The tech industry has a gender problem. It’s estimated that less than 29% of the tech workforce are women. And the closer you get to the top, the wider that gap gets. According to a recent Forbes article, just 1.9% of enterprise software startups are founded or co-founded by women. 

At Hutch, we’re working to change this. We aim to elevate and support the women and BIPOC entrepreneurs who face structural barriers to entry in the tech space. And in honor of Women’s History Month, we hosted our first virtual roundtable panel discussion centered around female representation in government. 

During the discussion, Hutch Board Members and women-founders shared inspiring stories about their experiences as women in the tech and entrepreneurial spaces. They also offered advice to other women founders on how to navigate being a woman in tech, government contracting, and business — fields that have historically been male-dominated and often have a poor track record when it comes to including women.

Panel discussion included stories from:

• Summer Bazemore, CEO, Ey3 Technologies – Hutch Class of 2020
• Koffi Harrison, CEO & Founder, UpLight – Hutch Class of 2020
• Lauren Lockwood, Founder & Principal, Bloom Works – Hutch Board Member
• Nichole Weems, Portfolio Director, Health and Science, Fearless – Hutch Board Member

We were honored to have such a powerhouse group of women share their experiences. As Lauren said during the panel, “Being an example of existing in the government space is really impactful. To be a home for women and BIPOC entrepreneurs looking to enter the space is what really drives impact and creates a sense of community.”

And Koffi really hammered home the importance of increasing access to opportunities. “As a Hutch company, opportunity is important,” she said. “I like to say it only takes an opportunity with the right support to make your mark in government. Opening those doors for other underrepresented individuals is a way in which we impact the government now.”

At Hutch, we also believe in the power of opportunity. And by increasing women and BIPOC founders’ access to opportunities in the digital services space, we can start to actually move the needle on diversity in the tech space.