Showcase Female Role Models: Representation is crucial. Women need to see other women thriving as founders to believe it’s possible for themselves. This can be through media campaigns, panel discussions, or even mentorship programs where aspiring founders are paired with established ones.
Asa part of our series about “Why We Need More Women Founders”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Teresa Ramos.
Teresa Ramos is a seasoned leader with a diverse career spanning over 23 years in executive roles at top tech companies like British Telecom, Vodafone, Telefónica, and Siemens Group. She has driven digital transformations, enhanced organizational agility, and fostered innovation within and across departments.
After her extensive commercial experience, Teresa transitioned to academia, collaborating with leading institutions such as IE (Instituto de Empresa), d.school at Stanford University, and IoC at Harvard University. Her focus in academia has been on innovation, agility, leadership, digital transformation, and high-performance teams.
Currently, Teresa owns her own company and works as an executive coach and digital consultant, collaborating with prestigious organizations such as the United Nations, OECD, NHS, and a number of FORTUNE 500, FTSE100, DAX40, and IBEX35 companies, helping executives and companies navigate the complexities of the digital world and thrive in our fast-evolving, technology-driven landscape.
She is a Fellow at the IoC (Institute of Coaching at Harvard) and a member of the Advisory Council at HBR( Harvard Business Review).
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
Myfirst career was in technology. When I finished my first degree in theoretical physics, I moved from my native Spain to the UK for what was intended to be a brief 6-month internship at British Telecom. However, this experience evolved into an exciting 22-year executive career, during which I led teams globally for industry giants such as British Telecom, Vodafone, Telefónica, and Siemens.
When the company I was working for in Germany was bought by a Spanish company, I received an offer to return to my home country. However, transitioning back to Spain after spending over two decades abroad presented unexpected challenges. Having never worked in Spain, I did not understand the Spanish culture, the Spanish business language or the Spanish business etiquette!! This was deeply frustrating. After spending 22 years dreaming of “going back home”, moving back was extremely hard. After a few months and many deep conversations with family and close friends, I realized I didn’t want anyone to experience what I was going through. I wanted to help people thrive and be fulfilled at work so I decided to leave corporate life and retrain as an executive coach.
This is when I decided to start my own company. My vision was very clear and I was not willing to compromise on it.
Since then, I have made many mistakes, learnt a lot, had a lot of fun and met many fascinating people. Corporate life was interesting and fun and I learned vital lessons that helped me go my own way.
The main challenges I faced were changing my work identity and rebranding. When I left corporate life, I was responsible at a global level for Big Data in Telefonica, one of the top players in telecommunications. My whole network, both personal and professional, saw me as a technologist. It took me some time to create my new work identity.
Initially, it felt as though I had to choose between my tech and digital background and my new path. Over time, this unique combination offered a perspective that proved invaluable. Clients started to value the very rare blend of tech and digital expertise alongside my skills in coaching and leadership development. It took time and patience before the mix became increasingly sought after and now it is part of my unique value proposition.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
There have been many. Being the only woman in the room has always provided plenty of opportunities for funny and interesting stories. Additionally, most of my career has been abroad, which meant that I was also “the foreigner” in the room, and, very often, the only foreigner. You add these two elements together and the potential for interesting stories increases exponentially.
It took me some time to realize that I could turn these two characteristics from a disadvantage to a big advantage. In time, they became part of my personal brand.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I started my career at the BT Research Labs in the UK. After a few years, I moved to Germany as an expat. My first job was as a project manager. I had never managed a project at work in my life!! I was terrified and did not know where to start, so I called my friends back in the UK. They all said the same to me “Teresa, you have been managing projects all your life!! Maybe not at work but you are the one who always organizes our parties, organizes our holidays, our trips to the cinema…. These are all projects, and you know how to do this!”. That helped me realize that, although I had never managed a project at work, I had indeed delivered other informal projects that had taught me valuable lessons.
The lesson I learned here is that, given a challenge, it pays to stop and think when you have done something similar. It could be at work or outside work. Chances are you have dome something similar in the past; surely a lot smaller, surely wit friends and family instead of customers… still, draw lessons from that experience and start getting ready for the challenge ahead!
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
There are many people who helped me along the way and to whom I am incredibly grateful. If I had to choose just one, it would be my mentor and now good friend Liz Brown. Liz is an incredible woman, deeply passionate about empowering and helping other women. She has been my mentor for almost 25 years and a great help both personally and professionally. She has listened deeply, given advice, provided introductions, suggested books and, above all, showed enormous understanding and support all these years. She has always believed in me and cheered me on. The world is a much better place because of Liz´s amazing energy and generosity. I am privileged to call her a friend.
Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
I am an avid reader and therefore have many books that have made a significant impact on me. Depending on where I am at, both personally and professionally, different books impact me at different times. At the moment, I am devouring books on neuroscience, how our brain works and the relationship between our brain and our body, including somatic experiencing and embodiment. “Behave” by Richard Sapolsky and “Neurociencia del cuerpo” by Nazareth Castellanos, a Spanish neuroscientist are current favorites. However, this is very likely to change soon as I am fast moving on to how this can be applied to AI and robotics on one side and to executive coaching and leadership development on the other.
Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life or your work?
A favorite quote would be “The only way to make no mistakes is to do nothing”, which is my interpretation of Elbert Hubbard´s: “To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, and be nothing.”
It is highly unlikely that you will do something right if you do it for the first time or if you have done it before but the circumstances have changed. We live in a highly complex world that is constantly changing at increasingly fast speed. The chances of us doing something new (either because it is the first time or because circumstances have changed) are very high. It is therefore important to become friends with taking risks and learning. And learning means making mistakes and failing.
To thrive in our complex and fast changing world it is vital to redefine our relationship to failure and embrace it as a necessary step in the learning process. It is not failing; it is a step in the learning process.
This is particularly relevant for founders as founders are trail blazers, with new ideas that have never been worked on or even dreamed about. As a founder, it is vital to keep this is mind to ensure you stay motivated.
I try to always keep this is mind and, whenever I make a mistake, I reflect on what I can learn from it from a place of playful curiosity. It is not about blaming but about learning. Then I laugh it off and say “well, this was the first attempt. It will be easier next time!”
How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
I like to think that I have contributed in several ways.
Primarily, I work on making the workplace more human-centered and fulfilling. As an executive coach, I help leaders create environments that are inclusive, empowering, and focused on collective well-being. Through my workshops and consulting, I help organizations transform their cultures — moving away from outdated command-and-control models and toward approaches that emphasize agility, empathy, and collaboration.
I also work directly with women in leadership roles, empowering them to break through barriers, elevate their voices, and embrace leadership as their authentic selves. I’ve collaborated with NGOs to bring these concepts to young girls and teenagers too, emphasizing how leadership and technology are accessible paths for them.
Additionally, I dedicate part of my time to mentoring start-up founders, especially women, because I feel that helping new leaders launch their ventures has a ripple effect on the economy and the community at large.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. According to this EY report, only about 20 percent of funded companies have women founders. This reflects great historical progress, but it also shows that more work still has to be done to empower women to create companies. In your opinion and experience what is currently holding back women from founding companies?
I believe that there is a big lack of female role models in many different fields, founding companies is just one of them. You cannot be what you cannot see. If you have never seen a woman founder, the idea of becoming a founder will not appear in your brain. It is important to start giving more voice and more visibility to women founders.
We need to shine the spotlight on these women, talk about their successes, talk about their failures, and normalize the idea that women are not just equally capable, but essential to the success of the business ecosystem.
Additionally, systemic issues like access to funding play a huge role. The venture capital world is still male-dominated, and unconscious biases can come into play when evaluating women-led start-ups. Beyond financial barriers, cultural expectations around balancing work and family life can deter many women from entrepreneurship, especially when there are fewer institutional supports like childcare or flexible work norms. Women need an ecosystem that not only sees them as founders but actively supports them in building their dreams.
Can you share with our readers what you are doing to help empower women to become founders?
In addition to mentoring women founders, I also run workshops specifically designed for women who want to explore entrepreneurship but might be feeling unsure or intimidated. These sessions focus on fostering confidence, practical skill-building, and creating a supportive peer network.
I am a strong believer that representation is key so I make sure that I give space and visibility to female founders to share their stories so other women can envision themselves taking that leap.
I also actively advocate for women within the funding space. I offer training on gender biases and how to create more equitable processes for women-led initiatives. Change has to happen on both ends — women need to feel empowered to launch their ideas, and the ecosystem must be ready to support them.
This might be intuitive to you but I think it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you share a few reasons why more women should become founders?
Women bring diverse perspectives, which are incredibly valuable, especially in today’s world where consumer needs and social landscapes are rapidly changing. Having more women founders means creating companies that serve broader communities and address needs that might otherwise be overlooked.
Women are often driven by purpose — they’re passionate about solving real problems and contributing meaningfully to the world. When women become founders, they not only innovate, but they also lift their communities. Female-led businesses often create more inclusive environments that can inspire the next generation of leaders.
More women founders also lead to greater economic empowerment for women at every level. When women see each other in powerful roles, they’re inspired to dream bigger, take more risks, and ultimately contribute more significantly to the economy. It’s not just about equality, it’s about progress — when women do well, everyone benefits.
Can you please share 5 things that can be done or should be done to help empower more women to become founders?
- Showcase Female Role Models: Representation is crucial. Women need to see other women thriving as founders to believe it’s possible for themselves. This can be through media campaigns, panel discussions, or even mentorship programs where aspiring founders are paired with established ones.
- Facilitate Access to Funding: Create funding programs specifically targeted at women founders. Women-only angel networks or funds can help level the playing field. I’ve seen brilliant women shy away from pitching simply because they felt the funding environment wasn’t welcoming to them.
- Mentorship and Peer Networks: Building a company can be an isolating experience. Women need strong support systems, mentors who can guide them, and peers who understand their challenges. Setting up peer mentoring circles has proven to be highly effective — I’ve seen women go from uncertain about their business ideas to pitching confidently because they had a supportive group cheering them on.
- Training for Investors on Unconscious Bias: It’s not just women who need support; it’s also about changing the mindset of those who are funding the ideas. Training investors to recognize and address their own biases when assessing founders can help ensure more equitable funding decisions.
- Create Spaces That Welcome Family Balance: Childcare support and flexible working environments are not often spoken about in entrepreneurial spaces, but they are incredibly important. We need more initiatives that offer solutions to help founders, especially women, who are balancing family life. Simple adjustments in this area could create major opportunities.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
I would love to help increase the number of women in STEM. At a certain age, little girls start thinking that science and tech is not for them, that they are no good at it. This is complete rubbish! Girls are just as good as boys at math, science and tech. I believe that what they are missing is not capability or skills but role models. You cannot be what you cannot see. This creates a catch 22- a vicious circle: girls do not see women in STEM and therefore joining that world does not become part of their beliefs. Which, in turns means that little girls coming after them will never have a role model to inspire them to study STEM. We do need to break this patter and start giving women in STEM visibility so that little girls will believe this is a possibility for them.
We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
It would be extremely hard to name just one. I have always admired Rafa Nadal, the tennis player, for his discipline, will power, resilience and grit on the court and for his humbleness and niceness off the court. He is a prime example of how you can be a real tiger and a fighter on the play field and then a warm and nice person off the play field.
It would also be a dream to meet incredibly inspiring women, who have opened so many doors and broken so many glass ceilings for women coming after them; from Carly Fiorina to Sheryl Sandberg.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
The best way to follow my work is with my LinkedIn profile:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/teresa-ramos-martin-6bb311/
Subscribing to my newsletter on my website:
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Versión publicada por Teresa Ramos: www.linkedin.com