As someone immersed in the business and tech spheres, I’m always looking to build community and make connections with like-minded women. I’ve found Twitter is a great resource for finding kindred spirits: The medium lends itself to interaction, conversation and information, and enables unique women voices to find a niche—and become leaders.
To that end, I asked several of my JumpStart colleagues to share some of their essential Twitter accounts focused on women in tech. As a result, in no particular order are our 15 must-follow accounts, whether you’re an established leader or just kicking off your first startup. (We’re assuming Ohioans are already following the female-empowering nonprofit @BadGirlVentures and founder Candace Klein’s other venture, the investor-loan-seeking social network @SoMoLend. If not, what are you waiting for?) Follow this entire list of accounts at http://twitter.com/JumpStartInc/womenintech.
Twitter Bio: i'm a reporter/author in silicon valley
Why To Follow: Don’t be fooled by the modest bio: PandoDaily founder and editor-in-chief Sarah Lacy is one of the best (and most intelligent) tech writers working today, one with the ability to tackle complex investing and tech topics with clarity.
Twitter Bio: We are the premier platform where entrepreneurs, investors, and industry experts meet to build great women-led businesses.
Why To Follow: Springboard offers women-specific programs and resources—including accelerators, education sessions and venture forums—in many cities, with the goal of helping these innovators attract capital. Its accompanying Twitter feed is a carefully curated collection of information about Springboard events, news about alums, and smart think-pieces and articles—all with an eye toward fostering women entrepreneurship. Springboard founder Amy Millman (@amillman) is another great resource for news and commentary.
Twitter Bio: Forbes Top 30 Women Entrepreneurs on Twitter | Demystifying small business law for entrepreneurs from an award-winning business lawyer, speaker and blogger.
Why To Follow: Informative and no-nonsense—and fond of sprinkling words of wisdom from successful businessmen and women into her timeline—Nina Kaufman bucks the trend of Twitter personalities who resemble linkbots more than they do actual people. Her information about small business law is useful and clear to understand.
Twitter Bio: Women 2.0 is a media company w/ content, community & conferences for women innovators in technology. Programs include @FounderFriday and #w2conf.
Why To Follow: This account is a one-stop shop for startup-minded women. The frequently updated account mixes together inspirational tweets, links to entrepreneur profiles—on the Women 2.0 website or other big tech sites—job listings and other articles of interest to tech-minded females.
Twitter Bio: @PipelineFellows Founder & CEO. Tweet about #socent, #LGBTQ, #languagematters, #morevoices, #changetheratio, pop culture, healthcare, & gadgets. Two last names.
Why To Follow: Natalia Oberti Noguera is an outspoken advocate for women and diversity in the startup and investment world, and champions the industry’s role models. She’s also the founder/CEO of Pipeline Fellows (@PipelineFellows), which trains women philanthropists to become angel investors.
Twitter Bio: Co-Editor at TechCrunch. Breaks news, hearts. [email protected]
Why To Follow: Come for the lighthearted links to TechCrunch stories, stay for the clever commentary on tech and pop culture. As one of the most high-profile tech journalists in Silicon Valley, Alexia Tsotsis goes for a balance of smart and nerdy, and always hits the mark.
Twitter Bio: Founder, Investor, and Entrepreneur-In-Residence at the Kauffman Foundation for Entrepreneurship. Lucky in Love. Lucky in Life.
Why To Follow: Diana Kander of the Kansas City-based Kauffman Foundation shares insights about all things startups, from entrepreneurship trends and best practices to educational opportunities and uniquely Midwest events. A cheerleader for innovation as well as a thought leader, Kander always has interesting links and ideas to share. (The Foundation’s own Twitter feed, @KauffmanFDN, is also worth a follow for more higher-level insights about entrepreneurship trends and data.)
Twitter Bio: Creator and host of The Valley Girl Show. Put on this Earth to encourage women in the workplace.
Why To Follow: The account is a mix of links to salient tech and culture topics, and promotion for Draper’s online show, “The Valley Girl Show.” Self-described as “a fun talk show featuring interviews with some of the biggest names in business and technology,” the video episodes also impart plenty of startup wisdom and news about the latest tech trends.
Twitter Bio: None.
Why To Follow: Union Square Ventures’ Joanne Wilson—who recently gave the opening remarks at the Women Entrepreneur Festival 2013—mostly links to her excellent blog, gothamgal.com. Besides profiling one women entrepreneur a week, she muses about business, startups, books and food.
Twitter Bio: New York Times technology reporter
Why To Follow: Besides sharing her own stories—which frequently address women in tech—Claire Cain Miller shares select links about culture, politics and other digital-focused trends.
Twitter Bio: co-author of Startup Life: Surviving and Thriving in a Relationship with an Entrepreneur with the amazing @bfeld #Wellesley '88, dog & art lover, philanthropist
Why To Follow: The wife of noted entrepreneurship thought leader Brad Feld, Amy Batchelor is a rapid-fire Tweeter sending off links to all things tech, entrepreneurship and current events.
Twitter Bio: Internet Strategist and Eternal Questioner
Why To Follow: As her bio implies, Maisha Walker tirelessly finds (and vets) links to all kinds of relevant content—from advertising and marketing tips and resources for women entrepreneurs to only the best, most engaging viral web content.
Of course, these represent just a brief sampling of accounts on Twitter—after all, with “roughly 72 million active Twitter accounts,” there are plenty of valuable resources out there. What are some of your favorite female-forward accounts? Share them here so others can follow!
Cathy Belk is the Chief Operating Officer of JumpStart. She specializes in branding, marketing communications, and business and relationship management. She brings 16+ years of experience in a variety of marketing and business roles, but gets her energy from working daily with entrepreneurs and their growing companies.