CNBC: Crashing the tech boys club

In an interview about the influence of the Ellen Pao case, Gouw talks about the impact of what she describes as the ‘unconscious bias’ in Silicon Valley.

We’ve all had those little inequities, those death by a thousand cuts. The person who won’t speak to you and addresses all of their questions and comments to your male colleagues in the room, or being asked to take notes or fetch coffee…The fastest way to make cultural change,” Gouw said, “Is when you see something that is not being met in the marketplace is to go out there and start your own firm.

Fonstad says the Pao suit has opened up an important dialogue in the tech world.

This is an opportunity for both men and women to talk about what it is like to have a diverse culture and create an environment for both men and women to be successful. When that works and when that doesn’t, then I think the unconscious bias is associated with that.