Alice Barralon, Digital Woman and AMAP volunteer in Ahetze
Discover the portrait of Alice Barralon, digital entrepreneur involved in the Ahetze AMAP!
Femmes du Numérique:To begin with, what is your definition of “digital”?
Alice Barralon :Digital technology means equal opportunities, the chance for everyone to succeed. It’s also a profound change in the way we learn and work, a change that needs to be accompanied.
FDN:Women, an opportunity for digital. Digital, an opportunity for women. What do you think about it? Why did you choose this sector? What kind of digital job do you do?
AB :Both are true! I chose this sector out of passion, and this year I created a digital company: ORIIONS. I help companies with their IT projects (websites, extranets, mobile sites: all applications linked to digital and innovation).
I’m also a member of the Duchess Association to promote IT among women.
FDN:In addition to your professional activity, you are also involved in social and humanitarian work on a voluntary basis. How do you reconcile the two? Does it contribute to your balance?
AB :In my opinion, both are essential. I’ve lived in Canada, where students have to go through the “volunteer” stage before entering the professional world. It’s a great experience that allows you to give your time and meet new people. It’s important to have convictions, to assume them and to stand by them (both professionally and personally).
FDN:Tell us about the association you’re involved with. What does it do? What is your mission?
AB :The AMAP was born out of a need for producers and consumers to meet in the commune of Ahetze in particular. The AMAP’s mission is to support peasant farming by making it easier for consumers to buy local produce (vegetables, eggs, cheese, meat, honey, herbal teas, etc.) and for producers to have visibility over the organization of their production. The AMAP got off the ground very quickly. Within three months, 70 families were united around the desire to “consume locally and sensibly”. Within a year, a dozen producers had joined the AMAP.
I chose to commit myself to this cause because it seems fair and humane. Food and health are issues that are too important to be entrusted to industrialists or stock market speculators. Through the AMAP, I campaign for sustainable agriculture. I support small, family-run businesses that still make quality products, that have love and passion for their work, that work hard and that listen to consumers. As a partner, I share in the vagaries of bad weather, the whims of nature and the distressing reality of climate change. By supporting them, I contribute my technical know-how, simplifying the task of distribution and bringing together consumers who want to change the way they consume and take responsibility for their actions.
FDN:How do you defend gender equality in your professional, personal and community life?
AB :I defend it by being present in the digital professions, by having created a company, by pitchingat technical conferences, by working hard… by being present in a predominantly male sector. And, above all, by respecting others.
FDN:What advice would you give to a young woman hesitating to work or start a business in the digital sector?
AB :Be well surrounded and go for it! Don’t have any regrets. If it works, it’s wonderful, if it doesn’t, it’s a great experience.
Biography
Alice Barralon obtained her Master’s degree in computer science and social sciences in 2003 from the Université Pierre Mendès France in Grenoble. She then worked in research laboratories (CNRS-Lyon and LIG-Grenoble) before moving to Vancouver, Canada, for three years in 2005. During this period, she worked on behalf of the government, alongside the Minister of Education in British Columbia (where the education system is provincial, not federal).
She developed thee-learning portal for remote students. On her return to France in 2008, she worked as a Project Manager for a software publisher offering Geographic Information Systems solutions, where she created and managed the company’s mobility division (client applications on PDAs and then tablets). After 10 years as an employee, she decided to set up her own IT consulting and development company, ORIIONS, in February 2015. Her personal convictions lead her to get involved in causes linked to sustainable development, social and solidarity issues. She positions herself as an advisor.