Ex-Google techie, now an entrepreneur, says she was replaced at her own company for being a ‘Brown woman’

An entrepreneur's video on being replaced at her own company has impressed social media, with many praising her honesty.

A serial entrepreneur who once worked at Google ignited a firestorm on social media with a video in which she made claims about her exit from one of the companies she founded. After serving as CEO and working for the company for a decade, she claimed she was replaced due to her identity as a "Brown woman."

Entrepreneur Vidya Narayanan, who co-founded three companies after leaving Google. (Instagram/@hellovidya)

“From founding to getting replaced as a CEO: Extras,” Vidya Narayanan wrote on Instagram. According to her LinkedIn, she worked at Google for two years in 2012. After leaving the tech giant, she co-founded three companies and was the CEO for two of them.

In a video, she claims that she was replaced as the CEO of one of the companies she started and worked for ten years, just because she is a “Brown woman.” The entrepreneur further claims that the company’s board feared that she wouldn’t be able to attract quality investors because of her “gender” and the “colour of her skin.”

She also mentions specific instances and gestures from the board members during this chaotic time in her career, including an individual calling her to say that he won’t support equal pay for her and the new co-CEO if the company decides to operate in that structure.

After being pushed out of her company, she was told she could still work for the organisation and contribute. She claims she was informed that she was lucky enough to keep her position.

Take a look at the entire video here:

What did social media say?

An individual posted, “Never thought I would see such honesty on this platform - love it!” Another added, “Probably they were counting you on never recounting what happened to you but that's where they made a mistake. They messed with an articulate woman. Your storytelling is top notch. Love Listening to you even though I have nothing to do with this world.”

A third expressed, “You are such a breath of fresh air. I wish more content like this were around. How many women? How many brown women don’t have guidance?” A fourth wrote, “As an aspiring tech entrepreneur, your story is one of my biggest fears. I am not studying my degree for someone to come and overthrow me in my own legacy. What lessons could you share from your experience?”

(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)