We are proud to feature some of the talented female leaders at tZERO and explore what it means to work in financial technology and capital markets as a woman
This Women’s History Month, we are celebrating talented women impacting the blockchain/fintech industries as well as tZERO’s business. tZERO is proud to celebrate the occasion and recognize the invaluable contributions of our female team members. We thank all of our female colleagues who, through their talents and passion, continue to make significant impacts on our business and industry.
To commemorate Women’s History Month, we are spotlighting a handful of female leaders at tZERO who play an active role in driving the business forward. These individuals have provided their insights, experiences, and advice on navigating the workplace as a female. Read to learn more about what they have to say.
At times it feels like the bars are set high, so to succeed you need to start early, stay late, and be on target all the time with no excuses. You have to continuously keep proving that you are competent and skilled enough to earn the trust of both peers and managers. Secondly, collaborative leadership takes time, especially if you are a woman in the male-dominated tech industry. Sometimes it can be misunderstood as not being assertive or weak. The only way to successfully implement this leadership style is to be consistent with your technique to engage and be inclusive of all team members to help collective knowledge drive better decisions and results. Finally, it can often be easier to advocate for someone else than yourself, but it is important to shed light on your accomplishments to negotiate roles, responsibilities, or compensation.
The financial sector and capital markets are rapidly changing. Recent technology and tools are being used to creatively solve critical problems in the industry to increase security, efficiency, and transparency. This has meant the creation of new wealth opportunities that historically were only available to institutions and accredited investors. Given this, now is the time to bring in womens’ perspectives and find ways for women to have access to global markets, funding, and representation.
Female representation matters. Each woman in the digital asset industry changes perceptions and, hopefully, encourages other women to join our industry.
At tZERO, I have been given the opportunity to continuously grow professionally. When I joined the company, I was given the opportunity to grow from a law firm associate focused on traditional finance to an in-house counsel with a specialized focus on digital assets and the regulatory landscapes governing such assets. After I was given the opportunity to expand my skill set, I was prompted and given the opportunity to help manage others.
Being part of a percentage that is looking to break the mold.
Be bold. Be brave. Be confident. Don’t be afraid to ask questions - if you don’t ask, you won’t know the answer.
I joined the tech stream due to my abilities in this field. Since technology is changing at a fast pace, it encourages me to think of new ideas and see new possibilities. It is a never-ending learning process because you are constantly learning new things and technologies. Working for a tech company allows you to collaborate with optimistic people.
Being a woman in tech necessitates having a strong support network. My mentors have always provided excellent guidance and have always been extremely helpful to me.
Women’s History Month is an opportunity to celebrate women’s past and future accomplishments to history, society, and culture. It is also a time to reflect on the powerful, resilient, and inspiring women we surround ourselves with every day. This month is an important reminder for us all to commit to, inspire, and empower the next generation of women to continue to push the needle forward in gender equality.
Always have a hunger to learn more and step out of your comfort zone. Being willing to take on new tasks is a good way to gain experience, build relationships, and learn something new. Predict what your manager wants before they ask for it. This shows that you are thinking bigger picture. Identify a leader that you strive to become and look at their career trajectory - what experience do they have to achieve their professional successes? Use this knowledge to accelerate your professional accomplishments. Lastly, a positive attitude and transparency in the workplace goes a long way.
If I could go back in time I would encourage my younger self to be more confident in asking questions and participating in meetings. Today and throughout the industry’s history, finance has been male-dominated which inherently makes it harder for women to be included, and ultimately to succeed. According to Deloitte, women accounted for under 22 percent of leadership roles in U.S. financial services firms in 2019, and if those patterns continue, the analysis concluded that gender equality in leadership roles may not come until 2085. In light of this, I would strongly encourage any other women entering the industry to ask as many questions as possible - it is the only way you learn. Never question if you are good enough or deserve a seat at the table. You have just as much a right to be there as anyone else.
Numerous studies show that having a diverse workforce enhances returns and that closing the gender gap will bring growth for future generations as well as for companies that prioritize diversity. According to the Census Bureau, women earned 82 percent of what male counterparts took home in 2019, and that will not improve until more women are in positions of leadership.
tZERO’s Nicole Cahill-Yi and Anusha Sundararajan have exemplified teamwork, confidence in their respective fields, and good friendship in my time at tZERO. They are never too busy for questions, extend themselves out to their teams whenever needed, and do it for the team, not just for themselves.
Be focused on your plans, deliberate in your actions, and never forget to be kind to yourself. Also, take more trips… Always more trips.
We are always looking for individuals who share our commitment to building a diverse team and creating an inclusive environment as we continue our journey in revolutionizing capital markets through blockchain technology. Check out our open positions here.
