Inspiring Women in Blockchain
Despite disrupting the way we live and leading the change, tech industries are notorious for lagging behind when it comes to gender equality. However, we are starting to see more and more successful women filling the roles in software development teams and executive boards of tech startups. Today we are taking a look at a few inspiring women who are making a difference in the blockchain space.
Kathryn Haun
Kathryn Haun is the first female General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz’s crypto fund and one of cryptocurrency’s most important investors. Kathryn also serves on the boards of Coinbase and HackerOne. Previously, she spent a decade as a federal prosecutor focusing on fraud, cyber, and corporate crime alongside agencies including the SEC, FBI, and Treasury. She created the government’s first cryptocurrency task force and led investigations into the Mt. Gox hack and the corrupt agents on the Silk Road task force. Most recently, she expressed interest in nonfungible tokens because of the new ownership structure it offered to creators and collectors.
Tonya M. Evans
Tonya M. Evans is an incredible educator recognized for her work in blockchain and cryptocurrency, data, law and social justice. She writes, speaks, and teaches about the intersections of copyright and new technologies. Dr. Evans is Professor of Law at the Penn State Dickinson Law School. She created the University of New Hampshire’s Blockchain, Cryptocurrency & Law online professional certificate program. This course aims to cover what is often overlooked — the legal implications of blockchain. Dr. Evans serves as Chairperson of the MakerDAO’s Maker Ecosystem Growth Foundation, member of the Bermuda Global FinTech Advisory Board, and Observing Member of the Global Blockchain Business Council.
Laura Shin
Formerly senior editor at Forbes, Laura Shin was the first mainstream journalist to cover the topic of bitcoin and cryptocurrency full-time. Laura is a crypto journalist and host of the crypto podcasts Unchained and Unconfirmed sharing big ideas from the world of blockchain and cryptocurrency. She often speaks at conferences on the subjects of crypto assets, digital currencies, Bitcoin, Ethereum, ICOs, blockchain and related subjects. Most notably, she is her own boss. With her 2018 talk at TEDx San Francisco, Laura inspired thousands of people by explaining how crypto could enable people to run their own business.
Natalia Shirshova
Natalia Shirshova is the Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer of REINNO — an award-winning startup disrupting commercial real estate lending with blockchain technology. With a background in Economics researching non-performing loans and stock market interdependencies, she is leading the fintech revolution. One of her main goals is demystifying and destigmatizing the world of digital assets. Although people all over the world are already using cryptocurrency, many still don’t see security tokens as something worth their attention. Natalia believes that education and cooperation between blockchain companies are essential for wider adoption.
Olayinka Odeniran
Olayinka Odeniran is the Founder and Chairwoman of Black Women Blockchain Council — a global benefit organization that aims to enhance inclusion and representation in the industry through training, mentorship, networking and visibility programs. Together with her fellow board members, Olayinka creates a safe space that inspires and empowers women of color pursuing a career in blockchain and fintech. BWBC’s programs, such as Girls Who Blockchain, Emerging Leaders Fellowship, and BWBC Labs, support future leaders and promote economic inclusion.
Natasha Bansgopaul
Natasha Bansgopaul is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of DarcMatter — a capital raising venture for fund managers interested in alternative startups. With a passion for learning, business development, diversity, inclusion, and technology, Natasha is a strong leader and blockchain enthusiast. She is focused on using technology to make positive changes and break the barriers that still exist in financial services. Most recently, Natasha became a White House Presidential Innovation Fellow; this program connects industry’s top technologists and strategists with federal changemakers to co-create bold solutions for public good.
Dawn Song
Dawn Song is a serial entrepreneur, academic, and professor at the University of California, Berkeley. Her research is focused on deep learning, security and blockchain, in addition to computer security, privacy and applied cryptography. She is the Co-Founder and CEO of Oasis Labs — a blockchain-based cloud computing company building tools for data privacy, security, and collaborative analytics. Dawn Song participated in numerous blockchain events and received industry recognition. She is ranked as the most-cited scholar in computer security. An advocate for data privacy, she is leading the conversation about the responsible-data community.
Hester Peirce
Hester Peirce is a lawyer specializing in financial market regulation, a Commissioner on the Securities and Exchange Commission, and most importantly a “Crypto Mom”. She is one of the most vocal proponents of crypto at the federal level in the United States. Her contribution to the success of blockchain projects is invaluable. During her time at the SEC, she has been pushing the commission to address its lack of clarity on issues such as which cryptocurrencies qualify as securities offerings. In 2020 Peirce introduced a safe harbor for digital assets that aim to become decentralized over time, giving protection to good-faith projects.
Camila Russo
Camila Russo is a financial journalist with experience across continents and asset classes, focused on more volatile corners of the market. She spent four years as an emerging markets reporter for Bloomberg, covering debt in Argentina. Camila was investigating ways local investors protected themselves from inflation, which led her to discovering Bitcoin. Later in New York, she wrote one of the first-ever ICO posts to be featured on Bloomberg. She founded a popular newsletter focused on decentralized finance — The Defiant. Camila is truly one of the most prolific and dedicated cryptocurrency reporters.
Of course, there are many more incredible female entrepreneurs, journalists, researchers and other professionals in the blockchain world. However, we hope that this list inspires you to jumpstart your career — whether you change your industry completely, like Kathryn Haun, or join one of Olayinka Odeniran’s programs. If you think we missed someone — let us know in the comments!
