Shattering the glass ceiling: How tech’s leading ladies are taking charge
The technology industry has long been dominated by men, with women being a minority in fields such as coding, engineering, and computer science. However, in recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace, including the need to address gender gaps.
In the third panel discussion of The Philippine STAR’s #SheSlays2023, titled “Embracing the Future,” content creator and Unbox Creator Network managing director Lea Cruz-Inocian highlighted the importance of gender diversity in the technology industry, particularly in content creation.
Unbox Creator Network is a talent management agency that exclusively handles tech, finance, and some fitness lifestyle content creators in the Philippines.
“We really need more women in tech content creation. Even our brand partners now have more women in charge. And it’s very empowering,” Inocian said, adding that her startup company has come a long way since it began in 2016, reflecting the positive changes happening in the tech industry.
“We all have our smartphones. We are all tech users; therefore, we should have a voice. And it’s great that there are more women coming in.”
As a content creator, Inocian said that it is important to have a supportive community of fellow women creators who share similar experiences and challenges as this sense of community can be empowering, especially during times of discouragement.
“And as a consequence of that, there are more female content creators or women who are actually watching YouTube videos because suddenly they can relate,” she added.
Entering the tech space now
Inocian encouraged aspiring content creators, especially women, to take the leap and enter the tech space, emphasizing that now is the best time to do so.
“I feel that people think that content creation on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook is so congested, because at this point, almost everybody has a channel. But if you think about it, you are a unique person and you have experiences unique to you, so definitely you have something to share that nobody else in this world could.”
When asked about what to do in case of failure, Inocian cited two things: to listen to feedback from the community and to review previous videos to identify what worked and what didn’t.
But if you think about it, you are a unique person and you have experiences unique to you, so definitely you have something to share that nobody else in this world could.
Shifting mindset from content creation to business
Inocian noted that content creation has been a reliable source of income for her family for the past seven years, providing not only financial stability but also opportunities to travel and pursue other passions.
Inocian, who is also a brand practitioner, believes that digital creators must shift their mindset from being just a content creator to a CEO. This means thinking of their channel as a brand and being strategic about storytelling and unique selling propositions.
“What makes you different from everybody else? How do you communicate that? Technically, all the rules of marketing apply. So, it is a business.”
Breaking the glass ceiling for other women
Dr. Chelsea Samson, chief business and medical affairs officer of KonsultaMD, stressed the importance of having women in tech and incorporating their perspectives into the coded language used in the industry.
KonsultaMD is a consolidation of three Philippine telehealth applications under AC Health (the healthcare arm of Ayala Corporation), 917Ventures (the corporate incubator of Globe Telecom), and Salud Interactiva (the leading telehealth company in Mexico).
Samson pointed out that although both sexes consume coded language, it is predominantly written by men, resulting in a male-centric perspective in coding, tech, and product development. To address this, Samson emphasized the need to shift the industry’s focus and include diverse voices to create a more egalitarian and inclusive space.
Aside from having a community of women that is slowly growing, Samson also acknowledged the contributions of female pioneers in the tech industry. “We have a lot to thank our female predecessors," she said.
“They were the ones who paved the way for a lot of this, and their accomplishments show us that we can do it, too. We gratefully follow in their footsteps, hoping to break that glass ceiling for other women,” Samson enthused.
Democratizing healthcare
Samson explained that a teleconsultation business like KonsultaMD aims to democratize healthcare: “By that definition, healthcare is a very fundamental thing that all of us need and all of us have a right to. I know that whatever we do to make it more accessible and more affordable, it will succeed.”
Samson revealed that post-pandemic trends in KonsultaMD include the continued surge in the preference for teleconsultation. “I do feel that we really need to embrace technology. It is a part of who we are and what we are building moving forward," she said.
“Prior to the pandemic, teleconsultations were not as widely accepted. It was not as much [of] a norm as face-to-face interactions, which is what most doctors prefer. But now, we have seen that it is not only possible, but also very feasible to conduct consultations digitally.”
Samson shared that all throughout her journey in the industry, one thing has always been true, her goal to make a difference. “I know it sounds cheesy, but it really was what pushed me toward the thought of giving back to the community that gave me so much.”
With more women breaking barriers and entering the tech space, it is crucial now more than ever to promote and cultivate diversity and inclusion in the industry, empowering women to become leaders and change-makers in slaying the future of technology.
