Between health care, oil and gas drilling and technology, I’ve worked in many distinct industries. But you might say that my first real exposure to business was growing up on my family farm in Alberta. You could also say that my diverse history has set me up well for my current job as president and CEO of the BC Innovation Council, where I lead a team that connects B.C.-grown innovation to industry needs across the province and globally. In this role, I get to help entrepreneurs scale their businesses and help industry titans stay competitive, both challenging yet rewarding endeavours.
Building a business or managing one isn’t easy no matter who you are or where you come from. When you’re trying to do something that hasn’t been done before or trying to change the status quo, you will experience resistance. And while the challenges I’ve faced in my business career have differed depending on the industry I’ve been working in, unfortunately, something that has been consistent was the fact that I was treated differently simply because I am a woman.
There have been many times when I’ve been the only woman in a room, and it’s seemed as though my viewpoint wasn’t taken seriously. There have been times when I’ve felt dismissed. For a woman in these situations, sometimes you feel unheard. Sometimes it seems as if you’re almost invisible. There’s an undeniable, even if unconscious, bias at work.
Being a woman has actually changed my career trajectory. I once decided strategically to not take a position as a CEO because the company could not have achieved what it needed to with a woman in charge. The company needed to raise money from investors, and I knew that because I’m a woman, it would have been very challenging in that industry.
The data suggests that my experience isn’t unique. Women in business everywhere have to deal with challenges surrounding many issues including gender equality in pay, overcoming prejudices and attracting investment. Many of these problems stem from the fact that the number of women in senior corporate roles is disproportionately low, and this impacts us all.
Why does this matter so much? For me, it’s simple: I believe that to build a future that benefits everyone equally, we need decision-makers and power brokers that fully appreciate the unique perspectives of the women who make up over half of our population.
Despite the current reality, I have great confidence in the future. I believe not only that the challenges facing women in business are on the cusp of being overcome, but also that the tech industry is best positioned today to lead this change in British Columbia and beyond. Here’s why.
Firstly, the tech industry in B.C. is thriving. I would even argue that the tech economy is now the whole economy. It’s more than Internet and apps, and it provides opportunities in sectors as diverse as life sciences, biotech, marketing and mining. This industry pays well over the provincial average, helping to minimize the wage inequality. Women who choose to focus on tech will do incredible things. Whether it’s building an app or working to cure cancer, our tech industry presents the greatest opportunity for women entering the corporate world to succeed today.
Secondly, the growing number of women entering tech is starting a positive cycle. Research has already demonstrated that gender diversity in business leads to a better bottom line. So as more and more women join B.C.’s innovation economy, either directly at a tech firm or at a traditional industry player that’s leveraging tech, the benefits, financial and otherwise, of having female voices heard will increasingly become evident — and not a moment too soon.
Lastly, some of the most powerful female leaders in B.C. are in tech. If you’re searching for the most powerful people in business in B.C., focus in on tech, and you won’t have to look far. Whether it’s Judi Hess, CEO at Copperleaf Technologies, Amiee Chan of Norsat International Inc., or Gerri Sinclair, a founder of B.C.’s first-of-its-kind Centre for Digital Media, there is no shortage of female leaders in tech providing an ambitious blueprint for their peers and the next generation.
This final point is especially important. Author Marian Wright Edelman wrote, “You can’t be what you can’t see.” That quote illustrates why I feel strongly about the constant need to highlight more women not only in tech, but in business in general. We must showcase what is possible. We must highlight all of the amazing things women are doing right now.
That’s how we are going to change things in British Columbia: through projects and initiatives that celebrate and inspire women, like We for She, the Vinetta Project and She Built That; through highlighting exemplary female role models; and through showcasing the innovation that’s possible when diverse ideas and perspectives come together, just as we do at the BC Innovation Council. That’s how we can lead a transformation. And it’s not simply a question of whether we can. We can, and we must.
We need the people who are shaping the world we live in, those who are building the companies of tomorrow, to accurately reflect the people and communities they are building them for. The technology sector in B.C. presents the best opportunity to make this happen.
