Janice Taylor is a force to be reckoned with.
In just nine years, the Kelowna resident went from Googling 91裸聊视频渉ow to start a tech company91裸聊视频� to being the force behind an app that helps young people safely transition to online life. That, in turn, has sent her jet setting across the U.S. and influencing change in a male dominated industry.
Take this month for example 91裸聊视频� Taylor brought Mazu Family to meetings in San Fransisco and New York. Then she went to LA to represent Canada in a Women in Tech event at the Canadian consulate, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Trudeau had a number of U.S. speaking engagements that week, pitching Canadian globalism and the country91裸聊视频檚 new fast-track visa as reasons why Silicon Valley companies should consider Canada as a place to do business and spend money.
Canada is offering a two-week, fast-track employment permit for certain workers, dubbed the 91裸聊视频済lobal skills strategy visa.91裸聊视频�
Government-sponsored billboards in Silicon Valley pitch: 91裸聊视频淗1-B Problems? Pivot to Canada.91裸聊视频�
Taylor already sees the benefit of working in Canadian tech.
91裸聊视频淎ll my 24 staff is in Kelowna and I live there and my children go to school there,91裸聊视频� she said.
Being in transit as often as she is is a significant undertaking, but the work is valuable and that fuels her.
Mazu is a free app that gives kids, and their families, a forum to communicate on. Through it they can focus on their favourite sports teams and specific interests. For kids to use the app they have to have a parent91裸聊视频檚 approval and potentially interaction.
It91裸聊视频檚 what Taylor refers to as a 91裸聊视频渄igital village.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淲e don91裸聊视频檛 use 91裸聊视频榣ike91裸聊视频� buttons, we don91裸聊视频檛 follow things,91裸聊视频� she said, explaining that its the antithesis of traditional social media, which preys on the desire to be liked, validated, and rewarded.
91裸聊视频淭he content in our digital village is tagged with our core values. We filter so there is no bad content or bad language.91裸聊视频�
There was such a gap in the online world when she started the app, that it91裸聊视频檚 turned heads and Taylor has managed to raise $7 million through angel investors to get it off the ground.
And the idea has fuelled her as she worked to navigate a male dominated industry.
91裸聊视频淚f you look at the statistics today, only five per cent of all tech companies are run by women,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淚n the City of Kelowna there are only two other female tech company founders and they91裸聊视频檙e co-founders.91裸聊视频�
Getting to the top of a male dominated industry has been a slog and Taylor has some war stories.
91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檝e had men ask, 91裸聊视频榗an I touch your hair,91裸聊视频檕r 91裸聊视频榶our hair is distracting,91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频榳ho takes care of your kids when you travel91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频榓re you planning to have another baby?91裸聊视频� she said.
What91裸聊视频檚 been the worst, however, is those who doubt she has the expertise on the issues she91裸聊视频檚 trying to address through the app, to be in the industry.
91裸聊视频� It astounds me. I have 14 year old on social media, I have friends, we talk 91裸聊视频� as if I won91裸聊视频檛 understand this population,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淚n the last two years there91裸聊视频檚 been a 50 per cent increase in girl suicide. It91裸聊视频檚 the first time in history that girls are killing themselves more than boys. Who better to solve that problem than a mother?91裸聊视频�
For more information go to
To report a typo, email: edit@kelownacapnews.com.
<>
kmichaels@kelownacapnews.com
Like us on and follow us on .
