Elle Woods is not the only woman who has walked into a room and immediately felt underestimated. In fact, she represents the experience of so many women who constantly feel like they have to prove themselves and work twice as hard to feel like they belong.
About four years ago, when I first decided to pursue a career in finance, I thought the hardest part would be learning the technical skills.
I expected long nights studying valuation concepts, market dynamics, and investing principles. I expected challenging courses and competitive internships. I was okay with the multiple hurdles and challenges I’d have to overcome. But what I did not expect was how much I would question whether I truly belonged here in the first place.
As I entered the industry, I often caught myself looking around the room and automatically noticing the ratio of men to women. As you could probably guess, it was concerningly disproportionate.
As a new face in the finance world, I met hundreds of people. Several junior investment professionals. A lot of senior executive and leadership members. Many smart, established and driven… men. I wondered why the industry had been developed this way.
Despite my years spent majoring in finance and studying investing topics, I still felt small in those spaces. Over time, I began doubting myself before anyone else even had the chance to. As one of the few women in the room, I became afraid of being wrong. It was almost as if a mistake would somehow reinforce the stereotypes I was already trying to overcome.
We are taught that success in our professional lives stems from intelligence, technical skills, and hard work. But for so many women, the hardest part is overcoming the feeling that some spaces were never truly intended for us in the first place.
I know what it feels like to hesitate before asking a question because you are scared of sounding inexperienced. I know what it feels like to second guess your own ideas in rooms where confidence is often associated with masculinity. And I know what it feels like to work hard academically while still feeling uncertain because of the stereotypes surrounding women in male-dominated fields.
The truth is, women do not lack the capability. We are often lacking representation, encouragement, and the confidence to tell ourselves that we belong.
This is why FuturFund matters to me.
Our mission is not just about teaching women financial literacy. It’s about changing the views and challenging the stereotypes surrounding women altogether.
We want to start by reminding women that they are welcomed in conversations about money, investing, and wealth creation. There is something incredibly powerful about understanding money, feeling confident in your finances and knowing you are capable of taking control of your own future.
I want to show women that they deserve to take up space in these environments long before they feel “qualified enough” to do so.
Even if I’m still working on getting comfortable with this idea myself.
