real breakthrough as it solves the double spend problem. Where bad people could conceivably spend digital money more than once. It's also bigger than just Bitcoin. We can now transfer digital property safely. It has the potential to be much bigger than just a digital currency also. Someday all of our contracts could be done through crypto, such as real estate and legal contacts, our medical records could be on the blockchain. The possibilities are really endless.
Madeline: Cryptocurrency allows people to own their wealth without a central party, like a bank lording over it. It also presents exceptional ease of use both domestically and across borders that allows for rapid transfer of wealth. For example, for me to send a friend $100 it takes roughly 5 days for our banks to reconcile the transaction. With most cryptocurrency transactions it takes just a few minutes or hours to reconcile. With the rise of ICOs (initial coin offerings) it allows companies to raise money through token sales with the public, where consumers can invest in companies and projects they believe in (think Kickstarter on a larger scale). This could highly benefit women entrepreneurs, and in fact we've seen several high-profile ICOs led by women, such as Propy and Paragon! ICOs present an alternative to VC funding, a group that has been shown statistically to be unconsciously biased towards giving funding to companies with male founders. ICOs present a new avenue to funding where biases and pedigree may become less pronounced.
Nicole: Cryptocurrency (i.e. Bitcoin specifically) was kind of an accidental side project by way of a person (who is still yet to be confirmed) that goes by Satoshi in the late 2000s. Essentially what he created was the first decentralized “peer-to-peer electronic cash system” in order to prevent double spending. This was incredibly advanced for that time.
Bitcoin is the buzzy cryptocurrency that everyone is talking about. It just happens to be the CocaCola stock of this market.
Why doesn’t anyone know who Satoshi is?
Lisa: We will never know the real answer but I can think of 5.6 billion reasons why! One theory as to why Satoshi never came forward was that governments would try to come after he or she to try to cut off the head of the snake. Remaining anonymous prevented them from having a face to attach to Bitcoin and letting the technology stand on its own.
Sarah: Because that person doesn’t want to be discovered. Probably because Satoshi is afraid of going to jail.
Madeline: Satoshi Nakamoto is the pseudonym of the person or persons who invented Bitcoin and their identities have never been revealed. The draw of Bitcoin, and blockchain at large, is that the technology utilizes a decentralized network so that no central party owns the information recorded on the blockchain, like a bank or an information aggregator like Facebook. At its core, there are no "leaders" or "owners" of the Bitcoin blockchain which is why an anonymous creator fits perfectly with the mission.
What does it mean to “have” a Bitcoin?
Lisa: From a technical standpoint, owning a Bitcoin means having possession of the private key for the number of Bitcoin(s) you own. Like having the code to the safe to get your money. From a simpler standpoint it's like owning a stock. You have the right to sell it or transfer it to whomever you want.
Sarah: It’s just another way to buy goods and services. It also may mean that someone is holding Bitcoin as an investment.
Madeline: A misconception is that to have bitcoin you have to buy a whole Bitcoin, which discourages many new people from investing because they have sticker shock. But a Bitcoin can be split into one hundred million pieces. Therefore a person can invest any amount and still experience the ups and downs of the market. If you invest $200 when Bitcoin is at $13k and it goes up to $20k as we've seen, then your investment would have swelled to around $320. Not bad!
Right not bad. Which leads to investing. Why is Bitcoin stock worth so much?
Madeline: First of all, I want to dispel the misconception that buying Bitcoin is similar to buying stock in a company. There are no underlying business fundamentals to Bitcoin - no stream of cash flow that you can discount to present value. There is no "Bitcoin Corp." The value is based on the community collectively believing it has value. Bitcoin effectively combined the attributes of scarcity and utility to create a "digital gold" for the internet age. Bitcoin is scarce because it is an deflationary currency, in that only 21 million bitcoins will ever be in circulation. There's 12.5 bitcoin released approximately every 10 min, and that amount halves every four years until we hit the ceiling of 21 million. It has utility because bitcoin allows individuals to have full and uncensored control over their own wealth, by converting it and securing it digitally on the Bitcoin blockchain. Bitcoin, and cryptocurrencies in general, also facilitate the nearly instantaneous and inexpensive transfer of value anywhere in the world, 24/7.
Lisa: The same reason why anything has worth! Supply and demand. There are currently just over 16.7m Bitcoin in circulation and the maximum that will ever exist is capped at 21 million. This set cap is well known, making its scarcity transparent. Some people consider it a great store of value because of this, like digital gold. Imagine if the world's gold supply was capped at 21 million ounces. One ounce of gold would likely be worth a million dollars or more.
Nicole: There are two trains of thought here. As Bitcoin is the most popular coin, and the one that is most frequently traded, we've seen two vastly different markets emerge (note: the first being totally speculative). There's a lot of hype around cryptocurrency that banks will begin opening cypto trading desks in 2018 - like stock trading. There's a theory that these financial institutions are fueling the conversation and pumping money into the market, so it's at it's prime when it hits mass and the government actually figures out how to regulate this circus. In the meantime, the news and all your pals are talking about it, making this a really crazy cycle of inflation. The second is just, well, the general public is interested so they're buying. Bitcoin is, as I said, the first cryptocurrency and the one that's most easily tradable on an open market, like Coinbase. It's the shiny new toy of the financial world - a world that's so behind the times - so everyone is interested and looking.
It's the shiny new toy of the financial world - a world that's so behind the times - so everyone is interested and looking.
If anyone can invent a cryptocurrency, how is it worth anything?
Lisa: Well, anyone can start an online business. Some companies will continue to have value and some won't. Like anything there will be winners and losers. There are something like 1,300 cryptocurrencies. They're not all going to make it, but a lot of them, such as Bitcoin, have a good chance at holding their value and going up. Bitcoin also has first mover advantage, meaning it was first to the market. Plus it's name is now synonymous with cryptocurrency, like Kleenex with tissues.
Madeline: Ultimately the worth is based on the community collectively believing it has worth. Just like a diamond ring or a Louis Vuitton bag, they are priced so high because consumers value them. I do caution you all be aware of what you invest in because there are scams - artificially inflated tokens and dubious ICOs that are not good investments.
If someone *raises hand* wanted to invest in Bitcoin or another kind of cryptocurrency today, would that be a smart move?
Lisa: Research! I personally think the biggest mistake someone can make is investing in something they don’t truly understand or believe in. It’s extremely volatile and you could lose a lot of money. It's also a good idea to really try to wrap your head around blockchain technology. That's the game changer! Also, only invest what you’re okay with losing because you could lose every penny you put in. How can women educate themselves more on cryptocurrency? I really love community threads like Reddit or FB groups! It’s nice to be able to ask questions and get feedback from a like-minded folks without feeling embarrassed or judged. Watch as many videos as you can, read as many articles or books. Immerse yourself in this new world.
I also recommend reading the White Papers of each coin you're interested in. These papers should accomplish a few things: inform you on their project, what they want to accomplish, their roadmap and methods for meeting those goals. Google all the jargon you don’t understand or ask groups their thoughts. Oh, and trust your gut. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
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Madeline: In short, absolutely, it can be a smart move. Do your research and only invest money that you would be willing to lose. The invention of cryptocurrency has given rise to a wild and unregulated new capital market for investors. There are incredible opportunities there, but you need to carefully research the underlying technologies in order to confidently ride out the incredible volatility that cryptocurrencies experience every day. Values have been known to increase by over 100% a day, and decrease by 95%+ in the same time span.
Sarah: BTC or ETH are not a bad investment so long as you consider yourself willing and ready to potentially lose the money you invest, but who am I to give investment advice? I’m not a financial advisor. I do think it’s smart to diversity your portfolio and Bitcoin is now it’s own asset class.
Nicole: Well,If someone wanted to invest in Bitcoin or another kind of cryptocurrency today, would that be a smart move? You know, honestly, it's like trading within the stock market...except you don't have an advisor. That's on you.
How can women educate themselves more on cryptocurrency?
Sarah: Study up ladies! Read, read, read. I read “The Age of Cryptocurrency” and found it to be a useful book to get started with.
Madeline: Come to meet-ups, we hold one at the Gem office called the Los Angeles Ethereum Meetup. I'm also a part of several women's Facebook groups where we chat about investing, all levels welcome.
Nicole: Be wary of what's out there and take everything at face value. Do your own research, but also know Reddit is a phenomenal place to start.
Have more questions! Comment below and we'll get them answered!
THE MORE YOU KNOW.
The One Thing That Gives Women Power Over Men
And other GEMS from our #CreateCultivatexMarriott Portland popup.
Portland went off last night. Last night we landed in the PNW for a night of cocktails and conversation! We'll talked all things entrepreneurship, creative & tech with women who are breaking down barriers and actively putting in work to build a better future. Over 300 guests attended the popup at the Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront, hearing from panelists Grace Mahary, Jessica Naziri, Karen Okonkwo, and Heather Lipner about their life in STEM, their aspirations, and how women are the true superheroes.
Read some of our favorite takeaways below and head to our Facebook to watch the full live stream including our keynote with Sonja Rasula.
FIND YOUR TRIBE
TechSesh founder Jessica Naziri quit her job in the startup world when she felt like she didn’t belong. She told the crowd, “I never want to feel like that again. I want to make it my mission to empower myself and empower others.” So she taught herself to code— well, with a little help from her friends. “I am part of a network called Persian women in tech. We all meet once a month.” One of the women in the group help Jessica learn to code. “I’m not going to say I’m a programmer. I know the basics and that enabled me to understand the foundation. Even if you don’t want to code, just knowing a little bit is so important. These days it’s so easy— you can take an online course and empower yourself.”
Model and Project Tsehigh founder Grace Mahary also brought up that in such a digitally dependent world, there is no way to survive without getting involved in STEM in some way. So get on it.
TURN PASSION IN PROJECTS
Heather Lipner, the founder of then now-closed, but highly popular, Clashist (they made James Franco leggings) and now Drawsta, knew that she wanted to continue in the fashion world, but incorporate tech. “Augmented reality at that point was not really even a word people were talking about.” Before Snapchat even came out with face filters, Heather was doing R&D to figure out how to make Augmented Reality work in the fashion sphere. “If you don’t know what it is, it’s adding a digital layer to a physical thing you can touch and feel, and the digital layer can only be experienced through a device like an iPhone. With Drawsta you can have real time changes to your clothes. With AR you can upload a new animation— you can program your clothes in real time. It’s a powerful tool and a new way to experience wearing something. With Snapchat and Instagram stories everyone is changing their face, but it could be on clothes and surfaces.”
It could also make fashion more sustainable— something that Grace Mahary brought up.
OFFSET YOUR WORK
"I work in an industry that’s one of the most polluting on the planet, so it’s all about offsetting,” the activist told the crowd.
Project Tsehigh (PjT) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing uninterrupted energy to impoverished or remote communities around the world via renewable energy sources.
“While I was visiting and living in some of these developing nations I realized, very quickly, I couldn’t charge my phone, I would go to a restaurant and the power would go out. When you live in that condition you’re forced to see how people live and wake up every day. To think that you can't wake up every day and have facilities that run consistently— that’s how I became passionate about it. We’re working with solar panels, and as of this month, we’ll be launching our first project in Eritrea, and we’re donating 101 solar units to households — and then a school, a church, and a mosque.”
PROMOTE INCLUSITIVITY
Karen Okonkwo of TONL, a which seeks to transform the idea of stock photography by displaying images of diverse people and their stories around the world, explained, “For people to feel welcome in any industry, they need to see online that there are other people that look like them, in those particular fields. Imagery, in the form of advertising, is the first step in saying, ‘hey you are welcome and we want you here.’ That angle is very powerful and underutilized.”
“Sometimes, especially in the black community we feel tokenized,” Karen told the crowd. "I’m not trying to act like the spokesperson for the black community. I’m simply someone who is trying to provide change and influence. I may have some missteps along the way. Try to give people grace as they launch their businesses and feedback.”
She also dropped a version of this gem: Be your own Dora the Explorer and teach yourself.
"Be your own Dora the Explorer and teach yourself."
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“If you don’t see what you want— anyone who has a skill set, be that change. Start your own Facebook group or start your own meet up, or agree to mentor one person, that’s how we create that cascade of people who can enter into STEM. There’s nothing wrong with asking for help, either. That knowledge is there for you to take."
WOMEN ARE FREAKIN SUPERHEROES
“A lot of money is controlled by men, and that’s the biggest problem," shared Heather when talking about raising money and going into VC meetings. "When you go and try to raise you’re almost always talking to a man and they don’t understand the female perspective. Until you experience something or have that problem, you’re not going to understand what the solution is. It’s harder for women to get funded, it sucks,” she said frankly. “For me I’ve been jumped into a room and seen a total glaze.” Which is why she says, "The money has to also be diverse in category, gender, race, and everything so you can create companies that are targeted for what your niche is.”
Heather then dropped this AMAZING bomb during the Q&A portion.
“I just had a baby. The baby was in me and then it came out of me. And I feed the baby with my breasts. Men cannot do that. I wish I could go back to all the VC meetings I had and to the men in those rooms say, ‘You have no power.’ I wish I could have a different mind shift and just go for it without being intimidated or being scared. It’s a crazy thing to think about. They might have the money. It’s artificial. It’s contrived. And we can change that. You just need that mind shift.
Any questions?
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Wait, What?! How This Founder Is Applying the Tinder Model to Motherhood
Motherhood used to be about wiping, not swiping.
We're not going to mince words. The solo dolo doldrums of new motherhood is real. Too real. We'd say it's almost harder to find your #momsquad than to master breastfeeding (which, power to all breastfeeding mamas and your boobs; it's no walk in the park).
This thinking is exactly what drove Michelle Kennedy, the former deputy CEO of European dating app Badoo, to develop Peanut, a social app aimed at platonically connecting mothers who feel isolated, alone, and often cut off from friends and their old lives. It's a pain point for many women (which means, there's a solve). "When you're up for a 2am feed and your friends are just leaving the club, those feelings can compound and you wonder 'What does Michelle the mommy look like? Do I have to change?'” the founder shares. The answer the mom and business woman arrived at was no. You certainly don't have to change. But that doesn't mean you have to feel alone.
Taking what she learned from the dating app space, Michelle applied to the same thinking to motherhood. As a generation armed with a fleet of apps at our disposal, from transportation to shopping, to dating and streaming music, Michelle, who was the first of her friends to give birth in 2013, decided that moms "should be able to have that too." And it didn't have to be through a patronizing or unsexy product. "I really learned a lot from working in the dating industry," she says. Including, a unique understanding of how, why, and when people use social apps. It's why the app includes a poll feature and a scheduling feature, making it easier for moms to meet up-- which is highly encouraged.
The founder says Peanut is not meant as substitution for grabbing coffee with a mom friend in person, but rather, the point is "break down the barriers to make it easier to have the conversation." For Michelle that means any conversation. "Yes, sometimes it is not all roses when you become a mommy and that is OK. It's safe to say that. It won’t make you a bad mom and no one is going to judge you. And sometimes you drop plates and you feel like the worst mom in the world or employee, or partner. Whatever it is we can keep having those conversations and it is all OK."
Peanut is the barrier to entry for many moms who are too anxious to approach strangers in the park. When she became a new mom, Michelle says, "I could never approach those groups of women who looked like they really have it together and like they were all so close. I couldn't put myself out there in case I got turned down. I used to mentally exhaust myself, as I judged them thinking about them judging me."
She recalls a bad experience in a Starbucks when her own son was tiny. She saw a woman who looked like she had it together and so Michelle gathered her courage and asked if they might want to get together. "She then said to me, 'You know what I’m so busy at the moment I don’t want to take your number incase I never get back to you.' I was so traumatized by this. So I thought is there a way to erase all of this and make it easy?"
"Sometimes you drop plates and you feel like the worst mom in the world...it is all OK."
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It's also why Peanut uses the double opt-in model favored by dating apps. "You have to think about a woman and the position she's in and how rejection would feel-- especially if it's her and her child. It's one thing for you to reject me for a date, but if you reject me and my baby, that's a whole different ballgame." Michelle insists that the way Peanut works protects "your dignity and your pride. You can put yourself out there first and swipe right. The other mom will never know unless they swipe right on you too."
Though meeting a mom through an app might initially feel impersonal, it's the way we operate. And in this case, Michelle insists that a picture is worth a thousand words. "If you see another woman's profile, it is never about her picture. You are looking for the clue in her picture. Like is she wearing hiking boots, is that part of who she is, or is she eating food, where is she eating, what is she eating? You are always looking for those social cues, that look and acknowledgment that says 'let's play next to each and play together.'"
She also insists that, "Anything we do on our phones has to be an extension of what we are doing in our every day lives, otherwise we aren’t going to use it." And using it women are. After all, we all get by with a little help from our tech.
Follow Peanut on IG here. Photo credit: Peanut
Feel like sharing your struggles as a new mom? Comment below. We got you.
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This Shocking Detail Is Going to Change the Way You Use Instagram
The social times are a-chh-h-anging.
photo credit: Becki Smith/ Smith House Photography
Photos came first and then Instagram changed the entire game. On a monthly basis Instagram is used by 700M plus people worldwide. And it's not only influencers. Brands have totally revamped their marketing strategies and rely on the social platform to grow their businesses. That’s huge. And it’s not going away.
At Create & Cultivate NYC, we chatted Claudine Cazian, Lila King, Lauren Wirtzer-Seawood, and Virginia Nam, all of whom work in different verticals at the social platform, about how to do it right and drive impact in a meaningful way.
It may come as a surprise that the concept of "get your grid right," is shifting. No doubt, people love pretty pics, but Cazian, Head of Entertainment Partnerships at Instagram, says that old way of thinking of the 'gram is wrong. (Don't stress, yet.)
Social is changing. The way we use social is changing. And you should assume that your strategy should shift as the platform does.
1. RIGHT NOW, FOCUS on MAKING STORIES YOUR NO. 1
You may be surprised to hear that right now it’s more about your Insta Stories, and the “Explore” section, over the actual “feed experience.”
In the last year since Instagram added Stories, it has added 100 million global users to the platform. That means, those 100 million user have never known IG without Stories. It's a vital part of how they do social-- and it's where you should be focusing your efforts as well.
As to how? Cazian says 5-8 great stories per day is a solid number and will help grow your following.
"5-8 great Instagram Stories per day will help grow your following."
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If you’re working a big event, Virginia Nam, who works on the fashion partnerships team with Eva Chen, says that you should “front load the best content.” People don't love seeing a million tiny dashes, but if the first 5-8 stories are compelling it will draw them in to watch the rest. If you're posting so-so content as you go, you're more likely to lose their attention.
When it comes to creating compelling Story content, Lila King, who leads global news and publisher partnerships, suggests using different formats (i.e. a still, followed by a video, followed by some Boomerangs) and mixing it up is key! Throw in some front-facing (#selfies) with some rear-facing camera action. People want to see the behind-the-scenes. And even though "news" isn't typically associated with selfies, King says people love to see "the human factor."
2. YOUR ENGAGEMENT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOUR GRID
This might be hard to hear, but when it comes to engagement and content, Instagram is “mobile first.” So while we’ve been working hard to “get our grids right,” Instagram is all about “real-time” in-the-moment pics. All four women agreed that pretty, neat, "mosaic patterns," etc., are not what's driving new followers to your page. And four out of four said that making it pretty is currently the wrong strategy. "It's engagement over grid, every time," said Cazian.
At the conference, panel moderator Arianna Schioldager asked the crowd, “How many of you don't post videos because you are scared of how messy it makes your feed?” A sea of hands raised. “GET OVER IT!” called out Cabizan. “It’s a huge opportunity you are missing.”
Most people are using Instagram via their feed, which means you have to hook them while they are scrolling.
3. THINK ABOUT THE EXPLORE PAGE & THEN STOCK THOSE SHELVES
When you think IG, your first thought should be how people consume social. To see it in real time, take a trip over to Instagram’s Explore page and look at how the content is displayed.
Since “Stories” are the first thing in the “Explore” section, followed by “Video” (which is super attention-grabbing), then followed by "Photos," you need to make sure you keep your “shelves” stocked with content.
If you aren’t creating content for all three mediums, you are missing out on exposure opportunities at every turn, shared Lauren Wirtzer-Seawood, Head of Music Partnerships.
4. SHOULD YOU TURN YOUR PROFILE INTO A BIZ?
Are you a brand or a person? Or are you a little of both? If your goal is to grow your following and you have a business, it seems obvious that you should have a business profile. But some things are too big to see.
Some bloggers and influencers have been reluctant to do this. They want to remain authentic to their audience. They don’t want to feel like they’ve ‘sold out.’ But it’s possible that you’re selling yourself short.
Business profiles have hidden benefits. You can access your Insights, have people contact you, and sponsor a post every now and then.
5. ACCOUNTS WHO ARE USING THE NEW FEATURES WELL
Virginia Nam highligted Philip Lim as a fashion brand using the carousel feature the right way. She specifically references this post, as a one that really got it right. It shows a final product and the behind-the-scenes content people crave.
Lila King shared that the The NY Times does a great job with their IG Stories content.
Arianna Schioldager is Editor-in-Chief at Create & Cultivate. You can follow her @ariannawrotethis.
How are you using Instagram's new features to grow? Share in the comments below!
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Brooklyn Decker On Why Tech Is More Supportive Than Hollywood
Sure it's 94% male, but who run the world?
Photo credit: Smith House Photography
When Brooklyn Decker and Whitney Casey, CEO and founder of Finery, the new online platform that's been described by users as "the Clueless closet on steroids," took the C&C stage at SXSW last Sunday, they broke down the realities of being women in tech.
Alas, truth bombs are kind of Decker's MO. Of her friend and the company's Chief Design Officer, Casey told the Austin audience, "There is always one girlfriend in everyone’s life who will tell them the truth and that is Brooklyn Decker."
“It’s brutal,” chimed in the actor. “But it’s the truth.”
A former anchor who has won two Emmys and is a published author, Casey said she's had plenty of bad ideas before Finery. And when it came to bringing the idea to Decker, she came armed with a Powerpoint presentation. “Yes," she said, "for my own friend, because I knew she would want to know.” Decker did. (It worked.)
What unfolded, power point by power point, was a service that might revolutionize the way women shop and dress. With patent pending technology that harvests data that already exists online, Finery skips over the manual labor part of an creating an online closet. At its simplest Finery culls through your email (and thereby every purchase you've ever made) and loads it into a virtual closet.
“There’s all sorts of software to manage your finances, your travel, your music, but we found the millennial women will spend more than 250-300,000 dollars on clothes in their lifetime," shared Casey. "So why isn’t there something to manage your wardrobe that’s not analog? Some sort of tech that could find anything you’ve ever purchased and put into a wardrobe?” Therein is the meat of Finery, the world's first wardrobe operating system, and the reason Brooklyn came onboard.
But making a career shift is difficult for anyone-- let alone someone doing it under the public microscope.
"Modeling to acting is the most cliché transition one can make," Decker shared about her first career switch. "The biggest challenge is that you’re making big mistakes on a pretty big stage. You don’t have the luxury of making mistakes in private or on a small scale." But in a way it prepared her for this next role. "It would be silly or ignorant of me to say that it hasn’t opened a ton of doors, but people are instantly skeptical and people instantly doubt you. I certainly don’t come from a tech background. You have to work that much harder and find women who are willing to help you along the way and teach you-- teach you how to pitch to a VC, for instance, because how does one learn how to do that?" the Austin-based actor asked.
Photo credit: Smith House Photography
It's something they did, first going the traditional $ route— approaching VCs.
"It did not go well," said Casey. "One asked us to set him up on a date. So we decided to go with angel investors-- they are all women." Women like Miroslava Duma and Decker herself who is an investor in the company. “Also,” added the author, “because they wanted 30 percent of the company.”
"Luckily with women in technology— it’s an incredibly supportive environment," said Decker. "Without those women I wouldn’t have been able to make the transition.” Beta users include Man Repeller Leandra Medine and Lauren Santo Domingo.
Casey told the crowd that figuring out your bottom line when you’re first starting is all about looking into the future. “You have think about the company when it is wildly successfully,” shared the CEO. “Look at what 20 percent of that success means. You also need to think about your employees. As a startup you’re not going to be able to hire the people that you want without giving them equity. And as a startup you want everybody there to have equity because when things do go wrong you can look at them at say, ’This is your company too.' That’s our mantra. Everybody who enters is part of Finery. And the more you give to a VC the less you have to recruit really great talent. The more you keep giving away, the less your employees are gonna get. You always have to be thinking about your employees first.”
"You always have to be thinking about your employees first.”
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"It was disheartening to realize the kind of things I needed to do to get into these VCs,” shared Casey. “Calling a friend of a friend of a friend… what if I didn’t have those friends? It should be a meritocracy. Money should be available for every good idea out there. I found that was not the case.”
Even the connections Brooklyn and Whitney did have, didn't mean they'd it was a shoo-in. Sometimes they would't even open the Finery deck.
“I have this crazy thing that everyone should have called MixMax. I know when you open my email and I know when you’ve opened up a link,” said Casey. This service gave the pair a competitive edge when walking into pitch meetings-- they knew if they had to start at the beginning or if they could launch into why Finery is different and why it will be successful. Their other bit of advice? Decker told the C&C crowd, “Be incredibly well-researched on the market that you’re entering. Understand it so well and it will help you prepare for any meeting.”
“You have to sit back listen. And then do your own spiel. Know every single one of your competitors so you know your value add,” said Casey. “Your value prop[ostion] is the most important.”
Photo credit: Smith House Photography
Despite the uphill VC climb, neither women were deterred. In fact, Decker told the crowd that she's been invigorated by the community of women she's encountered.
“Coming from the Hollywood side of things I have never seen a more supportive bunch of women than I have seen in tech. They really do come together. It’s difficult as a young female, but you can do it.”
"I have never seen a more supportive bunch of women than I have seen in tech."
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Decker brought up tech investor Jesse Draper of Halogen Ventures, an early stage venture capital fund focused on female founded consumer technologies. “She has no skin in our game, but as a female in technology she wanted to introduce us to other people. That’s what women are doing. When she [Draper] invests in a company, she tells them once you’re successful you must invest in other female-run, female-founded companies. That’s a really strong choice. And it’s a place we want to get with our company.”
“Look we can’t all be founders, we can’t all have money to invest," Casey elaborated. "But we can all buy from women, use products that women make, and then we will all be successful.” She also told the crowd: "If I were a young woman right now I would learn how to code." Simple, but truthful advice. 94% of tech startups are male. It's up to us to change it.
“Women are successful because they support each other,” added Decker, who also gave attendees some pertinent info. Not everyone has access to capital or app developers, but the actress explained, “There are now apps to help you build apps. They provide a standard map. It won’t be super innovative but it will show proof of concept. Also, in all of these big cities there are development bootcamps now. The whole point is to give people jobs. If you have a startup idea and you’re far enough along, I highly recommend tapping into that resource.”
As for who Finery wants to tap? Casey wants the average woman who wears 10% of what's in her closet. Decker got a little more specific. “I don’t want to be a total cliché, but Beyonce,” the Chief Design Officer said about her dream user. “She has so many events, has her kid, two more on the way. She’s our user, she’s our girl.”
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STEM: Aarthi Ramamurthy, Lumoid
Try before you buy, 2.0
This article is part of our Create & Cultivate 100 List created in collaboration with KEDS, you can view the full STEM List Here.
Try before you buy, 2.0
Lumoid Founder & CEO Aarthi Ramamurthy is betting that the only thing better than buying is trying. Because purchasing gadgets can pricey (read stressful), Lumoid is eliminating the guesswork with an online service that lets you rent and test professional quality camera and audio gear, fitness trackers, drones, and more. This way, you can guarantee your satisfaction with a product before committing to it. Even better? The money you spend on renting goes toward the total purchase price. What’s not to love?
Coming from Chennai, India, Ramamurthy was recruited by Microsoft a year before even graduating college. Prior to founding Lumoid three years ago, she worked as a software engineer at xBox and Netflix, becoming an expert in consumer electronics and studying the psychology behind how people buy. “Getting the product off the ground was easy,” says Ramamurthy, “But, hiring is always a challenge — as it should be — really good people are few and hard to find.”
In 2017, women sadly still hold less than 25% of all jobs in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math). It’s a gross gender gap that Ramamurthy takes seriously, and does her part to remedy. “I feel strongly about how few women are taking up STEM and engineering courses, and I’d like to change that and see more women enroll in them,” she explains. As one of the few female founders in a traditionally male-dominated industry, Ramamurthy embraces her role as inspiration and mentor. “I help other female founders who are earlier in the process of building their company — I try to help with fundraising, introductions, or just talking through their issues.” While she’s all for supporting other women, she looks forward to a time when female CEOs no longer need to be interviewed about their definition of female empowerment. Point taken.
As Lumoid continues to achieve new levels of success — moving into swanky, designer offices, securing new rounds of funding, and expanding into the wearable market — Ramamurthy has been making personal and professional strides, and taking inventory along the way. “I've tried to actively start celebrating small milestones and successes, since I know that I'm really bad at recognizing how far we've come as a company,” says the founder, whose capitalizing on the universally appealing ethos of try-before-you-buy. “I’ve come to appreciate the journey a lot more, stop worrying and focus on what's going right.” Rather than stressing over a career bucket list or a five year plan, she prefers to take it one day at a time.
STEM: Leura Fine, Laurel & Wolf
Found a hole in design. Patched it right up.
This article is part of our Create & Cultivate 100 List created in collaboration with KEDS, you can view the full STEM List Here.
Democratizing design.
Leura Fine, CEO and founder of Laurel & Wolf, the interior design company that offers its services online only, has come a long way and is bringing the design world along with her.
A Jewish, southern girl who grew up in Alabama, Leura moved to Montreal to study at McGill University. But she graduated early, moved to LA where she worked for a world famous Burlesque dancer, all the while building a career as an interior designer. Then, she started a tech company. All before the age of 30.
An innovator in the online design space, Laurel & Wolf has developed a platform and software to allow for easy communication between a client and a designer, from anywhere. The entire service takes place in the digital world, and has opened the industry of interior design to people who never thought they could afford such services.
Luckily her experiences in the interior design world made a few things quite clear to the budding techie.
First, “the days of physical style boards and long, unproductive in-person meetings,” needed to go. “The future of design could be digital.”
Second, she noticed that most designers could not afford to support themselves because their were not enough people who could pay traditional industry rate.
And third, and most important, people wanted interior design help, but couldn’t afford it. There was a design hole.
“It was time to figure out a path to allow designers to earn a living doing what they love,” says Leura, “and for far more people to be able to afford access to those services. It was time to democratize design.”
In January 2014 Leura began concentrating full-time on Laurel & Wolf. The first version of the site was up that month. "I was the algorithm" she says about the company's beta site, a very bare-bones version of what exists today. Instead of spending 100k on a website build out, she paid a local LA-based developer 5k to build out eight pages with no backend. "I started spreading the word through friends and friends of family, putting it out on social media, saying, 'Hey who is looking for interior design services that only cost 300 dollars?'"
She had about 1,500 people sign up over the course of six weeks. The first iteration of Laurel & Wolf took users through a "style quiz,"-- that had no outcome. What Leura was testing was the public's interest. The BIG question: Would people be willing to pay for an interior design service online?
It's a simple, but brilliant idea-- take a service that only a small percentage of households can afford, and open it up to more people. More people=more work=more revenue.
And then there were more questions, more late nights, and the step of raising money.
“There are all sorts of moments you have as a founder and CEO where you might question the path you are on,” says Leura. “However, usually after a good venting session, a good cry, a few glasses of wine, I feel refreshed and ready to conquer the world.” Feeling failure she explains is an important part of the process, but you can’t dwell. “Take a deep breath and move on! You will realize that you are a lot stronger than you think.”
You’d have to be to work her hours. “My career has evolved from having a job to being the job. My life life is Laurel & Wolf, which is how it should be when you start your own company.”
But she says she can rely on herself more than ever before. “In my job, I’m constantly having to push myself harder to learn more, do more, be more, and as fast as possible. For the first time, I’ve realized I can actually meet those demands along the way.” That doesn’t mean she always gets it right, nor does she have the expectation she will, but knows if she’s willing to fight for it, there’s nothing she won’t accomplish. Which includes taking Laurel & Wolf public.
Beyond democratizing design, Leura wants to level the playing field for dreams as well. “Little girls should dream of being scientists, designers, or CEOs and they should have women to look up to in every single field.When I was a little girl, I never dreamed I could be a CEO because I never saw one. We have the power to change that and therefore change the course of history.”
Styling provided by Reservoir LA. Hair and makeup provided by Glamsquad. Photography courtesy of Light Lab and Woodnote Photography.
STEM: Whitney Wolfe, Bumble
Giving them something to buzz about.
This article is part of our Create & Cultivate 100 List created in collaboration with KEDS, you can view the full STEM List Here.
Making the dating world buzz.
Changing the way we date and shifting the power dynamics between men and women, those are just two of the issues that Whitney Wolfe, founder and CEO of Bumble wanted to address when she launched her dating app that requires women to make the first move.
“One of the biggest challenges has been rewiring people's opinions on women making the first move,” shares Whitney, an experience that challenged her more times than she can count. But she’s made the female-led approach work, exclaiming that “well over a billion messages,” have been shared on the app that boasts over 10 million users.
Whitney has made about every list and for good reason. She’s a game-changer, a rule-breaker, and an industry dominator in a male-dominated field. Dating startups are notoriously hard to grow and the new-kid-on-the-dating-block is always around the corner. But Whitney and her team have maintained their foothold, launching BumbleBFF where women can find friends and colleagues. In short, she’s an inspiration for young entrepreneurs everywhere, not just women. And at 27, she’s only getting started. Up next on her list: disrupting health tech.
How has your experience being a woman in tech changed since you first launched Bumble?
I had to grow a thick skin early on, and I had to realize that if you're lucky, people will underestimate you. No better way to debunk stereotypes than proving the archaic thinkers wrong. Supporting one another, and truly helping one another as women, with NO expectation of anything in return is going to propel the next generation of girls and women forward.
What are some of the challenges you've encountered along the way?
The list is too long. Sometimes the hardest things to break are bad habits, and women assuming men need to be in control is most certainly something that needed disrupting!
So, what keeps you going?
Changing the way relationships work and putting women in control to finally feel equal to the man. My team, their passion. The amazing stories that come from the millions and millions of connections we're making!
Who are the people you consider your mentors or influences and why?
My business partner, Andrey, is most certainly my mentor, he's beyond brilliant and talented. My fiancé is my rock and sees things in a visionary way and gives me a lot of perspective.
“If you're lucky, people will underestimate you.”
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What is the best piece of "real talk" advice you've received?
Snap out of it! It always looks better in the morning
What is your favorite life advice?
Be kind to everyone, because every single human on this planet is fighting a battle we know nothing about. There is nothing more important than motiveless kindness.
What is a time in your life when you thought, 'I can't do this anymore?'
I can count them on one hand, and I always in that moment, knew change needed to happen. And I went out and found and created that change. You have to listen to your gut, always.
What's next? What are your five year goals for Bumble? How do you continue to build community that's empowering?
I want to build Bumble into the Facebook for people you don't yet know, and I want Bumble to become a leading lifestyle brand both online and offline for all your introductions, with women always making the first move. Woman making the first move into the good, and out of the bad has the power to change the world.
What's on your career bucket list?
To be involved in disruptive health tech.
What does female empowerment mean to you?
It means confidence, being happy for women in a genuine way, and being equal to the man. It means never feeling inferior.
What do you do to support other women either personally or professionally?
I try to help with both personal and professional advice, investments, and for the good or the bad, snapping women out of it when they're stuck in bad relationships or ruts. One of my goals in 2017 is to do more, and to be a better mentor to more women. I've been so busy trying to build a company to empower women, that my personal capacity has been limited and I hope to have some spare time to devote to this.
Women have the power to:
Do anything. They are the power.
Links We Love: Sayonara 2016, Hello 2017!
From what Carrie Fisher & Leia Organa represent to new year's resolutions you shouldn't and should make, here's how we're wrapping up 2016.
2017 is a little over 24 hours away, and while we'll be looking back at some of 2016's most defining moments tomorrow, this internet also offered some great reads this week to help tie up the final week of 2016.
Here's to hoping that 2017 sees more female billionaires.
And even MORE women in tech companies.
Creating a list of New Year's Resolutions? They might just end up in failure.
However, you should stick to these New Year's Resolutions.
First, it was Facebook, and then Instagram this year. Now in 2017, Twitter is going to have an algorithmic timeline.
2016 kind of sucked. But at least these happy moments were caught on camera for the Internet to enjoy.
If you're thinking of a non-conventional bachelorette party, you might want to follow the lead of this woman.
Long live the Princess: This series of tweets nail exactly why Leia Organa and Carrie Fisher embody the definition of a strong woman, despite all the odds.
Rest in peace Carrie Fisher.
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Brushing Up: You're Waiting Too Long to Swap Your Toothbrush
And what this new company is doing about it.
Claire Burke wants you to brush better. Which is why she and Goby, co-founder Ben Goldberg, are sinking their teeth into the business of oral hygiene. It may not sound like the sexiest venture, but it's one full of possibility. Last week Goby launched their first product, the first-ever direct-to-consumer rechargeable electric toothbrush combining unprecedented value and convenience. The toothbrush is available for $50 with a subscription and replacement heads start at just $4. The charging station has no cords and is designed to minimize post-brushing build-up. Sound like a dream clean?
We caught up with the entrepreneur to talk why teeth and how Goby is changing the game.
Can you tell us a little about your background? How did you end up as the co-founder of Goby?
I graduated from NYU’s Stern School of Business before working at investment bank Lincoln International for six years. Simultaneously, I pursued my personal passion for film and media by co-founding a production company. In 2013, I left investment banking to pursue an MBA at Columbia Business School. While at Columbia, I immersed myself in media and technology, working for The Raine Group, Hearst, theSkimm, and Female Founders Fund, each of which expanded my interest in startups and exposed me to the value and power of brand. I met Ben through a mutual friend from business school and was immediately drawn to the Goby mission. Deemed “Cavity Claire” by my family growing up, I was inspired by my own struggles with good oral care and was determined to enhance consumers’ oral care experience by creating a value-driven oral care product with a relatable brand personality.
With Goby you’re hitting a few of major markets and key trends— direct-to-consumer, health and beauty, and the membership business model. We’ve seen many businesses go this route. Why was now the right time for teeth?
We saw a significant opportunity to disrupt oral care because oral health is an overlooked space in health and beauty. Oral health is important! Many diseases have oral manifestations, oral issues are the leading cause of missed school and work days and 50% of people aged 30 and older have some form of gum disease. Leveraging the direct-to-consumer / membership business model was a natural starting point for us to enhance the brushing experience for consumers across the country. The average consumer changes their toothbrush every nine months as opposed to the dentist-recommended three months, so we offer a subscription to ensure that our customers can keep both their mouths and brushes clean without having to worry about running to the drug store.
"The average consumer changes their toothbrush every nine months as opposed to the dentist-recommended three months."
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What went into research and development? How long did it take from concept to product?
We tested all the various models on the market to determine which features were necessary and which were superfluous. We assessed dozens of other products, surveyed friends, family and colleagues and ultimately designed a product that fits seamlessly into the modern consumer’s lifestyle. From concept to product, it took about two years.
Why was the design element so important?
Design was important because it folds into so many aspects of the value proposition -- creating something intuitive and user-friendly that breaks through the currently overcrowded and over complicated market, ultimately providing the consumer with the best possible brushing experience at a fraction of the price of the competition.
How do you get people to look at something that they’ve used their entire life and think about the possibility of doing it differently?
It wasn’t as much about rethinking, but rather maximizing the consumer’s time and taking the onus off of the consumer -- having them think less about brushing and replacing, while simultaneously improving the quality of their brush and ultimately the state of their oral health.
Was it a hard sell?
We had been working on Goby for nearly two years, bootstrapping the vast majority of the way. The funding process was definitely not easy, but fortunately, our investors appreciated the problem we were trying to solve because they experienced the same problem firsthand -- frustration with today’s current oral care products. For both Goby and our investors, we experienced a pain point, and felt there must be a better way.
You have an investor specifically geared toward early stage tech products that transform consumer experiences for the better. How did you approach those meetings?
First, we tried to clearly articulate the problem. What we found with the investors that ultimately invested was they personally experienced the problem, too, and saw value in our solution. Second, it helped that the market opportunity is significant. Everyone brushes their teeth, but most people don’t do it well. Electric toothbrushes provide value, yet less than 15% of people in the U.S. use them. Goby’s improved experience has a measurable impact on consumers’ oral health.
From your perspective, what goes into building a strong brand?
Developing a brand personality that the consumer can connect with, while simplifying and maximizing the consumer’s experience with the product.
Why do you think there hasn’t been much innovation— aside from bristles and grip— in the toothbrush space?
In the electric toothbrush space in particular, there hasn’t been much innovation because the market is dominated by two large companies and is thus zero-sum. For the incumbents, there’s no need to innovate from a business model, messaging or experience perspective, but consumers are consistently expecting more from the brands with which they affiliate. Goby aims to resonate with those who are looking for an easier, relatable and more affordable oral care experience.
What do you hope to achieve with Goby?
We want to improve oral care by providing a brush that is affordable, intuitive and relatable -- overall, we want to enhance the oral care experience.
Cavity Claire, your nickname as a kid. If you had to blame one food, what was your go-to indulgence as a kid? And now?
I always had and always will have a sweet-tooth. I can’t blame my cavities on one specific food item, but in general, sugar was the culprit.
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3 Reasons Women Are Needed in STEM Now More Than Ever
Because to have gender diversity in the workspace gives way for thought diversity as well.
STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics. STEM doesn’t mean you’ll be working in a lab your whole life. It could result in speeding around a race track for your job or working on the next mobility frontier, or it could result in being the CEO of a Fortune 500 company.
I started my career in the auto industry because I like fast cars. A well-crafted fast car is the ultimate marriage between form and function. There is something very exciting about sitting in a beautiful car with flowy, swoopy lines and pushing it to the limit. For a chance to work on making them even faster, I went into electrical engineering and joined the Society of Automotive Engineers. I found being involved in engineering and co-op programs to be extremely helpful and valuable jumping off points for my career and expanded my views of what I can be capable of with my degree.
I would like to paint a small picture of just some of the opportunities that STEM has to offer and share three reasons why women are needed in the STEM fields: Creativity, Diversity, and Curiosity/Skepticism. Hopefully, my experience will inspire other women to pursue the art of STEM.
Reason #1: Women have a unique sense of creativity.
Most people associate art and creativity with paintings, literature and music. Engineering and mathematical formulas typically aren’t the first thing to pop in your head. That is a miss. Success within engineering is often achieved through creativity. It’s achieved by looking at a problem differently and more creatively than anybody else and using math and technology to present the solution.
At first glance, that may not be obvious to a lot of young women, and young professionals considering going into STEM. STEM isn’t just numbers by-the-book. A career in STEM will provide an opportunity to use your unique way of looking at the world to identify and solve problems. If you can do that, there’s no limit to where your career can go and fun you can have on the way.
I still am a lover of arts and literature, and it has never been an either/or decision between arts and STEM or STEAM. I incorporate and practice art in my job on a regular basis. In the same way that artists may use paint or a camera to communicate their unique vision, open your eyes and expand your experience, I use math and science. I create with numbers and formulas and other cool tools technology affords me. There is quiet satisfaction in identifying an unrecognized opportunity and implementing solutions that hundreds of millions of people will use. Today, my tools are software and code.
And now that Chevrolet has gone one step further in creating this connected car ecosystem, it’s my job to determine where to paint next.
STEM isn’t just numbers by-the-book. A career in STEM will provide an opportunity to use your unique way of looking at the world to identify and solve problems.
Reason #2: Diversity in the workspace among men and woman is crucial.
Diversity in this field is crucial. That’s where I think the STEM industry doesn’t always do itself justice. Success in this field won’t be determined simply by who can solve an equation the fastest, but by who solves a problem creatively. Beyond diversity of gender or diversity of race, the more important aspect is diversity of thinking. Ability to look at the world a little differently lets you see opportunities that other people may have missed. You can then express your creativity in providing a solution using technology and science as a medium.
I saw this practice first hand, when Chevrolet rolled out Apple CarPlay and Android Auto through its vehicle lineup. When we first embarked on this project, some people questioned whether a large global automaker can be nimble enough to work successfully with established tech companies like Apple and Google. There was the also added challenge in rolling out this new feature across the entire Chevy lineup, from a Chevy Cruze to the Malibu, because we believe this is something all our consumers would value.
The quiet steady work that GM has put into nurturing diversity of talent paid off in this instance. Today, Chevrolet offers these technologies on more models than any other automaker in the industry. This was possible because of engineers and developers with different opinions, poking holes and advocating passionately for the best ways to deliver customer experience in implementing CarPlay and Android Auto.
Reason #3: Women are encouraged to have a healthy sense of curiosity and skepticism.
My career in the industry started out with a co-op position that eventually turned in to a full-time position with General Motors where I was fortunate enough to indulge my curiosity in all different aspects of engineering and more. My insatiable curiosity kicked again. I got my MBA and jumped in with both feet on the business side of the automotive industry, leading to various stints in internal consulting, corporate strategy and business development. Today I’ve been given the challenge of leading innovation and strategically figuring out where to take OnStar and our connected car ecosystem.
In addition to working in different areas of engineering, I was lucky that GM offered me a chance to indulge my curiosity and work in the business side of the automotive industry after my MBA, leading to various stints in internal consulting, corporate strategy and to business development and new technology. Working at GM exposed me to opportunities beyond traditional STEM activities that I did not know I really needed to understand in order to excel in business, but I am grateful that I was exposed to them.
I would also advise women that a healthy amount of skepticism is not a bad thing. You should be asking questions, and trying to find ways to solve a problem differently. Don’t let others dictate what you should think – you have a unique way of thinking for a reason, use it. A career in engineering and technology will provide an opportunity to use your unique way of looking at the world to identify and solve problems. If you can do that, there’s no limit to where your career can go and fun you can have along the way.
An original version of this article appeared on Darling Magazine. Written by Saejin Park
Find Out Why the Male-Dominated Tech Industry Won't Stop This Creative
She's adding dimension to the fashion and tech spaces.
Heather Lipner, tech maven, has worked in the dude-heavy industry for "at least 13 years." As the former creative director of MySpace, co-founder of Uncovet, and founder of Clashist, that oh-so-pop-culture-meme-tastic apparel line approved by James Franco, she has a few tricks up her techie sleeve.
Drawsta is her newest venture. An augmented reality fashion concept that adds an unexpected layer to your shirt [like the above panda (panda, panda, panda #broadsinatlanta)]. Augmented reality doesn't work without a tech device. In Drawsta's case, it's an iPhone app that allows for virtual designs to appear on a t-shirt. There are currently two screen-printed graphic unisex shirts ($48) each of which comes with 3-5 animations, with a new one released weekly.
We checked in with Heather to talk the industry's 'boys club,' how Drawsta is fighting against the need for fast and disposable fashion, and (read all the way to the end peeps) if we're becoming machines.
Let’s chat a little about your background. How did you arrive at the intersection of fashion and tech?
I have been in it for around six years, but prior I was doing tech/media. I worked as the Creative Director of Marketing as well as the Art Director of Product for Myspace and prior to that worked at a couple interactive design agencies for over six years. So been doing tech for at least 13 yrs.
How did the idea for Drawsta come about?
I wanted to take fashion to a new level, literally add a dimension to it. I felt stuck in a traditional world doing my previous brand Clashist. While it was a pretty viral line and lots of people loved it - I always had to make new - which, is very costly and often environmentally wasteful. So Drawsta solves the problem of wanting something new in the moment, but in a digital manner so we don't have to literally make so many physical goods. I think it’s more fun too. :)
How does it work?
It’s so simple - you just open up the app and point it at your tee and a layer of animated graphics pop and lock on the tee. You get the experience of wearing something new (you get new animations weekly) and you can also share yourself wearing the animated tee via social media, email, text - anything digital. (See below demo video.)
Social media made fashion shareable. Why is now the right time to take it a step further?
We’re going start losing the screen in a year or so and digital graphics will appear on, in front of, and around physical objects. Knowing that, I wanted to do something fun that can represent the individual’s ever-changing identity via something we’re all used to - fashion and social media.
Wearable tech is a billion dollar market, do you think we are going to see more augmented reality wearables?
Yes - from me for sure! :)
What is the most exciting part about being in the tech space right now?
I’ve always been obsessed with self-expression via fashion, social media, art, design, interior, etc and I think tech lets us explore our own identities in a faster manner. I get really excited when I see people (mostly younger generation on Snapchat) freely post without caring how perfect the image is. To me, that is freedom to explore and share our momentary thoughts, feelings, everything without caring about being judged. When you give people a way to do that in an acceptable manner, we can find our true passions and feelings in a more raw, real and evolutionary manner. THAT IS AMAZING AND EXCITING TO ME. MAKES ME CRY.
What’s been your experience in the tech world as a woman?
I hate it actually. It’s so annoying - sometimes I don’t care and sometimes I have this overwhelming rebellious feeling where I just want to roll my eyes, spit, and go in the opposite direction. LOL, but I love tech and I am also not sure if it is 'man vs woman' or there’s simply a club that is mostly male. You put a bunch of VCs in a room that are literally competing to see who will make more cash and it’s douchebag central. There’s a lack of creativity, sensitivity, understanding, depth, etc. I went to school and studied Economics at the UW Madison and it was the same - a room of mostly dudes asking each other who’s got higher grades. It’s lame - but not all VCs and guys in tech are like that - just a lot of ‘em. Heh. I just try to focus on the product, customers and creating a path towards what I believe is success. And hopefully in years to come the room will even out with less ego and more diversity, compassion, and care. :)
"I love tech and I am not sure if it is 'man vs woman' or there’s simply a club that is mostly male. "
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Is wo/man becoming machine?
Maybe we are already machines. We’re kinda at a high point right now in which we are really figuring out how to reverse engineer our DNA (coding) to manipulate our genes to live longer, to kill off diseases, to even alter our IQ. Once we can ingest nano robots to change our destiny then it will probably feel more and more like we are machines after all.
Arianna Schioldager is Create & Cultivate's editorial director. She's also a machine, in the best way possible.
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