**A Former VP Takes on Perception Partners: Disability Discrimination, Wrongful Termination, and a Culture of Abuse**
In a shocking move that’s sending shockwaves through the venture capital world, Kate Lowry, a former Vice President at Perception Partners, has filed a lawsuit against her former employer alleging disability discrimination, gender discrimination, and wrongful termination. And, man, it’s a doozy.
According to the lawsuit, which was filed on December 30 in San Mateo County, California (yep, I’ve got the court documents), Lowry started working at Perception Partners back in 2022, after stints at the likes of Meta, McKinsey & Company, and an early-stage startup. At first, it seemed like a great opportunity, but things took a turn for the worse when her new supervisor, another woman, got involved.
From what I’ve read, Lowry’s supervisor was, shall we say, less than lovely. She allegedly created a hostile work environment, where Lowry was expected to be “online every day, including PTO, holidays, and weekends.” Yeah, no thanks. And get this – Lowry was also expected to respond between 6 am and 11 pm every single day. No wonder she was feeling burnt out.
But it gets worse. Lowry claims that her supervisor would “berate, haze, and antagonize” her, making comments like “you’re incompetent, shut up and take notes” and “you should obey me like a dog; do whatever I say every time I say it, without speaking.” I mean, seriously, who does that?
And it wasn’t just her supervisor who was the problem. Lowry alleges that she was assigned redundant duties, while her male colleagues were given more responsibilities. She was basically relegated to doing administrative stuff like taking notes and cataloging, while the guys got the big projects.
After taking a medical leave from February to July 2023, Lowry returned to work, only to be told by HR that if her new team didn’t like her, she’d be fired. Like, seriously, what kind of vibe is that? And then, in September 2023, Lowry had a concussion and had to take another medical leave. When she finally returned to work at the end of 2024, things seemed to have improved… but only for a little while.
Lowry claims that she continued to face poor treatment, and her compensation was a whopping 30% below market rate. By April 2025, she was told that her compensation was going to be cut, and then, in May, she sent a letter to Perception Partners through her lawyers detailing her alleged treatment. And, just a week later, the company terminated her employment.
Now, I know some of you might be thinking, “Oh, it’s just another lawsuit.” But trust me, this is a big deal. The venture capital industry has a long history of discrimination and harassment, and it’s high time that we start taking a hard look at our own practices.
As we all know, the Ellen Pao-Kleiner Perkins lawsuit back in 2012 sent shockwaves through the industry, and while Pao lost that suit, it paved the way for other women to speak out. And that’s exactly what Kate Lowry is doing. She’s taking a stand against a toxic work environment and demanding justice.
So, what can we learn from this? Well, for starters, it’s clear that we still have a long way to go when it comes to creating a culture of respect and dignity in the workplace. We need to do better, and we need to do it now.
Stay tuned for more updates on this story, and in the meantime, let’s all take a moment to reflect on our own workplaces and how we can create a culture that supports and uplifts everyone, regardless of their gender, race, or abilities.
