Q1. What does Empowering Women in Industry mean to you?
To me, Empowering Women in Industry is about creating strong coalitions of women dedicating to advocating for each other, in whatever industry we are a part of. In order for women and non-binary people to have equitable power in the workplace, we have to share power with each other in the same way that men do. That can mean elevating each others' voices in meetings, mentoring those in earlier stages of their careers and advocating for them to be promoted, and if we are entrepreneurs or owners ourselves, doing business with fellow other women-owned businesses.
Q2. How did you get started working in your field?
I'm the founder of Bossy Chicago, a platform that connects feminist consumers with women-owned businesses to drive revenue to women entrepreneurs. I was originally drawn to entrepreneurship while a student at Northwestern University, and I was driven to start Bossy because I am inspired by products, services, experiences, brands, and workplaces built by women, for everyone, and which women profit from. I was able to secure modest funding for the company through an accelerator, fellowship, and two pitch competitions and have been building and bootstrapping Bossy Chicago full time for three months now.
Q3. What do you love most about your job? / What are you most proud of?
I created Bossy to help women-owned small businesses acquire more customers, more money, and more power in the entrepreneurial world. The best part, hands down, of what I do is meeting small business owners around the city and learning about the inspiration and genius behind their business.
Q4. What advice would you give someone considering this line of work?
To anyone who is considering taking the leap into starting their own company, I would say go for it. You don't need to have any particular qualifications or connections to be an entrepreneur. You just need to have the drive to identify problems and create solutions people are willing to pay for.
For more information, visit Bossy Chicago or Bossy Chicago's Instagram.