Make more room for women entrepreneurs!

And yet I enjoy public speaking and expressing myself, but it is as though, deep down, every time I speak with investors, I feel we are not speaking the same language. And every time I have this thought, I tell myself it must be because I am a healthcare professional. I must have a bias acquired during my years of studying healthcare and working as a clinician: the impact of my professional actions should benefit people first, rather than be economic in nature.

But lately, I have wondered whether this “bias” might instead be due to my gender. What if my way of doing things and my view of business were more closely tied to being a woman? And if our world were governed mostly by women, what would it look like?

Dafna Kariv, a researcher affiliated with the Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at HEC Montréal, speaks in this regard of women's deep desire to be socially involved: “They prefer to be recognized as drivers of change, although they remain emotionally attached to the business they created, rather than become extraordinarily wealthy serial entrepreneurs. Men's priority is profit, through innovation and technology, of course.”

Naturally, I tell myself that we are gradually making progress toward better representation of women, and that we can be proud to have more and more role models leading businesses and working in politics. That Quebec is an open place where women have the power to act.

Then I keep thinking, going through all my entrepreneur colleagues and friends in healthcare and technology with whom I have had contact over the past two years: one man, two men, three men, one woman, four men, and I keep searching until I realize that Quebec's technology and healthcare companies are overwhelmingly led by men. A harsh reality. For me, at least.

And even harsher when you consider that the majority of Quebec's healthcare professionals are women!

Of course, I believe men can accomplish great things and care deeply about social impact. However, I believe women approach the business world differently. And that this difference must become a strength. I say "become" because, even in 2020, this strength is sometimes perceived as a weakness.

I don't want to fall into clichés — and what I am about to express can also be experienced by either sex — but personally, I reject the traditional business model that tells me to follow a path dictated by excessive growth, unsustainable speed, disproportionate financial returns and a fundamental inconsistency between stated values and actual actions.

I want to build a business that aligns with my values.

I want people to be at the heart of everything I do.

I will not allow my ego and an obsessive desire for personal success to dictate Braver's direction.

I will make the best possible decisions to maximize Braver's social impact.

These words are easy to write and proclaim loudly, but they are constantly challenged by the legacy of the business world around us. Building a truly sustainable business takes heart and conviction.

If someone had told me 10 years ago that this was what being an entrepreneur meant, I would have seen that I had what it took to succeed. I would have seen that it was also possible to start a business and put people at the heart of our business decisions. This concern, affectionately called “care” in English, is a trait found a little more often among women.

And the business world needs more people who “care,” not because it is cool and looks good, but because taking care of one another is how we will truly create a better world.

All of this sounds lovely — and most people reading these words may agree — but the reality is that when you say it as a woman leading a tech company, you clash quite a bit with your colleagues. In the end, I have yet to encounter a lender or investor who seems to show a strong interest in this positioning. These people have never pointed out to me that Braver has a chance of succeeding because the community of healthcare professionals responds to the authenticity of our business.

But I want to say that we need more female role models. That we need women who will proclaim loudly that it is okay to do business while caring for others. That the two are not contradictory.