Battersby has now stepped into the role of President at Peanut, the fast-growing social network designed to support women through life’s biggest transitions: from fertility and pregnancy, to motherhood and menopause. And she’s doing all this while 30 weeks pregnant.
Battersby says that the appointment marks both a personal milestone and a broader statement about what leadership can look like in an industry still dominated by men. “This feels empowering and deeply personal,” Battersby said in a statement. “It reflects what Peanut stands for — supporting women through every stage of life. I’m passionate about elevating women in tech, and Peanut is a platform that gives them not just a voice, but a real community and support system.”
Her new role also marks a reunion between trailblazing two women who have already shaped the global tech landscape. Peanut’s founder and CEO Michelle Kennedy and Battersby first worked together in the early days of Bumble, where Kennedy sat on the board and Battersby was the first Australian hire tasked with scaling the brand across APAC (as you do). Later, Kennedy backed Battersby’s own startup, Sunroom, which was recently acquired by Fanfix in 2023. Now, the pair are once again working side by side to accelerate Peanut’s growth across the United States, Australia and beyond.
“I hired Michelle at 30 weeks pregnant because she’s exactly the kind of leader tech needs: purpose-driven, vulnerable, sharp, and deeply connected to the realities women face,” Kennedy says.
Since its launch in 2017, Peanut has evolved to have over 5.5 million users globally, and says it has created spaces for conversations that rarely make it into mainstream platforms — IVF, miscarriage, identity loss, postnatal depression, menopause. In a statement, Kennedy says Battersby’s appointment sends a clear message about the kind of leadership tech needs.
Peanut’s latest research has some stark, but perhaps unsurprising, findings. The research found that ninety-four per cent of women say they’re expected to put themselves last after having children. Ninety-three per cent feel their identity has been reduced to just “mum.” Nearly three-quarters of women report feeling lonely or unseen during early motherhood.
For Battersby, those statistics aren’t on paper – they are the lived realities she’s stepping into while simultaneously stepping up to lead a global company like Peanut.
Our team at Missing Perspectives continue to cheer on Battersby from the sidelines – and this appointment is a reminder of how rare it is to see women lead, create and set the culture inside tech. And perhaps more importantly, it signals the growing power of platforms built by women, for women, especially when mainstream media and technology too often fail to reflect their experiences.