Marion Siboni is the founder and CEO of La Creme de la STEM™, a private network for early-stage female founders in STEM. The network offers a holistic support system, providing exclusive insights from excited entrepreneurs and connections to vetted investors. She brings over a decade of experience in strategic business development roles at leading tech companies like Techstars, MongoDB, Shift, and Cisco. She also mastered forging strategic partnerships, earning multiple awards like two Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards.
Known for her ability to build high-impact partnerships and communities, she moved from Paris to NYC and successfully grew a network of 6,000 women in technology in just 18 months. Marion is also an acclaimed startup mentor and speaker, with engagements at institutions like the U.S. Department of Commerce, Nasdaq, SXSW, and more
What were your initial years of growing up like? Tell us about your life before starting your corporate journey/venture/initiative.
As a confirmed bibliophile, my dream job would be one that surrounds me with books day in and day out. While preparing for my business school oral exams and reflecting on this desire, I came across an essay written by the National Library of France President Bruno Racine, “Google and The New World”, exploring the impact of digital transformation in the publishing industry. This book was my first exposure to the tech world, revealing the vast opportunities that technology offered. It was a revelation that set the course for my career.
Was there any turning point in your life that changed your journey? If so, what was it? Please tell us the backstory behind it.
A major turning point in my life was when I moved from France to the US and had to completely reinvent my career in the tech industry. It was a challenging transition that tested my resilience and adaptability. Through persistence, hard work, and strategic networking, I eventually secured a Director position at Techstars, the world’s largest pre-seed investor. This breakthrough not only transformed my career but also opened doors to the competitive venture capital field. This experience taught me the true power of resilience and shaped my mission to now support early-stage female founders and demystify entrepreneurship.
Every industry that is now a large-scale, top-notch business once started as a small idea in the minds of entrepreneurs. What was that idea or motivation that made you start your business/initiative? What motivated you within to say “YES, go for it!”
Thanks to my decade of experience in business development, I mastered the art of forging strategic relationships, winning multiple awards, and built a first community of 6,000 people in 18 months when moving to NYC. I developed a network where I’m just a text away from finding the answers I need.
I channeled my passion for creating connections into launching La Creme de la STEM™ in June 2024. I created a strong support system for early-stage female founders in science and technology, where women can access essential resources and uplift one another. I host live sessions with investors, VIP guest speakers, and corporate partners to provide them with the right information at the right time.
Tell us something about your initiative or current role. What is it about, and what impact are you trying to make?
La Creme de la STEM™ is a private, online community specifically designed as a safe space for early-stage female founders in science and/or technology. It offers a holistic support system that includes several pillars:
- exposure to vetted VCs
- exclusive insights and lessons learned from excited entrepreneurs and VIP guests
- specific perks and credits from corporate partners
We bring together the best minds – la crème de la crème – from all genders and backgrounds, to support female founders in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics, and build genuine, powerful connections.
Everyone has their own set of challenges when starting an entrepreneurial journey. Still, the most essential part for others to learn is how you deal with those. Would you like to share with us your challenges and your coping mechanisms?
One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced is the amount of information and advice you get as a founder. Everyone wants to give you their take, and it can feel like a jungle out there – especially since some people do try to take advantage of founders, who can be easy targets. I’ve received my share of bad advice. That’s been a recurring challenge: filtering out the noise and focusing on advice from people who truly understand the journey.
My recommendation is to adopt critical thinking. Be mindful of your time and fact-check people before trusting them. It can be easy to fall into the shiny object syndrome, but when you run a company, you cannot afford to spend time and energy with people who cannot bring anything valuable to you.
Your journey and your vision are very inspiring, but are there any achievements or accomplishments you would like to mention?
Since I started my company, I have had incredible speaking opportunities and collaborated with Nasdaq, South by Southwest (SXSW), and more. I recently gave my very first keynote for the Investment Summit of the U.S. Department of Commerce, which was the largest Investment Summit in its history with over 5,500 attendees. It was on the same stage where, later that day, several governors addressed the audience. It was pretty incredible to be part of a lineup like that and to see our work recognized alongside such high-profile leaders.
Would you like to share with our young budding women entrepreneurs the change you would like to see in the world if given an opportunity?
Recognizing and valuing individuals for who they are would deliver widespread benefit. I strongly believe that everyone has something unique to offer, regardless of their background or position. Every person can provide a unique perspective or insight that can be valuable. Relationships don’t have to be mutually beneficial from the beginning. Instead, by focusing on what drives people and treating everyone equally, we can create a society where everyone feels seen, heard, and appreciated. This simple shift in mindset could foster a more inclusive and empathetic world.
What’s the most important thing you’ve learned in your personal life and professional journey? What is your personal motto in life?
My favorite quote is: “If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.” This speaks to my relentless drive for learning, which has been my compass for my entire career. When I moved from Paris to NYC and had to reinvent my career, I relied on my thirst for knowledge to immerse myself in the American tech ecosystem. I found out that it is heavily driven by venture capital, which thrives on innovation and constant evolution. My mindset of learning and collaboration kept me moving forward, which opened an ocean of opportunities, whether it is to get 5,000 subscribers on my newsletter (as of May 2025), land interviews with worldwide magazines, start my company, etc.
Women are a growing force in the workplaces worldwide, standing shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts. There are cracks in glass ceilings everywhere, with many women breaking through to carve out a space right at the top of the pyramid. What are your thoughts about women’s leadership today?
Representation matters. Growing up in France, I haven’t noticed many entrepreneurs featured in the news. Although “entrepreneur” is a French word, France is a risk-averse country with only a recent history of supporting startups. I worked at a Series B startup that reached unicorn status during my 2.5 years there, but it wasn’t until I moved to the U.S. and worked for an early-stage VC that I encountered an incredible number of founders. Meeting so many founders definitely awakened the desire to turn my passion into a full-time job and embrace the entrepreneurship journey. We could certainly observe a considerable increase in female founders if we had a much larger amount of female CEOs and entrepreneurs highlighted in the media.
With your grit and determination, you are making a considerable impact, breaking through, and serving as role models for many budding entrepreneurs. What would you want to say to our young women leaders/audience reading this?
Build a network before you need it, focusing on authentic connections.
For many, networking means coming to a room with a specific goal and trying to achieve it. To me, networking and creating connections are synonyms. In other words, networking is about building authentic, powerful connections in a short amount of time. It is essential to focus on being genuinely interested in the person you are meeting rather than trying to be interesting yourself. True networking means connecting with people with conversations spanning a range of topics, from industry trends to upcoming vacations. This is what will leave a positive, lasting impression and will open unexpected doors in the future. Opportunistic relationships may work for a single transaction, but they don’t build a sustainable network.
