How Social Impact & Design Lead to a Better Culture
In a recent interview with freshgigs.ca, CEO and founder of Curatio Lynda Brown discussed her experiences in the tech start-up community, how she maintains a positive work environment as well as her goals with Curatio.
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Curatio is an award-winning health software company, with users in over 39 countries to date. With a private platform that combines matchmaking, curated content and easy tracking tools, their mission is to give every patient on the planet the support they need. Emma Bullen spoke to Founder and CEO, Lynda Brown
Emma Bullen: Tell me a bit about you. How did you get to where you are today?
Lynda Brown: I started my first business at age 14. Back in the day, I didn’t really know much about being an entrepreneur. But, when I look back, I’ve always been interested in using tech to connect people. In terms of where I find myself today, I’m following that passion. Being part geek, part connector has influenced my life and what I’m doing with Curatio. I wanted to do something that had impact.
I’ve always loved technology and that was very much fostered through my dad, and I’ve always been a connector and community builder, modeled by my mom. Those two things together culminated in a lifelong pursuit of wanting to make the world a smaller, more connected place. I went through a health challenge as many of us will in our lifetime and thought, “I know how to solve one part of the puzzle,” and that was the genesis of Curatio.
EB: I almost hesitate to ask this question because it’s not a new one. What’s your experience as a woman in a tech?
LB: It’s an interesting question in that we’re still asking it. There’s still a lot of work to be done, and in ways there are unique challenges. Being an entrepreneur is a struggle for anyone, but there are additional barriers that women in tech face. You get used to being the only woman at a table, and that’s not a good thing.
On a global scale, we’re still not seeing the numbers of women going into tech or working in those STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) areas. Although the numbers are increasing, we’re still not seeing parity at all levels. Professors, Teachers, CEOs. At Curatio, I’m proud of being part of a diverse team and see it as a competitive advantage. We’re a global company, and we have to be representative of the people we serve. I think that’s the same for women in tech. The more diversity and involvement we have, the more we’ll see a diverse audience participating and adopting products.
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