Women in AI are creating powerful communities to overcome systemic barriers in one of tech’s fastest-growing sectors. Despite the explosive growth of artificial intelligence since ChatGPT’s launch two years ago, women remain dramatically underrepresented in the field, facing significant obstacles from education through entrepreneurship.
The statistics paint a stark picture: less than 3% of venture capital funding went to female-only founding teams in 2022, according to PitchBook. Women accounted for just 22% of AI and computer science PhD programs in the US in 2019, and only 26% of data and AI workforce positions in 2020. In the UK, a mere 4% of AI startups have women founders.
Saumya Bhatnagar, co-founder and chief product officer at AI sales rep startup Jeeva, exemplifies the challenges women face in the space. From being the only girl in her 170-person high school coding class to navigating “micro and macro aggressions” in the VC and startup world, she’s experienced firsthand what she calls “a man’s world in the VC, startups, and AI space.”
To combat these challenges, women are building robust support networks. Bhatnagar credits communities like Women and AI and Women We Admire with helping her overcome impostor syndrome and burnout, providing connections to female investors and shared experiences that validate her journey.
Vivien Ho, a partner at early-stage fund Pear VC, launched the Female Founder Circles (FFC) after noticing the disconnect between male-dominated AI startups and the many women interested in building AI companies. The program welcomes cohorts of around 50 women for two months of programming including fireside chats, workshops, and networking events. The results are impressive: more than 70% of participants incorporate their startups, at least five women have found female co-founders through the program, and three FFC founders have already raised Series B rounds. Demand has exploded, with over 500 women applying for the most recent cohort.
Shreya Rajpal, CEO and co-founder of Guardrails AI, which raised a $7.5 million seed round earlier this year, credits community building as “life changing” for her success. After years of being the only woman on teams where her work faced undue scrutiny, she found genuine support through FFC and mentorship relationships with other women in engineering and machine learning.
Cathy Gao of Sapphire Ventures emphasizes that these communities benefit not just founders but women in leadership positions across AI startups, funds, and larger companies, creating spaces where “relationships stick, and there are business opportunities that actually form from them.”
Key Quotes
I had to make space for myself, and there were plenty of micro and macro aggressions in the grand scheme of things that I had to talk my way through. At the end of the day, it’s a man’s world in the VC, startups, and AI space.
Saumya Bhatnagar, co-founder and CPO of AI startup Jeeva, reflects on her experience as often the only woman in technical spaces, from high school coding classes to the current AI startup ecosystem. Her words capture the persistent gender barriers women face in AI entrepreneurship.
Women are not comfortable asking for help, and there’s this idea that perfectionism needs to be showcased at all times. Finding a community of women has helped me take risks and realize that I’m actually doing okay.
Bhatnagar explains how women’s communities have helped her overcome impostor syndrome and the pressure to appear perfect, highlighting the psychological barriers women face and how peer support can address them.
Three of our FFC founders have already raised Series Bs, which is pretty incredible. We first meet them, and they’re really shy, and then three years later, they’re running a 100-person company and making eight figures.
Vivien Ho of Pear VC describes the tangible success of the Female Founder Circles program, demonstrating how structured community support translates into real business outcomes for women in AI.
There are a lot of men who aren’t very supportive, and being the only woman on a team means that they’re often an undue level of attention on your work, so you stand out, for better or for worse. Pretty early on, it was obvious that I kind of needed to justify my space in the room a lot more compared to other folks.
Shreya Rajpal, CEO of Guardrails AI, articulates the additional scrutiny women face in technical roles, explaining why community support becomes essential for career advancement and entrepreneurial success in the AI space.
Our Take
The emergence of women-led AI communities represents a pragmatic response to venture capital’s persistent gender bias, but it also reveals a troubling reality: women must create parallel support structures because existing institutions continue to fail them. While the 70% incorporation rate from Female Founder Circles is impressive, it underscores how much untapped talent has been systematically excluded from AI development. The parallels to crypto’s gender gap should serve as a warning—as AI funding potentially cools, women could face even steeper challenges. What’s particularly significant is that these communities aren’t just about networking; they’re addressing psychological barriers like impostor syndrome and perfectionism that stem from being perpetually underrepresented. The success stories emerging from these programs prove that the talent pipeline exists; what’s been missing is access to capital, mentorship, and peer support. As AI becomes more regulated and scrutinized for bias, having diverse founders building these systems isn’t just equitable—it’s essential for creating AI that serves everyone.
Why This Matters
This story highlights a critical diversity crisis in artificial intelligence at a pivotal moment for the industry. As AI becomes increasingly central to business operations, economic growth, and societal infrastructure, the severe underrepresentation of women threatens to perpetuate biases in AI systems and limit innovation. The gender gap starts at the educational level and compounds through every stage of career development, from workforce participation to entrepreneurship and funding.
The community-building initiatives described represent a grassroots solution to systemic barriers that traditional institutions have failed to address. With 70% of Female Founder Circles participants incorporating startups and several raising significant funding rounds, these programs demonstrate measurable impact. This matters because diverse perspectives in AI development lead to more equitable and effective technologies. As AI reshapes industries from healthcare to finance, having women’s voices in leadership positions ensures these transformative technologies serve all of society, not just those who currently dominate the field. The success of these communities could serve as a blueprint for addressing underrepresentation in other emerging tech sectors.
Recommended Reading
For those interested in learning more about artificial intelligence, machine learning, and effective AI communication, here are some excellent resources:
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Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/how-women-are-building-community-to-succeed-in-ai-space-2024-11