What Its Like Leading an AI Startup as a Transwoman [Video]

Building a successful startup is a gargantuan task for anyone. In a male-dominated sector like tech, this poses a further challenge for women and, further yet, for transwomen.

As AIM had covered previously, people from marginalised backgrounds are often demonised, as evidenced by the recent Crowdstrike outage, which had many jumping to conclusions that the cause was “DEI engineers” rather than a lack of quality testing.

Speaking to AIM about her struggles coming out and navigating the industry shortly after graduating, Kanao R, an IIT Madras graduate and transwoman, said that success and authenticity aren’t mutually exclusive, and her achievements are a proof of this.

“Navigating my early career while coming to terms with my identity was challenging. My journey and achievements have, I hope, contributed to increasing the visibility and acceptance of queer individuals in the tech industry by demonstrating that success and authenticity are not mutually exclusive,” she said.

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