Women Disrupting Tech

Capital fuels ideas. But whose ideas are we fueling?

In this episode of Women Disrupting Tech, Azin Radsan van Alebeek shares how she uses venture capital as a lever for change. Not just to generate returns, but to shift behavior, open doors, and fuel a broader cross-section of ideas.

We talk about the funding gap, the film Show Her the Money, and what founders need to know when they pitch for investment.

Along the way, Azin shares her own journey from boutique consultancy, to stay-at-home mom, to venture capitalist, reshaping outcomes.

🎧 Listen in to learn why funding diversity is not just fair, but essential for innovation.

Chapters

03:30 Introduction and Background
06:23 The Importance of Gender Representation in Venture Capital
09:43 Azin's Journey into Angel Investing
13:38 Cultural Perspectives and Personal Experiences
18:06 The Impact of Underrepresentation in Venture Capital
23:26 Statistics on Female Founders and Funding
27:16 Changing Perspectives on Gender Roles
29:14 Using Venture Capital for Change
31:14 Show Her The Money: Film and Book Overview
34:42 Inspiring Stories of Female Founders
39:00 The Role of Male Investors in Supporting Female Founders
43:05 Emmeline's Focus on Women's Health
44:49 Understanding Women's Health Disparities
47:09 Investing in Female-Centric Solutions
48:50 The Ideal Founder Profile
51:26 Integrity in Investment Relationships
52:22 Comparing Support for Female Founders in Europe and the US
55:15 What Makes a Pitch Deck Stand Out?
59:13 Defining Venture-Ready Proposals
1:03:06 Encouraging Women to Think Bigger
1:05:03 Upskilling for Stay-at-Home Moms
1:12:55 The Future of Venture Capital for Women

🙋🏻‍♀️ Connect with Azin Radsan van Alebeek on LinkedIn.

💡 Check out the show notes for magical moments, practical takeaways for female founders and my personal observations.

🎙️ Follow the podcast for more Women Disrupting Tech.

Arosha Brouwer, co-founder of Quan and now Chief Impact Officer at TrueTribe, explains how she scaled workplace wellbeing with impact and integrity.

In this episode, she offers unique insights into Quan’s acquisition, the power of focus, and why success for female founders is about more than ownership.

From navigating investor relations to carrying the responsibility for “the sisters who come after,” Arosha’s journey is both practical and deeply inspiring.

Listen to the full conversation to learn:

- How Quan’s wellbeing software found the right home inside TrueTribe.

- Why integrity, transparency, and respect guided every decision.

- What founders should know before taking the VC route.

Stay with us until the end, as Arosha’s advice for aspiring founders might change how you think about impact, storytelling, and scaling your mission.

🙋🏻‍♀️ Connect with Arosha Brouwer on LinkedIn.

🔗 Learn more about TrueTribe on the website and LinkedIn.

🎙️ Follow Women Disrupting Tech on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.

Dayana Marin Valencia, co-founder of Adasight, shares how she built a global company without VC funding. We talk about:

• Why data should be your co-pilot for growth.
• How bootstrapping sharpened Adasight’s focus on clients.
• Why mentorship evolves at every stage of your career.
• What active allyship looks like in practice.

🎧 Listen now and discover what it takes to scale with purpose and conviction.

👉 Prefer watching? Head over to YouTube.

🔗 Connect with Dayana via the links in the show notes.

What if curiosity was the key to building better companies?

In Episode 120 of Women Disrupting Tech, Henny Hoekstra, director and co-owner of Pluvo, shares how following her curiosity took her from growth hacker to co-owner of a SaaS company.

We explore what it takes to lead in tech, why learning and development are essential for company survival, and how women can thrive even in male-dominated environments.

But this conversation goes deeper. Henny opens up about imposter syndrome, the challenge of becoming an equal to her former bosses, and how growth as a leader involves more than just effort and grit.

Her story shows that curiosity and courage are just as important for entrepreneurs as strategy and leadership.

🎧 Listen and follow Women Disrupting Tech on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

🔗 Connect with Henny Hoekstra on LinkedIn.

🧠 Learn more about Pluvo on the website.

🚀 Subscribe to Women Disrupting Tech on Substack for episode highlights and practical founder tips.

Only 2 percent of venture capital goes to all-female founding teams. It is one of the most persistent inequalities in tech, and in a decade the gender funding gap has barely moved.

In this episode of Women Disrupting Tech, I speak with Erica van Eeghen (VP Capital) and Maud Vermeulen (Golden Egg Check). Together, they lead Women in VC NL, a network of 170+ women reshaping venture capital in the Netherlands.

We talk about:

• How closed networks in venture capital shut women out, and what it takes to open them.

• Why stereotypes about women being “risk averse” miss the reality of risk-prepared founders.

• How new initiatives like the Venture Program create the education infrastructure VC has long ignored.

This conversation shows that closing the gender funding gap is not only about fairness. It is about smarter systems, better decisions, and more opportunities for everyone.

👉 Listen now to hear how Women in VC NL is changing what gets funded, and why it matters for the future of startups and investors alike.

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💌 Subscribe to the Women Disrupting Tech ⁠Substack⁠ for insights and magic moments.

🌐 Check out the show notes on the Blog

Connect with my guests

🔗 Erica van Eeghen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-van-eeghen-59446613/

🔗 Maud Vermeulen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maudvermeulenn/

🔗 Women in VC NL: https://www.linkedin.com/company/women-in-vc-nl

Are soft skills the one thing machines will never master?

In Episode 118 of Women Disrupting Tech, I sit down with Anouk Vlietman, founder of UMAIN, to explore how AI might actually make us more human. We talk about:

- Why disconnection is the silent epidemic costing billions every year.

- How limiting beliefs hold us back, and what it takes to break them

- Why soft skills like empathy, curiosity, and listening are our greatest edge in the future of work

Anouk also shares how AI can be an accelerator for connection, not competition — and why inclusion starts with being valued for who you are.

This is one of the most personal conversations I’ve had on the podcast. It’s systemic, funny, and packed with insights about technology, humanity, and the future of connection.

🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

💌 Subscribe to the Women Disrupting Tech Substack for insights and magic moments.

How do you get from burnout to building an AI startup for mental health?

That’s the journey of Kuhu Singh, founder of Amber. Remote work and imbalance left her burned out, but instead of giving up, she built an AI mental health companion designed to bridge the gap between AI and therapy.

In this episode of Women Disrupting Tech, Kuhu shares:

- Why therapy is still a privilege, and how Amber makes it more accessible

- How growth turns into responsibility when people depend on your product

- Why resilience means treating criticism as white noise

Her story is one of resilience, persistence, and purpose, and it’s definitely one worth listening to.

You can connect with Kuhu Singh and learn more about Amber via the links in the show notes.

Follow Women Disrupting Tech on Substack for deeper insights into how we can close the funding gap.

Follow Women Disrupting Tech on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube for more extraordinary episodes with founders, investors, and allies.

How do you scale a company in the age of AI without losing what makes it work?

In this engaging episode of Women Disrupting Tech, Marili ’t Hooft-Bolle (CEO of Trengo and former COO of WeTransfer) shares what it takes to grow with confidence in a fast-changing world.

We talk about:
- Why scaling is never just about adding people, but about adding the right structure.
- How AI is not about building the next version of what you know, but reimagining value for your customers.
- Why hiring for complementary skills creates stronger, more diverse teams.

Her biggest lesson: growth requires structure, but not too much.

Listen now to learn how to navigate growth, leadership, and AI with Marili ’t Hooft-Bolle.

For episode highlights, my personal takeaways, Marili's bio and links to connect with her, check out the show notes on the blog.

And don't forget to drop your questions for Marili in the comments.

Join us as Marleen Somohardjo, founder of M2 Advisory, shares how to build a business that can weather any storm while staying true to its purpose.

From launching her first consultancy during the 2008 financial crisis to helping companies prepare for the unknown, Marleen brings a rare blend of financial expertise and purpose-driven leadership.

We explore why resilience is about more than cutting costs, how to align your business model with your “why,” and why personal resilience, through practices like yoga, golf, and breathwork, is just as critical as financial stability.

Whether you are a startup founder, leader, or aspiring entrepreneur, you will take away strategies for being prepared, staying the course, and building a business that lasts.

🎧 Listen now and start building a resilient, purpose-driven business.

🔗 Connect with Marleen Somohardjo via the links in the shownotes.

👉 Follow Women Disrupting Tech on Substack for episode insights and more.

What if the stories you learned as a child about money, risk, and confidence are still shaping your business decisions today?

In this conversation with Catrine Rhenberg, co-founder of The Wealth Within Her, we explore how early social cues, from the way girls are praised to the expectations placed on them at home and at work, can turn into invisible limits later in life.

Catrine shares a practical three-step process for changing those beliefs, building financial confidence, and defining success on your own terms.

By listening, you'll hear how to:

We also talk about the power of authenticity over assimilation, why confidence does not automatically mean competence, and how communities of women can help each other take bigger, bolder steps.

If you have ever felt you are playing by rules you did not set, this episode will help you start rewriting them.

You can connect with Catrine and The Wealth Within Her via the show notes.

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Subscribe to the Substack of host Dirkjan Hupkes for personal observations, trends across episodes and more.