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As we continue to partner with leading beauty tech brands, we've had the opportunity to work alongside a range of inspirational and diverse women who are changing the face of business for the better.
In the lead up to International Women's Day, we're continuing our women in business series with an interview with Tania Boler. Founder of tech company Elvie, she is kick-starting the conversation on women's health, one step at a time. Today, she shares her thoughts on her inspirations, triumphs and challenges as a female entrepreneur of a thriving business.
Tell us about a woman who has inspired you.
Cindy Gallop, for her candid speech and her relentlessness in her ambition to change the world – "be proud of helping women on their overall wellness journey, including sexual wellness."
Does being a female entrepreneur today come with extra challenges?
I think that lots of women assume it’s harder to be a tech entrepreneur than if they were a man. My father was an entrepreneur, so I have grown up with a true can-do attitude. We are building the first ever global women's tech brand so being a woman is definitely an advantage as we aren't only changing technology, but also conversations and how technology helps us understand our female bodies better.
What key advice did you receive early in your career that has stayed with you?
In the early days of Elvie, hiring the right team was a rather tricky business. Alex Asseily, my business partner encouraged me to hire the top engineers right from the beginning, and was extremely helpful when I was selecting designers.
Your business is known for empowering women. How does this gender balance positively impact corporate culture?
Diversity is incredibly important in the workplace. It is widely recognised now that businesses with greater diversity perform better and see higher profits, but having an inclusive corporate culture where people with different backgrounds can learn from each other about important topics and how they affect people differently is just as important. We are proud to be an early partner of AllBright. Debbie Wosskow and Annie Jones are doing incredible things to support female founders in the UK. Their venture fund invested in our last round and we partner on a range of educational and community projects.
What's the single biggest issue facing women in the workplace right now?
We are seeing that the pay gap increases in line with the age at which women are typically having their first child. Before that it’s more common to see men and women earning the same, but after women have had their first child they fall behind because it is increasingly had to hold a senior position, which typically demand working out of hours and limit flexibility. At Elvie our head of operations is a job share and we are committed to making it possible for women to hold senior positions with a high level of responsibility (and the pro-rata pay to match) and be a flexible working environment. It has worked really well for us and it’s important that more companies start doing the same.
This post is part of a wider series celebrating International Women's Day. Click on the following links to read the full interviews from Tera, Hamida, Jamie and the panel.
