International Women’s Day Event

Apr, 9, 2019

I had the opportunity to share my story as a woman entrepreneur and tech company founder at BMO Harris’s International Women’s Day event this year. It was an honor to be invited to participate in the panel “Trailblazing Conversations with Women Leading Innovation” along with Besty Ziegler, CEO of 1871 and Heather Holmes, founder and CEO of Genivity. We each shared more about our involvement in the tech world, our challenges and successes, and our experiences as women tech leaders. Moderator Leslie Anderson, Head of Treasury and Payment Services at BMO Harris helped guide the panel.

I believe that having the opportunity to share stories of our experiences, as well as our failures and mistakes along the way, helps to demystify the entrepreneur experience. Through these conversations, we show other women that anyone who has the desire can become an entrepreneur. The road to success as an entrepreneur is not something that comes fast or easy, and it requires hard work, patience, and resiliency. Those were the messages shared at this event. In sharing our stories, we also highlighted the need for increased attention and funding for women-led companies, and that with the necessary support and encouragement, more women will decide to become entrepreneurs. While the first step might be the hardest, it’s definitely worth taking. Gathering and sharing at events like this lets other women know that we don’t need to wait until everything is perfect before taking the jump, that bravery is rewarded with success.