Ellen Pao put on a brave face after her defeat today, saying in a statement after the jury handed a victory to her former employer, Kleiner Perkins, that she was grateful to have gotten her day in court.
Pao, a former partner who had sued the storied venture capital firm for sex discrimination, lost on all counts after a three-year fight. But her case proved to be of interest beyond the venture-capital world and Silicon Valley; she said people from around the world reached out to her, offered their support and shared their stories.
If I ve helped to level the playing field for women and minorities in venture capital, then the battle was worth it, she said. That s probably a little too optimistic. But if nothing else, our Michelle Quinn writes, Pao s suit will be a significant step toward making sure that future Ellen Paos have the shot they deserve to succeed in the tech industry.
Pao followed up her brief statement at the courthouse with the following tweets:
1. Thank you, world.
2. I have been inspired by the thousands of people who have reached out to me over the past three years with support. — Ellen Pao (@ekp)
3. I ve heard from people in Kazakhstan, Bangladesh, Australia, Malaysia, France, Argentina, Norway, Tanzania, Finland, and beyond.
4. Because of social media and live reports, the problem of gender discrimination in venture capital has received attention around the globe — Ellen Pao (@ekp)
5. While today s outcome is a disappointment, I take consolation in knowing that people really listened
6. If we do not share our stories and shine a light on inequities, things will not change — Ellen Pao (@ekp)
7. Hopefully my case will inspire the venture capital industry to level the playing field for everyone, including women and minorities
9. To support the entrepreneurs of tomorrow, we need to show leadership today. — Ellen Pao (@ekp)
10. And thank you to the team and board for standing by me.
Photo: Ellen Pao arrives at Superior Court in San Francisco on March 10, 2015, for her second day on the stand in a gender discrimination trial against Kleiner Perkins. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
