“Bringing professional women to the front” is the motto of Women on Stage, an organization founded 4 years ago by Moran Weber, which provides a professional development platform where women in the tech sector can learn, network and grow together. The aim is to harness the leadership potential of women to lead the high-tech industry, a field where women are often in the minority and find it difficult to assert themselves and develop their full potential. With this in mind, Moran drew inspiration from her own personal story, and decided to give women back the place they deserve with a space entirely dedicated to them, where they have the opportunity to develop their careers spectacularly, both in Israel and abroad.
“I worked as a software developer for 10 years at Wix and was one of the only women on my team; as a result, I encountered a lot of difficulties. I thought I was the only one in this situation, but I soon realized that the majority of women felt the same way. It wasn't always like this, because until the 1980s, it was more of a woman's profession; then, with the advent of home computers, everything changed. Today, because of social norms and the messages conveyed, there are very few women in this sector”, says Moran Weber.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Moran and his team launched a Speaker Platform that quickly became a huge success, with hundreds of registrations. The platform brings together female speakers and organizers of high-tech conferences and events. Each participant can create a profile with the type of conference she would like to organize, and thus be invited to take part in major technology events. This platform acts as a real catalyst and gives these women a real boost. “We've a lot of very smart and interesting women who just need some guidance to make a bigger impact and attract a bigger audience,” says Moran.
The aim is also to make them known to influential figures in the industry, who then have a wide choice of highly qualified professionals to select from for their next event. This is one of the world's largest databases for professional women speakers in technology, with a network of almost 1,000 people.
“The women who come to us are very talented and full of goodwill, but in their field nobody knows it or picks it up, so we're here to bring their abilities to the fore. Through our various workshops and courses, both virtual and face-to-face, we teach them how to produce quality talks and regain their confidence. They're all diamonds that just need polishing,” says Moran.
A source of motivation
Women on Stage not only helps women to network, but also to express themselves in public, something they are not necessarily used to doing in a predominantly male-dominated environment. The women's platform also enables women to identify with successful role models of the same sex. “It's easier for them to dream big if they have a successful woman with a similar background in front of them, and that really motivates them,” says Moran.
“At the beginning of my career, I was rather shy, I didn't intervene much and I didn't dare speak in public, I was afraid people would tell me I was there by mistake, and with time I understood that most women were going through the same thing to different degrees. They don't ask enough questions or put themselves forward enough, even though they're able to and have plenty of exciting things to say. Society as a whole loses out,” she laments.
The women who have been lucky enough to take part in the Women on Stage adventure say that it has literally “changed their lives”, and that they have been able to get their careers off the ground in a very short space of time.
“All our participants are very grateful because it's also a great human experience, which has enabled them to get a dream job, receive great raises and achieve things they hadn't been able to on their own,” explains Moran.
In the near future, Moran hopes to export this model not only abroad, but also to other sectors. She is also working on the development of software to create content and enable women to sell their expertise on social networks and You Tube, which will be a “digital coach.”
Caroline Haïat
Comments