Guiding Mid-Career Women in Tech to the
Top of Their Career Mountain

CareerClimb™ is the only executive development platform in Silicon Valley exclusively for mid-career women in technology, specifically in Product and Product-related fields. Our three flagship programs produce measurable career results for our tight-knit community of over 1,000 women.

  • Evelyn Chou

    ” I like Lisa and the community of great people that Lisa built. I see myself growing in this community and it inspires me to become better!”

    “Through the Challenge, I was surprised to hear other participants having similar experiences to mine. (It made me realize) that I am not alone and that there is a community out there.”

    “I would recommend the Product VP Challenge to mid-career professionals who are eager to learn and who feel they are stuck where they are (and want to get unstuck).”


    Evelyn Chou

    Senior Manager + Performance Measurement.
  • Aparna Hargunani

    “Knowing the goal that you are trying to reach makes working towards it easier because you know what steps you need to take towards that goal.”

    “Lisa provided us a safe place to share something personal – it provided a sense of comfort and we built trust in a surprisingly short time frame.”

    “Hearing Lisa and other participants talk about their challenges resonated with me. It sounded so similar to what I was struggling with and I saw that there is a path out of these challenges. I saw that there was a defined path that I could take to grow into the Product space.”


    Aparna Hargunani

    Product and Program Management
  • Yvonne Markgraf Stoehr

    “I went in with the expectation of getting a high-level framework of how to approach both my career and my job-hunting. I came away with a collaborative community experience with people who have a lot of expertise in my field, in addition to some very helpful career guidance.”

    “In doing the daily and weekly work that we went through as a group, I was able to really tap into my self-worth, my experiences and my value. I was able present that to my manager in a way that made them open to giving me a higher title.”


    Yvonne Markgraf Stoehr

    Director of Technology, Product Management
  • Xunjing Wu

    “Having someone experienced to lead and to cultivate a unique community among a truly amazing group of female product leaders was an inspiring and empowering journey to be part of.”

    “One piece of advice I got from Lisa that gave me that aha moment to fight off self-doubts is “Don’t focus on yourself or what others may think of you, but focus on the problems you are trying to solve or the product you are trying to build. You are the messenger, so focus on the message”.”

    “You are not alone in this journey. Invest in yourself and accelerate your growth.”


    Xunjing Wu

    Sr. Product Manager at Comcast
  • Debarati Goswami

    “I found Lisa to be a fantastic coach. I really liked her energy, her vibe, her personality. She is very generous and definitely leads with generosity. I could relate to a lot of things that were shared during the Challenge and the Program.”

    “Lisa presented a solid framework around how to climb your career ladder. The fact that it was specifically geared towards product managers was very actionable and useful.”

    “The speakers also helped us understand some aspects in the frameworks and included examples on how we can make them actionable in our career.”


    Debarati Goswami

    Product Lead at eBay
  • Vibhu Mahajan

    “This program taught me how to have a vision in my career. I am able to visualize where I want to go. I am now looking at career opportunities. When recruiters reach out to me, if I don’t see what they’re envisioning for this role (aligned to my vision), I actually reject their offer the opportunity presented. That was not something I had ever done before!

    I learned how to interview a company and make them sit in the hot seat. Now that I’m able to move to the next level, and have proven that I’m a visionary leader, I’m actually starting to ask for more money and without guilt, or a lack of confidence. Lisa gave me the tools to be able to do that!”


    Vibhu Mahajan

    Senior Product Manager
  • Christine Rhinehart

    “The Challenge created a tight community for women (in product) who are willing to support each other and lift each other up.”

    “The advice and personal mentorship I got from Lisa was hugely helpful – making sure that I spend my time forming strong relationships with my co-workers. I was able to come up to speed much faster.”

    “What a great time to have this resource and this community of women and get guidance and mentorship on how to be successful in my new role.”


    Christine Rhinehart

    Product Manager working in the **Infosec org*** of Netflix
  • Linda Lee

    “I needed a change in my career and the timing for me to join the Accelerator program was perfect. I felt stuck at the time and my career trajectory had stalled. I was also concerned with leaving my job and having to take a step down.
    Through taking the program I gained a lot of confidence in myself and was able to evaluate my values, which led me to make the hard decision to leave my current position and aim at a higher goal than just being stuck at a corporate job. I am excited to announce that because of the courage and direction I gained in the Accelerator program, I have started my own company. This is something I have always wanted to do!”


    Linda Lee

    Founder & CEO
  • Yvonne Markgraf Stoehr

    I went in with the expectation of getting a high-level framework of how to approach both my career and my job-hunting. I came away with a collaborative community experience with people who have a lot of expertise in my field, in addition to some very helpful career guidance.


    Yvonne Markgraf Stoehr

    Director of Technology, Product Management
  • Rosa Gonzales Welton

    I was lucky to find Lisa right at the moment where I was looking for new coaching and really trying to shape a plan for my career.

    The Product VP Challenge is right for women who want more in their career and from themselves but are not yet sure what it takes to get there.


    Rosa Gonzales Welton

    Director of Product Management

Our Vision and Mission

Our Mission

Our mission is to guide as many people who identify as women or nonbinary in technology as possible to the top of their career mountains.

Our Vision

Our vision is a world with equal gender representation in the Director and Executive ranks of tech companies and equal pay for men and women.

We believe that the world will be a vastly better place if more tech products are made by women and people with different backgrounds and perspectives.


And while we recognize that the playing field is not yet even for women, nonbinary and minorities in tech, we believe that the more of them climb to the top, the easier it will be for those who follow in their steps.


That's the way to equity.


Career Challenges For Women In Tech Today:

Professional Men 45+ 

37%

11%
quality
8%
cost
37%

11%
quality
8%
cost

Professional Women 45+


29%

% WHO ARE MANAGERS

8%
quality

% WHO ARE DIRECTORS

4%
cost

% WHO ARE EXECUTIVES

29%

% WHO ARE MANAGERS

8%
quality

% WHO ARE DIRECTORS

4%
cost

% WHO ARE EXECUTIVES

  • Professional Men 45+ 
  • Professional Women 45+

Not a glass ceilling but a bottleneck mid-way up the career mountain

A gender pay gap that compounds to meaningful comp difference

According to GlassDoor Pay Gap study, the gender pay gap in the  the IT Sector in the United States is 5.9% of which 1/3 is "unexplained" and likely attributed to conscious and unconscious bias.

 For a $200,000 base salary, that's an annual difference of $12K, which compounds to hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars of missed economic wealth for women over the course of their careers. :( 

5.9%

The pay gap between men and women in the United States (Information Technology Sector) - Higher in rest of the world and for minorities

1/3

the part of the gender pay gap that is "unexplained" and likely caused by conscious or unconscious workplace bias. 

Why We Do What We Do

We believe that when exhausted and burnt-out female managers find their vision, become confident, develop their leadership and lead with passion and purpose, it is a win-win for them, their teams, their companies and most importantly, the world at large.

Our Signature Programs:

5 DAY

Product VP Challenge

3 MONTH

Product Executive Accelerator

9 MONTH

Denali Executive Development Program

Our Results

Of 70+ clients and alums of our Product Executive Accelerator and Denali Executive Development Programs:

Some have:

  • Received 40%+ increases in compensation
  • Achieved roles significantly more senior than the they had ever attempted before
  • Moved laterally within their organization to better opportunities
  • Been selected to speak at large industry events and stages
  • Secured funding for starting their own company while in our program

A large number have: 

  • Achieved promotions and changes of titles
  • Increased confidentce while presenting, speaking and negotiating
  • Become more visible internally and externally in their companies
  • Built stronger relationships within their organizations
  • Developed the ability to set healthy boundaries

Companies where our members are
building their careers

Hear From Our Coaches & Advisors

  • Sonali Arurkar

    Executive Coach
    I am passionate about serving the CareerClimb members by helping them shift what seems possible while reducing stress.
  • Sara Olsen

    Executive Coach
    Nothing makes me happier than helping women in tech realize their potential. Often, they are holding themselves back without realizing it—and I love seeing their confidence build and the light go on in their minds that says “I know I can do this!” When that happens, they are unstoppable....Read More
  • Lydia Bradey

    First woman to climb Everest without oxygen, Mindset Trainer
    In reaching out to women across different countries, careers, cultures and languages, I feel all of us recognise that we share the same desire to do our very best in life, whatever the path or the direction. It is impossible to come away from a CareerClimb workshop without feeling like spreading your wings....Read More
  • Michael Schreiber

    CareerClimb Speaking, Presentation and Acting Coach
    I love working with our members because they are sincere and they take action. They are interested in hearing new perspectives and willing to try new things when they see it can help them achieve new heights....Read More
  • Kiana Sharifi

    CareerClimb Career Advisor
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Curabitur rutrum sem turpis, pellentesque aliquam lacus facilisis vel....Read More

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