Since childhood, Bridget Greenwood has always felt very strongly about injustices in the world, including women being slighted in the workplace every day. So, when she entered the blockchain industry in 2017 and noticed a discernible scarcity of women, she was determined to start supporting women in blockchain and emerging technologies. And that’s how she actioned her own piece of The Bigger Pie in 2019.
As founder of web3-focused The Bigger Pie, Bridget is ‘absolutely drawn to take action to see more gender equity in the tech space.’ Her organization focuses on championing women and gender minorities with technical expertise, leadership skills, networks and resources they need to shape and impact the web3 world.
“We need more women at the design, development and deployment table and at decision-making levels. I choose to spend each day working towards action-orientated activities in tech that help us see the needle move in a positive direction to achieve this.”
Described by others as an ‘incredibly adept relationship builder’ who ‘drives projects forward with a rare energy and insightfulness,’ Bridget explains The Bigger Pie is about ‘shining a light on the incredible leaders already in web3, supporting and connecting them, providing a community to network, gain insights, share opportunities, learn and collaborate.’
This enthusiastic London-based ‘single mom of one’ is deservedly delighted that Ethical Finance Awards 2022 has recognized her work, declaring The Bigger Pie the winning Crypto Currency Diversity and Inclusion organization.
Bridget states in a LinkedIn post that blockchain has historically been ‘a combination of both the tech world and the finance world, heavily dominated by men.’
Traditionally, women have ‘been omitted from new technological waves, missing out on generational transferences of wealth, and leading to offerings that don’t serve everyone.’ “With women representing less than 10% of people in the blockchain sector, it’s time now for incredibly talented and smart women to accelerate their web3 learning and place them in senior roles within the space. “
As the ‘go-to group for women in blockchain and crypto enthusiasts dedicated to helping each other learn and grow,’ The Bigger Pie members include entrepreneurs, small business owners, consultants, coaches, speakers and authors. And, three years in, Bridget enthuses, ‘we sense we’re only getting started.
Aside from The Bigger Pie, this outgoing web3 trailblazer is also co-founder of The 200Bn Club, an accelerator program helping high-potential female-led startups get investment ready and match successfully with investors.
Bridget describes the program as ‘bridging the gap for strong capable female founders that are not getting the help, skills, mentorship and resources they need to raise a seed or Series A investment.’
Commenting in a blog.liquid.com article, Bridget remarks crypto technology has the potential to change the way we do business, interact with each other, assign value, and allow those who’ve previously been excluded to be part of a financial system. However, this will only happen if we choose to have more women build solutions that tackle these challenges.
Without this, ‘we’ll end up with wasted potential, and never see the promise of web3, blockchain, or a decentralized world being built.’
As for advising women who are intimidated about getting into crypto, Bridget responds that for her, ‘there’s more risk of not getting involved’. But she adds because it’s such a fastpaced environment, ‘it’s impossible to keep up to date with everything’ so don’t let that put you off.
Turning to the Metaverse, Bridget describes it as ‘our online world, where we can create personas, interact with others online through avatars, while we work, shop, and play. Web3, she adds, ensures we get access to ownership of our online world, through assets and earnings.
Bridget, with her stated enthusiasm for continual learning, has realized blockchain technology has far greater reach than just in the financial sector, saying what’s most innovative is ‘its ability for peer to peer, borderless and permissionless transactions.
With blockchain and web3 constantly evolving, she remarks this past year has been no exception, ‘with the rise of NFTs, promise of the Metaverse, a massive price correction, and collapse of several companies.’
“It’s a perfect time to look at what’s gone wrong, what we want to achieve and build in the future, and to look at motivations beyond a fast return on investment, to a more sustainable, and inclusive future.”
While Bridget is upbeat – about the Metaverse being able to become a limitless and incredible addition to every aspect of our lives – she stresses ‘we need to be very careful about how we build the Metaverse to ensure access for all.’
“It must actually contribute to the promise of utility, value and empowerment to benefit everyone, otherwise we can find ourselves in a more divided and exclusive world, far removed from the Utopian vision we have today.”
With vital first-hand experience – of rolling her sleeves up, getting her hands dirty and knowing how tough it is being a woman in web3 – Bridget cheerfully encourages women to ‘be bold, don’t wait and take action now,’ reassuring them they’ll ‘learn along the way.’
With her typical drive and enthusiasm, it’s clear Bridget can’t wait to see more incredible women and gender minorities achieve their goals, flourish in the communities she’s established, increase their visibility and create more role models to build businesses with diversity and inclusion, the right way, the first time.
Website: thebiggerpie.io | the200bn.club
