Women on Stage: Amplifying the Voices of Women in Tech

In a world where the tech industry is the catalyst and an innovative motor, gender diversity is key to an organization’s success. According to Exploding Topics, women hold just 26.7% of tech-related jobs—and that number has actually decreased by 2.1% over the last few years. 

Continuously underrepresented, women shy away from growing in their careers as a result of facing the “broken rung” obstacle in the workplace. Typically remaining within the same classic roles for many years, they seldom advance to higher level technical positions and move up the organizational ladder. 

If there’s one fem in STEM that is on a mission to transform tech leadership to become more gender diverse and empower women to take the lead, foster personal and professional growth, and confidently express their voices–it’s Moran Weber, CEO & Founder of Women on Stage–a digital stage and learning platform aiming to shatter the barriers and unleash the untapped potential within professional women in the tech industry. 

With a Masters degree in Social Psychology, complemented by a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, and boasting a decade as a Software Developer, six years of which were at Wix–Moran is a visionary leader and tech trailblazer who has carved a distinctive path in the tech industry–making the best out of this unique fusion throughout her career. 

From overcoming her own stage fright and impostor syndrome to becoming a renowned speaker and public speaking coach–Moran is on a mission to revolutionize the narrative of women in technology through a commitment to knowledge-sharing, connection, and growth with Women on Stage. 

Embodying a unique blend of strategic vision, adaptability, and inspiring qualities to navigate the intricate landscape of the industry successfully, her unique fusion of technical prowess, psychological insight, and advocacy for women in tech positions her as a transformative force in the industry. 

Transforming Tech Leadership

Embarking on a mission to redefine the landscape of tech leadership, Women on Stage emerges as a groundbreaking force. This innovative digital stage and learning platform aims to empower women to break barriers, and unleash their untapped potential in the tech industry. 

Serving as a catalyst for change, the platform fosters a community where women amplify their voices, create content, share expertise, and collectively shape the future of their careers in STEM through increased visibility.

Moran, can you share with us your vision for Women on Stage?

“Absolutely! Women on Stage is a digital platform that was established to provide women in tech the opportunity to share knowledge, connect, and grow together. We upskill women and amplify their voices – creating more role models for women in STEM and leadership positions – and bringing them to physical and metaphorical stages around the world. 

At Women on Stage, we strongly believe in the power of representation: ‘If you can see it, you can be it’. Together, we create a movement that inspires women to lead, grow, and speak up. This is the core of our mission and the fuel that keeps us going.” 

What are some challenges your platform strives to solve and opportunities that it offers?

“In this day and age, women are highly underrepresented in tech and leadership positions– despite the fact that, not too long ago, software development used to be a woman’s playing field. That’s how we know women have the potential to lead the tech industry–and we’re on a mission to unlock that potential. 

With Women on Stage, we believe that more women will be inspired to share their unique stories, skillset, and knowledge with the entire tech community by learning how to navigate the  spotlight and increasing their visibility–ultimately encouraging them to speak up and build up their confidence on all of life’s stages.”

How did you get to founding Women on Stage?

“It all started with The Speaker Platform–a side project I launched during COVID to make tech events more inclusive and accessible. My goal was to provide event or conference organizers access to a large pool of highly qualified women professionals to choose from to speak at their next event. I’ve lost count of the number of times we have heard organizers say that ‘there simply aren’t any women professionals that can speak on this topic’ or ‘Women just don’t apply’. This propelled my desire to prove them wrong and show them the endless potential of women leaders and speakers that are shaping STEM fields. The Speaker Platform achieved overnight viral success–making it one of the largest databases in the world with access to more than 900 professional women speakers from the tech ecosystem across the globe. 

As I reflect on my career in tech, I realized that I worked as a software developer in a mostly male-dominated profession for many years and was often afraid to be vocal out of fear of being undermined or considered a ‘fraud’. Back then, I used to have severe stage fright and considered myself an introvert. I would have never imagined that one day I’d be standing on stage, and speaking about topics that interest me the most in front of over 2000 people–and that they’d be cheering me on. 

Following the launch of The Speaker Platform, I came to this realization that there are thousands of extremely talented women working in tech worldwide, who likely shy away from opportunities to present on stage as they lack the tools to put themselves out there and into the spotlight. I wanted to provide a safe and empathetic place for women to grow their technical public speaking abilities, so that they can bring their incredible talent to light. More than that, the goal was also to offer them support in developing their confidence when presented with a chance to speak at various engagements throughout their professional careers.

Shortly after, we established the Technical Speakers Academy–a full training program created to train technical women to become professional public speakers at conferences. Using this proven academic model, we provide participants with the skills they need to become the next generation of thought leaders–both nationally and internationally. 

Additionally, as part of this effort, we produce dozens of conferences and meetups aimed for women in tech and their allies. Both the in-person and virtual events are designed to showcase top leaders from our Speaker Platform or our outstanding graduates from the Technical Speakers Academy. Typically open to all genders, our events consist of insightful talks around hundreds of engaging topics that highlight and celebrate leading technical women from all across the tech industry.”

What would you say is an industry shortcoming?

“The fact is that gender diversity in tech is still an issue–and it’s not because women lack the skills to do it. Women are highly underrepresented in tech and leadership positions, despite the fact that companies with more diversity perform better and get higher returns, and that back in the 1960s, coding was actually considered a woman’s job–until something happened in the 1980s that dramatically decreased their presence. 

People think this is a “natural” given fact or that our brains are wired differently, but they are wrong. I’m on a mission to change that perception and make it my life’s mission to fix the gender gap in tech by creating more role models for women in STEM and creating more female computer geeks – because ‘if you can see it, you can be it.’”

What sets your company apart from others in the industry?

“Our platform is designed by women in tech, for women in tech. It’s based on our own experiences in having to overcome the challenges that women in R&D face. We have a deep understanding of the psychological factors involved within the tech ecosystem. 

Women on Stage provides a holistic solution that is valuable on all of life’s stages–not only for women who are actually on stage, but also for the ones who are inspired to lead and speak up as well–and their employers who want to be part of the change.

How does a typical day on the job look like for you?

“As CEO and Founder, you can catch me doing a million different things – product, development, QA, content, marketing, sales. I’m also a mother to 2 young children, and married to a doctor – so I’m extremely busy–but I absolutely love what I do and feel like I definitely found my biggest passion in life–and I’m so grateful for that. I really want to see more women entrepreneurs start their own businesses. It’s hard but definitely the greatest sense of accomplishment.”

What would you say is the most challenging aspect of your work and how do you overcome it?

“Juggling it all. I’m still working on that, and trying to be compassionate and patient with myself.”

With everything you do and manage, how do you maintain a work-life balance?

“Honestly, I outsource as much as possible. I mainly work from home so the key is to be in charge of your own schedule and still finish early enough to have enough time to be with the kids.”

What keeps you motivated and inspires you most?

“My mission. It’s like I was born for it. It’s stronger than me. Listening and learning from powerful and wonderful brilliant women leaders is what inspires me the most.”

What is the most inspiring thing that’s happened to you and would you say that experience still impacts you today?

“It’s actually being up on stage and overcoming my biggest fears – that sense of accomplishment like I can do anything. My first time ever going up on stage after years of dealing with extreme stage fright and imposter syndrome, was during a talk I gave at a meetup about 5 years ago. At that time, I wasn’t experienced enough since my messages were a bit provoking and I was deeply traumatized by a rather hostile audience. 

After that experience, I wanted to quit and never speak in public again. But I decided to go back and try again. And again. Because I knew my message was too important not to be shared. Since then, I have given this and other talks on many stages worldwide and personally trained hundreds of other speakers, helping them to find their own voice.”

On that note, what is your biggest dream and what would you love to create in the world?

“I dream about giving that same iconic talk at a TED event. I know how thought provoking it is and I’ve witnessed its impact on countless occasions. I also dream about scaling my platform to every woman in tech worldwide. Since I first discovered the data, I realized that the gender gap in tech is actually NOT a feature, it’s a BUG–and I know how to fix those! That’s the change I want to see in the world, and I believe wholeheartedly that I can do it.”

What productivity hacks do you have to recommend?

“Write everything down and don’t try to be too organized or well structured–because when the sense of creativity is there, it’s not always there to stay! And I always forget otherwise. Remove self judgment, iterate and be open to [sometimes negative] feedback as much as you can.”

Who are some Fems in STEM you look up to?

“Ada Lovelace, Margaret Hamilton, Grace Hopper. Even though she wasn’t in STEM, I’m also a Ruth Bader Ginsburg fan!”

Which do you prefer – MAC or PC?

“MAC of course”

What’s your favorite place or country you’ve ever visited?

“London, New York, Italy, Austria”

If you had to choose between Tea or Coffee, which would you pick?

“Coffee for sure. I can’t start my day without it.”

The Women on Stage Advantage: Creating a Movement of Empowerment

By showcasing the unique stories, skills, and knowledge of women in the tech community, Women on Stage aims to inspire a ripple effect, encouraging more women to speak up and unlock their potential to lead and pave the way for a more inclusive and diverse future.

The narrative of Women on Stage is a call to action. It beckons the tech community to recognize the potential within every woman–inviting them to join a movement that transcends geographical boundaries by bringing women to the forefront of every physical and metaphorical stage.  

Join the movement and be part of a community that believes in the transformative power of women’s voices in shaping the future of technology! Check out the YouTube channel at this link for a glimpse into the impact of Women on Stage, and access their upcoming virtual and in-person events here.

Curious to learn more or have questions on how to join the Women on Stage community? Connect with Moran Weber on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/moran-weber/ or visit the company’s website.

Stay tuned for the Women on Stage Global Virtual Conference 2023 set to take place on November 29, 2023. Click here to register and see the conference agenda. The event is free of charge and will take place virtually. All genders are welcome! 

Are you a Fem in STEM and interested in being featured on the publication? Fill out the Get Featured form at this link for a chance to be featured. Send a headshot along with two additional pictures you’d like to share on social media to femsinstemmag@gmail.com.