This text is part of the special Feminine Leadership notebook
Audacity, determination and accomplishment are three words that unite the finalists of the 23e edition of the Quebec Business Women awards, from various backgrounds and sectors of activity. Their journeys, studded with successes, failures, obstacles and perseverance, have forged these inspiring women whose impact is today recognized at its true value. Portrait of three of them.
Valerie Pisano: for technology with a human face
President and CEO of the Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute MILA, Valerie Pisano is a finalist in the Organization or social enterprise category. “This kind of award is a targeted effort to highlight people who would be less seen,” she says. This creates a strong sense of belonging and collegiality. »
Passionate about human systems and the way individuals can work together, she wants MILA to embody a healthy working environment for the 1,500 people who work there. “We already suspected that the meeting between technology and humans was going to raise all kinds of questions,” says Valerie Pisano. I wanted to be part of the people who help find the answers and make sure technology serves us. »
Having worked as head of talent at Cirque du Soleil and holding a master’s degree in economics from HEC Montréal, she often had the impression of going against the tide, as a woman. Extra effort was frequently required to achieve the same recognition as her male peers. “At MILA, I had the chance to work with people for whom this problem was important,” she notes. Our board team was fully gender balanced on Day 1 and the executive team is very diverse. »
The businesswoman notices a turning point at the beginning of her forties. “Between the successes and the failures, especially the failures, I understood that I could just sit at the table without having to prove anything,” she reveals. We deserve our place. » Valerie Pisano is grateful to the people who gave her a chance. “I invested a lot in my own resilience to put it at the service of the teams I worked with,” she reveals. Leading others begins with leading yourself. »
Ella Louise Allaire: creative productions that shine
Show designer and artistic director Ella Louise Allaire founded MONLOVE in 2005, a production and adaptation company for brands such as Peanuts and Warner Bros. With her colleague Martin Ferguson, she conceptualized a stage adaptation of three films by The Ice Agewhich traveled the world for more than four years and enjoyed great success.
The producer is thus a finalist in the category of Company having distinguished itself internationally. “This touches me a lot because I have been working internationally for around twenty years and it has not been easy with the pandemic,” says the producer on the other end of the phone, while she is in road to Berlin. In addition to her nomination for the Quebec Business Women award, she won this year’s Gold Stevie Award in the Media and Entertainment category, which rewards business excellence and innovation.
His latest project invites you to an immersive educational experience, on behalf of none other than the American space agency, NASA. “The show delves into the heart of the Artemis mission, which will send the first woman and first person of color to the Moon, narrated by the character Marcie, in Peanuts, underlines Ella Louise Allaire. It really corresponds to the universal values of MONLOVE, which wants to convey positive and inclusive messages. »
During her studies and career, she often found herself being the only woman among men. “I was well aware of the absence of women, but I tried not to focus too much on that,” she continues. Above all, I felt like a person who is trying to make his plans and make his dreams come true. » In recent years, however, Ella Louise Allaire has noticed an increased presence of young women going into business, which she is very pleased about.
Anissa Kherrati: entrepreneurship, everyone’s business
Anissa Kherrati is convinced that more and more women will be able to take their place in the business world, through education. Coordinator of the entrepreneurial community at Laval Économique, a business solutions group, she is a finalist in the Public or parapublic organization category. “This award allows all these women from the shadows to come out into the light, to shine for a moment, to be recognized for all the work they have done, to become inspiring models for others,” she says.
As part of her international mandates, Anissa Kherrati recently offered workshops in women’s entrepreneurship and leadership. “I have trained nearly fifty teachers within the Higher Institutes of Technological Studies, and 96% of them have modified their teaching by taking into account the different gender positions to approach entrepreneurship,” explains she said. It was an experience rich in emotion and sharing. »
If Anissa Kherrati observes transformations in terms of feminization of the business world, these remain timid, the glass ceiling still being very present when it comes to management positions. “We see women accessing decision-making positions, but do they stay for a long time, are they able to deploy their full potential, their leadership? she questions. And the case is even more obvious when it comes to women from minorities; we do not see them or very little in more important positions. »
Despite a growing number of allies and a certain awareness of the imbalance, more must be done, according to the developer. “We all have a responsibility for these transformations, we must put forward even more inspiring female models,” she suggests. Through our media and in our schools, taking into consideration the different approaches and models where everyone recognizes themselves. »
Women entrepreneurs: state of play
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