Suzanne Browne, owner and director of an international e-commerce company, Clevamama states that for the empowerment of women for becoming global leaders, the technology industry needs to push a lot forward.
Clevamma initially established way back in 2005 has finally become a global brand for the best known practical and well-constructed products and has garnered a distinct lot of industrial awards during a short period of time.
The company’s success attributes highly for the passion, dedication regarding the technology and innovation of the owner and director of the Company Suzanne Browne who has well led the business is one of the leading brands amongst the parents’ world and also to establish it as a lead tech trailblazer. This company entered E-commerce turf when the online retail had just begun to take shape and products were retailed highly at leading outlets including Amazon, MotherCare and MumzWorld.
Ms. Browne is the lead role model cum the core voice in the industry and as the lead businesswomen, she delivers the most punch in the technology turf.
Ms. Browne stated that “Necessity is the Mother of Invention, however as the brand’s new mother, she soon founded out that the invention being her main necessity.” She further stated that “Initiating her business was really an invention for turning herself into a lead entrepreneur, a leader, and an ambitious risk-taker that doesn’t need any affirmation from anyone. Her dream project also included an ambitious E-commerce website which a two-decade back during 2003 was extremely rare considering that they were still using dial-up networking.”
After the initial hiccups of being even unable to source the baby products for her daughter, both sisters Browne and Martina Craine, decided to venture into their own online nursery store where they sold third party branded products.
Ms. Browne also further adds to her point that although “She belonged to a male backed technology industry, she had established herself as a lead Computer programmer and that she was quite familiar with the E-Commerce industry turf and challenges it can cause.”
She further adds that their business has flourished largely due to fact that they had a true mix of a passion for both tech and retail along with the latest found relationship of being a Mother herself and hence the name Motherhood looked like the best choice when they initially opened their digital nursery stores.”
They soon identified and witnessed a huge potential as well as started producing their own products leading to an established own brand and it became the global leader within the industrial standards and started their exports to more than thirty-five nations across six Continents.
Browne believes that the playing field for men and women still has some way to go in order to be classed as a true level one.
She additionally noted that “Despite the Gender parity, It is a man’s world when it comes to technology turf and with gender quality visually evident in every communication rooms, engineering lab, silicone dock as well as most tech events globally. The problem is a systemic one that is – too slowly – being corrected.
Unfortunately, most women in the technology arena systematically underestimate their own abilities. To make changes we need to really look at education and how we can encourage young girls by identifying more role models to inspire the next generation. We need women to pave the way for the other women behind them. Finally, we need women to fear regret more than failure.”
The disparity in women in technology extends to securing capital and funding.
“The venture capital (VC) world has typically been a boy’s club. In the USA alone a paltry 10 percent of women are decision-makers in the VC industry which shows the most prominent and accused bias.
Why technology turf needs more women
Ms. Browne states that “there’s absolutely no doubt that more women are needed in technology and are adamant that the first thing that needs to happen is that companies must change their mindset.”
“All the firms need to recognize that women bring an enormous amount of creativity, the ability to look at things differently, challenge differently and solve problems differently which essentially benefits everyone including the bottom line.”
Initial reports backed by the latest studies reveal that few of the global biggest tech giants are striving harder, however, it’s not enough and not paying much as the women are still a minority. This inconsistency is not something that’s going to happen, but needs to be a constant commitment, she notes.
She also further adds that “All leading companies wish them to be actively responsible and mostly mindful of the resources as well as support available resources to their female colleagues if we are to encourage more females within tech.”
Achieving diversity
She adds up that “She completely have a firm belief that the women power drive diversity and ClevaMama is about the diversity of the company that can get not because it’s owned and managed by two women, but because our team includes people of all ages from very wide and varied backgrounds. I’m not really sure if it’s because we are a female-led company, but diversity wasn’t ever an issue within ClevaMama, instead, the fact is the best person always got the job regardless of gender, race or religion.
That said, having such a diverse team really does give us the upper hand with increased creativity, better decision-making, as well as employee satisfaction which when combined essentially means improved profits.”
At Clevamama, one of the most crucial ways is that the staff and those with families are supported in the workplace is through flexible working hours.
“Whilst most might not admit it my biggest challenge personally in the early days was childcare as well as the lack of a steady income. The challenge is society expects women to work like they don’t have children and raise children like we don’t work.”
A champion for diversity in the workplace, Clevamama hires its talent from a wide and varied background, which Browne says is one of its key strengths.
Browne has won numerous awards in the nursery industry as well as business awards, which include Female Entrepreneur of the Year. Browne has gathered significant knowledge and respect within business networks and is a regular motivational speaker at both business events and schools throughout Ireland. Browne’s business passion is based on professionalism, pride and pioneering. Her personal passion includes family, football (soccer and GAA), running as well as walking their much-loved family dog along the usually wet and wild Irish beaches.
