From what I understand, it's not so much about unity as it is preparing women who wish to be founders for the challenges they will meet specifically as a female

From what I understand, it's not so much about unity as it is preparing women who wish to be founders for the challenges they will meet specifically as a female in the tech industry. Also, on a long enough timeline, ignoring differences between groups of people may equalize them if participation is high enough, but it can often help things along a lot if more energy is put into the side of the misrepresented. That's not to say this can't be overdone, there's a balance, but equality doesn't come from just sitting around not being sexist/racist/whatever. You often have to convince others that you are deserving of having a place at the table. Source: civil rights movement. I happen to think women in tech are pretty under-represented, and having a conference that prepares them better for a male-dominated industry (as well as networking with other men and women alike) is a good thing.