Imagine having a story that could change how people see your company, and not telling it.
Not because it isn’t there. But because you assume it’s not interesting enough.
In episode 147 of Women Disrupting Tech, Jennifer Cloer, founder of Story Changes Culture, explains why that assumption is often wrong. She shows how storytelling turns personal experience into something others recognize, and how that recognition shapes what people do next.
Listen to the episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. Or scroll down for the key moments and insights from the conversation that will transform how you see cognitive decline and dignity.
3 Lessons From This Conversation
Storytelling is often treated as something you add later. That gap goes unnoticed. But Jennifer shows that storytelling is not separate from positioning. It is how founders shape how their company, product, and story are understood.
Stories change what feels normal
When stories like those of Ellen Pao and Susan Fowler became visible, something shifted for women in tech. Experiences that once felt isolated started to look like patterns. What people accepted as “just how it is” became something they began to question.
Jennifer points to this shift when she talks about how people connect through shared experiences. Once that connection is there, behavior that felt personal starts to feel structural.
Stories create action, not just awareness
In the Chasing Grace Project, storytelling did not stop at recognition. Women asked for raises. They left environments where they were not valued. They made decisions they had been postponing.
Jennifer is very clear about why this happens: “People don’t actually take action unless there’s an emotional connection.” That emotional connection turns a story into something people respond to. It moves them from understanding to doing.
Your perspective is the story
Many founders assume they need a more polished or impressive story. Jennifer challenges that idea directly: “No one else has your brain or your perspective.”
The strength of a story does not come from how dramatic it sounds. It comes from how clearly it reflects your lived experience and why you care about the problem you are solving.
These lessons show how storytelling shapes perception, drives action, and starts from your own perspective. That is not separate from positioning. It is how positioning works.
💬 Know a founder who has a story that matters more than they believe? Share this episode with them.
Or scroll down for magical moments, practical takeaways, and my own observations on the conversation that bring these lessons to life.
- 3 Lessons From This Conversation
- Highlights and timestamps
- 3 Magic Moments In The Episode
- Practical Takeaways for Founders
- The Quote From The Episode
- Patterns I’m Seeing Across Conversations
- Coming up on Women Disrupting Tech
- Listen to Episode 147 on Spotify, Apple, or YouTube
- About Jennifer Cloer
- About Story Changes Culture
- Amplify The Voices of Women Disrupting Tech and Close The Funding Gap
- Events that Women Disrupting Tech Must-Attend
- Diverse Leaders in Tech Events
- What I Want To Leave You With
- A Question for You
Highlights and timestamps
| Time | Highlight |
|---|---|
| 00:00 | Introduction |
| 02:07 | The Birth of Story Changes Culture |
| 07:20 | The Chasing Grace Project: Empowering Women Through Storytelling |
| 12:13 | The Importance of Storytelling in Leadership |
| 18:51 | Authenticity in Storytelling: Balancing Personal and Professional |
| 21:13 | Embracing Emotion in Storytelling |
| 21:23 | Harnessing Tension in Storytelling |
| 22:56 | Filling the Gap: Story Changes Culture Masterclass |
| 25:39 | Elements of a Compelling Story |
| 28:42 | Overcoming Skepticism in Art and Storytelling |
| 31:26 | The Role of Agency in Storytelling |
| 32:59 | Choosing the Right Perspective |
| 35:33 | Underused Storytelling Elements for Women Founders |
3 Magic Moments In The Episode
There are three parts of this conversation that make the power of storytelling tangible. Jennifer shares how her own story started, how it spread, and when it led to real outcomes.
Telling stories that usually stay hidden
Jennifer traces her work back to high school, where she partnered with the drama club to produce a show about the lived experiences of teenagers that were not often talked about. It’s a simple example, but it reveals something important.
From the beginning, her focus was not on polished narratives. It was on bringing forward stories that were already there, but not being told. That instinct carries through her work today.
When stories stopped feeling individual
Jennifer describes a shift around ten years ago, when women in tech moved from seeing each other as competition to recognizing shared experiences. Stories that once felt personal started to connect.
That shift created something new. Not just awareness, but a sense of “we’re in this together.” And once that happens, the conversation changes. What felt isolated becomes something people can act on collectively.
When stories led to real decisions
In the Chasing Grace Project, storytelling did not stay on screen. Women saw their own experiences reflected and responded.
They asked for raises. They left environments where they were not valued. Jennifer describes this as the “rocket fuel” behind the project. The stories created an emotional connection, and that connection led to action.
These moments reveal a clear pattern: stories make experiences visible, connect people, and move them to act.
💬 What was your favorite moment from the episode? Let me know in the comments.
Or keep scrolling for practical takeaways if you want to discover the three key ingredients of a good founder story.
Practical Takeaways for Founders
When you listen to founders talk about their company on this podcast, you’ll often hear a polished version of the story. Clear. Rational. Well structured. That’s often the version people end up telling. It’s not where the story starts. In our conversation, Jennifer breaks that down into three things that help founders build their story.
Start with one moment that explains why you care
Your story does not need to be complex. It starts with a moment that made you pay attention to a problem. That is often enough to build from.
Don’t avoid tension in your story
Every strong story has something at stake. What happens if your problem is not solved? What frustrated you enough to start building? That tension creates connection.
Treat your perspective as an asset
Many founders think their story is not interesting. In reality, your perspective is the secret ingredient that makes your company different. No one else has your brain, your experience or your way of seeing the problem.
I’ve seen this play out in my own work as well. Women Disrupting Tech didn’t become clearer by adding more stories. It became clearer by getting more specific about the story that was already there.
If you want a place to start, try this simple exercise: Take five minutes to jot down one moment that made you care about your company’s mission. Just describe what happened and how it made you feel. This quick reflection can help you uncover the spark behind your story.
💬 Know a founder you want to benefit from these storytelling lessons? Use the share buttons below to share these takeaways with them.
Or scroll down to discover an inspiring quote and learn about my own takeaways.
The Quote From The Episode
“No one else has your brain or your perspective except for you. And so even if you’re talking or telling a story that you feel like has been told before… it hasn’t been told by you.”
Jennifer Cloer – Founder of Story Changes Culture
Jennifer simplifies storytelling in a way that responds directly to something many founders struggle with. The idea that their story needs to be original, bigger, or more impressive before it is worth telling.
Jennifer reframes that completely. The value of the story is not in the topic. It is in the perspective. Your lived experience shapes how you see the problem, why you care, and how you build.
Patterns I’m Seeing Across Conversations
Across recent conversations on Women Disrupting Tech, I’m hearing the same pattern in different contexts. Stories influence what people do next.
Stories create permission
When people hear a story that reflects their own experience, something shifts. It becomes easier to act.
You see this in Jennifer’s work with the Chasing Grace Project, where women started asking for raises or left environments where they were not valued. It links with my conversation with Melissa Solis, who encourages women to go where they’re valued or to “build their own table”.
Leadership is about what you make visible
This also connects to my conversation with Magali Elhage and Matthijs Welle. She described how hearing him introduce his boyfriend made it easier for her to open up. That was not about policy. It was about what was visible.
The same applies here. When leaders share their story, or create space for others to do so, they influence what people feel allowed to say and do.
Not telling your story has consequences
There is also a pattern in what happens when stories are not told.
If founders hold back because they think their story is not interesting, others miss the chance to recognize themselves in it. That absence keeps experiences in isolation, which slows down change.
These patterns show that storytelling is not just about marketing or communication. It influences what people recognize as normal, what feels acceptable to say, and what becomes possible to imagine.
💬 What changed your thinking about your own story? I would love to hear from you in the comments.
Coming up on Women Disrupting Tech
What if growth doesn’t come from doing more, but from deciding what to do and what not?
In episode 148, I sit down with Eliza Moore, EVP of Operations at PrizeOut, to explore what it takes to turn vision into execution. We talk about focus, follow-through, and how operators build the systems that allow companies to scale without losing trust or clarity.
In this clip, Eliza explains why saying “no” is often more important than saying “yes,” and how credibility is built through consistent follow-through and clear communication. It’s a simple idea, but one that changes how you think about growth and trust inside a company.
If you want to hear how this plays out in practice, subscribe to updates below to find it in your inbox on 16 April 2026 at 8:00 hours CET.
Until then, as always, keep being awesome.
Dirkjan
Listen to Episode 147 on Spotify, Apple, or YouTube
The Anatomy of a Female Founder Story That Drives Action with Jennifer Cloer | Ep 147 – Women Disrupting Tech
About Jennifer Cloer
Jennifer Cloer is the founder of Story Changes Culture, where she works with founders and leaders to shape how their work is understood through storytelling. Her focus is simple. Stories are not an add-on. They influence what people see, believe, and decide to do next.
She is also the creator of the Chasing Grace Project, a docuseries that brought real workplace experiences of women in tech into the open. The project showed how stories can make patterns visible and help people recognize their own situation in what they see and hear.
Before this, Jennifer was part of the founding team at the Linux Foundation, where she built and scaled the communications function from the ground up. Today, she combines that experience with her own work to help organizations turn lived experience into stories that connect and lead to action.
You can connect with Jennifer Cloer on LinkedIn and via her personal website.
About Story Changes Culture
Story Changes Culture is a storytelling platform and advisory practice that helps founders and organizations use narrative as part of how they build, not just how they communicate. The work focuses on clarity, lived experience, and the role stories play in shaping decisions.
Through advisory and workshops, Story Changes Culture supports leaders in developing stories that people can recognize themselves in. The goal is not polished messaging, but stories that create connection and make it easier for others to understand why something matters.
One of the core programs is the Story Changes Culture Masterclass, a five-week live workshop where participants work in small groups to develop their story. The focus is on turning personal experience into a clear narrative that helps others see, understand, and respond.
To learn more, visit The Story Changes Culture website, follow them on LinkedIn and Instagram or subscribe to their newsletter on Substack.
Amplify The Voices of Women Disrupting Tech and Close The Funding Gap
Want to help close the funding gap? Here’s how you can help:
Follow the Women Disrupting Tech Podcast
Follow the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube. Every follow brings these stories to more people.
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It only takes a moment, but it tells others this podcast is worth listening to. And helps the voices of my guests carry further.
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Send this episode to a friend, a colleague, or someone who needs to hear it. Every share helps to build a more inclusive tech future and supports my guests in getting the stage they deserve.
Events that Women Disrupting Tech Must-Attend
Some great events take place this spring. Below are three that you definitely want to check out. For a full overview of all events, including links to buy tickets, please check the events page.
Featured Event – Trek XIII – 23-30 May 2026
Trek is the program for founders and funders to learn from—and connect with—Silicon Valley, the epicenter of innovation and technological disruption.
Participating offers a unique insider perspective, lots of fun, and access to the investors behind Dutch successes like Mollie, FLYR, Weaviate, and HackerOne. Previous participants have raised funding in both the U.S. and the Netherlands, found inspiration, and made new friends.
Trek is an activity by DutchTechX, which spun out from DutchTechSF—the Dutch-American entrepreneurial community. Funded by Dutch-American founders, the initiative fosters collaboration between the U.S.
The next edition will take place from May 23–30, 2026. About five spots are still available. DM the organizer, Oliver Binkhorst, or click here for more information. FAQs are available here.
I’ve done a previous version of this program, and I can absolutely recommend that female founders who are thinking about taking their business to the US follow this program to understand the ecosystem and connect to investors and founders in the Valley.
Featured Event: Understanding Women’s Health – 24 June 2026
Learn how hormone cycles or perimenopause impact your life, and discover more about conditions like PCOS or Endometriosis at the quarterly Understanding Women’s Health Events hosted by Kasia Pokrop.
Women’s health is a topic near and dear to my heart. Which is why I’m happy to support and attend the events that 3mbrace Health organizes at Equals every quarter.
Men are expressly invited to join. In fact, send me an email if you want to be a women’s health pioneer. More info and tickets can be found here.
Diverse Leaders in Tech Events
If you like being in the know about what is happening in the DEI space, Diverse Leaders in Tech is the place to be.
Every last Thursday of the month, they have monthly in-person meetups for tech people, HR leaders and supporters of diversity to exchange insights, tackle challenges, and take action. It’s a vibrant, safe space where diversity is celebrated.
You can find their events on the website. Joining your first event is free.
What I Want To Leave You With
Founders are often told to focus on product, traction, and metrics. Those things matter. At the same time, how your story is understood shapes how those signals are interpreted.
That’s where storytelling becomes relevant beyond marketing. It influences who gets attention and who gets support.
When you look at storytelling this way, it becomes a crucial tool in building better solutions. Not just for founders, but also for the people deciding what gets funded.
Listen to the episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.
A Question for You
💬 Would you be interested in connecting with other female founders to share and refine our stories together?
👇 Share your thoughts in the comments.
Women Disrupting Tech | The Podcast 
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