As a female entrepreneur with 20 years of experience in UX, development, and machine learning, I thought I had finally earned my place in the tech world. But after being rejected by the AI4 conference—not once, but three times—as a startup founder, a speaker, and an influencer, I was reminded that doing everything right still isn’t enough when you don’t fit the mold.

In this episode, I open up about what it feels like to be a woman in tech who takes up space—physically, professionally, and unapologetically—and still gets shut out. I share the pain of rejection, the invisible barriers that still exist, and the emotional toll of constantly having to prove you belong.

This isn’t a complaint. It’s a conversation we need to have.

If you’re a woman—or anyone—who’s ever felt excluded not because of your ability, but because of your identity, this episode is for you.

Hey everyone. Welcome back to the Becky Beach Show. I’m Becky Beach, an AI-Powered Scaling Strategist that helps women grow their digital product businesses.

This episode is not going to be easy for me to record, but it’s real. And if it helps even one woman out there feel a little more seen, then it’s worth it.

Because this week, something happened that brought up a lot—and not just professionally, but emotionally, personally, even physically.

It reopened wounds I’ve worked hard to close. It brought up questions I thought I’d buried. It made me feel small, even though I’m a 6 foot tall woman.

This episode is about being rejected.

Not just by a conference, but by a system that keeps saying it’s ready for women—ready for diversity—but still shuts us out in subtle, insidious ways.

So let’s talk about it.

🔹 Segment 1: Three Rejections, One Message
Recently, I applied to be part of the AI4 Conference. You’ve probably heard of it—it’s big in the AI space. Tons of speakers, exhibitors, companies. Supposedly progressive. Supposedly inclusive.

My team and I are building something that is AI-driven. We’re creating a platform that helps creators build profitable digital products such as courses, printables, ebooks, etc. using AI and tools to sell them. This is something practical, valuable, and aligned with the AI4 mission.

So I applied for their startup ticket program.

We met every requirement. Every checkbox.

Still… rejected.

I really wanted to be involved in some capacity, so I applied to be a speaker. I’ve worked in tech for two decades—as a UX designer and machine learning developer. As an entrepreneur, I’ve been hands-on in digital products created with AI tools for years. I know this space. There are 44 male speakers and just 20 women so I thought I could really add value.

Still… rejected.

Fine. I even applied to be an influencer partner. I’ve got a platform of 150k email subscribers and over 30k followers across social media. I even have a popular Facebook group with nearly 4k entrepreneurs interested in AI-powered product creation and self-publishing. I’ve got reach. I create authentic content about AI and digital products. I bring value.

And again… rejected.

That’s three applications.
Three different angles.
And three doors slammed shut.

And as I sat there staring at the final rejection email, this wave of emotion came over me—not just disappointment. Not just confusion.

It was heartbreak.

Because I realized, again, that no matter how much I work, no matter how much I accomplish, I’m still not what they’re looking for.

🔹 Segment 2: The Pain of Not Fitting the Mold
I don’t look like the typical tech founder.

I’m not a 30-something man in a plaid vest with connections and a Stanford background.
I’m a 43 six-foot-tall woman with a strong frame, natural black hair, and a face shaped by my Native American heritage—my father’s almond eyes, high cheekbones, and nose.

I’ve been made to feel “too much” in every room I’ve ever entered.
Too tall. Too loud. Too direct. Too confident. Too ambitious.
And somehow, also not enough.

Not worthy enough.
Not deserving enough.
Not easy enough to categorize.

I’ve spent most of my adult life walking into rooms where people didn’t expect me—and didn’t know what to do with me once I was there.

I’ve had to constantly prove I belong. Not just once—but over and over and over again.

And it’s exhausting.

Because I didn’t fall into tech by accident. I’ve worked in this space for 20 years, most of the time the only female on the team.
I built systems. Designed products. Worked with machine learning before it was trendy.

I earned my seat at the table.

But when the table is still designed for someone else, even earning your seat doesn’t guarantee you’ll be allowed to sit down.

🔹 Segment 3: The Glass Ceiling No One Talks About

Let’s talk about that glass ceiling—the one us women keep pretending is gone.

Because we’re told the doors are open.
That diversity is welcome.
That all we need to do is show up and deliver.

But the truth is, for women like me, there’s an invisible line. And the closer we get to breaking through, the more resistance we feel.

I’ve felt it every time I’ve been passed over for a leadership role in my corporate life while a man with less experience was promoted instead.
I’ve felt it every time I’ve been told my tone is too strong, my look is too bold, my presence too much.

And this week, I felt it again—loud and clear.

Not with words. But with silence. With rejection. With exclusion that no one had to explain because it’s just baked into the system.

When I was denied entry—as a startup, a speaker, and an influencer—at a conference that claims to celebrate people like me, it sent a clear message:

“You can do the work. You can have the background.
You can check all the boxes…
But you still don’t belong here.”

🔹 Segment 4: The Emotional Toll

I wish I could say I shook it off. But I didn’t.

I sat with that rejection and honestly, I cried.

Because it’s not just about this one event—it’s about every other time I’ve been pushed to the margins.
Every time I’ve had to fight twice as hard just to get half the credit.
Every time I’ve been invisible in rooms I helped build.

And you know what makes it worse?

When people tell me I’m imagining it.
That it’s just imposter syndrome.
That I’m being emotional.
That I need to be more resilient.

I am resilient.
But resilience shouldn’t mean surviving in systems that quietly exclude you while pretending to be inclusive.

I’m tired of surviving.
I want to thrive.
I want to be seen.
I want to stop questioning whether being me is the reason I keep getting filtered out.

Because the truth is—I wouldn’t trade who I am for anything.
But it hurts. It hurts to know that who I am still feels like a liability in the industry I’ve devoted my life to.

🔹 Segment 5: This Isn’t Just About Me
If this story sounds familiar—it’s because it’s not just mine.

I know there are thousands of women, women of color, older women, “too bold” women, “too smart” women, “too real” women—who have had their brilliance muted, ignored, or overlooked.

And many of them gave up.

Because rejection after rejection, exclusion after exclusion—it wears on you. It chips away at your confidence, your energy, your sense of belonging.

But I’m still here.

And if you’re listening to this and you’ve been through it—you’re still here too.
And that means something.

Because we don’t need to wait for the system to validate us.
We just need to see each other.

🔹 Outro: A New Room, A New Story
So no, this episode doesn’t end with me triumphantly getting accepted or finding a back door in.

I was rejected.
It hurt.
But it also woke me up.

It reminded me why I started building in the first place:
Not to be invited into old rooms, but to build something new.

Something inclusive. Something honest.
Something that doesn’t ask women like me to shrink just to be seen.

And maybe that’s the story we need to start telling—not how to get past the gatekeepers, but how to make them irrelevant.

So thank you for listening.
If this resonated with you, I want to hear from you.
Your story matters. Your pain is real. And your work is worthy—even if the people with the microphones haven’t realized it yet.

We are not asking for permission anymore.
We are taking up space.

As always, keep building, keep questioning, and keep showing up—exactly as you are.

🛡️ Disclaimer:
This episode reflects my personal experience, professional background, and opinion. It is not an accusation but a call to examine the quieter ways exclusion shows up in the tech and startup ecosystems.