Maika Isogawa
Co-founder and CEO of Webacy
Please introduce yourself and your background. What has brought you into fintech?
I’m the co-founder and CEO of Webacy, the leading diligence company for apps, protocols, and end-users in crypto. My journey into crypto and blockchain started when I was a professional acrobat at Cirque Du Soleil. I traveled quite a bit around the world and managed to gain a broader understanding of how the world worked and what challenges people faced. Since the beginning, I believed that blockchain technology could change our world and the systems we had for the better.
I also studied at Stanford University, specializing in computer science and artificial intelligence. I realized that it was time to build things that would make an impact.
This, indeed, sounds like a fascinating journey! So, what particular challenges do you have to encounter being not just a female in crypto, but also a Forbes 30 Under 30 lister?
To be honest, being a female in crypto is both a blessing and a curse. You definitely stand out, but, for sure, it also comes with a bucket of challenges.
While plenty of progress has been made, we should call it as it is. It’s harder to raise funding and, at the same time, things like networking, socializing and building a brand are complicated. Women in this sphere more often need to prove their competency and capabilities. I’ve personally experienced all these challenges. Yet, they have made me a better and more resilient founder, as I was forced to work harder, better and win more than the rest.
And you’ve managed to go through all this! Speaking of male dominance, do you think there are significant changes in diversity and inclusion in this sphere?
Of course, it’s a male-dominated sphere, as according to my observations, there are few women working in founder or leadership positions. Still, changes in diversity and inclusion exist. For example, there are many incredible groups working on onboarding and teaching many women in the industry.
What advice would you give to women looking to enter the crypto?
My advice for women is to do it by all means if there is an interest. This is a great opportunity to build a career and grow as a professional. Just remember that success is always self-made and self-directed — nobody will give it to you on a silver platter.
You mentioned that changes in diversity and inclusion exist, so what initiatives would you like to see within the crypto industry regarding them?
Last year, BitGet CEO Gracy Chen organized a female founder award ceremony as a part of the SheFi summit in Singapore. Leveraging a large corporate platform to recognize and promote individuals who are doing great work in the industry was a great way to showcase excellent entrepreneurs in the ecosystem. I hope to see more companies utilizing their social media and financial resources to perform such things. It opens a lot of opportunities for people that may be currently at a disadvantage.
The crypto industry has been tied to a lot of bad press — memecoins, scandals, silly narratives which are entertaining for some people, but appalling for others. The industry needs to mature. There are people working on real use cases and technologies, so more companies should emerge to develop and support these innovations. We need to build a safer and more inviting ecosystem together.
