When Priya Rudradas was commuting four hours round trip from Gainesville to Orlando to attend Women in Tech and Entrepreneurship (WTE) events every few months, she was in search of something.
That search led her to a supportive community of tech and entrepreneurial women that opened doors for her career journey.
As a technologist with over 25 years of experience in computer science and educational technology, Rudradas said she understands the isolation that women can feel in a primarily male-dominated field.
“This industry is mostly men driven, and it is really hard to stay in the industry if you don't have the right role models or the right support system,” Rudradas said.
Before Rudradas first came across WTE, she was struggling to adjust to the post-COVID life.
“It was really hard to work in what felt like a bubble,” Rudradas said. “I needed to be in touch with other technologists and entrepreneurs who were having the same issues.”
Raechel Canipe, WTE’s founder and CEO, said that financial limitations can make it difficult for people looking to break into tech careers.
Oftentimes, people may not be able to afford professional memberships or may not be at a company yet that will pay for those memberships to help them find their footing in the industry. And so, in February of 2022, the first WTE chapter was created in Tampa.
A “Valentine's Day gift from me to me was to file this business, and this was my commitment to myself that I was finally going to stick my neck out and be brave enough to bring this idea [of WTE] into the world,” Canipe said.
After witnessing firsthand some of the barriers that women in tech and entrepreneur fields face, Canipe knew that this organization had potential.
“What I realized in discussing this with the women entrepreneurs in my life is that it’s a really isolating journey, and there are a lot of closed doors along the way and a lot of opportunities that are gate kept behind really high fees,” Canipe said.
By creating a fully volunteer-run organization, she gives women the opportunity to gain traction for their careers and startup businesses at no cost. And the group provides a space for them to network and find common ground.
Christine Caven, co-chair of WTE Gainesville and director of business development and communication for PS27 Ventures, said that women within WTE’s network and beyond face obstacles in terms of underrepresentation and a lack of venture capital funding.
“One of the things that is a glaring gap within the VC industry is that less than 2% of female founders receive venture capital funding,” Caven said.
Hector Sandoval, the director of the economic analysis program of the Bureau of Economics and Business Research at the University of Florida, said that the job market for technology employees and entrepreneurs can be rocky.
Nationwide, job positions in the tech and entrepreneurial industries have not been growing due to the high interest rates that the Federal Reserve put in place to combat inflation, Sandoval said.
Recently, the Federal Reserve kept the interest rates unchanged. This could potentially prevent businesses from hiring more employees due to the uncertainties of the job market in a relatively slow economy, Sandoval said.
And the issues don’t stop there. Ghost job requisitions come into play as well. Canipe said that by looking across platforms like Indeed and LinkedIn, it would seem like there are a lot of open opportunities but instead, they are “ghost jobs.”
In an article by the New York Post, it was revealed that 1 in 5 job listings are fake or never filled.
This can be very disheartening for tech and entrepreneurial job seekers, “it makes it feel like there are tons of jobs out there but nobody [wants to hire them],” Canipe said.
Rudradas said she found herself on another long commute to Orlando for a WTE event, when she decided she wanted to take on a role as a co-chair. She partnered with Canipe to create space for the growing tech and entrepreneurial hub in Gainesville. So in October of 2024, the 9th Chapter was opened.
“Gainesville is an amazing innovation community and hidden gem here in Florida,” Canipe said.
The members of WTE work to provide women with a platform where they can access educational content, business resources, industry insights, and mentorship with female leaders, all without the worry of paying membership fees.
For many women, WTE has become a beacon of hope in a job market full of obstacles. What started as a small dinner in Tampa has blossomed into a growing network of over 5,000 members. There are also plans to expand and create new chapters.
According to Canipe, many members, including Rudradas and Caven, have found job opportunities through WTE.
The Gainesville chapter of WTE has its next event scheduled for Feb. 12 at San Felasco Tech City.
The key to success in this job market is to “always try to be around other inspiring women and learn from other’s career journey’s,” Caven said.