SPOTLIGHT ON ‘PERSPECTIVES’ SERIES
As part of the We are Duffree ‘Perspectives’ conversation series, CEO Michael Duffree sits down with Christina Caljé to talk about representation, role-modelling, and how to be comfortable in your skin in every boardroom, networking event, or business meeting.
Perspectives is a podcast series interviewing free-thinking professional ‘do-gooders’ who have made or are in the process of making positive changes. During the series, Michael has discussion with inspiring people from a variety of different sectors who are working to redress imbalances, make positive changes in the world, and lift up people and communities.
Selected quotes from the podcast episode have been summarized in an accompanying article in their newsroom.
“I think working in financial services and working in tech where there is not a lot of representation from a gender perspective, nor from an ethnicity perspective, that just makes it feel harder in the beginning, a little bit of an extra step that you feel you must go through because you don’t necessarily see yourself reflected in that population.”
— CHRISTINA CALJE
Inspired to make an even greater impact following the Black Lives Matter Movement in the US, Christina has been using her voice and experience to level the playing field. She is vocal about how the industry can incentivise access to venture capital for women at a governmental level and has spoken up in influential spaces such as the Innovation summit at European Parliament. We discuss a couple of initiatives that exist already to bring change forward.
“The great thing in the Netherlands is that there’s this shift in mindset that there is a problem that needs to be addressed in terms of underfunding female founders. I think that’s really important first to bring a lot of visibility and acknowledgement to this as an issue.”
— CHRISTINA CALJE
Aside from addressing the systemic change required for the industry to move forward, we also touch upon how individuals can make a difference. We speak about the importance of role modelling and its potential to disrupt a whitewashed landscape of predominantly male founders, something Christina has grown more conscious of recently.
“If you see others that look like you, it helps you to envision and visualize where your life might lead you to and what the options are for you… It’s a lot about human nature, wanting to feel connected and wanting to feel like you belong”
— CHRISTINA CALJE
Christina believes that there are strides being taken within the tech/founder world to become more representative, but that the focus in the Netherlands especially is narrow, predominantly looking to instil more gender diversity. There is a broader spectrum of inclusivity that needs to be considered across the board. As a woman of colour cutting a formidable path in the tech world, Christina provides a valuable insight into the issues that prevail, and how we can work to address them.
