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Carolina Calcurian also known as Carolita is the female founder behind TryCloud (Ignite 6), an API for e-commerces that allows customers to try on clothes before they buy.
We talked to Carolina about some of her lessons as an entrepreneur and her favorite offerings from our program. She also highlights her appreciation for Chile: “This country and its people have something special”, said the Dominican Republic born entrepreneur.
What has been your biggest challenge as founder of a startup?
The biggest challenge has been the extra effort that women founders have to put in to validate our capabilities and our project. Overall, for those of us who start businesses in Latin America, regardless of gender, the journey is more uphill than in other regions. For women in our region, being taken into account often requires even more work, especially if your audience is also in Latin America.
At Trycloud, I have three male co-founders. It often happens to me that in presentations or meetings, the more technical or relevant questions are directed to them and not to me, even when they know I am the CEO.
What do you wish you had known before starting this journey?
Startup ecosystems are truly enriching, and you have to be present, even though sometimes you might feel like you’re going to waste your time.
It’s not new to hear about the value of networking, but sometimes when you’re working on creating, building a product and achieving goals, you forget to see relationships as a real asset.
Every time I meet someone new, attend an event, or expose myself to any social or academic environment in the entrepreneurial world, I “magically” find ways to solve problems faster even when I may have been stuck on them.
What do you think are the main complications that women face in the current ecosystem?
There is currently a lot of awareness about the value of women entrepreneurs and the need to accommodate them and reformulate some rules of the game so that we can participate on equal terms. But I believe that today, one of the biggest challenges is finding female role models.
Nowadays, the most relevant and inspiring stories still mainly feature men as protagonists. If I ask you to do a simple exercise and mention three individuals who inspire you daily, surely 2 out of 3, or perhaps all 3 you recall, will be men. That’s because those are the stories we know. I think we need to continue efforts to change the focus and highlight the work of women in all areas and more often… we need to achieve that women are more on the top of mind when it comes to talking about leadership.
Additionally, it is undeniable that we need more female representation in the Venture Capital field. Currently, less than 15% of those writing the checks are women. This is undoubtedly related to the fact that only 2% of startups with female co-founders manage to raise capital. Especially in the early stages, VC needs to empathize with the team and the project, but if the problem addressed is very “women-focused or for women,” it doesn’t resonate with the male perspective.