For most of her career, Annabelle has worked in technology, an industry where gender imbalance is often not a theory, but a lived experience. Being one of very few women in the room shaped her understanding of leadership early on. It also sharpened her awareness of how confidence, opportunity, and visibility can be influenced by who is, and is not, at the table. Over the past 20 years, Annabelle has founded and exited two tech startups, raised over €2 million in investment, and led teams through growth, uncertainty, and reinvention, all while raising two children and running a household. When she founded her first startup at 40, she encountered overt bias during fundraising. As a female founder with young children, she was openly questioned about her ability to scale a business, with questions framed around circumstance rather than capability. Those experiences did not discourage her. They made it clear that addressing gender imbalance is essential, and that lasting change can only happen when women and men work side by side. This belief is what drew Annabelle to the Professional Women’s Network Dublin. PWN’s commitment to advancing women while actively engaging men as allies resonated deeply. As VP of Operations, she is excited to have the opportunity to contribute her experience to a community grounded in collaboration, shared responsibility, and practical action.