Katy Lynch

Tell us your story.

I am originally from Scotland and moved to Chicago 9 years ago. Admittedly, when I came here, I had absolutely no clue what I wanted to do with my life, but knew that I wanted to work with a small team, doing something fun and challenging, that leveraged my skills.

After a quick search on Google, I stumbled across a travel startup, Where I've Been. On their careers page, they had a Head of Social Media position that piqued my interest. I applied, got the position, and ended up running all of their marketing efforts, singlehandedly, for 2+ years.

It was an amazing experience. I learned an incredible amount about myself, business, VC's, relationships, and the Chicago tech community.

What advice to you have to share with other women and young girls?

1. That being successful and a great business leader has absolutely nothing to do whether you are male or female.

Have an incredible idea? Identified there's a market for that idea? Tested out the idea on a large number of people? Figured out how to make money out of that idea? Then go and pursue that idea and don't let anything or anyone hold you back.

2. Put yourself out there. You can start building a good, solid network of friends in your industry. Best way to do this is to go to events. (Use Eventbrite to find events in your area.) There are a ton of female-focused organizations out there, too, to be a part of. Check out MsTech, Women Tech Founders, and Women2.0.

3. Take advantage of social media. Start using Twitter. (Klout is a good place to find people that have similar interests to you.) Join LinkedIn Groups. Sign up for Meetup.com.

Pass it on!

Lots of people and things in my life inspire me. First and foremost, my darling husband, Craig Ulliott! He's so freakin' smart, practical, passionate, and funny. He helped me launch my first business, SocialKaty, and I will forever be grateful to him for all the advice and wisdom he shares with me every day.

Secondly, music inspires me. I grew up in a very musical family. My mum and dad both loved to sing, and my brother owns a successful record label back home in Scotland. Every morning, I wake up to music blasting in our house. Gets me fired up about the day ahead. (My personal faves are The Beatles, Hot Chip, Radiohead, and Pearl Jam!)

As far as who I want to inspire? Kids. I want to inspire and encourage kids to pursue their dreams - whatever they may be!

The Women in Tech campaign exists to help redefine what women in technology means in the 21st century. Started independently by a group of professional women who, after many impassioned discussions about women in tech knew we wanted to expand this definition beyond 'traditional' technology skills. To us, it includes most every current, emerging or evolving role within an organization. By featuring leaders and emerging leaders across industries who embody this we hope to collectively 'stand up', be proud of our place in the digital world and inspire young women or those new to the 'tech space' to get involved.