Carole Juge, MommyVille

15 Sep 2017

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Femmes du Numérique:To begin with, what is your definition of “digital”?

Carole Juge :Digital technology is something I grew up with! I got my first computer at the age of 8, and I quickly became hooked on the Internet because I found that the possibilities were endless. For me, that’s the real richness of digital technology: infinite possibilities for interaction and access to knowledge for all.

Women, an opportunity for digital. Digital, an opportunity for women. What do you think about it? Why did you choose this sector?

I wanted to contribute my tiny piece to this immense edifice and take part in the digital effort! Women’s place in the digital world is as obvious as women’s place in society! Women bring creativity, challenge, sophistication, and above all their presence helps to “bend the neck” of the male/female divide that persists in digital technology, just as in engineering, medicine or industry!

FDN:Is being a woman entrepreneur a plus?

I think so. Women’s projects are often viewed in a very benevolent light. There’s always the fear of being taken less seriously because I’m a woman, but I find this fear totally unfounded. When projects are good, it doesn’t matter whether the promoter is a man or a woman, they are rewarded and validated by the players in the sector.

Have you had any doubts, hesitations or difficulties in setting up your own business?

I was afraid I wouldn’t be relevant, coming from an academic background. The welcome I received was very positive and encouraging. Research has instilled in me a very rigorous sense of work, attention to detail and perseverance, which are very useful qualities in business. I’m still lacking inbusiness acumen, but I’m working on it every day! I love the idea of learning something new every day: technology, finance, design, fund-raising… it’s very exhilarating!

Tell us more about your project. How did the idea come about? What needs do you meet?

The idea for MommyVille came to me in 2007, when my sister became pregnant for the first time. She’d just moved to Brittany with her partner and had a difficult pregnancy. She found it almost impossible to find like-minded young mothers with whom she could share her pregnancy in a caring way, either locally or online. I was very surprised, because in the US where I was at the time, we had support groups for absolutely everything. There’s a very strong sense of community there, and it’s very easy to exchange ideas, and I thought it was a real shame that nothing of the kind existed in France, especially for expectant and new mothers who have a great need for support and sharing of experience with other women who have the same issues, the same lifestyle, speak the same language, or even live in the same neighborhood.

How do you defend gender equality in your professional and personal life?

Equality is an important concept in France; it’s written in large letters on our national motto. I think it’s a concept that it’s important to defend and to strive for, while recognizing that it’s also everyone’s diversity that enriches the debate. I don’t know if one day equality between men and women will be established in all areas of society, but it’s a philosophically fascinating debate!

How have you managed to reconcile work and family life?

My obsession with organization serves me well, because managing my personaland professional schedules is always a challenge. I think it’s important to stay humble and zen. Having a goodcrisisstopperisalso a precious help. It helps to put things into perspective and not let obstacles and difficulties get in the way. Yoga and horse-riding are also very good for me. I disconnect completely for an hour or two… it’s priceless!

What advice would you give to a young woman hesitating to work or set up a business in the digital sector?

Not to be blinded by ONE idea. There are millions of ideas out there, but it’s the realization that makes an ideaa successful project. At the same time, you need to be passionate about your idea, because setting up a business is a huge sacrifice of energy and time. It’s a balancing act, a perspective that’s tricky to find, but well worth it, because afterwards, it’s a real pleasure to get up every morning and go to work.

Biography

An academic by training, with a Ph.D. in American literature, Carole spent years in the United States at several American universities, where she discovered the Anglo-Saxon way of life that inspired the MommyVille concept. As one of the first French users of Facebook from her American university in 2004, Carole became an avid social networker.

Encouraged by her long-time friend and wise advisor Sonia Zarowsky, an HEC graduate and former marketing director of PureShopping (Webedia), she decided to launch MommyVille as an entrepreneur to offer expectant mothers a social network in their own image, designed to optimize interaction both online and in real life.

She has since joined theStartUpLeadership program, created in 2006 by Harvard University alumni keen to share their networks, and in 2015 will join the Executive MBA class at the Ecole des Ponts et Chaussées Business School, ParisTech.