EP #532 - Bea Knecht, Carla Bünger & Sandra Trittin: Why Aren’t There More Women in Tech?

This episode was sponsored by ⁠Google Cloud⁠. Join their ⁠Founder's Story⁠ event on December 4th to hear an exclusive panel discussion with visionary leaders sharing what it takes to go from building companies to funding them.

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This episode was originally a live conversation recorded at the ⁠SEF.Growth⁠ Founders Conference back in June 2025.

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Episode Summary:

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⁠Beat Knecht⁠ is the co-founder and CEO of the TV streaming provider ⁠Zattoo⁠, and a general partner at the VC fund REALR. She also founded Genistat and Levuro. Bea holds a BA in Computer Science from the University of California, Berkeley.

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⁠Carla Bünger⁠ is the co-founder of ⁠Phoenix Technologies⁠, a tech cluster that drives the AI landscape through its sovereign hyper-secure IT infrastructure (kvant Cloud) and its SaaS solutions in frontier technologies. She also co-founded KORE Technologies Switzerland. Carla holds an MA in International Relations from the Geneva Graduate Institute.

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⁠Sandra Trittin⁠ is the co-founder and CGO of ⁠beebop.ai⁠, a power grid orchestration software which unlocks grid flexibility within consumer devices, turning it into a valuable, tradable asset. She also founded Futurize Energy. Sandra holds an MBA from Mannheim Business School.

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During their chat with Silvan, our 3 guests discussed the current representation of women in tech in the Western world. Women are significantly underrepresented in tech, especially in leadership roles (e.g., only 22% of AI professionals in Switzerland are women). They face career obstacles such as stereotypes, biases, and societal filters that hinder their progress.

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Diverse teams drive innovation, but the tech industry often overlooks this potential. To improve gender representation, proactive efforts are needed, including:

• Encouraging risk-taking (critical for startups and leadership).
• Building support systems (mentorship, peer networks).
• Fostering STEM environments for girls to ensure future diversity.
• Addressing unconscious biases in hiring and promotions.
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Ultimately, empowering women in tech requires systemic change, from education to workplace culture, to unlock their full potential and drive long-term progress.

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📸 The cover portrait was edited by ⁠@smartportrait_io⁠.

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