Four years of Clusity

How a community of women in tech grew into a system-changer.

After four years of pioneering in the world of women in tech, Clusity is launching a renewed platform. No superficial facelift, but the result of a year full of observation, sharp data analysis and above all: listening to what women and the Belgian tech sector really need. Co-founders Elke Kraemer and Rein Meirte are clear: "Women are not looking for inspiring quotes, they are looking for change. And we are now structurally building on that."

From forum to activating community

When Elke and Rein founded Clusity in 2021, the premise was clear: connect women in tech. But as the community grew, one pattern became increasingly clear: connection is important, but not enough. "People only really take action when something concrete is at stake," Elke says. "They want a new job, are looking for their direction or feel they are ready for a career change. Those are the moments when engagement occurs."

Those insights formed the basis for a thorough redesign of the Clusity platform, one of the major pillars of the organization. Clusity evolved from an organization that brought women together at events and shared opportunities with that group, into a true community. To that was added the digital Clusity Platform in early 2024, to have an online meeting place where all resources could be accessed. Today, it has evolved into an activating ecosystem with three distinct layers. The free entry formula is there for everyone: you can participate in monthly virtual coffees with no agenda, ask questions during open AMA sessions, and read or comment in the news and questions section. "It's our way of lowering the barrier," says Elke. "Any woman who is curious about the community should be able to get in easily."

There is also the job seeker track, for those looking for work or looking to retrain within tech. That offers targeted coaching around resumes and LinkedIn, access to job openings, and help with certification pathways. "We are noticing an increase in demand from job seekers in tech," explains Rein. "But many women don't know where to start. We give them structure, direction and guidance."

For women who are already active in tech and ready for their next step, there is the full membership. This gives them access to the ongoing mentorship program on the Clusity platform, they can apply for ambassadorship, participate in a speaker program and attend exclusive networking events. "This is for those who want to make an impact themselves," Elke points out. "Not only to grow, but also to inspire other women."

What makes Clusity unique is that it focuses structurally on the stage women are in. Not everyone is looking for the same thing, and not everyone wants everything at once. "We're not building a generic community," says Rein. "We build a platform that helps people move forward, in every step of their career, whether that's a first job, a promotion, a leadership position, as an entrepreneur, an exit or a role as a board member. Customized, but with each other."

More focus, without losing the community feel

With a more segmented approach, the question quickly arises: how do you then maintain a sense of community? Rein smiles: "We deliberately provide overlap moments. Our virtual coffees are for everyone. We also bring people together within the specific pathways. Mentees learn from each other, mentors exchange. We guard the collective story."

Free access to certain community parts is also essential in this regard. "Before, you had to pay first to belong," Elke explains. "Now you can participate immediately, ask questions, join. That makes it more accessible. And it ensures that women dare to take the step, without first feeling that they have to 'prove' somewhere that they belong."

Impact: from one-to-one to systemic change

The word "impact" falls often at Clusity, but is never vaguely fleshed out. For Elke, impact is in an email from a woman who found her first job thanks to Clusity. In a mentoring couple that continues to support each other long after the program. But impact is also in big, measurable changes.

A telling example is the four-year partnership with Charlemagne University. Whereas at the beginning they counted only 6% female students in their day program, it is now 12%. In the evening course, it went from 19 to 26%. "That seems small, but it's huge," Rein echoes. "Especially when you know that the number of women actually graduating has increased."

The collaboration went beyond student numbers. Through Clusity, women teachers and speakers came to visit. Some were hired permanently. Students finally saw someone in front of the class who looked like them: a female teacher with a headscarf, an ethical hacker, a young woman in cybersecurity. "That's representation at the highest level," Elke says. "And that creates a very different energy in a class."

It's not just girls who feel drawn in. "Our events at school are full of boys," Rein says. "They say, 'Soon I'll be working with women in tech. I want to understand how that works, what the issues are.' That's disarming. And above all: hopeful."

Clusity's impact in business is at least as strong. Collaborations with companies such as The Cronos Group, KBC, Colruyt Group, VRT and Telenet lead to measurable results. At one partner, an event from a full path collaboration (participation in partner events, Bloom stories and an exclusive event) led to 24 qualitative leads and three effective hires. Some companies exceed the 36% female intake in technical positions, well above the Belgian average. "That's not just because of us," Rein says honestly. "But we do bring the right people together, ask sharp questions and provide follow-up. That creates accountability."

Elke calls it a chain reaction. "You start with one person, often in HR or employer branding. That person involves others: team leads, technical profiles, policy makers. And before you know it, you're building something internally that sticks. Without Clusity, those people wouldn't have even spoken to each other."

Diversity is not a sprint; it is a structural journey.

Elke Kraemer, Founder Clusity

Elke emphasizes that impact in companies is only possible with sustained engagement. "We find that some companies want to quickly organize a workshop, run a campaign or post a picture on LinkedIn," she says. "But that kind of one-off action rarely creates real change. Diversity is not a sprint; it's a structural journey. The companies where we see real impact are the ones that build with us for years, dare to set goals and keep following up on those goals. That's where the transformation happens. Anything less quickly feels like window dressing."

Rein adds: "We always say it honestly: if you're looking for a loose 'moment,' we're not the right partner. We want to help organizations that really want to grow, with long breath and internal support. Only then is sustainable impact created."

You can have great policies as an organization, but if one team lead doesn't feel or get it, that can undermine an entire experience.

Rein Meirte, Founder CLusity

Inclusion: not a checkbox, but people work

So why does inclusion remain so difficult? According to Rein, it's simple: "Because it's about behavior. And behavior change is difficult. You can have a great policy as an organization, but if one team lead doesn't feel or understand it, that can undermine an entire experience."

Elke adds: "We often think that only the 'other group' needs to change. But women also carry stereotypes with them, about themselves and others. If you wait for the system to lift you up, you miss opportunities. And if, as a leader, you don't know how to deal with difference, you lose talent."

Clusity has since grown to a community of 3,500 members, with 48 nationalities. Women wearing headscarves. Queer individuals. Older upstarts. Young people without degrees. And people with multiple doctorates. In short: people in all their facets in all levels of tech, such as analysts and system administrators but also women working in tech within sales, marketing or HR. "We are so much more than 'women in tech,'" Elke says. "But we deliberately don't label that too harshly, because we don't want to reduce people to one identity. Yet we often see companies shying away. They want diversity, but preferably 'normal.' We try to break that."

She is also outspoken about where technology often goes wrong today. "We have discussions now about ethical AI, about bias in algorithms, about misuse of systems. But those mistakes don't happen after the fact. They are ingrained at the start, because the teams that create that technology are often so homogeneous." Clusity wants to be radical about that. "We don't want to be a correction layer. We want to be at the design table. Where the decisions fall. Inclusion has to be ingrained in the system, not spoon-fed on afterwards as a band-aid."

Rein concurs: "Technology determines how we work, live, move. If that technology is only built by one group, then you also get a society tailored to that one group. We want to avoid that."

Future: 30% women in tech, then what?

The dream is clear: 30% women in tech by 2030. Today Belgium stands at 21%, so there is still work to be done. But for Elke and Rein, it's about more than percentages. "Once you cross the 30% mark, there is a tipping point. Then diversity is no longer an exception, but a norm," Elke explains. "And that creates more space, for nuance, for difference within the group."

If that limit is reached, will they stop? "No way," echoes Elke. "Then comes the next chapter. Then we will guide women to start businesses of their own. Create products around topics that no one is looking at yet. Because as long as women are underrepresented in innovation, certain problems will remain invisible."

Elke dreams of a new generation of tech entrepreneurs: women who decide which systems to build, with whom, and why. "We don't want to try to adjust systems afterwards that have already been built by a homogeneous group. We want to be at the table from the beginning. Inclusion has to be at the core of innovation."

Four years of Clusity: four lessons

In four years, Clusity grew from an idea to an ecosystem. And that also brought personal growth. Rein tells how she saw herself evolve from curious starter to expert. "I was only 24 when we started Clusity. I had some idea of the business world but I always felt small and young. Meanwhile, I feel like I've really built expertise in tech, inclusion and culture. I am much stronger as an entrepreneur."

Above all, Elke learned to keep focus. "As an entrepreneur, you have to make choices. You can't change everything. I learned: focus on what you can influence. And don't give up. That long breath is essential, both for yourself and for the companies you work with. One-time actions don't bring change. Holding on does." Their shared lesson? Choose your fight. Do it with conviction. And persevere.

Rein concludes with a smile, "Had you told me four years ago that we would be here, I would have been overjoyed. And yet it feels like we're not there yet. And that's exactly why we keep building."

Elke nods, "As long as we can make an impact, we'll keep going. And if we ever write that book we dream of, it may start with one sentence: we started small, but we persevered."

This article was published in BLOOVI and written by Laure Oomens. Sincere thanks! ❤️