(Bloomberg) -- Allegations of sexism and harassment toward female entrepreneurs have caused an uproar in Silicon Valley in recent weeks, after explosive accusations emerged about several startup investors and mentors. The scandals have brought to light an issue that's been whispered about in boardrooms and among victims for decades.
More women are now stepping forward to expose what they describe as an open secret in the Valley, with the hopes of sparing other women from abuse. Their stories are the subject of this week’s episode of the Decrypted podcast. (Subscribe here on Apple Podcasts.)
Two women detailed allegations of unwanted advances from Marc Canter, a once-prominent technology entrepreneur and industry thought leader. Such accusations have followed him around quietly for decades.
Canter co-founded a software company in the 1980s, which became known as Macromedia and went on to develop the still-prevalent web tool Flash. But he never got to ring the bell at the Nasdaq when the company went public in 1993 or address staff when the business was later acquired by Adobe Systems Inc. for $3.4 billion. He was gone from Macromedia by the early 90s.
What was never said at the time is that Canter was fired partly due to claims of harassment, according to a person with knowledge of the matter, who asked not to be identified because the personnel issue remains private. Canter said in an email that he was never told he was being dismissed for harassment. He said he was instead fired for smoking pot.
Canter went on to become a serial entrepreneur, well-known blogger and regular adviser to tech startups. In early 2014, he was brought in as a candidate for chief executive officer at startup Cubicon. Cathy Kobre, who worked there at the time, said that before Canter even got the job, he tried to cut a deal with her. According to Kobre, Canter said she could only remain at the company if she had sex with him.
Canter said he discussed the general topic of sex with Kobre but didn’t make such a demand. “I am a highly unfiltered, type-A male who says what he thinks,” Canter wrote in an email to Bloomberg. “Usually in a sarcastic, contrarian manner.”
Wendy Dent alleged similar harassment by Canter in a New York Times article last month. In an interview with Bloomberg, Dent said she sought Canter’s advice for her startup idea in March 2015. She alleged that Canter told her he wanted to have sex with her. Canter acknowledged the comments, and said he was only trying to shock her. He said he didn’t expect her to sleep with him but was angry that she didn’t offer anything in return for seeking his help with her company.
The consequences for women who make such accusations can be brutal. Gesche Haas, an entrepreneur, said she was propositioned for sex several years ago by an investor named Pavel Curda. He apologized following press reports of the incident in 2014. After going public with her story, Haas said she received death threats and felt anxious and depressed for months.
In the Decrypted episode, we tell the story of these women and more, including two who spoke up about Binary Capital’s Justin Caldbeck, a venture capitalist who left after a string of harassment allegations. Give it a listen.
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