women in tech Archives - The Grassy Road

Equality as an ingredient for peace: from Gaza to Ramallah to Tel Aviv

It’s hard to know if you can make a difference. Small actions, personal actions, can they in some small way change the path to peace? Who knows, but why not do them anyway just in case? Here’s the story of our efforts; the story of WE2, women for economic equality, and our mentoring mission in January 2018. Early this year I led a delegation of Silicon Valley executive women to Israel, Gaza and the West Bank to mentor women entrepreneurs. As I posted before we left: “I am more deeply [...]

By Penny Herscher|2019-01-04T10:05:05-08:00February 7, 2018|Equality|Comments Off

Why, what and really? Yet another surreal week of sexual harassment in Silicon Valley

Yet another scandal of sexual harassment is unfolding in Silicon Valley this week, and after several nights lying awake, angry, thinking about the last 30 years, and expressing my ongoing frustration to a group of friends over dinner I was asked by a friend to answer 3 questions: 1. Why this still happens? 2. Are we really surprised that it does? 3. What does speaking up accomplish any more? First to the news. As has happened thousands of times before a venture capitalist, Justin Calbeck of Binary Capital, sexually harassed [...]

By Penny Herscher|2017-12-07T11:30:55-08:00June 27, 2017|Equality|2 Comments

How 2016 rocked my world as I talked with women entrepreneurs

I am more convinced than ever that there is a bright future for women entrepreneurs and 2016 proved it to me! I stepped back from being a full time CEO a little more than a year ago. It was time, for family reasons, and I set out to change my life. I still work (I serve on two public company boards) but I decided to spend a great deal more time with my father and my family than I have ever been able to do before, and to prioritize my [...]

By Penny Herscher|2017-12-10T12:01:17-08:00January 4, 2017|My Personal Journey|0 Comments

Give yourself permission!

I was struck by the interesting interview with Beth Comstock of GE in the NYT today - where she says "you have the permission to try something new". In this case she is talking about innovation but innovation is not the only area where we are held back by the need for permission. Too often we are stymied in areas that lead directly to our happiness. Too often, as working professionals, and especially women, we are held back by our fears. Fear of failure, fear of what other people will [...]

By Penny Herscher|2017-12-14T07:02:37-08:00June 20, 2016|Career Advice|0 Comments

Do stereotypes keep women out of tech?

A friend sent me a NY Times article this weekend titled "What Really Keeps Women Out of Tech" and I was struck by how different the current experience of young women is from when I read Maths at Cambridge in 1979. Yes, then it was unusual. Less than 5% of the Maths class were women in my year. But beyond that it never felt hostile. I never felt like I didn't belong, or Maths was too hard for girls, or I shouldn't be doing it. And when I graduated I [...]

By Penny Herscher|2017-12-12T18:27:24-08:00October 12, 2015|Equality|0 Comments

5 Practical Ways You Can Keep More Women On Your Team

Published in Inc on Oct 5, 2015 At long last, the world is paying attention to the issue of gender diversity. In May 2014, top tech companies started reporting the dismal numbers of women in their workforces. When these statistics were released to the public, a spotlight shone on this disparity, sparking a conversation on the need for gender equality amongst corporate America. While this conversation has been discussed at length in the media and exhausted by panels at conferences all over the world, the fact remains that little change [...]

By Penny Herscher|2017-12-06T09:45:35-08:00October 9, 2015|Equality|0 Comments

Did I get away with murder?

As readers of my blog know, I have had a high pressure career while being married to a man who also has a career, and raising two children. That's the backdrop to something my father said to me last weekend which stopped me in my tracks. Talking about a woman we know whose husband is divorcing her, my father said "Well you got away with murder!" Wow. Talk about judgement from your Dad. Now it's important to note my father is absolutely one of the good guys. He's always been [...]

By Penny Herscher|2017-12-13T06:32:20-08:00September 30, 2015|My Personal Journey|3 Comments

5 Reasons You Need To Work Hard To Get Ahead

My latest in Inc from June 25, 2015 So many times, I've been asked, "how did you balance your career and kids?" Many young people want to hear that I found the answer to balance and hope I have the formula, but I don't. Unless you have a fairy godmother who can guarantee early success in the next big thing, then you are going to need to work hard to get ahead, make a great living and have a strong career. In my experience, there are no short cuts and [...]

By Penny Herscher|2017-12-03T02:44:23-08:00June 29, 2015|Career Advice|0 Comments

The oldest profession in the world is alive and well in Silicon Valley

Of course we've all been agog at the Ellen Pao trial. Silicon Valley loves nothing more than to talk about itself. The self-obsession goes hand in hand with ego, intellect and ambition. But an unexpected side effect of the discussion of the blow-by-blow of the trial is now, for a while, everyone will be looking for covert sexism. And nowhere better to find it than cougar night at the Rosewood hotel in Menlo Park. This is not a new phenomenon. I blogged about it in 2011 after spending an amused [...]

By Penny Herscher|2017-12-12T18:37:29-08:00April 1, 2015|Equality|2 Comments

The Best Mistake I Ever Made

Asked by a journalist the other day "what is the best mistake you ever made" I had to think for a moment. There are so many - where to begin! But as I pondered the question, there is one decision I look back on and think "What was I thinking?" I became CEO of a raw software startup at 36 when my children were 2 and 4 years old. My husband was working long hours running a small consulting business and I thought I had no limits. I could do [...]

By Penny Herscher|2017-12-03T02:44:24-08:00October 29, 2014|Leadership|2 Comments