Change the Ratio was an initiative founded by Canadian attorney and freelance journalist Rachel Sklar to advocate for increased representation of women in politics, media, and technology. The initiative was one of several groups and websites founded by Sklar, a founding editor of Mediaite and former media editor of the Huffington Post. Change the Ratio operated mostly as a Tumblr webpage that posted a variety of pro-feminist stances and news articles and commentary critical of then-President Donald Trump and his first administration, but ceased updates in 2021 when Sklar announced the sale of a similar initiative, The Li.st, which was described as “an e-mail listserv and Web community that Ms. Sklar founded… [in 2010] to help women in tech help one another.” ^{1 2}

Background

Change the Ratio and The Li.st were founded in 2010 by Canadian attorney and freelance journalist Rachel Sklar as dual initiatives to increase the visibility and representation of women in politics, new media, and technology. A New York Times article profiling Sklar and The Li.st only stated that Sklar founded Change the Ratio at the same time as founding The Li.st as “an organization dedicated to raising the visibility of women in technology.” It is unclear whether the group was organized as either a nonprofit or for-profit organization. ¹

Sklar started The Li.st and Change the Ratio because “when New York magazine published a cover story that April profiling 53 of the city’s up-and-coming tech players, only 6 of whom were women, Ms. Sklar felt comfortable speaking up.” She stated, “I sent an e-mail to, I think, 19 women in the tech and new-media space that said, ‘It’s not like we don’t love the dudes, but come on, let’s not let this happen again.’” The New York Times said that Sklar’s use of the word “dudes” was “her default term for men,” and added, “That e-mail started a conversation that would eventually grow into TheLi.st.” ¹

The Li.st was funded in part by the Knight Foundation. ¹

Activities

The Li.st is a for-profit venture that sells memberships to women and non-binary individuals for networking and event access. In 2014, the group’s pricing structure leaked, revealing that memberships cost $850 per year. In response, Sklar told Politico that “It’s like that Eddie Murphy sketch on SNL—everyone gets to feel like a white man! All of the benefits, none of the golf.” ³

Leadership

Rachel Sklar is the founder of The Li.st and Change the Ratio along with Charitini.com, which promotes social micro-giving. She worked as a corporate attorney in Stockholm and New York City before becoming a freelance journalist and was a founding editor of Mediaite and former media editor of the Huffington Post. She has contributed to publications including the Daily Beast, New York magazine, Newsweek, and the New York Times. She wrote and edited the Huffington Post‘s “Eat The Press” page and wrote and edited FishbowlNY, a New York-based media industry blog. ⁴

In 2011, Sklar was listed in the 2011 Silicon Alley (NYC) 100 List by Business Insider for Change the Ratio, the listing said that “Sklar is one of the most connected people in the New York tech scene. She is everywhere, from advising startups including Hashable, SBNation, and Siftee to serving as Mediaite’s editor-at-large and frequent television presence. Sklar founded Change the Ratio, an effort to increase the number of women in the tech world.” ⁵

1. Quenqua, Douglas. “More Than Just a Social Butterfly.” The New York Times. May 31, 2013. Accessed January 24, 2025. https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/02/fashion/rachel-sklar-tries-to-become-a-social-media-entrepreneur.html
2. “Change the Ratio.” Tumblr. Accessed January 24, 2025. https://changetheratio.tumblr.com/
3. “The 60-Second Interview: Rachel Sklar, Co-Founder of TheLi.st.” Politico. March 5, 2014. Accessed January 24, 2025. https://www.politico.com/media/story/2014/03/the-60-second-interview-rachel-sklar-co-founder-of-thelist-002710/
4. “Rachel Sklar.” LinkedIn. Accessed January 24, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/sklarra/details/experience/
5. “THE BOTTOM 25: The Silicon Alley 100, Ranked!” Business Insider. October 10, 2011. Accessed January 24, 2025. https://www.businessinsider.com/silicon-alley-100-ranked-75-100-2011#100-rachel-sklar-1