Noting the disparities between male- and female-led companies, two filmmakers seek to champion entrepreneurship and inspire girls to explore tech careers.
In She Started It, directors Nora Poggi and Insiyah Saeed follow four female founders for one year as they advance their tech startups. The four entrepreneurs are Thuy Truong of GreenGar, Brienne Ghafourifar of Entefy, Stacey Ferreira of MySocialCloud and Agathe Molinar of Lemon Curve. The documentary also features executives such as Debbie Sterling, who created the GoldieBlox engineering toys.
Brienne Ghafourifar pictured as the sole woman on the Entefy team. Screengrab from entefy.com.
“In Silicon Valley, women earn only 49 cents to a man’s dollar and get less than 10% of all [venture capital] funding,” the directors wrote on the film’s website. “The numbers are indeed changing, but perhaps not fast enough. For women to play such a minor role in an industry that has become so prevalent in our lives, it would seem we are losing out on a lot of potential.”
Forget about relationship problems. These ladies have other things on their minds.
“Some friends text me about, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m having this boy issue,’ and I’m like, “Oh my gosh, I’m having this investor issue,” Ferreira said in the documentary’s official trailer (see above).
“Some friends text me about, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m having this boy issue,’ and I’m like, “Oh my gosh, I’m having this investor issue.”
Poggi, 25, took time from her hectic filming schedule (she landed in Singapore on June 9) to talk to Girlmade about the importance of failure and how parents and educators can foster entrepreneurialism at a young age.
Nora Poggi
How do you define “startup”?
NP: Creating a product from scratch with a lot of passion!
Do you think failure is important to help a startup succeed? If so, will failure be explored in the film?
NP: Yes, failure is very important because it teaches you a lot about yourself, resilience and how to overcome obstacles. Failure can happen in small ways every day for a lot of entrepreneurs, and we definitely try to show that in the film. But the attitude one has towards failure is the most important part. She Started It has been very much like a startup in this regard.
“Failure can happen in small ways every day for a lot of entrepreneurs, and we definitely try to show that in the film. But the attitude one has towards failure is the most important part.”
What are some snags/failures She Started It experienced during its production?
NP: We had to struggle to raise initial funds on Indiegogo, build a team, get the word out while working hard on the story. Right now we are actually at a critical turning point, as we need to raise $40,000 to be able to edit the film this summer in time for the Sundance September deadline!
In your opinion, what can parents do to foster their daughters’ interest in tech fields at a young age?
NP: Teach your daughters about ambition, encourage them to try out STEM and buy them GoldieBlox instead of Barbies! Pitch competitions and programs like Black Girls Code, Girls Who Code or Technovation help too. It’s mostly about telling girls they can do anything and that tech can be cool. Show them they could create those apps they like and use.
What, in your opinion, can education systems do to nurture an entrepreneurial spirit (in girls and boys) at primary or secondary schools and at universities?
NP: Foster ambition, organize projects and pitch competitions to ignite imagination and creation. Schools need to teach kids about using their brains and building team projects instead of filling out multiple choice quizzes. Tech needs to be taught everywhere at a much younger age through coding classes.
“Schools need to teach kids about using their brains and building team projects instead of filling out multiple choice quizzes.”
I watched the trailer for She Started It. Beautiful work. I noticed women of various ages were included. In terms of feedback about the film, has there been something — a common theme or something that’s been said — that has connected these young girls, budding entrepreneurs and established businesswomen? (Aside from their gender, of course.)
NP: They all have incredible drive and passion, and all of them — no matter the experience, age or background — are very resilient and dedicated to what they do. Just like male entrepreneurs!
She Started It is set to premiere this fall. To contribute to the film as it enters its post-production stage, click here.
Header image: She Started It Tumblr
