Conference Presentation, Product Demonstration, Keynote, Other
Cadran Cowansage Announces Leap at the Seattle Female Founders Conference
- Kaedryn Cowan-Sage, a software engineer at Y Combinator, founded Leap, a private online network for women in tech designed to foster civil discourse and authentic conversation.
- The platform addresses the prevalence of toxic online environments that cause women to opt out of open discussions by establishing a culture and product governance driven exclusively by women.
- The concept originated at a Female Founders Conference, where Cowan-Sage realized the latent density of smart, driven technical experts and powerful connections that are often invisible in day-to-day life.
- Initial validation occurred internally at Y Combinator, where the tool was used by Cowan-Sage and colleagues to discuss ideas before being expanded to female founders, former colleagues, and organizations supporting women of color and women in engineering.
- Leap requires members to use their real identities to leverage strong social and professional interactions, operating on the hypothesis that a hybrid community will better propel careers.
- Member success stories include finding co-founders and securing new jobs through interactions that range from casual discussions about books to tactical company issues.
- The platform currently boasts approximately 2,000 members representing diverse roles including software engineers, founders, VCs, designers, writers, and operations professionals.
- Discussions on the network cover a wide spectrum, including career development, relationship dynamics, parenting, and specific technical challenges.
- The platform is accessible at leap.ycombinator.com.