Interview by Aileen Zumstein
Every month we ask one individual in our network a few questions about their way into tech, their motivation and their lessons learned.
Let’s start from the beginning. Tell us about where you’re from!
Born and raised in Zurich, always wanted to go abroad but ended up in Geneva and the French part of Switzerland for 10 years. Now I am back in Zurich and intend to stay – I have the feeling to be at the right time at the right place: Crypto Valley! I love the vibe and the possibility to connect so easily within the industry.
What valuable advice did you get from your parents?
My dad always told me: there are employees and entrepreneurs. These are two very different mindsets and people from one mindset will probably never feel comfortable in the opposite role.
It took me quite some time to understand this, pivoting from employee to entrepreneur. But now that I’ve made the step, I’d be unable to go back.
How did you become interested in tech?
I worked in Sales & Marketing of the Fast Moving Consumer Goods industry for over 12 years, when I had a little life crisis. Lacking purpose in my professional life and rather bored with my job, I had to reflect on my next step. Tech is the future and moves the world forward. I was very impressed to see a short film from code.org on youtube, where Zuckerberg, Gates and Co. explained that the world around us consists of code but only about 5% of people know how to code. This is when it hit me and I actively searched for a tech company I could buy into as shareholder.
A second hit happened when I met Richard Olsen from Lykke. As true inspiration, he opened the world of blockchain to me in 2016. Since then I am hooked and I hope it stays this way. Blockchain will impact our society massively in the next 10-20 years, automating processes, freeing up resources for other business ideas and dramatically cutting cost. I am curious to see where this leads us as a society.
What aspects of your work are you proudest of?
Quality always follows talk. I dislike people who lack substance and I am recognized in the industry as person who can deliver and walks the talk.
What drives you at work?
I am surrounded by intelligent, driven colleagues and business partners in order to build something solid. This gives me energy and courage to take calculated risks.
What has been your toughest challenge you faced while working in tech?
What advice would you give other women in tech?
