Despite decades of conversation around diversity in tech, the archetype of the entrepreneur remains stubbornly narrow, male and often from elite institutions. In addition, equity funding remains male-dominated, despite over a decade of initiatives to encourage and support more women founders. This panel asks the provocative question: is being a tech founder still a bro sport?

We’ll explore the structural, cultural and financial barriers that continue to shape who gets to innovate, who gets funded and who gets heard in the tech world. Are new funding models and accelerators helping to democratise access to capital? How are gender, race and class shaping the founder experience? And what role does media play in reinforcing or challenging the dominant narratives?

This conversation is not just about representation, it’s about the future of innovation. If we continue to build technology through a narrow lens, we risk creating products and systems that serve a limited few. Join us as we interrogate who gets to build the future and what it will take to make the founder identity more expansive, inclusive and equitable.

This event is jointly hosted by Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge and Black Talent & Leadership in STEM (BTLS).

Join us at: Glasshouse, 100 Hills Rd, Cambridge CB2 1LQ