![IMG_0245](https://i0.wp.com/finovate.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/IMG_0245.jpg?resize=640%2C427&ssl=1)
There are plenty of things about fintech worth celebrating, but today, in honor of International Women’s Day, we’re giving three cheers to the women in fintech!
We’re taking a special look at our most recent show, FinovateEurope, where 23% of the presenting companies were represented by a woman on stage. That’s a 50% increase from 2015, where 15% of the companies had female speakers, and a huge leap from our first event in 2007 with zero (see note 1).
So here’s to progress. And here’s to the women of FinovateEurope:
![32788038942_c2729d68a6_k](https://i0.wp.com/finovate.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/32788038942_c2729d68a6_k.jpg?resize=230%2C153&ssl=1)
Avoka
Hali Khan, Director, Business Development
FinovateEurope 2017 demo
Comarch![32557320060_70d77af3b9_k](https://i0.wp.com/finovate.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/32557320060_70d77af3b9_k.jpg?resize=230%2C153&ssl=1)
Paulina Powązka, Sr. Business Solutions Consultant
FinovateEurope 2017 demo
CREALOGIX
Eszter Vass, Sr. Product Strategy & Presales Consultant
FinovateEurope 2017 demo
Dorsum
Reanta Stein, Business Development Director
FinovateEurope 2017 demo
ebankIT
Diana Winstanley, Business Developer
FinovateEurope 2017 demo
EyeVerify![32897433676_705b34c70a_k](https://i0.wp.com/finovate.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/32897433676_705b34c70a_k.jpg?resize=230%2C153&ssl=1)
Tinna Hung, Director, Marketing
FinovateEurope 2017 demo
GainX![32095319534_c74f64b4a0_k](https://i0.wp.com/finovate.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/32095319534_c74f64b4a0_k.jpg?resize=230%2C153&ssl=1)
Angelique Mohring, CEO & Founder
FinovateEurope 2017 demo
Horizn
Janice Diner, CEO, Founding Partner
FinovateEurope 2017 demo
ICAR
Mariona Campmany, CMO
FinovateEurope 2017 demo
ITSector
Patricia Soares, Business Developer
FinovateEurope 2017 demo
Mitek
Sarah Clark, General Manager, Identity
FinovateEurope 2017 demo
nCino![32938680835_d7718ef69a_k](https://i0.wp.com/finovate.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/32938680835_d7718ef69a_k.jpg?resize=230%2C153&ssl=1)
Trisha Price, EVP, Product Development & Engineering
FinovateEurope 2017 demo
Swaper
Iveta Brūvele, CEO, and Elīna Rasmane, COO
FinovateEurope 2017 demo
Trustly
Märta Viberg, Head of Product & Consumer Risk
FinovateEurope 2017 demo
Wealthify
Michelle Pearce, Co-Founder and Chief Investment Officer
FinovateEurope 2017 demo
Xignite
Vanessa Gatihi, Global Head, Customer Success
FinovateEurope 2017 demo
![giphy](https://i0.wp.com/finovate.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/giphy.gif?resize=500%2C500&ssl=1)
Editor’s Note: While sadly it’s true that no women were on stage during the 20 demos of the first Finovate. One company, iPay Technologies, was founded by Dana Bowers, but she chose not to speak that day. And Finovate might not even exist if it wasn’t for Melanie Flanagan, then Marketing Manager at Yodlee (also co-founded by a woman), who was the first person to agree to demo. Finally, Susan Hawkins, then SVP at Metavante, was instrumental in getting both her company and Monitise on stage. So there you have it, woman called the shots for at least 20% of Finovate v1.0’s content, even if they ended up delegating the on-stage pitching to men. Thanks Melanie, Dana and Susan! — Jim Bruene, Founder