THE BIG QUESTIONS
WHAT IS YOUR PROFESSIONAL TITLE?
What is your professional title?
I am the founder and the CEO.
WHAT IS WE RULE?
WE Rule is a global community of fearless female entrepreneurs ranging from solo entrepreneurs to veterans running companies up to $500M USD in revenue who also raised hundreds of millions of dollars- it’s a big range. I created the platform two years ago to grow my own network without knowing how many other entrepreneurs it will end up impacting. From a humble beginnings as a website telling stories and sharing inspiration we were able to grow into a global network that is constantly connecting to each other, opportunities and investors.
WHAT IS THE APP YOU ARE LAUNCHING ABOUT?
Fundventures is a tech extension of WE Rule that opens the doors to all genders (because you can’t achieve equality without seeing the big picture, right?).
After two years of working with entrepreneurs globally we noticed multiple trends no matter which country we looked in - business owners need mentors, growth opportunities and access to capital. On top of that our work with WE Rule got a little overwhelming and we’re getting more opportunities and connections that we can manually handle. We are currently working on building our first app that will automate our work of matchmaking entrepreneurs and will make it possible to grow our network and impact more people. Coming soon!
WHAT DID YOU WANT TO DO WHEN YOU WERE A CHILD AND WHAT CHANGED?
It’s funny - I always knew I wanted to own my own business, but I never knew what it would be exactly. I remember reading and learning a lot about Gabrielle Chanel and was very inspired by how independent and fearless she was. She was one of my first role models - classy woman who is determined to succeed no matter what and is not afraid of what other people think about her. The books I read about her inspired me to go to Parsons The New School, which is where I graduated from. From fashion to tech and finance.
Not sure I always had it in me or if it was because of her, but I ended up being exactly like her. Pursuing my entrepreneurial dreams and goals, not taking ‘no’ for an answer and succeeding no matter what.
WHAT’S THE BEST CAREER ADVICE YOU’VE EVER BEEN GIVEN?
Best advice I’ve been given was from my mom. Every single time I said that I want something because someone else has it (or that I want to be like someone else), she would say: “But you’re you. You’re not them. What do you want?”
I always remember these words of wisdom when I compare myself to others. Everyone has their own journey and if you follow other people you’ll never be unique.
DO YOU FEEL YOU CAN BE THE SAME PERSON IN PUBLIC AND IN PRIVATE?
Yes, yes, yes! Sometimes it’s hard for you to allow yourself to be your true self, but I believe that you can’t and shouldn’t hide yourself and who you really are. I’m a little different from everyone else where I always say what I think and I wear whatever I want whenever I want to - with staying classy of course. For example - if you’re looking to get advice and come to me, you better know it will be 100% honest. With fashion it’s the same. I don’t hold back. If I want to wear sparkle pants, a gown vibe dress or “evening wear” earrings in daylight I do it!
If you are not the same person in work and in private (or not as close as you can with still being appropriate) then you are missing out on branding yourself in a unique way.
HOW GOOD IS YOUR WORK LIFE BALANCE?
VERY bad and I am not proud of it. I work 7 days a week, but so far I didn’t crash and burn because I LOVE what I do.
DOES DIVERSITY MATTER TO YOU?
100%. Both WE Rule and Fundventures are always being monitored if we are following our promise and standard of having a diverse network. To us that means race, country, age and everything else in between. Even our team is mini United Nations.
Honestly, I don’t know how people (especially in the USA) run non-diverse companies. I would have to try really hard for our platforms to not be diverse.
WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN FIVE YEARS’ TIME?
In the next 5 years I will be running a multi billion dollar tech company (Fundventures) and inspiring people globally to dream bigger, work harder and believe that anything is possible if they just believe it and work for it.
ANY FINAL COMMENTS?
Yes, especially for any women who are reading this interview- PLEASE dream big, never give up and do not take “no” for an answer. With what is happening in the world today we all need to come together and build companies from scratch and from within that will make this world a better place.
Also, if you got this far in the interview please always reach out with any opportunities, collaborations or just to say hello. Both WE Rule and Fundventures have contact forms all over and it’s easy to get in touch with us. Thank you!