What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear “women in tech”? You might think of gender imbalances and the difficulties of breaking into the industry. Not Marie Kober. She used the ESMT Full-time MBA as a springboard to make her mark in tech with her own company, SENVO.
The lack of women in the tech industry is an especially pronounced issue. According to the European Commission’s Women in Digital index, men are four times more likely to work in tech than women. This is despite the fact that men are only graduating with STEM degrees at less than twice the rate.
At the same time, science and technology are currently suffering from a talent shortage, which is slowing down digital transformation across the board. The glaring opportunity has not gone unnoticed, with institutions all over the world offering scholarships for women in STEM fields. Easing the pathway for female students is a reasonable start to reaching gender parity.
It’s no secret that there is a gender gap across all sectors, especially in leadership positions. McKinsey Global Institute found that closing this gap could boost global GDP by $12 trillion by 2025. Trillion with a T.
An MBA offers an accelerated path to business leadership positions across industries. But if you’re a woman interested in technology, you might consider following in the footsteps of Marie Kober. She got her MBA in the startup capital of Europe from ESMT Berlin before founding the B2B software company SENVO.
Marie decided to pursue an MBA for a similar reason to so many others, to take her career in a new direction. “When I studied design, I knew that I wanted to start my own company. But I didn’t really get started on it until I decided to do the MBA and fill in the gaps that were missing.” (00:41)
She founded SENVO shortly after graduating in 2022 to solve logistics problems across industries. Describing the company, she says, “the software basically helps companies analyze or leverage their data, optimize their processes, and reduce their costs.” (00:32) Along with the increase in efficiency comes a reduced carbon footprint.
Marie’s experience at ESMT Berlin equipped her with the tools and confidence to make the leap across her knowledge gaps. Marie joined the Summer Entrepreneurship Program at ESMT Berlin’s entrepreneurship hub, Vali Berlin. There, her team developed the idea that would become SENVO and won €5,000 as part of the pitch competition.
While ESMT acts as an entrepreneurship incubator, it doesn’t exist in a vacuum. As a business school in Germany’s capital, students are thrown into an environment that is buzzing with new businesses.
“Berlin’s really innovative. It’s just very creative. There’s a big startup scene, which I thought was really important. And then ESMT also has a strong focus on entrepreneurship, innovation, but it also has that solid formal business education.” (01:07)
Now, Marie works from a coworking center in Berlin that is full of like-minded entrepreneurs to collaborate with. “I would really encourage people to consider Berlin when starting their company because there’s just so much happening, it’s such a vibrant city. There’s a reason it’s called the startup capital of Europe.” (01:58)
Marie knew what she was getting into before even applying to ESMT Berlin. “I really wanted a school with high rankings, good credentials, solid education. ESMT obviously fills those categories.” (00:57)
However, it’s often hindsight that offers the clearest view of experiences. “There’s a lot of things that I learned in the MBA that really helped me start this business. First and foremost is the connections. Also, the understanding of how businesses work. It gives you a certain confidence, a certain reassurance, and that, for me, has made a big difference.” (01:25)
But it’s not just appearing eighth on the FT European Business School Rankings 2022 that sets ESMT apart. The institution shows its commitment to equality in the workplace with a range of scholarships for women. In collaboration with the 30% Club, a global organization promoting gender diversity in business leadership, ESMT offers the 30% Club Scholarship, which reduces tuition by 30%. Applications are encouraged from outstanding women who have either excelled in leadership positions or have significant leadership potential.
Additionally, six women will be awarded the €5,000 Women in Business Scholarship. To be eligible, your MBA application must include an answer to the question: How can women empower each other in their personal and professional lives?
Despite being at the forefront of innovation, tech is still lagging behind in terms of diversity, equality, and inclusion. Aside from the ethical implications, this means there are not enough perspectives brought to the table, which stunts the innovative potential of the sector as a whole.
Connections are important in any industry, but the urgency is even greater for women in tech. Marie is well aware of the distance that the tech industry as a whole has to go in terms of diversity, equity, and inclusion. “I know that I’ve been very fortunate to be a part of this community and receive so much support. And down the road, I really hope that I can give back to it and support other entrepreneurs — especially female entrepreneurs.” (01:44)
Marie knows better than anyone how much a good support network can help women in technology, which is why she wants to be a role model for girls and women in the future.
If you’ve been inspired by Marie’s story and want to find out more from ESMT graduates like her, head to the MBAGRADSCHOOLS Ambassador’s Page where you can get in touch directly.
