People follow what they see. One of the problems with introducing women to the tech and business fields is they have few role models to inspire them. This isn’t because such role models don’t exist; there have been many successful women. Rather, media tends to focus on the male experience. Countering this collective bias is a real and necessary challenge.

To gain some insight on media from a woman’s focus, host Rebecca Knight (@knightrm) and guest host Pooja Sivaraman (@poojasiv), with theCUBE and the SiliconANGLE Media team, visited the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing conference in Houston, TX. There, they met with Nora Poggi, director and producer of “She Started It,” a documentary film empowering the next generation of women tech founders.

Startup funding and spotlights

The discussion opened with a look at the difficulties facing entrepreneurial women. Poggi was clear that funding posed a big problem. People want to invest in those who look like them, and for most, that means white men. Even though a woman might be talented and have a great track record, business fundraising is still a challenge.

Another issue for women in the business community is visibility. Poggi mentioned how things are changing, but even so there are not enough spotlights for women who are building companies. She also felt that it was inspiring to see how those women were truly persistent and resilient, showing the true grit that marks an entrepreneur.

Visibility for women in tech

“She Started It” is a movie about women starting their own companies. Poggi related that her goal was to reach at least 1 million women and girls with the film. She stated that people might not recognize the influence of media in their lives, but they relate to the heroes on screen. She hopes to help people identify with women role models.

The time for such role models is now. Poggi mentioned how women are leaving the tech industry because of the company culture and tech culture in general. While there’s an influx of women into the field, retention is just as important.

“People are going to keep leaving if they don’t feel represented or listened to,” Poggi said.

Watch the complete video interview below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE and theCUBE’s coverage of the Anita Borg Institute’s Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing.

Photo by SiliconANGLE