YC Female founders conference wasn’t about women in tech

It was about ambitious women from all walks of life. I went there and was pleasantly surprised to be in a throng of women 800 strong. The talks themselves were great. But what truly inspired me is that Y Combinator managed to attract women from so many different fields. I met people passionate about non-profits, someone who runs a jewelry business and teaches in India, someone who has a thriving CPA practice, even an actress.

When I signed up for the conference, I assumed it was for us techie types. So naturally, I wasn’t expecting a crowd larger than 200 :p. But Y Combinator here transcended it’s original motif of a technology accelerator and came out as a force that powers people’s dreams — technical or not. It was compelling to see people from India, London, the Midwest, all mingle with us Valley residents and connect over raw ambition. It didn’t matter whether you wanted to do a startup or not. This was the place people with goals congregated. And they happened to be all women.

To me, that’s diversity at its finest.

Originally published at wakatime.com on February 25, 2015.