Women in tech Here’s what Monica Eaton-Cardone had to say.


Tell us about your professional background and how this has led you to where you are today? My determination to succeed began at an early age. Aſter I graduated high school at 16, I maintained two jobs while working towards a college degree in art and architecture. I sold my first business at 19 before founding an eCommerce company. I established Chargebacks911 to better help those struggling to


mitigate, or even understand chargebacks! Te company was really born out of necessity. Aſter I found that my own online business was being repeatedly attacked by friendly fraud and chargebacks, I looked to the market for a solution. I needed a service that would work effectively, but all I found were other companies suffering the same problem, and a striking disconnect throughout the payments industry when it comes to chargeback management. Te chargeback issue is a growing problem. Tat’s why Chargebacks911 and its sister brand, Fi911 are so necessary.


What are your experiences of being a female tech leader? Having someone to guide you on the path to success is one of the greatest assets a budding entrepreneur can have. Troughout my own journey, I’ve had the honour of interacting and learning from some real powerhouse leaders in the industry. Also, I’m lucky to have the platform that I do and I use that


to speak up for other women wanting to succeed in tech-related businesses. I launched the LIFT: Elevating Women in Fintech which is a free mentorship programme that seeks to bridge the gap between established women in the industry, and those who are still trying to find their way.


What challenges have you encountered if any being a female in the tech sector? Being a female in a male dominated industry has motivated me to raise the bar – both personally, and professionally. In my early twenties I founded a start-up in India aſter stumbling


onto an opportunity to develop VOIP soſtware for the call-centre industry. I was the only woman and arguably the youngest. I quickly learned the value of humility and prioritised my mission – I put feelings of disrespect aside and aligned with what I assumed was unique cultural prejudices (I did not allow these feelings to deter my mission). In India, and still today, a woman’s identity is closely tied to their husband or father. I was Monica Eaton, daughter of my father, not Monica Eaton, an individual in her own right. Being underestimated was a given, and something I turned into an advantage. I worked hard, developed thick skin, and above all – maintained professionalism. I taught myself to be forgiving and to focus on the goal, not how long it took to get there, or the unfairness I might confront along the way. A shiſt in western mentality served me well and eventually I became a respected leader in a male dominated world. Tis company is still going strong, and I have grown to respect and appreciate the cultural differences and diversity. As the saying goes, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger! Troughout my career, I have also learned that prejudice comes


in many forms and is especially relative to technology. Tis can become a substantial obstacle, but just like any problem, therein


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also lies opportunity. Being underestimated is not fair. It requires more effort, different


thinking, and iron will. Woman who rise as leaders in this industry, have mastered these skills and become stronger as a result. Tere is great benefit at the end of the day – but that doesn’t mean I believe this should be the case. In the western world, the challenges are more masked. In some


respect, this is even harder, because woman are pressured to feel guilt as a result of their success. For example, being a working mother and having a successful career in a male dominated industry, dramatically challenges traditional roles and equally requires a lot more effort! With the birth of Chargebacks911, I had two daughters under the age of three. Like many other women, I mastered multi-tasking, and the value of routines, which allowed me to maximise my time and reap rewards without guilt. Even still, I dealt with unfair and bias criticism, considering I wasn’t an “ideal mother.” In retrospect, a role as a parent requires innovation, problem-


solving, and constant evolution. Tese are skills that can improve any career, if applied correctly. Technology is problem solving at it’s best. As problems evolve,


one must innovate. Tere is not a level playing field for women in today’s landscape, but I do believe this is improving and evolving – and has a long way still to go. I strongly believe that mentorship programmes are perhaps the most powerful way for women to address the gender imbalance in tech – rather than imposing quotas, mentorship allows women at the start of their careers to overcome the specific obstacles to getting to where they want to be in their careers.


What are your interests and passions in regards to working in the tech channel? I am passionate about tech. While setting up Chargebacks911, I taught myself all I could about financial technology and today our products are developed to serve financial institutions and merchants. We have varied implementation options to fit virtually any


budget and size. Our clients are either merchants, supplied by our Chargebacks911 brand and product suite, or banks, supplied by our Fi911 brand catered for acquirers and related financial service institutions. We also work with many third-party vendors and suppliers, such as CRMs, gateways, fraud filters, processors, etc. Our platform aggregates connections and data, driving efficiencies and reducing requirements for manual reviews. We have the capacity to bring on any company, large or small


that receives chargebacks and disputes. Our goal is to minimise the loss from post transaction fraud and utilise data analytics to help prevent it from happening in the future. We offer a one-stop shop for everything dispute related. All of these capabilities started with that keen interest in tech.


How can the channel drive greater diversity in the sector? Collaboration is key across the tech sector. Over the last year, I’ve been trying to help drive change with an initiative called the findexable Fintech Diversity Radar. My businesses, Chargebacks911 and Fi911, partnered with real-time data company, findexable,


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