Read the full transcript of Simona Stoytchkova’s talk titled “Barbie, Blockchain And A Billion Women Empowered”, at TEDxFrankfurt, Feb 24, 2025.
Listen to the audio version here:
Simona Stoytchkova: I want to ask you a personal question. When was the last time a toy changed your life? Now I know that’s an odd question, but stick with me. You see, we often look for life-changing moments in the big things. Inspirational figures like Nelson Mandela, Michelle Obama or Michael Schumacher. But for me, my most transformative moment didn’t come from a history book or social media. It came wrapped in plastic, delivered in a shiny pink box.
A Pink Beacon in a Grey World
It’s 1987, East Berlin. I’m 11 years old, living in social housing surrounded by a sea of grey concrete. The buildings are so dull, they make the simple joy of artificial lemonade seem like an exotic escape. The fun is absent, dreams on life support. And ambition, well, ambition doesn’t exactly flourish behind an iron curtain.
Then one day, my dad surprises me with the gift. A Barbie. And this Barbie, she’s not just a toy, she’s a symbol of audacity, rocking a pink suit, a pink briefcase and yes, pink sky high heels. In a world as grey as mine, Barbie’s not just fashionable, she’s fearless, she’s defiant, she holds her head high and silently tells me to do the same.
Barbie becomes my neon beacon in a grey world, my role model, my first boss. You see, at 11, I didn’t exactly know what a boss was, but Barbie did. So I looked at her, held her up like Simba from The Lion King and thought, one day I’ll be just like you. Barbie minus the blonde hair. But definitely that world-conquering attitude.
From Pink Suits to Life’s Mission
Fast forward to 2023, my wife Mary, brilliant film director and the owner of a smile that can make me do anything, says, “Hey darling, let’s go to the movies, dress code, pink.” So I pull out my brightest pink suit, the same one I wore on my first day as executive board member at a major US bank.
Bold? Definitely. Too much? Perhaps. But I wear it with pride, because pink for me is not just a colour, it’s a statement, it’s possibility, it’s power and nothing says “I’m here to manage your money and your dreams” quite like a pink power suit.
We arrive at the cinema and there it is, the Barbie movie poster looming above us. Suddenly, I’m 11 years old again, clutching my pink role model, flooded with dreams I was never supposed to have. Tears swell up as I realize how far I’ve come, from the little girl in East Berlin to the woman who’s made a life that girl could not have imagined.
And then the movie starts. But let me tell you, it’s not just a nostalgic trip down memory lane, it’s an existential slap in the face. Barbie, once a symbol of childhood innocence, becomes my call to action. But she’s not just asking, she’s demanding, “Look how far you’ve come. Now, what are you going to do for all these women who are still trapped in their grey?”
And that’s when it hits me. My journey was never just about me, and Barbie was never just a toy. She was my action hero, not just in stilettos, but in the fight for a better, fairer world. So I did what any rational person would do. I quit my cushy C-suite job, yes, much to the shock of my wife. I wrote a book, and I traded boardroom meetings and expensive lunches for a new mission, to give a voice to women who still keep being told they don’t belong.
The Billion Women Still Waiting
Now let’s talk about these women. Since 2024, women make up half the world’s population. Shocker? Yet in 178 countries, women are still shackled by laws that belong in a museum. According to UNICEF, nearly half of all married women don’t have a say over their reproductive health. 2.4 billion women don’t have the same economic opportunities as men. Now that’s a billion with a capital B.
It’s like being invited to the world’s biggest party and then told, “Sure, you can hang out, but no food, no drinks, no dancing. You can clean up afterwards, though. You make sure your chains are just strong enough for that.”
According to the World Bank, one billion women, that’s one in four, are financially excluded. No bank account, no access to loans, no way to invest. It’s like running a marathon on flip-flops. And just when you’re about to start being told, “Oh, by the way, you can’t cross the finish line.”
Now, it’s easy to listen to these numbers and feel detached, especially in places like Frankfurt or London, where opportunity oozes through the cracks of the pavement. But these are not just numbers. These are real women, someone’s wife, someone’s mother, someone’s daughter. And their dreams, deferred, their potential, wasted, their futures, stolen.
The Blockchain Revolution
But here’s the good thing. For the first time in history, we have a shot, a real shot, to unlock an entirely different future. And no, that’s not just some pie in the sky 50 years from now, utopia. It’s here, and it’s now, and it’s called blockchain and cryptocurrency.
Yes, you heard me, blockchain and cryptocurrency. Now, before you roll your eyes and tune out, I might just know what you’re thinking. Blockchain? Cryptocurrency? Aren’t these just for some tech nerds or Elon Musk memes? Trust me, I thought so too. But the truth is, they are a real game-changer, able to revolutionize the way we define power, equality, and opportunity.
Let me give you an example. Today, when you make a donation, your money passes through middlemen, banks, charities, and perhaps some random intern clicking process. It’s inefficient, costly, and susceptible to fraud. But with blockchain, all that changes. Your donation in cryptocurrency is immediately locked onto the public blockchain as a new block on their blockchain. Think of it as a digital database where everyone can see your transaction, but no one can alter it. And with blockchain, your funds go exactly where they’re supposed to go.
You might have heard of smart contracts. In simple terms, automated self-executing agreements. And that’s just the tip of the blockchain iceberg. You see, blockchain is not just about making transactions easier or more secure. No, it’s fundamentally about creating a new cost-efficient framework of trust without relying on middlemen. Blockchain can break the chains that have been holding women back for centuries. Not in some sci-fi future, but here and now.
Farida’s Story: Breaking the Chains
Let me take you to Tanzania. Rusty roads, women walking miles, carrying heavy buckets of water on their head. Women farming their small fields under the scorching sun. Women selling their hand-crafted goods to tourists for few pennies at local markets. That’s where I met Farida, a local dollmaker with dreams as vibrant as the dolls she creates.
Trust me, her dolls were nothing short of stunning. Hand-crafted with precision, they’re colorful, intricate, full of life. But Farida’s real dream is much bigger. She wants to build a business to create a better life for herself and her family. Yet despite her talent, her dream remains just out of reach. Why? Because she’s got no bank account, no ID, no access to the global economy, who we here so often take for granted. Her hands craft beauty, yet her future is bound, chained. Not by lack of skill, but by lack of opportunity.
Now what if I told you that these chains can be broken by the very same technology we’ve just been talking about? With blockchain, Farida can create a digital identity at low cost. Secure, tamper-proof, portable. Most importantly, this ID can never be lost or stolen, whether through flood, fire, or some bureaucratic failure. This ID isn’t just your usual paper ID. It’s your key to unlocking new opportunities, freeing her from the traditional process of becoming a state-issued ID.
And with her digital ID, Farida can access education. In many parts of Africa, traditional schooling is prohibitively expensive and vastly inaccessible. With blockchain, it’s just a tap away on your smartphone. Anything from basic literacy to advanced business skills. And with certificates verified through the blockchain, Farida’s education becomes globally recognized. No more classroom needed.
And then there’s banking. With blockchain, Farida can open a digital wallet. This wallet allows her to bypass the traditional barriers of banking entirely. With this digital wallet, she can make and receive payments, invest, apply for microloans, and even crowdfund her business using cryptocurrency.
Imagine Farida, no longer bound by the limitations of her circumstances, but standing tall, educated, and financially independent. Her business thriving. Dolls not only decorating the homes and hotels of Tanzania, but all across Africa. See the joy in her eyes. Feel the pride in her heart. As her business becomes reality. And now, multiply that by a billion. That’s what we’re talking about here.
Your Call to Action
What do I want you to take away from this talk? Three things. First, blockchain can transform women’s lives. Second, blockchain can bring education, entrepreneurship, and financial independence to the world’s most overlooked. Third, blockchain and cryptocurrency can redefine the distribution of wealth, opening new doors to the world’s unbanked.
But here’s the kicker. It’s not just reality yet. The technology is still evolving, and we need far more user-friendly applications. Governments, tech companies, educational institutions, we’ve all got to work together. And you, yes, you, you’ve got a role to play too. Embrace technology. Fight for change. Challenge the status quo. Because together, we can break the chains with blockchain. Together, we can change the world.
