For many women in their 40s and beyond, reinvention isn’t a trend. It’s survival. It begins quietly—after the corporate door shuts, after the kids leave home, after burnout, relocation, or simply the realisation that life must change. At that crossroads, tech can feel like a foreign language, and financial planning, an overwhelming maze.

In this feature, I speak with Veronica Mihai—former hedge fund manager, blockchain entrepreneur, and WIN Portugal Community Lead—to explore how technology and smart investing are becoming unexpected but powerful tools for women navigating midlife transitions. Her journey sheds light on a growing movement: women reclaiming their agency and redefining success on their own terms.

Veronica knows the terrain well. Once a UK-based hedge fund founder, she spent years in traditional finance before diving into the world of blockchain and AI. But along that path, she saw a persistent and troubling pattern—brilliant, experienced women being left out of the conversations that could secure their futures.

“I’ve seen women with incredible ideas turned down by investors simply because they didn’t have a male co-founder,” she says. “That kind of quiet dismissal is everywhere.”

The stats back her up. In 2023, women-founded startups received just 2.1% of global venture capital funding, according to Harvard Business Review. And even when women-led businesses perform well, they’re less likely to secure follow-on funding. The issue isn’t merit—it’s access, perception, and bias.

Rather than trying to fix a broken system, Veronica built something new.

She now leads digital workshops and online programmes for women over 40 who are starting over—often after decades in other industries. These women aren't chasing unicorn valuations or hustling for 10x growth. What they want is something more grounded: clarity, autonomy, and a life that finally fits.

Most are also navigating major life changes—a new country, a new language, or the emotional turbulence of an empty nest or post-divorce transition. At a time when many feel invisible, Veronica helps them become visible again.

“It’s not about scaling a business to sell it,” she says. “It’s about building a life that works.”

Her approach blends financial literacy with digital confidence. One day she’s guiding a woman through her first cryptocurrency investment; the next, she’s helping automate email flows for a coaching business. Always, the focus is the same: practical tools, demystified.

Because here’s the truth: tech and finance are still industries where older women often feel like outsiders. The gender investing gap is real. So is the quiet ageism baked into the startup world. Women are expected to learn in silence, ask fewer questions, and take fewer risks.

“What I see again and again is hesitation rooted in the idea that it’s too late,” Veronica says. “But it’s never too late. You have to make room for yourself at the table—at any age, at any stage.”

Her own leap from high-level finance to blockchain wasn’t seamless. It meant facing the fear of irrelevance and rediscovering identity beyond a high-powered title. But she chose this space intentionally—not because it was trendy, but because it could offer new models, new systems, and new freedoms.

Her students come from across Europe and beyond, united by a desire to be self-reliant and future-ready. What they find in her sessions isn’t jargon or hype—it’s a safe space to ask questions, experiment, and start again.

Locally, she’s also active in the Algarve Women’s Network, where she leads in-person sessions on AI and digital tools. One of her most anticipated workshops, The Freedom Formula: Tech Tools That Give You Back Your Time, helps women simplify their workflows and reclaim their days.

And while Veronica does teach about Bitcoin and blockchain, she’s quick to point out—this isn’t about selling a dream. “There’s no pitch. No promised returns. Just the belief that digital tools, when used wisely, can offer real independence.”

Looking ahead, she plans to grow her online offerings and expand her community platform. But the mission remains unchanged: empower women to feel capable, not behind. Invested, not dependent. In control, not confused.

To any woman wondering if she’s missed her chance, Veronica offers this reminder:

“You are not too old, and it is not too late. You just need someone to show you where to begin—and remind you that you absolutely belong.”