A female tech entrepreneur has sparked outrage after being refused entry to London Tech Week while accompanying her eight-month-old daughter. Davina Schonle, founder of Humanvantage AI, described feeling “humiliated” after being turned away from the London Olympia venue on Monday, despite having arranged multiple business meetings. Another mother with an 18-month-old child was also reportedly refused entry.
Schonle took to LinkedIn to express her disappointment, stating, “It was more than inconvenient. It was a clear reminder that as a tech industry, we still have work to do when it comes to inclusion beyond buzzwords.” Her post resonated with other parents and industry leaders, drawing attention to the tech sector’s ongoing struggles with diversity and support for female founders.
Industry Reaction
London Tech Week, organised by Informa, is billed as a global gathering of technology’s brightest minds. However, the decision to exclude mothers with babies has sparked criticism in a sector already under scrutiny for its lack of diversity. Rachel Carrell, founder of Koru Kids, commented, “Thirty years ago, this exact debate was happening in law firms and parliament. And here we are in tech, claiming to be the vanguard but still failing at the basics.” Florence Bavanandan, head of platform at Launch Africa Ventures, added, “This systematic exclusion of parents — but let’s face it, mothers — is unacceptable.”
Response from Organisers
A spokesperson for London Tech Week acknowledged the incident, stating, “We’re aware that one of our attendees wasn’t allowed to enter with their child. As a business event, the environment hasn’t been designed to incorporate the particular needs, facilities and safeguards that under-16s require.” They claimed to have reached out to Schonle directly to discuss the incident and future improvements. However, Schonle reported not receiving a personal reply by Tuesday afternoon.
Broader Implications
The controversy highlights persistent inequality in tech entrepreneurship. According to Beauhurst, only 1.8% of the £8 billion in UK equity investment raised in the first half of 2024 went to all-female founding teams, compared to over 86% for all-male teams. Schonle, a member of the University of Warwick’s Deep Tech Incubator, stated that the experience had brought “all my worst fears about being a woman in tech into sharp focus.” She urged the industry to do better, emphasising that she attended the event “to do business, not for a social visit.”
Industry experts are calling for event organisers to adopt more inclusive practices. Jennifer Davidson, founder of Sleek Events, suggested designing events “with empathy – recognising that our attendees are whole people, with responsibilities beyond the badge they wear.” The debate underscores the need for the tech industry to modernise its approach to inclusion and caregiving responsibilities.
