Helen Disney, CEO and founder of Unblocked, has built her company into a global presense while working in an industry still working through a persistent gender gap. Her leadership approach is grounded in evidence, clear boundaries and a practical belief that Web3 can be meritocratic, even if it does not always feel that way in the moment.
Week 25 – Helen Disney, CEO and Founder, Unblocked
She is realistic about the current landscape. “The digital assets industry does still have a gender gap but I think that gap is gradually closing,” she says. She points to a visible shift in the pipeline, with more women moving into the sector and into senior roles. For Disney, this matters not only for representation, but for how leadership itself is defined. “As women in this industry, we do have a responsibility to show that women can lead successfully while not necessarily doing everything in the same way as men do,” she says. That responsibility also extends outward. “We should encourage, support and nurture other women or over-looked groups to succeed alongside us.”
The promise of Web3 is often framed as a reset, a system built on decentralisation where access is broader and status is earned. Disney believes there is substance behind that claim, particularly in how decentralised organisations can operate. “Working in a decentralised way and with a decentralised ethos can bring a lot of benefits for women, as corporate structures tend to be more flexible, less hierarchical and more collaborative,” she says. She highlights the absence of a culture many women will recognise as a barrier in conventional workplaces. “There is not so much of a culture of presenteeism, which benefits women who have children or other caring responsibilities.”
That advantage, however, is not guaranteed. Disney describes a familiar pattern that emerges as companies scale. “As companies grow and get external investment, pressure can mount to replicate more traditional structures and ways of working,” she says. In other words, decentralisation can be diluted by governance decisions, hiring habits and investor expectations. She also points to a practical dynamic that continues to shape who is listened to, funded, and promoted. “Developers and tech CEOs are predominantly male and can sometimes be more comfortable working with others who look and sound like them.” Still, she comes back to capability and delivery as the underlying currency. “On the whole though, I think Web3 is quite a meritocratic world and talent can succeed regardless of gender.”
For many women, the question is not only whether opportunity exists, but what it costs to claim it. Disney is direct about the reality of having authority challenged. “I have experienced this phenomenon and I think most women have, in all honesty,” she says. Her response is not framed as performance or posture, but as preparation and proof. “You need to be tough, gather robust evidence and data to support your achievements and be prepared to take on discrimination when you see it.”
She is equally clear-eyed about consequences when the environment is hostile. “Sometimes this sadly means leaving a role if the culture won’t change,” she says. When change is possible, she describes a different kind of firmness. “Other times, it means being brave enough to take on bullies or standing your ground and speaking up loudly and clearly when you are being spoken over or ignored.” It is the language of boundaries rather than grievance, and it reflects a leadership stance that refuses to normalise diminishment.
In a sector that likes to call itself trustless, Disney places unusual emphasis on interpersonal trust, and on the discipline needed to protect it. “I try to do things in my own way and trust that, if I build strong, honest, reciprocal relationships they will stand me in good stead,” she says. It is a reminder that even in systems designed to reduce reliance on intermediaries, relationships still shape outcomes: partnerships, hiring, community building and reputational credibility.
Her approach is also rooted in judgement. “I also believe in trusting your instincts,” she says. That instinct, she suggests, should not be confused with naïveté, particularly in an environment where opportunism is part of the background noise. “If you are not sure about someone, in a world which can be rife with scams and untrustworthy people, do your research, find out more and test things out in a low-risk way before you jump into any bigger projects with someone you don’t know.” It is practical risk management, expressed without drama.
Disney’s perspective on getting more women into Web3 pushes back on the idea that the only entry point is technical. “You don’t need to be a software engineer or a developer to work in Web3,” she says. Her point is not to dismiss technical fluency, but to reframe it as learnable and contextual. She offers a disarming example that undercuts any pressure to perform expertise for its own sake. “I still don’t know how to use the Sonos playbar we have had for several years.”
At the same time, she does not suggest that curiosity is optional. “It is important to become well-informed about the technology in the field you work in and to understand it well from a layman’s perspective including unpicking a lot of jargon and nuances,” she says. Her advice is process-based: keep learning, keep listening, keep asking. “Go to educational events, read a lot, listen even more, ask all the so-called ‘stupid’ questions so that you can feel confident that you know what you are talking about.” In a sector that can reward certainty over understanding, the permission to ask is a leadership tool in its own right.
Support systems also matter. Disney credits women-led communities that provided connection and momentum. “I have had great support from women-led communities like The Bigger Pie, Women of Fintech and CryptoMondays London,” she says. Her focus, looking ahead, is on access to influence rather than entry-level encouragement alone. “I would like to see more support for women who are looking for board-level positions and to be part of networks that share these types of opportunities.”
Taken together, Disney’s answers sketch a leadership model that is neither defensive nor performative. It is grounded in competence, documentation, relationship building and the refusal to let workplace dynamics go unchallenged. The gender gap may be narrowing, but she is clear that progress will not hold without intention, especially as companies grow and drift towards traditional structures.
Three tips for becoming a leader in Web3, in Helen Disney’s words
- “Have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and try not to be distracted by all the noise and hype going on around you.”
- “Don’t neglect the power of promoting your personal brand and document your wins so you can refer back to them when you need to, whether that is just to boost your own confidence or because you are going after a new client, job or speaking opportunity.”
- “Stay true to your own values and boundaries, even if it is painful at times.”
