Roshni Rides is a startup that recognizes this truth. Their mission is to empower women in Pakistan through transportation, and their business savvy won the team a million dollars at the 2017 Hult Prize Competition. Co-founders Gia Farooqi, Hanaa Lakhani, and their team pitched their idea for increased mobility for lower class women in Pakistan, and the prize propelled the start of their company, which has grown considerably since inception. Working as a carpooling system, Roshni Rides matches women on their daily commute based on their geographical locations. The company tells us that according to studies, women in Pakistan are 4 times less mobile than men. Through Roshni Rides, they hope to empower women to be more independent and more likely to participate in the job market.

“For many women, a lack of safe and affordable transport services means educational and employment aspirations remain unfulfilled,” explains Gia Farooqi, CEO. “Cultural barriers combined with inadequate transport services, unfortunately, lead to women not being in the workforce. Current services are inconvenient and expensive.”

Roshni Rides aims to solve this problem.

Meet the CEO

As CEO, Farooqi’s job is a combination of strategy, management, and outreach.

“I do a little bit of everything,” she explains. “I have led my team through several pivots in our business. With each pivot, we get closer to our end goal of sustainable impact.”

Farooqi has always been passionate about women’s issues. Not only did she study women’s issues in emerging markets, but she was a scholar under the Institute of Women’s Leadership during her undergraduate studies. She’s always wanted to take a step beyond the theoretical solutions and discussions and be a part of real change — that was the inspiration for Roshni Rides.

When Roshni Rides won the Hult Prize Competition in 2017, Farooqi was shocked. CEO at 23 was never a phrase she thought would be used to describe herself — but that’s exactly where she finds herself today. Like most new CEOs, Farooqi quickly realized that the prestige and glamour that came with the title was fleeting. “Although a nice way to boost my followers on Instagram,” she explains, “that’s nowhere close to the full story. Building a startup is hard — especially as a woman.”

Overcoming Hurdles as a Minority in Business

Although being minority women working in the business world is not always glamorous, Farooqi and her co-founder and CMO Hanaa Lakhani continue to beat all odds.

Lakhani explains that the hardest part of being a minority woman in the business world is simply trying to be heard. Being women who have their own business, especially in Pakistan, means many people simply refuse to listen.

“Sometimes people don’t take you as seriously,” Farooqi explains. “They see this young brown girl and think, ‘Yeah, OK. Let’s see how long your company lasts.’ In terms of statistics we have the odds stacked against us. But that’s never stopped us before!”

“There have been countless instances during business meetings where my male business partners are being addressed, while Gia and I are ignored,” Lakhani adds. “Often times, we aren’t taken seriously or given the space or opportunity to voice our own opinions.”

When asked about how they cope with this negativity, they explain confidence and humility is key. Being open to feedback and constructive criticism is a must, while constantly adapting and learning from everything around you.

They are also quick to point out that success is not just about the bottom line revenue, or direct customer service; it’s also about the network built, the employees hired, and the lessons passed on to others around them. Often times the biggest and scariest step is the first one, but if you believe in what you’re doing, the pair insists, then you’re the perfect person to do it.

“If I learned anything through this process, it’s that everything happens for a reason,” says Lakhani. “Trust yourself and trust the process. It’s okay, and actually good, to make mistakes. This is how we grow as individuals and leaders in business.”

Love What You Do

Living halfway across the world from their family and friends is anything but easy for these passionate co-founders. After all, Karachi, Pakistan is a difficult city to live in — but the team has discovered that when the job has value and meaning, it evolves into something irreplaceable. They find themselves extremely happy with where they are today, regardless of the daily difficulties. The thousands of hours of work are made easier by the greater cause and mission in mind: to help women, and provide the transportation they deserve.

The post Roshni Rides: The Prize-Winning Startup Changing Lives With Rideshare appeared first on HER Magazine ™.

Times are changing, but they are not changing fast enough! In 1995, only 9.6 % of Fortune 500 Board members were women; by 2016, this number doubled to 20.2%, still only 1/5 of all board members. Fortune 500 CEO positions show an even slower increase, reaching their highest percentage at 5% in 2017. Your eyes are not deceiving you — after all that progress we’re still at 5%. If studies show us as such strong leaders with advantages in crucial skills, then why are we still falling behind?

We’re cutting out and nullifying an incredible skill set! Our goal should be to demonstrate why women are unique and valuable assets in the business world on their own, not how they can be exactly like men.

True, this can be a difficult line to walk, especially in companies run by the stereotypical ‘boys club.’ Here are some ways us women can rise to the top, without compromising that edge that proves our success in the business world.

Lead by exemplification, not by replication.

Repeat after me: Never try to mirror men! This is the absolute opposite of what we want to do. Remember to prove women’s value in leadership positions, rather than furthering the idea that men are the ideal. Use the emotional intelligence in you that is already proven successful. Rather than succumbing to the “emotional” stereotype given to women leaders, prove the power of using emotion in the workplace. An eye-opening study done by Hay Group proves exactly this, finding that high levels of emotional intelligence are critical in work environments. That’s right — the very skill we have an advantage with is not just useful, but critical. While male leaders are traditionally using methods of aggression and intimidation to climb the executive ladder, show them what Mother Nature (or should I say Nurture?) really has to offer. Show them what they’re missing by being the empathetic leader you naturally are.

Use social constructs to build you, not break you.

Society loves to make gender rigid by constantly telling us what we can and cannot do. For instance, society allows women to show emotion while men cannot, ultimately attempting to create a dichotomy of emotional and “illogical” women and emotionless and “logical” men. Flip the tables and show the world that the very box women are squeezed into is the same box busting the door of opportunity wide open. Our emotional intelligence allows a greater sense of self-awareness, logic, and an ability to plan long-term. Ironically, but not surprisingly, being in tune with our emotions is what allows us to better control those emotions! Reality check: because men don’t have permission to show emotion, they grow up with less self-awareness and ability to think long-term, making rash decisions fueled by emotion — the very same stereotype given to women (let’s all take a moment to reflect on the irony of that).  Do not allow yourself to be beaten down by the social constructs placed on you. Rather, use them to build you into the position of power you deserve.

Remember, even science is on your side!

Studies show women’s advantages when it comes to emotional intelligence, but did you know that even neuroscientists agree? Quick science lesson: the insula is a portion of the brain that communicates with the rest of the body and translates to empathy; this identifies how another person is feeling. In women’s brains, feelings of sadness emitted from someone else will remain present. However, in men’s brains, the feelings will remain briefly and then immediately shut out, in order to stay calm while exploring a solution. But our self-awareness is what already allows us to stay calm; the feelings of the other person do not need to be removed from our brains in order to find a solution. That’s an advantage. It is necessary for a leader to understand and be in tune with the emotions of all the people involved in a conflict before  trying to resolve it. So, next time a man tells you to “calm down,” teach him a little about his insula.

Leaders need to plan and make decisions for long-term goals, while observing all factors involved. Luckily for women, our emotional intelligence makes this possible. This is not to say men cannot be emotionally intelligent; society simply clears an easier pathway for women to grow emotionally intelligence than it does for men. (Remember when we established that irony?) Just by being ourselves, women can prove how truly valuable and important we are as leaders — and rise to the top at faster rates than ever seen before.

The post 3 Ways Your Emotions Can Make You A Better Leader appeared first on HER Magazine ™.