Silicon Valley is a hot spot for talented individuals and start-ups, and it can take quite a bit to succeed and make your company stand out. We spoke with five notable women who achieved their goals and are thriving in their careers. Their industries are wide-ranging, including politics, manufacturing biodegradable materials, founding a school for autism, money management, and helping companies tell their innovation stories. Each woman speaks about the challenges she had to overcome, as well as many particular issues she faced as a woman in her field. Their stories are compelling and will inspire and motivate you to flourish in your career!
We’ll be highlighting one of these five inspirational women each day. This is part two.
ALISON MCCAULEY
CEO AND FOUNDER OF UNBLOCKED FUTURE
What is Unblocked Future?
Unblocked Future is a boutique consultancy that helps companies tell their innovation story. We work with companies that are really at the edge of emerging technology and help them articulate their stories in a way that resonates with the market, their customers and their partners.
What drove you to found Unblocked Future?
I founded the firm because there is such a need for this kind of work. What has been missing in the market is the combination of B2B strategists and expert communicators. I focus on what kind of technologies get adopted and what helps to accelerate the adoption.
What have your biggest challenges been?
Having the weight of the firm and all its responsibility on me is the biggest challenge. You need to learn to be very mindful about weathering through both the ups and the downs and making sure you pull in the energy to get through any downs. When it is all on you, it is a pressure that you need to learn to manage. Over time I have gotten better and better at it.
Have you faced any issues as a woman in the industry?
Statistically, women are still not as represented as I’d like to see, especially in leadership roles in technology. I feel like we are making great progress, but there is an incredible amount of work to be done.
By Ali Lee and Sarah Wilson
