Without any doubt, Blockchain is the next wave of innovation in technology. Blockchain Technology on its own carries the potential to revolutionize our lives in finance and beyond.
In the male-dominated sector of entrepreneurship, it offers a chance to give women full financial independence as well as the knowledge and freedom to pursue their take on entrepreneurship. This just reinstates the fact that a mere chromosomal difference in X and Y does not differentiate between who can contribute in the finance and tech sector.
This technology serves as a beacon for a better future for women and breaks the shambles of the past wherein women were discouraged in taking part in discussions or decisions around financial investments and tech jargon.
This kind of digital literacy gives women a platform to make tangible efforts towards their own financial and economic independence in society.
Blockchain technology is designed to eliminate the need for a middleman for the transactions; it is the best way to secure financial independence and security without anyone’s help.
Here are some of the female influencers who have made it big in the field of Blockchain Technology and hold the torch for us to follow.
1. Rebecca Liao
A graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Law School, Rebecca Liao is Co-Founder, Advisor, and former COO at Skuchain, a currency agnostic blockchain for global trade and the World Economic Forum Tech Pioneer for 2019. Skuchain became one of the top three blockchain companies in trade and supply chain finance in 2020. She strives for diversity in the tech community and has published her writing in the New York Times, Financial Times, Nikkei Asia, and many other platforms. She also advised President Joe Biden on China, technology, and Asia’s economic policy during his 2020 presidential campaign. Her exceptional experience and knowledge in the Blockchain Technology field stand out as one of the best examples of influencers in the industry.
2. Elizabeth Stark
She co-founded her company Lightning Labs and is the current CEO of the company. She set out to solve Bitcoin’s biggest problem with this company- scaling. Lightning Labs offers an open protocol layer that makes the blockchains scalable and flexible to support any new wave of financial applications. This enables a faster and cheaper way of making Bitcoin payments. She holds a Juris Doctor degree from Harvard and is also a fellow researcher at Coin Center. She has taught classes on the Internet and peer-to-peer technology at Yale and Stanford and continues to be a valued member of the Blockchain Technology field.
3. Alisa DiCaprio
She did a postdoc at New York University and is presently working as the Head of Trade and Supply Chain for R3. After working for the United Nations, she joined the Asian Development Bank, where she takes care of trade strategy, digital economy, government design, and technology. She was involved in the leading initiative for innovation, technology, trade finance, and so on. With her expertise and years of experience in the blockchain space, it is only fair that we add her to this list of top female blockchain influencers.
4. Mary C. Hall
She currently holds the position of the Director of Blockchain Product Marketing at Consensys. Her role requires her to supervise all marketing initiatives for the Quorum blockchain product of Consensys. She has won many awards for her excellence and expertise in digital marketing, social media, and Internet technology solutions. Her preferred areas of interest and expertise lie in the fields of digital marketing, public relations, lead generation, among many others. Onalytica Research recognized her as the best influencer on tech and Blockchain-based on her exemplary work.
5. Rachel Wolfson
She is an editorial professional who stands exemplary in her field for her skills in journalism and English. She was among the top 5 women working to change the world of crypto recognized by The Next Web. She writes about blockchain technology and cryptocurrency topics, focusing on bringing digital awareness to the population. Her work on these topics is published regularly in Forbes Crypto. In addition to her writing, she also hosts her own podcast, ‘The Crypto Chick,’ where she initiates discussions on similar topics. Her skills also include public speaking and emceeing many blockchain events. Her varied skills and immense knowledge of blockchain technology and cryptocurrency helps in influencing and making people aware of these topics.
6. Emmanuelle Ganne
She is a 2009 Yale World Fellow and currently holds the position of a senior analyst in the Economic Research and Statistics department of the World Trade Organisation(WTO). She previously held the position of Counsellor to Director-General Pascal Lamy. Her work in Blockchain places the majority of focus on transport and logistics, trade finance, intellectual property, border procedures, among many others. Her expertise in the field is evident in her book ‘Can blockchain revolutionize international trade?.’ She is frequently invited to speak at blockchain events owing to her vast knowledge of the topic.
All the women influencers listed above had to break out from the socio-cultural web of stereotypes built around women being incompetent in the field of finance and tech. They not only proved these assumptions wrong but also forged a path for other women to follow. This can only be possible by incorporating Blockchain Technology into their education and training to bring about that much-needed diversity into the field.
We need to empower our women through associations, communities, forums, and more to achieve this desired goal. In the past, all financial decisions came under the ‘male-domain’; Blockchain technology offers a way out of these prejudices and paints a picture of the future in which our women will be financially and economically independent to take these decisions on their own.
