The Women of the Australian Legal Technology Association is set for an official launch at the end of the month
The Women of the Australian Legal Technology Association (WALTA) is set to launch at the end of the month, putting the spotlight on women working in legaltech.
The association will be regarded as a subcommittee of the Australian Legal Technology Association (ALTA), and is being headed by ALTA director Karen Finch as chair. Joining Finch on the committee are Xakia Technologies CEO Jodie Baker, PEXA CCO Lisa Dowie and Amanda Fajerman.
The group was established following the publication of the 2021 Diversity in Legal Tech – It’s Time for Action report, which was the result of a team-up between ALTA and PEXA.
“We want to raise the visibility and profile of female legaltech professionals and provide a means for the legal industry to consciously include diversity as part of the procurement process. By making female legaltech leaders visible, WALTA will facilitate this change in the legal industry,” Finch explained.
The association’s first initiatives include the launch of the WALTA Collective portal, which will provide legaltech founders with access to funders, as well as to education, resources and training.
“Funding is crucial to the survive-to-thrive transition for early-stage companies and is a critical roadblock for female founders. Only 2% of global venture capital funding finds its way to female- only founded startups. Legaltech is no different,” Baker said. “By creating a community where founders and funders can come together, female founders can seek guidance on how to navigate this difficult stage and overcome some of the existing barriers to funding for female founders.”
Down the line, WALTA will put together a directory listing legaltech founders and professionals.
“We want to raise the visibility and profile of female legaltech professionals and provide a means for the legal industry to consciously include diversity as part of the procurement process,” Finch said.
PEXA was announced as WALTA’s official annual partner in January. The association will officially launch on 28 April.
