Mums in Tech ft. Jen Wagner
As part of our ‘Mums in Tech’ series, we caught up with Jen Wagner, Founder & CEO at LAYBL.
The purpose of our 'MotherBoard’ content series is to highlight incredible working mums within tech & data, as well as individuals and businesses that are supportive and progressive within their approach to creating more inclusive tech & data teams for women.
Firstly, can you please introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your current role?
Hi, I’m Jen Wagner, founder and CEO of LAYBL. We’re building the future of digital product identity - making every product trackable, tradeable, and profitable beyond its first sale.
As a startup tech founder, my role is… well, basically everything. My co-founder, Gary, is building the actual tech, which means I’m doing everything else - marketing, sales, investment, creative, content, financials, admin, networking. One minute I’m deep in financial models, the next I’m filming TikToks or pitching to investors. It’s fast, messy, and never-ending. The highs and lows of building something from scratch!
My main purpose (or job) is to make sure LAYBL isn’t just an idea - it’s a movement. That means getting the right people on board, telling the right stories, and ensuring we’re solving problems that actually matter. And as a mum of a 16-month-old with no family near to support us (I’m Canadian and my family are all still there), it also means doing all of this while balancing shared childcare between myself and my partner (who also has a start-up - yes, I realise we could have timed this all better, haha).
If you could sum up what it’s like being a working mum in tech in one sentence, what would it be?
Being a working mum in tech is like running two startups at once - one in tech, one at home - both equally chaotic, demanding, a constant learning curve and full of surprises; exhilarating and exhausting in equal measure.
“I’ve learned that balance isn’t about doing everything at once - it’s about being fully present in whatever I’m doing.”
How do you find the balance between your career and motherhood?
I’ve learned that balance isn’t about doing everything at once - it’s about being fully present in whatever I’m doing. When it’s time with my daughter, I focus only on her. Early on, I tried to multitask - answering emails during naps, making content while she played - but ultimately, everything felt like it was getting a half-job from me, including being a mum. Which made me feel like I was winning at nothing.
Now, I set clear boundaries. When I’m with her, I’m with her - no phone, no laptop, no distractions. And when I’m working, I make sure I’m fully locked in so I can be as efficient as possible. It’s not always perfect but I’ve found that giving each part of my life dedicated focus makes me better at both.
What has been your greatest challenge as a working mother in tech?
This was my first baby, and I went into this SO green. I had this rose-tinted vision of popping the baby out, and within a few weeks I’d be swanning around at events, baby in tow, winning investment pitches with her strapped to my chest. Full-on ‘super mum’ mode switched on. The reality (obvious to everyone but me at that time!) was that I was mentally and physically wrecked. Exhausted, emotional, and completely all over the place.
The biggest challenge was adjusting to the fact that I couldn’t just power through like I used to. Building a tech startup already demands everything from you, and suddenly there was this tiny human who needed me just as much. Actually more. Letting go of the expectation that I could do it all at 100% all the time was tough as it’s the only thing I’ve ever known, but it also forced me to work smarter. Prioritising, asking for help, and being okay with the fact that some days won’t go to plan.
It’s still a big juggle, but progress over perfection wins every time. Adapt, recalibrate and keep going.
“If we really want to support working parents, we need systems that give families more choice - affordable childcare and better financial support so parents don’t feel forced into an all-or-nothing approach.”
What skills have you developed as a mother that have helped your work life?
Motherhood is basically an extreme startup accelerator (move over YCombinator!). I had no idea how many transferable skills I had, and that I’d develop more just by keeping a tiny human alive.
But I can drill this down into three:
1. Time management - nothing teaches efficiency like knowing you’ve got exactly 45 minutes before nap time is over. I learned to prioritise fast and ditch anything that doesn’t move the needle. This has been the biggest game changer for me in business.
2. Resilience and adaptability. Kids throw curveballs daily, and so does running a business. I’ve always loved problem solving in business - the more problematic the better. However being a mum takes this to another level, and in turn has made me even better at staying calm when things don’t go to plan (because they rarely do).
3. Negotiation skills. If you’ve ever tried to convince a toddler to put on a coat, you can absolutely handle investor meetings.
When you were returning to work, what one thing helped you / would have helped you the most?
Better childcare options, hands down. Both my partner and I are running startups, which means very little money coming in - so nursery wasn’t an option financially. But even if we could afford it, we didn’t want full-time childcare. We wanted to actually raise our child, not just pay someone else to do it for most of the day.
The bigger issue is that we don’t make it easy for parents - especially mums - to return to work in a way that makes sense financially or emotionally. Maternity pay is all over the place, and fathers get an even worse deal. If we really want to support working parents, we need systems that give families more choice - affordable childcare and better financial support so parents don’t feel forced into an all-or-nothing approach.
Right now, it feels like you either give up your income or give up time with your child - and that’s a choice no parent should have to make.
“Be kind to yourself. You’re not failing if you can’t do it all, all the time. Tech moves fast, but so does childhood so don’t let anyone make you feel like you have to choose ”
What do you feel should be the top priority for employers who want to support working mothers better?
Flexibility - REAL flexibility - should be the top priority. And I don’t just mean ‘you can leave early on Fridays.’ I mean trusting working mothers to get the job done in a way that works for their reality.
We (mothers) want to work - we just need smarter ways to work. Whether that’s hybrid options, results-driven cultures rather than rigid hours, or just a bit of understanding when life happens.
Beyond that, better financial support matters too. Maternity pay, affordable childcare options, and proper paternity leave so dads can actually co-parent. If we actually backed parents properly, fewer women would be forced out of the workforce just because they chose to have a child.
All things I’m excited to be implementing into the core of LAYBL as we grow and build our own team.
Any final words of advice for other mothers in the Tech Industry?
Be kind to yourself. You’re not failing if you can’t do it all, all the time. Tech moves fast, but so does childhood so don’t let anyone make you feel like you have to choose between being a great mum or being great at what you do. You can be both, just not always at full speed, and that’s okay.
Also, ask for help. Whether it’s your partner, your team, or your network - lean on people. You don’t have to build or parent alone.
And on the tough days, I remind myself that every step I take to build a better, more inclusive tech industry isn’t just for me - it’s for my daughter and her generation. So that if she ever steps into this space, she’ll walk into a world that values both ambition and motherhood - and never feels like she has to choose.
MotherBoard is a Business Charter, Community & Event Series, driving tangible change for mums working in the tech industry.
Interested in getting involved? Become a signatory today