You're on Mute: 13 Lessons for Women Frustrated with the Tech Sector

This was never meant to be a book that offered tidy solutions. Instead, it's a declaration. A refusal to stay quiet. A chorus of voices from women who have spent years, and in many cases, decades, pushing against an industry that often erases them...

You're On Mute: 13 Lessons for Women Frustrated with the Tech Sector is an anthology by and for women in tech, or any sector where gender parity has stalled. Each chapter is crafted by a woman or gender-minority who has faced challenges in the tech sector but has nonetheless paved a path forward. Featuring women from Argentina, Canada, China, Denmark, Germany, India, Italy, Somalia, and the US; women who learned English from Oprah reruns, who taught themselves how to code at public library computers, who left countries, families, and whole lives behind; women who work at Google and Microsoft, in small-business, and in venture capital. And while the careers they have built are vastly different, they all have one thing in common: they have taken themselves off mute. Whether C-Suite executives, founders, change agents, coders or all the above, they are first and foremost, trailblazers.

And they each tell a story about the long, slow climb up the tech ladder and the sting of being told "we love you, but..."

This is a book about triumph and hope.

If you are concerned about the voices in tech that are influencing the next generation of technology and its impact on humanity, You're On Mute shines a light on the shared frustrations many women experience, writing back with inspiring stories, practical advice, and hope for the future. You don't need to work in tech to be concerned about the future of tech and the voices within it.

Author: Marie Wiese
Publisher: FriesenPress
Published: 01/21/2026
Pages: 204
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.53lbs
Size: 8.50h x 5.50w x 0.47d
ISBN: 9781038355805


Review Citation(s):
Foreword 02/17/2026
Kirkus Reviews 01/01/0001

About the Author
Wiese, Marie: - MARIE WIESE (SHE/HER) is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today best-selling author, and seasoned technology and marketing professional. With over 30 years' experience in the tech industry, Marie has built a career at the intersection of technology, marketing, and advocacy. As the founder and host of Women Talk Tech, she has championed the voices of women across the global technology sector. Through her company, Marketing Copilot, she has helped countless technology leaders grow revenue with smarter strategies while advancing gender parity. Recognized for her unwavering commitment to building a more inclusive industry, Marie believes the future success of technology depends on having a diverse set of voices at the table.

MADDIE YULE (THEY/THEM) is a master's student in Women and Gender Studies at the University of Toronto, specializing in Development Policy and Power. Their research focuses on how female technology labourers in the global South sustain the digital economy through invisible but essential tasks such as social media content moderation and data tagging, exploring the intersections of gender, labour, capitalism, and technology, and amplifying the overlooked contributions that keep our digital world functioning. Alongside their academic work, Maddie has built professional expertise in digital publishing, community management, and B2B marketing, developing creative strategies to foster community, build brand awareness, and tell stories across digital platforms. Maddie is also a writer and visual artist, committed to using narrative and art as tools to amplify underrepresented voices.