Week 8 – Lisa Gibbons, head of marketing at MeWe
As Web3 continues to redefine the architecture of the internet, finance, and governance, it brings with it the rare opportunity to rebuild systems from the ground up. But if we are to build better, fairer, more inclusive systems, we must actively spotlight, and support, women in leadership roles.
Historically underrepresented in both tech and finance, women leaders bring diverse perspectives, collaborative approaches, and often values-driven leadership that prioritizes long-term sustainability over short-term gain. In Web3, where decentralized decision-making, community building, and innovation are core tenets, this diversity of style is very welcome if not essential.
Leadership isn’t monolithic. While traditional models have often emphasized hierarchy, competition, and control, many women leaders bring alternative approaches: participatory, empathetic, consensus-driven, or mentorship-focused. These styles align naturally with the ethos of decentralization and trustless systems, offering a counterbalance to purely technocratic or profit-led strategies.
By highlighting women in Web3 leadership, founders, developers, policymakers, and community builders, we not only correct representation gaps but also signal to the next generation that there is no single path to power. Visibility shapes possibility. And in a space as fast-moving and foundational as Web3, ensuring a plurality of voices isn’t just ethical, it’s strategic.
For the next 12 Mondays we are going to bring you some of the most inspiring women in Web3 and explore how and why they think as they do.
Week 8: Lisa Gibbons: leading with action in Web3
This series on female leadership in Web3 spotlights operators who build, communicate, and ship. Lisa Gibbons fits that brief. As head of marketing at MeWe and founder of MTA, she has scaled global teams, crossed from grassroots communities into institutional rooms, and kept her centre of gravity in delivery rather than rhetoric.
Gibbons is direct about the landscape she works in. Teams remain male dominated. That is not unique to Web3, but Web3 has its own flavour of it. She does not overstate decentralisation’s immediate cure-all. “What first comes to mind when I think of decentralization is shared opportunities, one vision broken into many pieces. Each of those pieces, like a jigsaw, has a place and a purpose in bringing the whole idea to life.”
Her leadership style grew out of friction. Authority was challenged, sometimes subtly, sometimes in full view. She chose to treat those moments as raw material. “Yes, often,” she says when asked if her leadership has been questioned because she is a woman. “I would turn this into something positive. I use these subtle challenges or lack of challenges, not being heard, as micro failures that build up resilience, sharpen skills and encourage me to be proactive.”
That pragmatism shows in how she thinks about trust in a sector that prides itself on trustlessness. Tools help, but outcomes still depend on people. She changed how she led by changing how she talked to herself. “In the past, I certainly questioned myself more, which didn’t make me a great leader. It made me a nervous leader. Now I lean into the nerves and push past questions of fear to lead by example and by taking action. For me, there is no better leader than one that demonstrates by doing.”
Her advice to women aiming for technical tracks is unvarnished. Find allies and keep asking questions. “Find other strong women who will encourage you to be fearless. Be a lifelong listener and learner. Soak up every conversation and don’t be afraid to ask stupid questions.” She adds a practical bridge many overlook: bring your Web2 muscles with you. Foundations matter in an industry that often forgets them.
Gibbons operates across the spectrum, from community forums to regulatory and enterprise settings. She believes women are well suited to hold that tension. “The beauty of Women in Web3 is that they are not afraid to show both their serious side and playful side simultaneously. This approach to the working environment is crucial as it brings out the best qualities, ideas and attitudes to various working situations.”
Distributed teams are a reality, and boundaries are a leadership skill. “The issue with decentralized teams is that there doesn’t seem to be an off button, so you have to set those boundaries and know when they can’t be crossed. In my experience women have a natural tendency to reassure others and can clearly communicate when something needs to be addressed. This is important for global teams.”
As AI evolves alongside blockchain, Gibbons wants women at the table early, not as a token gesture but for outcomes. “Women often approach situations with multiple hats on, therefore looking at things from different perspectives. Having both men and women involved in the early stages of development can ensure responsible and inclusive outcomes when it comes to the potential impacts of the technology.”
She credits support systems and mentorship as accelerants. In this series I ask every leader who opened a door. Her answer is personal. “I had a mentor in you, so I am very grateful to have been introduced to some of the most amazing teams in Web3 right off the bat.” She argues for process as well as patronage. “We need a gender blind recruitment process that gives everyone a chance.”
Gibbons closes with three points for a young woman who asks how to lead in Web3. “Bring what you already know in the Web2 world to the table. Often a lot of sound, foundational advice is missing or required. Don’t underestimate your daily grit and resilience, it is as powerful. Don’t be afraid of the Degens, they don’t bite.”
Meritocracy needs structure to become real. Decentralisation needs operators who can translate a shared vision into a working jigsaw. Lisa Gibbons has done that in marketing rooms and on product teams, with the nerves of an honest leader and the bias toward action that turns plans into momentum.
