Carine Coulm, Emiota
Femmes du Numérique:To begin with, what is your definition of “digital”?
Carine Coulm:Digital is the new era we’ve entered with the Internet, making it possible to distribute information at virtually no cost.
Women, an opportunity for digital. Digital, an opportunity for women. What’s your opinion? Why did you choose this sector?
Digital is an opportunity for everyone, and I’ve never asked myself the question in terms of gender… If I’m in this sector, it’s because I want to build the future rather than suffer it. The possibilities in terms of creativity are endless, and I’m having a lot of fun exploring different subjects on the theme.
Is being a woman entrepreneur a plus?
Perhaps. Entrepreneurship is all about managing uncertainty. I rely heavily on my intuition to make lots of decisions based on incomplete data…if the 6th sense is more feminine, that’s a plus, for sure!
Have you had any doubts, hesitations or difficulties in setting up your own business?
Doubts are omnipresent, but I’ve learned to pay less and less attention to them… That’s the only way to move forward, otherwise they can become paralyzing.
Tell us more about your project. How did the idea come about? What needs do you meet?
We’re working on the first smart belt. When I set up emiota in 2013, with my partner Bertrand Duplat, we wanted to combine technology and well-being. Bertrand is a confirmed inventor; I have quite a few ideas myself…the difficulty was to choose one idea from all the others, take care of it, make it evolve, find the right people and partners to work with…to finally arrive at a belt that adapts to its wearer, and helps them take care of themselves.
How do you defend gender equality in your professional and personal life?
I’m trying to recruit female employees, but it’s not easy! It’s more likely to be in the marketing and communications area…although we also have a web-designer.
How have you managed to reconcile work and family life?
Entrepreneurship is particularly well suited to family life: If my son is ill, I can stay with him and work from home. Sometimes I pick him up early from school and finish my day once he’s in bed. As far as working hours are concerned, I’m completely free! I’m also lucky enough to have a very understanding and supportive husband.
What advice would you give to a young woman hesitating to work or set up a business in the digital sector?
I’d tell her to surround herself well and avoid negative people and pessimists… But the advice applies to a man too!
Biography
Carine Coulm is Belgian, married, with one child, and has lived in Paris since 2001.
Trained as a bio-engineer, she has always been passionate about well-being, health and nutrition. After a short stint in the labs at L’Oréal, she joined a services company as a developer, then held various roles (consultant, consulting director, sales director) in ESN before embarking on the Emiota adventure in 2013 with her partner, Bertrand Duplat, an established entrepreneur in new technologies.
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Interview for the Watify campaign.
Watify is a non-profit initiative set up by the European Commission, based on testimonials from entrepreneurs who explain how they overcame their doubts when setting up or digitizing their business.
Why is this? Because everyone has questions when it comes to setting up or developing a digital business. There will always be a thousand reasons not to take the plunge. But doubts shouldn’t lead you to abandon your project. On the contrary, doubts are useful: they guide you in the right direction and lead you to ask the right questions. Why not create or digitalize your business today!