Chief in Tech: Voices of Leadership | Leadership Stories | Women Leadership | Female Founders
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Join us for leadership stories from female founders, trailblazers in women leadership and entrepreneurs sharing their success stories.
Leadership isn’t just about titles—it’s about making a lasting impact.
In this episode, I’m joined by Anna Radulovski, founder of WomenTech Network, a global community of over 150,000 members across 179 countries. Anna is also the powerhouse behind the Women in Tech Global Conference, a mentor at the Founder Institute, and the author of Chief in Tech.
This isn’t just a conversation about getting a seat at the table. It’s about building your own and inviting others in.
Together, we talk about what real leadership looks like, the joy of mentorship, the bias that still hides in plain sight, and why amplifying the voices of women in tech is urgent, vital work. Anna shares why she wrote Chief in Tech, what she’s learned from interviewing over 50 C-level leaders, and how data and lived experience together can drive real change.
If you’ve ever wondered how to move from entry-level to executive, or how to lead with generosity and vision, this one’s for you.
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baby. She was just a couple of months old. It was it was, like, crazy. You know? It's like the tons of behind I think that the lines between day, night, reality, whatever that was going on in the world, you know, it was, like, blurred. And and you're just I mean, when I'm I'm looking back at some, videos that we were doing during that time from the main stage and my moderation. I knew I just had a couple of hours of sleep, and I still looked very pumped. And, you know, my first reaction was, like, I told so when it was over in three days, it was like I told I told my cofounder, my partner, I told him, never again. Never again we're doing this. And then we when we introduced when we actually sent out our feedback form, people were like, they were saying, you know, they dude, what is the next global conference? This was amazing. I've never been to such a conference. This was mind blowing. I was like, well, it looks like we are doing the next one.
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And now you're doing it again. Speaker 1
Now we're doing it again. Speaker 0
It sounds like such a great thing for women all over the world, but it seems like, obviously, it's a big challenge for you. And it was a challenge, obviously, in twenty twenty, like all of us. But even today, I think still it's a it's a balance. So how do you manage your all your competing priorities without feeling overwhelmed? Speaker 1
I feel overwhelmed, to be honest with you. I do. I mean Perfect. Speaker 0
That's what Speaker 1
we like to hear because Speaker 0
we all feel Speaker 1
the pain. I mean, I think I well, firstly, I don't believe there could be a perfect balance. I think balance is not something that exists. It's finding a way to integrate, you know, your life and work stuff. I would say the best what works for me is to plan in my personal stuff first. So it doesn't matter if it's my kid's birthday or party or I have to do something that is super important to me. And it's very tempting to say, hey. Well, maybe I'll move that. If you move that and work will occupy that, you are not going to do that. And it's it can cost you a lot. It can cost you your health. And I think that the the the highest price you can pay. So you don't want to do that. So you want to be thinking about that, you know, much much earlier and be really clear with yourself that your personal priorities are super important and then you need to plan them, schedule them, and please don't move them. I mean, unless it's really a matter of life and death, don't move them and just kinda try to stick to that. At certain like, recently, I actually, one week recently, I was super sick, And, actually, I was working. It was very tough. The quality was very, you know, low. I was upset that I'm sick, and I was upset that I'm not doing my work the way I can do and was kind of very upsetting. I mean, it might work for some people. I mean, when I talk to global leaders, it just it would feels normal that they say that, they like to live on the edge of burnout. I can relate onto that. I think it's a it's a very dangerous game to play. But generally, what I want to say that in technology, everything moves super fast. So it's like all the time, something accepting is popping up, and you want to be trying it out, testing it out, applying it, or you have to sometimes even. I don't think there is a perfect way to to create that level of sanity, but I think you need to find your pillars. So what is that for you? Is it, is it eating healthy? Is it sleep? I mean, I think combination of this, exercising, meditation, meeting with friends. I mean, it could be anything. I mean, for different people, it will be different things, and I think that's beautiful. Speaker 0
I agree. I like how you called out planning your personal, whatever it is, life first in your calendar, and it it it it's not movable. It's it absolutely has to happen. It's a it's a very good philosophy that I think a lot of people could learn from for sure. There are some themes that Anna is taking us through in this conversation, threads that once you notice them, start to connect everything. First, no one makes it alone, and the idea that you should is one of the most persistent myths in modern leadership. Because real leadership isn't just about being first, or the only one, or even the best. It's about being generous with your knowledge, inviting others in, and seeing the potential in someone before they see it in themselves. But Anna doesn't stop there. She also calls out the other side of leadership, the friction, the closed doors, the funding that doesn't come, and the c suite seats that somehow remain just out of reach. And yet, she doesn't just name the problem. She offers a path through with stories that inspire and actionable ideas that move towards something better. So you mentioned earlier, which I liked about, paying it forward, and I think that's a lot of at what is at the core of what you're doing. So what role does giving back play in leadership, and how do you encourage other women to pay it forward? Speaker 1
That's a really good question. When when I think about it, for me, giving back is not something you start doing once you make it, you know, once you become someone important, you have that c level title, whatever that will be for you. It's something that you can incorporate into giving your journey from day one. So think how you can be more giving, more generous with your time, even if it's like mentoring a junior member on your team, you know, or someone, that, you know, from your network that you know might need your help. I believe in the in mentorship, as I mentioned, and, of course, knowledge sharing is a powerful tool for change and change in people's careers in life. Early in my career, I had incredible mentors who supported me, shaped my past, and now I make it a priority to do the same for others. And, you know, whenever I see someone has a potential but they don't ask for my help, I can just, in a way, intrusively try to help them. In most cases, it works because I know that they're just maybe too humble to ask for help. But when I help, they feel very, you know, they feel very appreciative because I know exactly that, that's what they needed at that time. Maybe I wasn't always in my career, you know, that brave or outspoken. I didn't know maybe how to ask for help. Even at moments, I felt like if I ask for help and someone is going to help me, it's going to be like cheating. Like, even I didn't make it, you know, it's it's not it's not my accomplishment. But in reality, I mean, who makes it alone? All of the people had great mentors, advisors, sponsors, allies. I mean, I think it's it's if you have these people in your network, and it doesn't mean that what you have accomplished is not your own accomplishment. Yes. These people helped you, and that's fine. I mean, that's how it should be. I think that the moment we realize that, the moment it changes the trajectory of our career and then paying it forward, once you have these great people in your life, you know how it feels. So naturally, you want to I think I I haven't met a woman in our community who actually didn't didn't think of how she can give back or pay it forward. Speaker 0
Well, it's great to build a community of women that do pay it forward because none of us can do it alone, and it's always a good reminder to hear that. I I'd like to go back. You mentioned and I think it's fantastic. You have over a hundred and fifty thousand women in tech part of your network. But your website also calls out some pretty stark statistics. And so I'd like to talk a little bit about that because I think we have to call that out as well. So the statistics on women in tech leadership are not great. Only twenty five percent of c suite leaders are women, and women led startups only receive about two point three percent of VC funding. So can you talk a little bit about those numbers, why they're like that, and what do you think the biggest barriers preventing women from advancing are? Speaker 1
First of all is unconscious bias. I mean, some biases can be very cautious and very, outspoken, so to say, sadly. But, very often it's because we don't have so many role models, it's just really hard to imagine that this person will be able to make it in this role. And I think there are lots of changes happening, but it's happening really, really slow. And then unconscious bias can affect everything, hiring, promotions, funding sessions. And, of course, you know, when you speak about leadership, there is a broken rank. So for every one hundred men promoted for first line management, only eight eighty six, I think, percent of women make it make the same leap. That creates already a leadership cap gap that compounds over time, which means that why we don't see many women at the c suite because, actually, they don't get promoted early enough, and then they might drop out in their journey, which is actually won't even make it to the c level. I mean, not like everyone makes it. And in their journey, women will often face, like, ability panel. So when, for example, they are seen when they are assertive, they often will be labeled as difficult, aggressive, emotional, we called it all. And, while men, for example, being assertive, they are celebrated. I mean, they're encouraged and they're seen as a leader. And, for example, whenever, there is something woman saying, a man would repeat that, and he might look even like, you know, great, like, that he brought that idea. I mean, that's credit theft. That's not so much about, like, ability panel. But I mean, it's Speaker 0
it's it's Self shame. Right? Speaker 1
It's in that in that direction because it's never a combination just of one thing, I think. Because if it's just one thing, maybe we could eliminate that. But if it's unconscious bias, like, ability panel to, lack of role models. And then let's not forget about lack of sponsors. So having mentors is important. I mean, it's super important. I mean, I cannot highlight how important it is. But having someone, in the room who actively advocates for your career career when you're not there. I mean, if we really want change, we need to challenge biases. We need to create more sponsorship opportunities and to reframe leadership in a way that includes women at every level. I think there are some people who still use when they refer to leader he. So I think that's even in the books, I've seen that, unfortunately. Like, they would say, just for the purpose of this book, whenever I say he, I refer to a leader. And I thought this is sad. I mean, I saw books where they say do the same for she just to challenge his biases. Actually, that worked really well. I think that now, you know, after building this community, I feel like wherever I speak about leadership, it's automatically I speak about female leaders because I'm surrounded, you know, in this. But, then again, I get out out there to a conference, and I I realize I'm in my bubble, I guess. I mean, things things are changing, but slow. I mean, these numbers, you know, not the ones we would want to see. Yes. I like to think optimistic because I think wherever we wherever we speak about progress, it's it's important to acknowledge it because and to celebrate it and to not forget what price we had to pay to get there. And especially in times of different backlashes, I think it's it's important to kinda be reminded of that and how fast the progress can be, you know, vanishing in front of your eyes, so to say. Speaker 0
I agree with everything that you said. You said a lot of interesting things. I mean, difficult. That's my favorite one. I've been called that many times. But talking language matters, though. I I actually agree. And often when you challenge it, people think, well, it's such a small thing, like chairman to chair and things like that. Language matters because then it lends to, if I can see it, I can be it, which is also really very important. Speaker 1
Hello, guys, for example. I mean, it's very typical in meetings. People unconsciously use this, but they don't realize that actually it's not an inclusive language. Speaker 0
That's right. And it's it's simple, but if you change simple things, it'll lead to bigger things. And it's really hard to convince people simple things matter. So let's talk a little bit about the funding because I I don't know. Is that two point three percent a worldwide number? Because I know you do a lot of studies. So where I mean, we find similar numbers in Canada. It's very low. Speaker 1
I think it's low everywhere in the world. I mean, if we if we if we want to deep dive, why is that happening? I saw a video recently. Don't remember who it was, but, it was speaking at a huge event. And she said women don't need more mentorship. Women don't need more resources. They they need money. It was in regards to founders. And I think all of this matters, of course. I mean, you need mentors. But if you have just mentors without money, you will not be able to realize your idea. You know? Again, we talked about unconscious bias. Even when whenever, you know, a woman is pitching and, we would have people who are, let's say, in a jury panel, for example, investors asking questions, it can get really, like, personal. You know? Do you think, you would be able to do that after you have kids or different things like that? I mean, it's sometimes sometimes it's very subtle. You know, whenever a man is pitching, they would ask him visionary questions. And for women, it's more like the questions where they need to explain themselves or get a little bit, like, defensive and try to get them in a mode of being defensive. I think it happens because of unconscious bias, in my opinion. I like to believe that not all people out there are just, I don't know, bad people. I think that they it takes time to educate them, building also strong, case studies, speaking up about role models, inviting women to speak up about their success in, surround like, making panels, for example, diverse. Whenever it's, like, some start up event, if there's just one woman, she's again a minority. It's not enough. It's not enough. Speaker 0
No. And there's many there's so many of them. You could fill a whole panel with women if you wanted to. Speaker 1
Exactly. Exactly. I mean, if if there and I still see panels. I mean, male panels, all male panels. It's like That's Speaker 0
a great word. Speaker 1
It's like, you know, you go to the website. Once, one community or event, they reached out to us and said something like, could you please promote, you know, our event? And I looked at the event, and all of them were men. I said, are you kidding me? Did you see sorry. Sorry. I have to really I have to respond to you right now. Please. I mean, you're reaching out to Women Tech Network, and you want us to promote, you know, your event. Sorry. You don't have a single female speaker. And and and she responded that, well, you're actually right. We don't. That was a I mean, Speaker 0
you had to point it out, really. Speaker 1
And, I mean, I understand. Maybe it was someone unexperienced. I mean, I understand, and I don't. I think it's it's important whenever we see that to call out. Ideally, like, try to call out in in private to reach out to organizers, before we, like, call out on social media because not always people are doing it because of bad intentions. But if we can actually help them, maybe finding ways how they could change. If they are open to change, they see a problem, they say it's okay. They're diverse. But, again, I mean, if we talk about gender diversity, that is pretty simple. If you have if you have zero women on a panel, again, one is is is not enough. And I recently had a call with one of our executive members, and we were talking about you know, said this is great, your network, what you're doing and so many women. And she said I just had a meeting where I was leading it I was leading it, and it was all men. Me and ten men on a meeting. She said that's that's it. That's that's how it is. So it's not just a panel. That's a reality whenever you're working in a on a team. Speaker 0
It's every day. It's every day, and that's where the change is hard. I asked Anna what inspired her to write a book, and she said because she found a gap. A gap for thousands of women in tech, skilled, driven, accomplished, But still, the path to real leadership, to paid board positions, to lasting influence is often cluttered with barriers. So what do you do when the stories aren't being told? You tell them yourself. But Anna didn't just tell stories. She collected them from over fifty sea level leaders, layered with research, grounded in data. Because when we talk about barriers, we have to name them. And when we name them, we can start to move them. Okay. So let's talk about your book. It just came out, so that's very exciting. It's called Chief in Tech, which relates to pretty much everything that you're doing. So what inspired you to write it, and what message do you hope resonates with most readers? Speaker 1
Yeah. Absolutely. That's a really good question. I think the things that inspired me, one, I actually, a couple of things. Maybe let's start from the very beginning. I had this dream, as I like to call it, to have dream slash vision, to have my own book, to write my own book. I didn't know what it's going to be about. I just knew that it's going to happen one day, And I knew that when the time comes, I will I will know what it's about. I knew that I want to be an author. Like, it wasn't my life goal, so to say. I guess I didn't anticipate the amount of work it will take because it's an immense amount of work. At a certain point, I was like, maybe I needed to have a ghostwriter, but I'm just kidding. I mean, it's it's just, it's just I think it was, one of the most amazing projects I worked on, because it's not something it's different from writing a post or an article, and I combine it with, fifty Fortune five hundred, c level leaders as well as tech veterans, board members, experts to kinda get this diversity of, different experiences and perspective from people who made it, from people who also work with other leaders and have insights into them, of course, through, backed by research and data, because that is also important to understand where we're at and what are the sources to back up, you know, different statements that we make in the book because, that's not just say, hey. We don't have enough women in technology. What is the data saying? Right? You know, what kind of inspired me, I saw a gap that there were countless women in tech, ambitious, skilled, qualified, talent, impact driven, but the path to leadership was not always clear. And sometimes even when you make it, you are in an impactful role to actually be able to have your voice heard, to make a difference. It can be really tricky, especially if you are not in an environment maybe that supports you or you just don't know how to navigate. Now when I'm in this role, what's now? What changes right? So I wanted to create a guide for people for navigating those challenges, combining real life stories from C level executives and also providing practical strategies. So and the message I hope resonates most is that women belong in leadership and it's time we take up space and own our expertise and redefine what leadership in tech looks like. Speaker 0
Well, it sounds like, a fantastic read, and I know that you do provide actionable advice for overcoming barriers. So can you share some of those tips? Speaker 1
Yeah. Absolutely. I mean, there are bunch of different things that I provide on overcoming barriers. If we look, for example, for, I think it's very challenging for women to sometimes negotiate a salary, so So that, I think, not very typical. So I dedicated an entire chapter on negotiating for your work. So how do you make, you know, that transition and that you actually need to think about your exit strategy when you start a new role? I know it's not very intuitive. You're excited. You don't want to be that kind of a person who already thinks about what happens. But, you know, in times of layoffs or even mergers and acquisition, if you're working for a company, do you need to be really thinking how you protect yourself? And especially if you are in a senior level, you definitely want to negotiate the terms of, you know, your severance package. So how is that going to look like? What is going to be included there? And then even when you make that exit, you can see what perks that you haven't used that could be used. For example, if you had any unpaid vacation days that you can still use, or if there's anything else that you can continue having while you especially if you were laid off so that you could continue having for some time. You can negotiate that. Your worth, you know, is your birthright. I mean, you're already worse of all the great things in life. I mean, your experience matters. What you bring to the table matters. But just to kinda think that you deserve all great things in life and that you can not just attract them, but also be asking for them because it matters to have you having a good lifestyle and then bringing value to this company. Speaker 0
That sounds like a very important chapter. I mean, even just giving permission to negotiate and asking for your worth. I know there's a lot of stats around women, and they don't always do that. But I like how you added looking at what your exit looks like even from the beginning because it's a protective measure. Speaker 1
Yeah. Absolutely. I mean, it's, it's not something maybe women often think about. And there is this notion that women need to be grateful for the opportunities they're given. It's what society dictates us. You know? Speaker 0
Don't take up space, right? Speaker 1
Don't be too loud. Don't be like up space, like share with others. But I mean, in reality, you need to be your biggest advocate. Of course, you need allies to support you. But if you want to be able to achieve great things in life, you need to know that you're worthy of all the things. Speaker 0
It's a great message. It really is. So outside of that advice, if readers take away just one lesson from Chief in Tech, what would what do you hope it will be? Speaker 1
I would say that they belong in leadership and they're capable of breaking any barrier that stands in their way. They don't need to wait for permission to lead, to ask for anything that they want. They need to step up, to own the expertise and advocate for themselves and, of course, each other, because I think that we women need to support other women. We need male allies, of course. And, yeah, just just think that when things get tough, it won't last forever and that you belong in leadership. Speaker 0
Wow. I like it. You belong in leadership. It's a great message. You have so many great messages. It's gonna be fantastic. So we've talked about so many things today. We've talked about unconscious bias and conscious bias and things we can control and things we can't control. So in general, because you talk to so many women leaders, founders, CEOs through your network, what do you see as the most significant challenges for women in leadership today? Speaker 1
That's a good question, and that's a question that I ask, different leaders when I have Speaker 0
a call. Now I'm asking you. Speaker 1
So for example, if we if we talk about c level leaders, one of the biggest challenges is actually getting on boards Mhmm. Because it's really tricky. It's it's not easy. I mean, it's it's one of the biggest challenges, really. Speaker 0
And when we say boards, we're we're really talking about paid boards and corporations because often, they don't we have to extract the time we give back to charities and nonprofits, which is also very important. But often, the conversation around room and boards is really, about paid boards. So I think that we we just should be clear about that. Speaker 1
Thanks for clarifying that. I mean, lots of women generally I think that more women want to give back from what I see at least, and they want to be more nonprofit advisory boards. Not one, but they they want that for sure. I mean, they know they want, and they actually often would get that. But where it's hard to break into is this boys' club, men's club, if you will. It's, it's it's it's very private. It's really tricky. I mean, in my in my book, I share about joining boards, and how what is the best way to to start. We talk also about starting with nonprofit and advisory boards, of course, because that still helps you build up your experience. Because if you want to get on a public board, for example, it's a huge jump. You know, if you don't have that experience, no one would just come and say, okay, you're amazing. We are like, you know, we want you to have on board. It's it's it's more complex. So you want to build up your experience. So even you have a nonprofit board experience, that's a huge plus. I mean, it it's it's already you're building traction. You're building your your portfolio that you have, and there is lots you can learn. I'd also talk in my book about finance sponsors, building, you know, sponsorship relationships, and why do you need more than one sponsor generally. Because if your sponsor leaves tomorrow, who is going to support you? I mean, you need to be thinking that how you can diversify, you know, your sponsorship portfolio, so to say. So that's definitely a challenge for women securing sponsors. It takes a ton of work for women to make this work and different daily battles. Like, we're not we're not talking about microaggressions. We are talking about general workplaces where you can have, people who support and understand women, who like working with women, see them as equal parties, and then someone who thinks that maybe they're not qualified enough. Though in many cases, women are overqualified Speaker 0
That is very true. Speaker 1
For the role. So, yeah, I mean, there are a bunch of challenges, I mean, out there. I mean, like, ability panel, we cover that and kind of breaking all kinds of stereotypes, juggling different responsibilities in life. If you're a mom or you just became a mom and then transitioned into work, how you how you perceived at work, that maybe now you will not be taking some high impact projects. Maybe you will be not so dedicated at work. There is lots of these perceptions, though. I mean, funny enough, I also heard stories, from women, who actually, after giving birth to the to to a child, they were promoted right away, and I love these stories. I think we need to have more of these stories. Speaker 0
Well, those are all great, challenges, but also providing some ideas and solutions on how to start working to overcome them. So thank you. That was very helpful. With all of your knowledge and all of the women in your network that you've talked to, what advice do you have for the next generation of leaders? Speaker 1
That's a really great question. I would say be bold, be curious, and support others because I think that we we cannot be we shouldn't be doing everything alone. And there is joy in that shared success. And that's advice I would give probably my younger self, you know, be bold, be courageous, And, just whenever you have an idea, if you really, really want to implement it, just go for it and see what happens. You might be surprised. I mean, I actually I never thought I will be running this global movement. I will never thought I will build such a huge network. I wanted to do something impactful. It was always my core values, you know, to empower people, to give back, to help them recognize their potential, to create opportunities. But then, you know, it just started happening out of a sudden, and then you had this vision and then it started to become a reality. And I think, wow, that's amazing. Speaker 0
Well, it is amazing. And thank you for taking the time to have this conversation with me. I really enjoyed it, and it was lovely to meet you. But thank you for everything you're doing for women around the world. I think what you're doing is really important, and I'm glad you're helping move everything forward. Speaker 1
Thanks for having me. Appreciate your kind words. Speaker 0
Voices of Leadership is part of the Bespoke Productions Hub network of independent podcasters. If you are interested in partnering with us as a sponsor or if you have a podcast of your own, please visit bespoke productions hub dot com for more information. This episode is hosted, produced, and edited by me, Amy Schluter. 
