At the recently held NextGen Women Entrepreneurs Week 2019, Zurich, Lucify.ch spoke with many such women who have broken the routine to be the boss of their own. We asked them what made them start their business and why they opted out of a rather comfortable 9 to 5 pm corporate jobs. Most of them said it was sheer passion to do something of their own that keeps them going.
“I have worked in a corporate job and now I am an entrepreneur… Important is doing what you like. Being passionate about what you do”
Claudia Quintanilla, co-founder of Rextie, a currency exchange platform from Peru said. It was the timing of decision making at the corporate level that she did not like about her previous job. “In small companies, especially if it is a technology company, you make fast decisions and that’s what I like about my entrepreneurship.”
Quintanilla was one of the 24 women who was hosted at the NextGen Women Entrepreneurs Week this year. This program is organized by the Swiss Entrepreneurship Program, supported by the Swiss-SECO Cooperation and is implemented by Swisscontact.
These women were from Peru, Vietnam, Albania, Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Macedonia. The program offers a raft of support to the new generation of women entrepreneurs who are trying to make a difference in the business world.
While it certainly feels good to be the boss of their own, the journey is never easy.
“I am a mother of two kids and it is very challenging to do my own business. But what I love the most is that I am able to create new products and solutions… I am trying to have an impact with technology and that is what motivates me”
Paola Mego, the founder, and CEO of Qimi, Peru, shared her challenge.
Mogo said it was also about spotting the right opportunity at the right time. “I have known that I wanted to start to my business since I was a child. But initially, I started with the corporate world. That is where I saw the opportunity… I saw the problem and I realized that it was the right moment to begin,” she said.
Being an entrepreneur for some women is also about standing tall and standing out. Ileana Tapia, founder of a female underwear brand Sicurezza from Peru said:
“Even though it is difficult as it is mostly men who are entrepreneurs, for me it’s amazing. It’s trying to learn and do things every day and demonstrate the world who I am… I love it.”
Lucify Team:
By Xenia Ritter and Parul Chhaparia
Translation from English to German: Marwa Serage
Thank you.
Well composed ! Keep it up ..