Last week, Minders made its mark at Product Camp 2024, Brazil’s largest product event, with an exclusive content aquarium that brought together industry experts. Among the 12 talks organized by Minders, the panel “Building the Future: The Importance of Female Leadership in Technology” stood out, led by Patricia Garcia (Minders), Gabriele Lavreca (Familião), and Julianne Borges (Grupo SBF). The debate provided profound reflections on the challenges and achievements of women in leadership positions in the technology sector.
The Role of Women in the Tech Market
The panel began with impactful stories from the speakers about their journeys. Julianne Borges, Executive E-Commerce Manager at Grupo SBF, highlighted the challenges she faced since college, where she was one of the few women in a predominantly male course. Gabriele Lavreca, Product Growth Specialist at Familião, shared how vulnerability was transformed into strength throughout her career.
For Patricia Garcia, BR Squad Lead at Minders, “the market still reflects an evident gender imbalance, but we are in an era of transformation. Women need to nurture their stories with courage, not perfection.”
The Challenges Faced and Overcome
The speakers discussed how imposter syndrome disproportionately affects women. Gabriele pointed out: “Our biggest challenge is internal. We need to accept that making mistakes is part of the process and that it doesn’t diminish our value as leaders.”
Another topic addressed was the fight against hostile and prejudiced environments. Julianne shared a case from Amazon about biases in recruitment algorithms and emphasized the importance of having women in decision-making roles to correct inequalities. For Patricia, “change starts with small daily actions that transform structures.”
The Power of Diversity
The panel also explored how diverse teams produce better financial and cultural results. Julianne emphasized that diversity is not just about inclusion, but about innovation: “If we don’t have women making decisions, how will we change the market bias that affects half of the population?”
The speakers also mentioned the importance of forming alliances and communities to strengthen support networks, such as the Mulheres de Growth community, which has increased female representation in industry events.
Transformative Initiatives
To conclude, inspiring initiatives were highlighted, such as Ela Deve, a training program for women in technology, and diversity committees that aim to build a more inclusive market. Patricia emphasized: “Change is happening, but it requires continuity, commitment, and education.”
Recommendations from the Speakers
Books:
- Invisible Women – Caroline Criado Perez
- Lean In – Sheryl Sandberg
- The Gifts of Imperfection – Brené Brown
Communities and Podcasts:
- Mulheres de Growth
“The ideal world is still far away, but we’ll only change the game by being in it. Let’s keep moving forward.”
