Women in tech face many established obstacles, but it’s important to remember that they can be overcome. One woman doing that is Rama Ibrahim, Co-Founder and COO of Next Decentrum. Rama is building Momentable, an NFT e-commerce platform focused on helping museums, art collectors, and cultural institutions create, manage, and promote NFT-based digital products and collections on the Flow blockchain.
As a woman in tech and blockchain, Rama is well-equipped to handle the challenges of a male-dominated industry. She has over 20 years of experience in large-scale project management, business, and engineering, as well as a Master’s degree in Computer Engineering.
Rama is also a serial entrepreneur, startup mentor, instructor, and community organizer, and co-founded five startups and mentored and trained hundreds of young entrepreneurs. She is the lead Organizer of Startup Weekend Vancouver and the founder of Women in Emerging Tech, an organization dedicated to empowering women in decentralized innovation and emerging technology.
Momentable, Rama’s latest venture under the Next Decentrum umbrella, is an NFT e-commerce platform that enables artists and museums to create, launch, and manage their own storefronts. This platform allows museums, galleries, and artists to publish digital versions of iconic artworks and artifacts, making them more accessible than ever before and helping protect their valuable assets, generate new revenue streams, and reach collectors worldwide. Next Decentrum is already working with some of the top museums in North America and the world and has partnered with Visual Capitalist and Daily Hive.
As a woman in tech striving for success in male-dominated industries, Rama shared key principles and practices that have been instrumental in her career progress and growth.
Develop Self-Confidence
“Acknowledging your abilities, skills, and potential is foundational to building self-confidence, but it’s only the starting point as women in tech. There is no substitute for continuous learning and investing time in honing your skills to stay ahead and have something unique and powerful to contribute. This helps challenge stereotypes and affirm self-confidence, inviting team trust and cooperation.”
Build Your Support Network Before You Need It
“Success is a journey, and everyone needs support at every twist and turn along the way, especially women in tech. Building a support network of mentors, cheerleaders, and friends is crucial for overcoming failure, celebrating success, and navigating the neverending challenges of business and life.
Extend your support network to professionals in your industry. Once established, those relationships can help you open doors and gain access to resources, knowledge, and job opportunities.”
Standup For Yourself And Your Team By Speaking Up
“It’s important never to shy away from speaking up. But sometimes, it may seem like your only choice is to be silent or rude. However, there is a better alternative, and it comes from a shift in perspective. It’s not about you. It’s not about asserting yourself, and it’s not about what you have to say.
So instead of focusing on you, focus on your team. Your team needs you, and they need your contribution. Speaking up and ensuring everyone’s voice is heard is crucial to help your team innovate, grow, and overcome challenges. When women in tech speak up from a place of contribution and adding value, you not only affirm your commitment to your team, but you also give permission to others to speak up and make their voice heard, and your team will be much better off for it.”
Embrace Challenges as Women in Tech
“Say yes to opportunities that come your way, even if you think you’re not ready. As long as it’s manageable in your comfort zone, trust that you can acquire the skills and knowledge to capitalize on the opportunity. There is never a perfect time to take on a new challenge. Just say yes, and you will figure it out, find answers, and even if things do not work out, you will learn from the failure.
Embracing challenges will help you overcome self-doubt. It may seem daunting initially, but challenging tasks are opportunities to learn new skills, find creative solutions, and show your leadership potential. Success will not come quickly or easily, but it is possible to overcome any challenge with commitment, dedication, and resilience.”
Become a Mentor
“Steven Covey said, ‘The best way to learn is to teach.’ So take the opportunity to help, uplift, and empower other women in tech by sharing your experiences and learnings. It may be one of the most powerful things you can do to build yourself up, deepen your knowledge, accelerate your growth, and empower those around you.”
