17. Hayley Leibson - leading the ladies in Silicon Valley

In the very first episode of this podcast I spoke about my motivations behind starting this project, one of which was providing insight into employment worlds that you, as a listener, may never have considered before, or know very little about. One of those areas for me is tech: it interests me, but the world of Silicon Valley seems a distant impenetrable world of people with a much higher intellect than me talking about things I don’t understand. I am absolutely certain this is probably a massive misconception, so I was really delighted to talk to today’s guest, Hayley Leibson, to iron out my ignorance on this topic. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am an innately curious person, so I was fascinated to hear about Hayley’s career - she’s too modest to say it herself but she is really making waves in San Francisco.

 

Hayley is the founder of Lady in Tech, an award-winning tech and lifestyle platform for next-generation female tech leaders and entrepreneurs, and a contributor at Forbes, for whom she writes a weekly column on a variety of tech topics aimed at inspiring women into the tech industry. Hayley’s accolades and awards are numerous and impressive: she was named a Top Tech Influencer by IVY Magazine this year, and included alongside Sheryl Sandberg of Facebook and Lean In fame as one of the year’s Most Influential Women in Tech. She has featured in the BBC’s 100 Women, and on ABC News, and is the co-founder of Female Founders Community, the largest online community of female founders. All this, and she’s only in her mid-20’s. Hayley’s drive and energy, her enthusiasm and work ethic are staggering, so listen in for inspiration!

In this interview we discuss:

- How Hayley became interested in tech, and what sparked her desire to follow a career in that sphere

- How she cultivated those interests at college and subsequently   - The state of the tech world both in Silicon Valley and elsewhere with regard to gender and diversity before and since she founded Lady in Tech   - The start of Lady in Tech, how Hayley came up with the idea and launched the platform   - Monetising an idea as an entrepreneur and taking that idea from the drawing board to a successful business   - The challenges Hayley has faced since founding the platform, including discussion of #MeToo and the problems faced by female founders in Silicon Valley   - Mentors she's had in the tech industry, and the benefit of paying it forward for the next generation   - Hayley's side interests, including that she's a qualified yoga instructor!