Kate Lowry, a former vice president at Insight Partners, is suing the firm. The lawsuit, filed on December 30 in San Mateo County, California, alleges disability discrimination, gender discrimination, and wrongful termination. Insight Partners did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the suit.
Lowry stated she filed the lawsuit because she believes too many powerful, wealthy people in venture capital act as if it is acceptable to break the law and systemically underpay and abuse their employees. She described it as an oppressive system that reflects broader societal trends using fear, intimidation, and power to silence truth, and expressed that she is trying to change that.
Lowry began working at Insight Partners in 2022, following previous roles at Meta, McKinsey & Company, and an early-stage startup. According to the suit, upon being hired she was assigned to a different supervisor than the person mentioned during her interviews. She alleges her new supervisor, a woman, demanded she be online at all times, including during paid time off, holidays, and weekends, and to respond to messages between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. daily.
The suit claims this first supervisor berated, hazed, and antagonized Lowry, speaking openly about a hazing period that would be longer and more intense than what she put male reports through. Alleged comments from the supervisor include, “you are incompetent, shut up and take notes” and “you need to obey me like a dog; do whatever I say whenever I say it, without speaking.” Lowry further alleges she was assigned redundant tasks and her ability to participate in calls was restricted, while less experienced male colleagues were allowed to do so. Instead, she says she was relegated to administrative tasks such as note-taking and cataloging.
Lowry said she became increasingly ill because of the work environment. Her physician advised a medical leave of absence, which she took from February to July 2023. When she returned, she was placed on a new team. The suit alleges the head of human resources told her that if the new team did not like her, she would be fired.
In September 2023, Lowry said she suffered a concussion and took another medical leave, returning near the end of 2024. Due to team departures, she was placed under a new supervisor, where she alleges her poor treatment continued. She also states that in 2024, her compensation was approximately 30% below the market rate.
By April 2025, she alleges she was told her compensation would be cut. In May 2025, through her attorneys, Lowry sent a letter to Insight Partners regarding her alleged treatment by the company. The suit states that the firm terminated her employment one week later.
This lawsuit brings to mind Ellen Pao’s suit against Kleiner Perkins in 2012, in which she alleged discrimination and retaliation. That case offered a rare glimpse into how women partners felt they were treated in venture capital. Though Pao lost that suit, it sent waves through the industry, and other women went on to sue major technology companies.