By John Kregler, StartOut
To Natalie Demary, two things are clear: cryptocurrency is the future, and the future is female.
That’s precisely why Natalie (she/her), a marketing professional and military officer from Austin, Texas, founded CryptoFemme last year. Through her evolving online platform, CryptoFemme seeks to connect, engage and educate “women and femme people” who want to know more about crypto — regardless of whether they want to start investing, or simply learn how to leverage blockchain technology for their business.
“I was exposed to crypto via a blockchain-based company, for whom I provided marketing consulting services. I was enamored by it and learned everything I could in a very short amount of time. I soon started to realize that women weren’t getting the same access to educational resources as men were. Right now, there’s a huge disparity between men and women in crypto that I’m trying to address.”
A recent study from CoinTelegraph showed that despite showing interest, 80% of women found crypto to be difficult to understand and 72% believed it was a risky investment.
But Natalie’s mission is to change that statistic. Her community, which started in Austin, has grown to over 400 members across the country in just four months. Natalie’s long term goal is to create a thriving space for one million women in crypto by 2030.
And part of her growth strategy is to encourage active participation with the new currency. Members of CryptoFemme were gifted future access to ‘Founding Member’ NFTs and Bitcoin was raffled off as a prize at Natalie’s round table social event in Austin, TX earlier this year. The goal isn’t to bribe people with flashy gifts, but rather get them engaged and excited about the new and fascinating world of crypto.
“Thanks to blockchain technology you can essentially be your own bank, and the difference this makes for people is profound. Crypto comprises currencies that free us from restraints that come from traditional banks. People in third-world countries can have access to digital funds, even in local regions where bank accounts are unavailable, or in dictatorships where keeping one’s money in a bank is risky. But as with anything, the first steps toward mastery in crypto is through education and practice.”
The road for female entrepreneurs can be full of roadblocks, especially for women of color and trans women. But as a trans founder herself, Natalie always keeps her head up. Even while serving in the Texas Army National Guard for nearly 12 years, she lives out and proud.
As Co-Chair of StartOut’s Austin, TX Programming Board, Natalie is continuing with that spirit and boldly continuing her mission to educate. Through local events at the Texas capital, and soon in other cities and states, she’s growing her community and finding new ways to bring more women into the space.
“Years ago, it was uncommon to see a highly successful woman in the coaching or consulting industries, but look at us now. Women today are dominating coaching and consulting, as evidenced by the ‘BossBabe’ movement, and thanks to spaces for mentorship and resources, such as those offered by StartOut to queer women. It’s really encouraging to see us moving in that direction, and there’s still so much work that needs to be done to narrow the gap for women in crypto.”
And to all women who find themselves wanting to launch their startup or online business, Natalie has one piece of advice: Validate your idea. In other words, make sure it’s something that people need and want, and make sure that it’s something you’re truly passionate about providing.
Connect with Natalie on LinkedIn for the latest updates on CryptoFemme, and follow our blog on Medium for more StartOut member stories!
