Empowering Women in Tech & Entrepreneurship: A Conversation with Bettina Hein
March is Women’s History Month, a time to celebrate the achievements of women across industries and inspire the next generation of leaders. At Pixability, we are proud to be founded by a visionary entrepreneur who has paved the way for innovation in digital video advertising. We sat down with our founder, Bettina Hein, to discuss her journey, the significance of starting Pixability on March 14 (Pi Day), and her advice for aspiring women founders and those in the tech industry.
Theresa: Bettina, you founded Pixability on March 14—Pi Day! Was that intentional?
Bettina: No, actually, I didn’t even really understand pi day yet in 2008. In Europe, we invert our date formats. I wanted to found Pixability on March 15th to honor my grandfather who was my entrepreneurial role model but March 15th that year was a Saturday so I could only found it on March 14th.
Theresa: You launched Pixability in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis. What was that experience like?
Bettina: I always tell people to put a Google alert on my name – when I found a new company, something major is going to go south. I founded my first company right into the telecom and dot-com crashes of 2000/2001, Pixability during the global financial crisis and my current startup juli right before the COVID pandemic. Obviously I don’t do that on purpose! But I’ve learned to navigate tough economic times and be very frugal. I think the best companies are built during a downturn because they need to find product-market fit when people aren’t spending big bucks and are focusing on essentials.
Theresa: What advice do you have for women looking to found their own start up or business?
Bettina: Do it and do it now! There’s never a perfect time to get started, you just need to have an idea and evolve it along the way.
Theresa: Women’s History Month is a time to celebrate trailblazers. What are your thoughts on how we can continue to support women in tech and entrepreneurship?
Bettina: Spend your money where your mouth is – buy from female-run businesses and invest in female-founded companies. Encourage entrepreneurial women in your companies to venture out for themselves and support them when they decide to take the plunge.
Theresa: Do you have any specific tips for women navigating careers in tech?
Bettina: Don’t undersell yourself. Find allies that can amplify your voice in those male-dominated rooms. Recruit mentors to help you and become a mentor yourself. I started mentoring other women about 3 years after graduating myself.
Theresa: You continue to serve on the board of directors at Pixability and have been a champion for women in leadership. With women making up over 50% of the leadership team, what makes you most proud about staying involved with Pixability?
Bettina: One of my proudest moments was when I overheard one of our male engineers brag to a friend: my boss is a woman, my boss’s boss is a woman and my boss’s boss‘s boss is a woman, too – how cool is that? Having started my career in an extremely male-dominated industry, I felt so proud that we were successful in building a diverse team.
I was also extremely proud when so many people on the team started having babies and almost all were coming back after parental leave – as a startup to be able to provide a stable and supportive environment for new parents felt like a huge compliment to the company culture we had invested so heavily in.
