Women in Tech

Remembering Fintech Book Club co-founder Barb MacLean at FinovateFall 2025.

Yesterday, as International Women’s History Month got underway, we learned that Rob Cavallo, president of Cavallo Technologies Inc., has created the Cavallo Technologies Graduate Scholarship for Women in Tech at Canada's Simon Fraser University in memory of our co-founder Barb MacLean.

In Rob's announcement, he said "Barb MacLean was the fiercest advocate for Women in Tech. I was fortunate enough to spend 5 years in her aura - observing and admiring how selflessly she elevated those around her, especially women."

Barb didn’t just advocate for women in tech — she actively engineered environments where they could lead, speak, and thrive. We watched her do it again and again through conference panels, her weekly Fintech Playlist, her contribution to the Fintech Book Club and much more. She had a way of opening doors quietly, then standing in the back of the room making sure others stepped through them.

A graduate scholarship in her name — especially tied to leadership and technology — feels exactly right. It’s not just a tribute. It’s continuation.

Thank you, Rob, for honoring her in a way that builds the future she believed in.
Jim Perry, Stessa Cohen, Dr. Efi Pylarinou