The gender imbalance in the cryptocurrency industry is visible, and it was clearly always on display every time there’s a conference uniting world leaders and investors. To disrupt and completely eliminate this prevailing issue, the She(256) mentorship program established a movement to increase diversity and break down gender barriers in the blockchain space. With this, female crypto users and investors can now enter the cryptocurrency industry with the support of other crypto-leaders internationally.
THE MENTORSHIP PROGRAM
The She(256) movement is a University of California, Berkeley-led initiative that “presents the opportunity for a professional and young student or early-career young adult to learn from each other serving as guides and allies”. They believe that females in the crypto business have the right to find direction within any space even with an intimidating environment.
For mentors, they are expected to provide guidance, learn from fresh perspectives, and serve as an anchor. The program guidelines entail connecting via phone or in person 1 – 3 times per month, and maintaining communication through email, message, and the like. According to the mentors, the She(256) Mentorship will match up young female-identifying individuals with cryptocurrency leaders in the industry, but all members are welcome to be mentors regardless of gender. For mentees, they are welcome to ask questions, bounce off ideas, and seek direction every session.
Aside from person-to-person mentorship programs, the executives and organizers of She(256) conduct conferences and events all over America. The most recent one was the She256: Women in Blockchain conference. By the end of this year or early 2019, they will host the She(256) Blockchain Design Hackathon, She(256) Annual Conference, She(256) <> Ethereum Devcon IV, San Francisco Blockchain Week, and Stanford Center for Blockchain Research Seminar.
BREAKING BARRIERS
The entire vision, mission, and programs of She(256) can be accessed on their website. But in summary, they claim that: “in defining the blockchain paradigm..it is critical that those building up these far-reaching systems represent the diversity of our global population. She(256) is a movement that would have a long-term impact on this burgeoning industry, by allowing more women to feel welcome in this space and by highlighting the work of women who are already making an impact in this field.”
