“I grew up believing that one person could make a difference.” ~ Mary Meeker, Partner at Kleiner Perkins Cuafield & Byers
Summary: In a world where only 7 percent of investing partners at the top 100 venture capitalism firms are women, Mary Meeker is an influential figure in her role as a partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. From Meeker’s groundbreaking “Internet Report” in 1995 to her modern day notoriety as one of the most highly regarded Internet experts, Meeker demonstrates that intelligence and hard work overcome any gender barriers.
Nationality: American
Industry: Internet & Venture Capitalism
Q: You are a woman in a field where prominent women are in the minority. What’s your view on the increasingly vocal complaints about this underrepresentation? on wired.com
A: No one forced me to focus on technology. I just did it because I had a passion for it. When I started, there weren’t a lot of women role models. It was Carol Bartz, Judy Estrin. I think there’s been a lot of progress since then, and I think that if women have a passion and really want to succeed, they can. On a relative basis, the male-female ratio is certainly skewed to men, but on an absolute basis, there are a lot of very successful women in technology.
