Interview with Leslie Hitchcock, Director of International Events at TechCrunch Disrupt
Interview by Marija Butkovic @MarijaButkovic
Leslie Hitchcock has been at TechCrunch for eight years, in a variety of roles: first as a marketing manager for the brand, then moving onto the events team as a sponsorship sales executive, next as the global events director, then moving to London to lead the international event expansion. Before joining TechCrunch, she was a client consultant at TechTarget, focusing on the information security space. Leslie is an American expat living in London with her husband, baby, and dog. She loves running, reading, art exhibits, and exploring the UK.
Leslie, how did you get into this industry?
I’ve always worked on the business side of media since beginning my career, but one can’t help but become indoctrinated in the startup industry when living in San Francisco. After working at another media brand, I was recruited by TechCrunch and came on board three weeks later, which is a record! TechCrunch is special because it chooses to shine its light on startups that would otherwise not have the exposure. It is why I love my job.
What does your current job role entail?
I lead operations and strategy for TechCrunch’s international events which means I drive the expansion strategy, manage the budget, production, and vendors along with six operations members. I also work very closely with the sales and editorial teams to collaborate with them in the lead up to the event.
What projects are you working on at the moment?
The TechCrunch Disrupt Berlin Conference is rapidly approaching, being held 11-12 December. Right now, we’re announcing the last of the speakers for the event, prepping our ExtraCrunch stage which will focus on content for early stage founders, lining up our illustrious Hackathon judges, and getting set to launch our investor-startup matching service, CrunchMatch.
You have amazing speakers and panelists lined up for this years’ TechCrunch Disrupt in Berlin. It’s a big event and it seems like it’s getting bigger and bigger (and better!) every year. Share with us some advice and highlights of organising an event of that size.
The amount of work that goes into running an event juggernaut like the Disrupt Conference is monumental, even one that is comparably small with ‘only’ 3,000 attendees. I wish I could take the credit for it, but I readily give all of the props to the team I work with. They are the reason we can grow and execute so flawlessly. As for the programming, we have nearly reached parity which is really exciting! 47% of our speakers and judges are women and the ones I’m most excited about are Softbank’s Carolina Brochado, Karoli Hindrics from Jobbatical, Clare Jones of what3words, and dynamics.vc’s partner Tanja Kufner.
Also, what are the differences between markets (US vs. Europe) and what are some trends you see when organising events for those two markets? How about differences? Why does TC come to bring Disrupt to Berlin/the EU?
It has been such a great experience to come to London from San Francisco and immerse myself in the UK/European startup scene. They are totally different but still have the same inspiring startup ethos. Europe is incredibly strong in Femtech, Fintech, and eCommerce, so we see our content shift in that regard. The TechCrunch Disrupt Conference comes to Berlin to examine on stage the startup industry here and bring a bit of Silicon Valley to Silicon Allee, but the crux of it remains the same: provide a platform for startups to have the most exposure they can to our audience.
What does the #WomenInTech movement mean to you? What are the challenges of being a woman in tech / STEM?
It means equality and all that entails. You can’t be what you can’t see which led to a dearth of women in the startup and tech industry, but that is changing. Helping women use their networks to develop their careers and have a platform for growth; all of this is part of the WiT movement. I was part of the team that created our Women in Tech(Crunch) pre-Disrupt reception and to see it grow in size across many markets, even inspiring us to start our Women of Disrupt breakfast at the conference which is open to all women-identifying attendees.
In your opinion, what will be the key trends in the tech industry in the next 5 years and where do you see it heading?
Privacy. With the advent of GDPR and CCPA, we will see more privacy acts implemented and tech companies will have to wrestle with compliance and the public perception of trustworthiness.
Who are your 3 inspirational people / businesses in tech?
I can’t just narrow it down to three, so here are four!
Ida Tin, Clue. Femtech extraordinaire Ida has changed the industry with her menstrual tracking app, designed to help women know their bodies and achieve pregnancy.
Sophie Hill, Threads Styling. Sophie was the first to employ luxury shopping via Instagram and Whatsapp/WeChat, having no traditional website for product. Groundbreaking.
The Wing, women-only co-working space. I am a founding member of The Wing, London, and love the atmosphere and camaraderie that Audrey Gelman and her team have created.
Tania Boler, Elvie. I had a baby last December and loved the Elvie breast pump. Nearly silent, compact, chic; I highly recommend this investment for breastfeeding mums.
If you’re serious about startups, we’re still keeping it as real as ever. At Disrupt, everyone is a startupper – no matter if you’re a founder, investor, hacker or tech leader. So much more than just on-stage interviews, Disrupt is where you’ll find the renowned Startup Battlefield competition, hundreds of startups in Startup Alley, Workshops and legendary networking at our After Parties… and we’re in Berlin, right where many startup dreams begin.
WoW is excited to partner with this years TC Disrupt in Berlin, discount code WOMENOFWEARABLES will give you 15% discount on tickets for Disrupt SF or use THIS direct link!
Website: https://techcrunch.com/events/disrupt-berlin-2019/
This interview was conducted by Marija Butkovic, Digital Marketing and PR strategist, founder and CEO of Women of Wearables. She regularly writes and speaks on topics of wearable tech, fashion tech, IoT, entrepreneurship and diversity. Visit marijabutkovic.co.uk or follow Marija on Twitter @MarijaButkovic @Women_Wearables.