Women in Tech: 6 Leaders Share Their Strategies for Success – Built In Chicago

Report on Women in Leadership and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

This report analyzes the challenges and successes of women in leadership within the technology sector, framed by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Despite evidence that teams led by women often excel, significant barriers persist, hindering progress toward SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). The experiences of six female leaders in technology provide a framework for strategies that advance these goals, alongside SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 4 (Quality Education).

Key Challenges to Achieving SDG 5 in Corporate Leadership

Data indicates a substantial gap in leadership opportunities, which directly contravenes the targets of SDG 5, specifically Target 5.5, which calls for women’s full participation and equal opportunities for leadership. Key obstacles include:

• Unequal Promotion Rates: Men are reportedly twice as likely as women of color to be promoted into management, a clear indicator of systemic inequality that undermines both SDG 5 and SDG 10.
• Biased Performance Metrics: Feedback provided to women during performance reviews is more likely to be based on personality traits, rather than the objective, merit-based assessments required to ensure decent work and economic growth for all under SDG 8.

Case Studies: Strategies for Advancing SDGs in the Tech Sector

The following case studies profile female leaders who have developed strategies to overcome systemic barriers and foster inclusive environments, thereby contributing to multiple SDGs.

Araba Appiagyei-Smith, Senior Vice President of Product, GoHealth

Ms. Appiagyei-Smith’s career demonstrates the importance of multidisciplinary skills and emotional centeredness in effective leadership, contributing to productive and decent work environments (SDG 8).

1. Core Competencies for Leadership: Key skills acquired include navigating ambiguity, continuous learning, and leveraging team strengths. These competencies are essential for building resilient and innovative organizations.
2. Commitment to SDG 4 (Quality Education): She emphasizes the value of continuous learning through resources suggested by mentors and peers. Recommended resources include:
   • Books: “How Finance Works,” “The Goal,” “The Making of a Manager,” “Work Rules,” “Data Science for Business,” “Your Oxygen Mask First.”
   • Newsletters: Axios, WSJ Ten Point, Superhuman.
3. Advancing SDG 5 (Gender Equality): She actively promotes female leadership by encouraging women on her team to present their ideas in broader forums, take ownership of initiatives, and gain exposure to strategic discussions to enhance their organizational impact.

Mahitha Ramineni, India Head, Fulcrum GT

Ms. Ramineni’s journey highlights the integration of personal values with professional ambition, creating a leadership style grounded in empathy and integrity, which fosters the inclusive workplaces envisioned in SDG 8.

1. Foundational Leadership Principles: Her leadership style is built on resolving conflicts, motivating teams, admitting mistakes, and establishing clear processes that empower employees.
2. Role of Mentorship and Education (SDG 4): She credits her advancement to mentors who provided opportunities and trust, as well as formal education from the Indian School of Business, which refined her strategic thinking and leadership skills.
3. Empowering Women for Leadership (SDG 5): She fosters a culture where women are encouraged to take ownership and are provided with a safe space for guidance. By prioritizing teamwork over individual credit and sponsoring skill enhancement programs, she creates pathways for women to become confident leaders.

Dawn Coen, Senior Director, QA Engineering, OppFi

Ms. Coen’s career has focused on embedding quality and efficiency into organizational processes, directly contributing to the productivity and sustainable growth objectives of SDG 8.

1. Skillset for Efficiency and Growth: Her expertise lies in building high-functioning teams, designing best-in-class processes, and driving organizational efficiency through frameworks like agile.
2. The Impact of Sponsorship: She attributes her success to the trust and freedom granted by senior leaders, allowing her to innovate. This highlights the critical role of sponsorship in advancing women into leadership roles.
3. Fostering Female Leaders (SDG 5): Her approach involves empowering women to participate in strategic discussions and practice professional negotiation. By reorganizing roles to align with individual strengths, she has successfully cultivated leadership skills, boosting both employee satisfaction and organizational performance.

Carla Faustino, Sr. Manager Decision Science, tms

Ms. Faustino’s non-linear career path underscores the value of adaptability and a broad skill set in modern leadership.

1. Adaptable Skill Development: Her journey through politics, economics, and client management developed core skills in critical thinking, stakeholder management, and working through ambiguity.
2. Strategic Mentorship: She benefited from leaders who encouraged strategic thinking and connected her work to broader business goals, a key aspect of developing effective and purposeful leaders.
3. Promoting Inclusive Leadership (SDG 5 & SDG 10): She champions a culture where leadership is not defined by title. By bringing team members into high-level meetings, she provides them with the context, confidence, and visibility needed to grow into leadership roles themselves, ensuring a more equitable distribution of influence.

Ozgul Baysar, NinjaHoldings

Ms. Baysar’s extensive career in analytics demonstrates how data-driven leadership can foster growth and a culture of innovation, aligning with SDG 8.

1. Essential Leadership Skills: She identifies adaptability, strategic thinking, curiosity, and communication as the most critical skills for her success.
2. Building on Trust and Support: Her transition into senior leadership was enabled by a strong support system of mentors, peers, and managers who encouraged risk-taking and viewed mistakes as learning opportunities.
3. Developing the Next Generation of Women Leaders (SDG 5): She focuses on understanding the individual goals of women on her team, encouraging them to take ownership, think strategically, and be more vocal with their ideas. This mentorship helps women transition from execution-focused roles to strategic leadership positions.

Julianne Zhang, General Manager, BigTime

Ms. Zhang’s experience in management consulting and technology illustrates the impact of high-level exposure and executive sponsorship on accelerating a leadership trajectory.

1. Accelerated Learning and Experience: Her background in consulting and a chief of staff role provided direct exposure to executive decision-making and operational challenges, rapidly building her leadership capabilities.
2. The Power of Sponsorship for SDG 5: She emphasizes that direct advocacy from senior executives was crucial for her promotion into roles that traditionally required more years of experience. This sponsorship is a powerful mechanism for closing the gender leadership gap.
3. Championing Self-Advocacy and Sponsorship: She encourages her female mentees to practice self-advocacy by clearly communicating their goals. Furthermore, her work with The W Project to place more women in board roles is a direct contribution to achieving gender equality at the highest levels of corporate governance (SDG 5).

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. SDGs Addressed in the Article

   The article primarily addresses two Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

   • SDG 5: Gender Equality: The core theme of the article is the challenge women face in achieving leadership positions in the tech industry, the disparity in promotion rates compared to men, and the strategies female leaders use to empower other women. This directly relates to achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls.
   • SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: The article discusses career journeys, professional development, mentorship, and the creation of supportive and inclusive work environments. These elements are fundamental to ensuring decent work, full and productive employment, and fostering economic growth by leveraging the full potential of the entire workforce.

2. Specific SDG Targets Identified

   Based on the article’s content, the following specific SDG targets can be identified:

   • Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life. The article is centered on this target. It highlights the difficulty for women to reach leadership roles (“reaching a position in leadership is a much harder climb”) and features interviews with women who have achieved these positions and are now working to create pathways for others. Actions described, such as encouraging women to “bring up good ideas in group settings” and including them in strategic meetings, are direct efforts to ensure their full and effective participation.
   • Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men… and equal pay for work of equal value. The article connects to the “decent work” and “full and productive employment” aspects of this target. It points out systemic barriers like biased performance reviews (“the feedback women receive during performance reviews is more likely to be based on their personality compared to men”), which hinder productive employment. The leaders’ efforts to provide mentorship, sponsorship, and create a “safe space to express concerns” contribute to establishing a decent work environment where women can thrive and achieve their full potential.

3. Indicators Mentioned or Implied

   The article mentions and implies several indicators that can be used to measure progress:

   • Indicator 5.5.2: Proportion of women in managerial positions. This indicator is directly referenced in the article’s opening statement: “Men are twice as likely as women of color to be promoted to management positions.” This statistic serves as a clear, quantitative measure of the existing gap in leadership roles, which the initiatives described in the article aim to close.
   • Qualitative Indicators for Empowerment and Decent Work: While not official UN indicators, the article implies several qualitative measures of progress. These include:
     • Implementation of mentorship and sponsorship programs: The article repeatedly emphasizes the importance of support from mentors and leaders. Julianne Zhang notes that executives “advocated for me with boards and other leaders,” which is a form of sponsorship.
     • Promotion of an inclusive meeting culture: Araba Appiagyei-Smith describes a specific action: “I’ve included women on my teams in various meetings they didn’t have access to, so they get context straight from the source.” This is a tangible practice to increase women’s visibility and participation.
     • Access to professional development opportunities: Mahitha Ramineni states, “I actively sponsor programs for skill enhancement and personality development that benefit them beyond the workplace,” indicating investment in women’s growth as a measure of a supportive work environment.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

   SDGs	Targets	Indicators
   SDG 5: Gender Equality	Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in economic and public life.	Indicator 5.5.2: Proportion of women in managerial positions. (Explicitly referenced by the statistic: “Men are twice as likely as women of color to be promoted to management positions.”)
   SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth	Target 8.5: Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men.	Implied Indicators: Existence of mentorship and sponsorship programs within organizations. Implementation of policies for inclusive participation in strategic meetings. Availability of professional development and skill enhancement programs for female employees.

Source: builtinchicago.org