Podcast Feature: Women Disrupting Tech
In this episode of Women Disrupting Tech, I joined host Dirkjan Hupkes for a deeply personal and unapologetically honest conversation about visibility, bias, and belonging in the tech world.
We discussed the disconnect between performance and authenticity, and how social media can lure us into what I call the “digital closet”: A curated version of ourselves shaped by algorithms and external validation. I opened up about what it means to walk through the world, and the workplace, as a transgender woman: the shift in how my expertise is perceived, the silent judgments, and the cost of constantly filtering yourself to be accepted.
But this episode is not just about being trans in tech. It’s about changing leadership culture. About making inclusion measurable. About asking harder questions. Like: why do we still reward leaders who ignore psychological safety? Why is retention still the overlooked crisis?
We also explored the creation of SheUnfolds, a foundation I co-founded to offer connection and community to women in tech who are tired of being “the only one” in the room. Spaces where you don’t have to perform. Where you can exhale. And just be.
Highlights from the episode:
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Inclusion isn’t a soft skill: It should be tied to pay, promotions, and power
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Retention is the real problem, not recruitment
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Authenticity should never be a liability
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How to step out of the digital closet and lead from who you really are
This episode resonated far beyond tech. It’s about human connection, vulnerability, and the courage to show up fully. I’m proud to be part of a conversation that doesn’t just talk about inclusion, but demands it.
