Blast off the glass ceiling—advice from Laika’s women crew on empowering young women in tech this International Women's Day
When we think of female space travelers in tech, we envision dedicated, strong, and smart women in a—let’s be honest, male-dominated workplace. Gender equality is something we, as Laika Space Dogs, strive for, but is it as obvious as we think? Unfortunately, the hard truth is that 74% of women in male-dominated workplaces still face statements such as, "You are too hot to be smart," or other forms of discrimination—according to CIO, an online tech and IT magazine. This is unacceptable. We believe it's time to launch gender diversity into a new stratosphere like never before. Especially on this #InternationalWomensDay, our crew says yes to embracing equity in tech and innovation for everyone.
We interviewed our women crew members and asked them to share their best advice to younger female space travelers related to this year’s International Women’s Day theme: tech and innovation. Get some nuggets of inspiration from some of our crew members who power our spaceship “Laika” boss.
Space Captain, Michaela, shares her professional advice:
With over 12 years of experience in PR, Michaela, the CEO and founder of Laika, built Laika from scratch and steered the spaceship with great skill and expertise, navigating the challenges of both B2C and B2B communications in the DACH market. She believes that women should support and lift each other up.
What’s the hardest part for younger female space travelers in the tech and innovation field, according to Ela? She explains, “I find it really tough how much harder we have it to prove our worth. I feel like we are still being talked down to, paid less, and negotiating worse for ourselves as well—I'm no exception to that, and could kick my own ass sometimes when I negotiated poorly. However, I, and other female tech talent, don't have to accept that, but actively fight it. We are worth so much more!”
Michaela also emphasizes how important it is to network, “Networking is an everyday opportunity and is crucial. This can be done with everyone. Go out of your comfort zone and try to create a network of people that you get along with. Motivate and lift each other up. See your colleague as your wing woman and join events to connect and introduce yourselves to others. Always be open-minded and interested. The person you are talking to could be your next colleague. Think of it like training a muscle—you need to do it repeatedly, and as you do, you will meet more and more people with similar interests and jobs.”
Space Commander, Julia, shares her professional advice:
Julia shifted her career from the music industry to PR. Her greatest assets lie in her creative flair and organizational abilities, which have proved invaluable in delivering results for clients. “Shifting my career from music to PR was like learning a new language,” Julia says.
What’s Julia’s tip for young female space travelers? “Take your time to learn all the tools and figure out how things work. In conversations, always listen to the situation first. Secondly, speak up, and ask questions if you need to. Look for a role model who encourages you to grow, and most of all, be brave enough to speak up if you witness injustice, or if you do not agree with something. Share your experiences with others.”
Women hold 26.7% of the jobs in tech, according to Exploding Topics, a website tracking emerging and trending topics. Julia expresses her view on women in the tech industry, “I personally know so many awesome women that are working in the tech sector, and they are totally capable of doing the same tasks that men are doing. But I think we also need to awaken the interest of young girls more—engage them with tech, maybe coding, early on, and so on. And I’m glad this is changing! Let’s hope that the number of women in the tech industry, as well as female-owned businesses, continues to grow.”
Space Commander, Isabelle, shares her professional advice:
Isabelle loves to network, and as a PR consultant with a strong focus on B2B tech topics, this is a must. She goes to trade fairs, meetups, and conferences to interview founders and discover the field of possibilities. Using her communication, PR and language skills (she’s fluent in French, German and English), she helps tech companies, among others, grow their visibility.
What’s Isa’s top advice to young female professionals? “We all have the power to become great leaders, so practice it and find out which leader you are—making mistakes along the way is completely normal. Don’t be shy about it, communicate and dare to ask questions. Learn to speak up—taking the lead doesn’t always need to be seen as a power move, because it’s something we do everyday in different aspects of our lives.”
She adds, “Get to know yourself and choose a company that shares your values. You know, women tend to undervalue their skills. So if you have the confidence even without having the experience you believe you need, you might be closer to your true potential than you think. Find the courage in yourself to say what you want to say and most of all, be informed in order to hold the deck of cards on your side.”
Space Commander, Veronica, shares her professional advice:
Veronica, a self-proclaimed multipotentialite, sees inspiration in everything. She gets the most satisfaction from helping others to find their full potential. Her mission is to support projects and stories that incite curiosity, communication, compassion, connection and creativity. She leads Laika’s creative marketing endeavors.
Vero advises, “Unmake your box. Be aware that labels are just labels and no one can put you in a box. Create your own adventure, let it be in tech and innovation or other—take your future into your own hands. There's no point in guessing whether you'll like something without ever trying it. Try it, do it, and then assess.”
She adds, “Connect with other professionals and build a support network of allies. Reach out and find a mentor or role model who is doing what you want, and have the courage to ask them how they got to where they are in life—use their story as a guide. Be brave, make yourself heard and try to take up as much space as possible—the more you do it, the easier it gets.”
Space Commander, Myra, shares her professional advice:
Prior to joining Laika, Myra was an entrepreneur with over 13 years of experience. She ran a B2B web platform for travel professionals in Ukraine. She brings all her years of professional knowledge, experience, and building client loyalty to Laika.
Myra states, “Never waste your time sitting and waiting for something to come to you. If you want something, just go and get it. If you want to do something new, if you want to do something interesting, just go and do it, and never wait for something to come to you. If you want to be in an innovation field, make it the target—make a list of those you would like to work with, approach them. If you take action, and put in the work, you will eventually get results.”
She also had another very important tip for younger female space travelers: “Always choose yourself. Ask yourself what you really want in life. What do you want to bring to your life? Follow your feelings. And never forget the importance of finding balance. Any client, company, or job, cannot be more important than you. We sometimes forget that a job is a job, and that like everything in life, balance is key.”
YoungStar, Chiara, shares her professional advice from a younger POV:
Laika YoungStar, Chiara, has a passion for communications and media strategy. She has a passion for growth, personal and professional development, and strives to improve her skills in the PR field. Her background includes studies in Communication at the University of Applied Sciences of Amsterdam. After starting at Laika as an intern, she continued to support the Laika crew as a remote working student—a satellite in the Netherlands.
Chiara’s younger perspective: “Work hard, be ambitious, but keep in mind that setting boundaries is as important as not overstepping them. Don’t fall into the trap of becoming addicted to your work, instead get addicted to growth. Never forget to take time for yourself during the process, and believe in your capacities. Learn by listening to those with more experience, and try to find your position in the company. Believe in yourself—don't put too much pressure on yourself. Be young, there is a whole world in front of you.”
She adds, “Discover the tech industry by exploring areas that align with your interests. If you want to excel in a specific subject, you need to fully immerse yourself in it. Don't be overwhelmed—the tech and innovation industry has a lot to offer. Learn as much as you can during the process.”
Blast off the glass ceiling
As our women Space Dogs encourage, know your worth, find role models, make allies, set your boundaries, speak up, and try new things. On this International Women’s Day, let’s celebrate the achievements of women in tech and innovation and strive for more women to join the industry. Together we will create a future where gender equality is the norm. At Laika we embrace equality in tech and innovation for everyone.