KUALA LUMPUR (June 13): Despite the high interest women have in tech-related courses, the actual number of women that work in tech-based careers is sobering. It’s even lower in agriculture, which is not only dominated by men but also low on technology adoption.

Jay Desan, co-founder of agritech startup Boomgrow Productions Sdn Bhd, says this isn’t just a Malaysia problem, but a global one.

Having women in the team has been a distinct advantage for Boomgrow as a majority of their customers are women.

“We need to understand our consumers and they tend to be healthy people or want healthy options. [This includes] purchases for families and who makes those purchases? The mother or women in the family,” she explains.

“I feel like that's our secret strength. As a woman founder, I know what women want, how they [make purchases] and what kind of products will work. So it's a distinct advantage over our competitors.”

Boomgrow’s vegetables are grown under artificial lights with Internet of Things (IoT) sensors to detect everything from leaf discolouration to nitrate composition. This is coupled with artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms. The company started offering farm-fresh vegetables to hotels and restaurants with same day deliveries as soon as it is harvested, but their offerings are now available in most supermarkets.

The company has also expanded its presence beyond Malaysia, setting up in the Philippines with a partnership with Manila Marriott Hotel. Desan says there are a few more regional deployments to look forward to as well.

Desan observes that there is an abundance of communities that support men in tech, but hardly any for women. While there are groups and communities for women entrepreneurs, which serve as great empowerment and support, the support of being a woman in tech may differ at times.

“We have to give a lot as an entrepreneur, whether it’s to the employees or customers, and in the end, we need our own support. So in that sense, we need more women in tech because women have certain challenges, I suppose,” she says.

“At the end of the day, it's the notion of sharing lessons learned because when everyone shares, you can short circuit the process, for example, when it comes to hiring or looking for talent that doesn’t exist in the market. For example, I need an agronomist who can do data analytics and if somebody has looked into this [before me] or has the contact of someone who could help me, that can speed up the process.”

The confidence gap is another thing that needs to be addressed, she says. Desan acknowledges the advantage being a senior female founder in the industry and there is a distinct gain coming to the table with 18 years of experience, which automatically lends her credibility.

But the same is not for younger women. Even those in her team find it a challenge to move forward in the field. They are always striving for perfection, waiting for the perfect moment. This is actually a setback, Desan adds.

“There’s actually two parts to a business: the creative and analytical side, and a fusion needs to happen between the two. I’m not saying that women need to be risk takers overnight to be in business, but instead need to embrace the unknown.

“It’s a challenge because there’s no playbook. Tech is an emerging field and we need to put things forward instead of follow [a precedent]. The women need to put themselves out there. If more women did that, I think that will be the biggest mindset shift that will help [other women].”

“I didn’t venture into this space at a young age because in school I always thought I was better at languages and humanities. It was later in life that I discovered that I’m innately curious and started working in tech. Although I started life in the humanities, it doesn't mean I couldn’t move on to the sciences. It's a mindset issue.”

Women tend to do things that they are more comfortable with, says Desan. For example, there are more women in the fintech space because they are quite familiar with the industry. On top of that, women tend to do things that they can see, feel and touch, but in the start-up world, they need to reimagine the world and push the boundaries of thinking, concedes Desan.

Women tend to be very boxed in, she adds, and it's because of how they were schooled. Sometimes, there are self-imposed and economic barriers that come into play. Women tend to take time out from the workforce during their childbearing years, making it less inclusive.

“If tech becomes a male world, we are going to have a new world that's also male centric. That means that it's less inclusive and more biased, and ultimately, we want a better world that doesn’t exclude 50% of the population. That's why we wake up every day and do what we do.”

More men need to be conscious and practise inclusivity to put deserving women on the map. Desan says another mindset shift needs to happen. Men in decision making positions need to realise the value women bring to the table, such as providing an alternative perspective.

Conscious biases also need to be eliminated. Desan shares that while she didn’t face major discriminatory acts for being a woman, there were still unconscious biases prevalent in the industry.

“I was invited to visit a company and an email was sent to the general manager saying ‘Dr Jay and family are coming for a visit’. The whole team was waiting to greet us [when we arrived] but the minute I arrived, they approached my husband, thinking that he was Dr Jay and my husband redirected them to me,” she shares.

“There was another incident during my time consulting, where I would be supervising a man but at times, the other men in the room would want to talk to him, thinking he’s in charge but the one I’m supervising would look in my direction and consult me. These are real life examples.”

As a mother to two sons, Desan says that the young men give her hope because they are not locked into a world of bias, like the previous generations. The next generation of men want to make the world a better place, but this also means that the workplace needs to ensure that the next generation of men and women are given the opportunity and access to express themselves.

“It doesn’t necessarily become something that's deeply philosophical, but it has to be a conscious thing, especially when it comes to hiring.

“If she's pregnant, what can we do? How can we enable her to have a better working experience? Men need to be aware and support this and we definitely need to be comrades.”

Read all about it in the June 12, 2023 issue of Digital Edge, out with The Edge Malaysia weekly.

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