Moonpig’s Post

It's been 80+ hours, 40+ reposts, and, according to LinkedIn stats, 12,000+ people who saw the story about how I was asked to leave #YCFemaleFounders2024 conference with my cooing baby, so other attendees could have "the full experience." See the original story here: https://lnkd.in/eT6JGbZm Y Combinator is still silent. The accelerator partner I had the interaction with removed her tag from my post, so it's doesn't reflect on her page. That's how I know they know. People have asked me questions, both privately and in the comments. Do I think the partner expressed YC's official position? No, I don't. I think, as a conference organizer and a person from a somewhat older generation, she felt an urge to mom-shame me, and she went with it, without realizing how ridiculous it was in this context. Honestly, I think she regretted it immediately. And I forgive her. Plus, I didn't leave anyway 😂 Do I think there is a certain culture that she represented? Yes, I do. I was the only woman with a baby at an event with 100+ female founders. Half of them were moms, and I talked to a few who had left their newborn babies at home to come to the conference. Unbelievable, but in modern California, a woman doesn't feel comfortable coming to a startup event with a breastfed baby. If this carries on, we won't have more female-founded businesses, because the whole freaking problem with being a female founder is that you have to take care of both a business and a baby. It's hard enough already, so it'd be great if the world was more supportive. Who does this world learn from? California. Who do new businesses learn from? Y Combinator. There's pressure on you guys to do better. How can you do better? Next time, have childcare on site. Encourage women to take kids with them instead of frowning upon it: kids learn so much from sharing the life experiences of their parents. Have a junior conference for founders' kids where they can build robots and make connections. And change your optics about the "full experience" of a female founder event. This IS the full experience of female founders, not those keynotes, hashtags, or big loud words. It's only when we embrace the female experience in its fullness, the change will follow. Do I hold anything against YC? They could've been cooler, but I don't. I connected with many great people, both at the event and, unexpectedly, after it - because of this story. I'm grateful to everyone for the support: I didn't expect this much encouragement from people I do and don't know, notably, both women and men. From the reactions to this story (not from YC's actions), I see that this world sincerely wants change for women in business. The monster we're fighting is larger than we think. It's hairy, scary, it hides in unexpected places, and it's not at all guaranteed that we win. But just like with founding a startup, it can all eventually work out, given enough courage, dedication, and teamwork. Go girls founders! Together we can do it!

🌟 A Huge Thank You to All the Amazing Women in Tech! 🌟 Today’s Speed Networking Event was an incredible success, and it’s all thanks to the brilliant, talented, and inspiring women who joined us! 💻✨ Tatia Zuloaga, Brittany J. Brown, ACC, Cindy O., Deborah Dray, Eden Hensley, MBA, EIT 📈, Jacqueline Potter, Jeaneen Bodie, Laila E., Lauren Gutierrez-Brown, Louise F., Nehal Mehta, Rachel Shumway, Sharifa Atkins, Shikshita Juyal, Sydney M., .Tamie Z., Radhika Kasera. Let’s keep supporting and uplifting each other as we pave the way for even greater achievements in tech! 🚀 Sign up today at upnotch.com/signup. All mentorships on Upnotch are free. 🧡 #WomenInTech #Networking #Community #Upnotch

It's been 80+ hours, 40+ reposts, and, according to LinkedIn stats, 12,000+ people who saw the story about how I was asked to leave #YCFemaleFounders2024 conference with my cooing baby, so other attendees could have "the full experience." See the original story here: https://lnkd.in/eT6JGbZm Y Combinator is still silent. The accelerator partner I had the interaction with removed her tag from my post, so it's doesn't reflect on her page. That's how I know they know. People have asked me questions, both privately and in the comments. Do I think the partner expressed YC's official position? No, I don't. I think, as a conference organizer and a person from a somewhat older generation, she felt an urge to mom-shame me, and she went with it, without realizing how ridiculous it was in this context. Honestly, I think she regretted it immediately. And I forgive her. Plus, I didn't leave anyway 😂 Do I think there is a certain culture that she represented? Yes, I do. I was the only woman with a baby at an event with 100+ female founders. Half of them were moms, and I talked to a few who had left their newborn babies at home to come to the conference. Unbelievable, but in modern California, a woman doesn't feel comfortable coming to a startup event with a breastfed baby. If this carries on, we won't have more female-founded businesses, because the whole freaking problem with being a female founder is that you have to take care of both a business and a baby. It's hard enough already, so it'd be great if the world was more supportive. Who does this world learn from? California. Who do new businesses learn from? Y Combinator. There's pressure on you guys to do better. How can you do better? Next time, have childcare on site. Encourage women to take kids with them instead of frowning upon it: kids learn so much from sharing the life experiences of their parents. Have a junior conference for founders' kids where they can build robots and make connections. And change your optics about the "full experience" of a female founder event. This IS the full experience of female founders, not those keynotes, hashtags, or big loud words. It's only when we embrace the female experience in its fullness, the change will follow. Do I hold anything against YC? They could've been cooler, but I don't. I connected with many great people, both at the event and, unexpectedly, after it - because of this story. I'm grateful to everyone for the support: I didn't expect this much encouragement from people I do and don't know, notably, both women and men. From the reactions to this story (not from YC's actions), I see that this world sincerely wants change for women in business. The monster we're fighting is larger than we think. It's hairy, scary, it hides in unexpected places, and it's not at all guaranteed that we win. But just like with founding a startup, it can all eventually work out, given enough courage, dedication, and teamwork. Go girls founders! Together we can do it!

It's been 80+ hours, 40+ reposts, and, according to LinkedIn stats, 12,000+ people who saw the story about how I was asked to leave #YCFemaleFounders2024 conference with my cooing baby, so other attendees could have "the full experience." See the original story here: https://lnkd.in/eT6JGbZm Y Combinator is still silent. The accelerator partner I had the interaction with removed her tag from my post, so it's doesn't reflect on her page. That's how I know they know. People have asked me questions, both privately and in the comments. Do I think the partner expressed YC's official position? No, I don't. I think, as a conference organizer and a person from a somewhat older generation, she felt an urge to mom-shame me, and she went with it, without realizing how ridiculous it was in this context. Honestly, I think she regretted it immediately. And I forgive her. Plus, I didn't leave anyway 😂 Do I think there is a certain culture that she represented? Yes, I do. I was the only woman with a baby at an event with 100+ female founders. Half of them were moms, and I talked to a few who had left their newborn babies at home to come to the conference. Unbelievable, but in modern California, a woman doesn't feel comfortable coming to a startup event with a breastfed baby. If this carries on, we won't have more female-founded businesses, because the whole freaking problem with being a female founder is that you have to take care of both a business and a baby. It's hard enough already, so it'd be great if the world was more supportive. Who does this world learn from? California. Who do new businesses learn from? Y Combinator. There's pressure on you guys to do better. How can you do better? Next time, have childcare on site. Encourage women to take kids with them instead of frowning upon it: kids learn so much from sharing the life experiences of their parents. Have a junior conference for founders' kids where they can build robots and make connections. And change your optics about the "full experience" of a female founder event. This IS the full experience of female founders, not those keynotes, hashtags, or big loud words. It's only when we embrace the female experience in its fullness, the change will follow. Do I hold anything against YC? They could've been cooler, but I don't. I connected with many great people, both at the event and, unexpectedly, after it - because of this story. I'm grateful to everyone for the support: I didn't expect this much encouragement from people I do and don't know, notably, both women and men. From the reactions to this story (not from YC's actions), I see that this world sincerely wants change for women in business. The monster we're fighting is larger than we think. It's hairy, scary, it hides in unexpected places, and it's not at all guaranteed that we win. But just like with founding a startup, it can all eventually work out, given enough courage, dedication, and teamwork. Go girls founders! Together we can do it!

It's been 80+ hours, 40+ reposts, and, according to LinkedIn stats, 12,000+ people who saw the story about how I was asked to leave #YCFemaleFounders2024 conference with my cooing baby, so other attendees could have "the full experience." See the original story here: https://lnkd.in/eT6JGbZm Y Combinator is still silent. The accelerator partner I had the interaction with removed her tag from my post, so it's doesn't reflect on her page. That's how I know they know. People have asked me questions, both privately and in the comments. Do I think the partner expressed YC's official position? No, I don't. I think, as a conference organizer and a person from a somewhat older generation, she felt an urge to mom-shame me, and she went with it, without realizing how ridiculous it was in this context. Honestly, I think she regretted it immediately. And I forgive her. Plus, I didn't leave anyway 😂 Do I think there is a certain culture that she represented? Yes, I do. I was the only woman with a baby at an event with 100+ female founders. Half of them were moms, and I talked to a few who had left their newborn babies at home to come to the conference. Unbelievable, but in modern California, a woman doesn't feel comfortable coming to a startup event with a breastfed baby. If this carries on, we won't have more female-founded businesses, because the whole freaking problem with being a female founder is that you have to take care of both a business and a baby. It's hard enough already, so it'd be great if the world was more supportive. Who does this world learn from? California. Who do new businesses learn from? Y Combinator. There's pressure on you guys to do better. How can you do better? Next time, have childcare on site. Encourage women to take kids with them instead of frowning upon it: kids learn so much from sharing the life experiences of their parents. Have a junior conference for founders' kids where they can build robots and make connections. And change your optics about the "full experience" of a female founder event. This IS the full experience of female founders, not those keynotes, hashtags, or big loud words. It's only when we embrace the female experience in its fullness, the change will follow. Do I hold anything against YC? They could've been cooler, but I don't. I connected with many great people, both at the event and, unexpectedly, after it - because of this story. I'm grateful to everyone for the support: I didn't expect this much encouragement from people I do and don't know, notably, both women and men. From the reactions to this story (not from YC's actions), I see that this world sincerely wants change for women in business. The monster we're fighting is larger than we think. It's hairy, scary, it hides in unexpected places, and it's not at all guaranteed that we win. But just like with founding a startup, it can all eventually work out, given enough courage, dedication, and teamwork. Go girls founders! Together we can do it!

It's been 80+ hours, 40+ reposts, and, according to LinkedIn stats, 12,000+ people who saw the story about how I was asked to leave #YCFemaleFounders2024 conference with my cooing baby, so other attendees could have "the full experience." See the original story here: https://lnkd.in/eT6JGbZm Y Combinator is still silent. The accelerator partner I had the interaction with removed her tag from my post, so it's doesn't reflect on her page. That's how I know they know. People have asked me questions, both privately and in the comments. Do I think the partner expressed YC's official position? No, I don't. I think, as a conference organizer and a person from a somewhat older generation, she felt an urge to mom-shame me, and she went with it, without realizing how ridiculous it was in this context. Honestly, I think she regretted it immediately. And I forgive her. Plus, I didn't leave anyway 😂 Do I think there is a certain culture that she represented? Yes, I do. I was the only woman with a baby at an event with 100+ female founders. Half of them were moms, and I talked to a few who had left their newborn babies at home to come to the conference. Unbelievable, but in modern California, a woman doesn't feel comfortable coming to a startup event with a breastfed baby. If this carries on, we won't have more female-founded businesses, because the whole freaking problem with being a female founder is that you have to take care of both a business and a baby. It's hard enough already, so it'd be great if the world was more supportive. Who does this world learn from? California. Who do new businesses learn from? Y Combinator. There's pressure on you guys to do better. How can you do better? Next time, have childcare on site. Encourage women to take kids with them instead of frowning upon it: kids learn so much from sharing the life experiences of their parents. Have a junior conference for founders' kids where they can build robots and make connections. And change your optics about the "full experience" of a female founder event. This IS the full experience of female founders, not those keynotes, hashtags, or big loud words. It's only when we embrace the female experience in its fullness, the change will follow. Do I hold anything against YC? They could've been cooler, but I don't. I connected with many great people, both at the event and, unexpectedly, after it - because of this story. I'm grateful to everyone for the support: I didn't expect this much encouragement from people I do and don't know, notably, both women and men. From the reactions to this story (not from YC's actions), I see that this world sincerely wants change for women in business. The monster we're fighting is larger than we think. It's hairy, scary, it hides in unexpected places, and it's not at all guaranteed that we win. But just like with founding a startup, it can all eventually work out, given enough courage, dedication, and teamwork. Go girls founders! Together we can do it!

It's been 80+ hours, 40+ reposts, and, according to LinkedIn stats, 12,000+ people who saw the story about how I was asked to leave #YCFemaleFounders2024 conference with my cooing baby, so other attendees could have "the full experience." See the original story here: https://lnkd.in/eT6JGbZm Y Combinator is still silent. The accelerator partner I had the interaction with removed her tag from my post, so it's doesn't reflect on her page. That's how I know they know. People have asked me questions, both privately and in the comments. Do I think the partner expressed YC's official position? No, I don't. I think, as a conference organizer and a person from a somewhat older generation, she felt an urge to mom-shame me, and she went with it, without realizing how ridiculous it was in this context. Honestly, I think she regretted it immediately. And I forgive her. Plus, I didn't leave anyway 😂 Do I think there is a certain culture that she represented? Yes, I do. I was the only woman with a baby at an event with 100+ female founders. Half of them were moms, and I talked to a few who had left their newborn babies at home to come to the conference. Unbelievable, but in modern California, a woman doesn't feel comfortable coming to a startup event with a breastfed baby. If this carries on, we won't have more female-founded businesses, because the whole freaking problem with being a female founder is that you have to take care of both a business and a baby. It's hard enough already, so it'd be great if the world was more supportive. Who does this world learn from? California. Who do new businesses learn from? Y Combinator. There's pressure on you guys to do better. How can you do better? Next time, have childcare on site. Encourage women to take kids with them instead of frowning upon it: kids learn so much from sharing the life experiences of their parents. Have a junior conference for founders' kids where they can build robots and make connections. And change your optics about the "full experience" of a female founder event. This IS the full experience of female founders, not those keynotes, hashtags, or big loud words. It's only when we embrace the female experience in its fullness, the change will follow. Do I hold anything against YC? They could've been cooler, but I don't. I connected with many great people, both at the event and, unexpectedly, after it - because of this story. I'm grateful to everyone for the support: I didn't expect this much encouragement from people I do and don't know, notably, both women and men. From the reactions to this story (not from YC's actions), I see that this world sincerely wants change for women in business. The monster we're fighting is larger than we think. It's hairy, scary, it hides in unexpected places, and it's not at all guaranteed that we win. But just like with founding a startup, it can all eventually work out, given enough courage, dedication, and teamwork. Go girls founders! Together we can do it!