Humanist entrepreneurship and problem solving

Rashi is a recent University of Waterloo undergraduate alumna (Honours Arts, Human Resources Minor) and a future graduate of the Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) student (Class of 2022).

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I come from India, a country with a vast population, 48% of our population consists of women. However, I have always sensed inequality between genders. I am a humanist, and I believe in equality for all.

I decided to further my education in the field and opted for my master's program at the University of Waterloo. I have been in love with Canada since the first time I visited. I knew I had a connection with the country; it felt like home. I transferred to the University of Waterloo after completing my Bachelors in Business Administration from a leading institute in India to meet the education requirements for me to be eligible to apply for the Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) degree program.

Living in Canada, I found that women are far more emancipated and free, which is not something that women in India feel. A majority of the women in India face inequality either with their families or at their workplace. This was when I became aware of the gender disparities and decided I wanted women to feel safe and secure. I  remember taking the course BET 100 Foundations of Entrepreneurial Practice in one of my terms. The course introduced us on how to find a problem that existed and how we could work on it and develop a solution. It was during this time I started researching healthcare for women in India. The problems about healthcare for women hasn't got the attention that it deserves.

The mental conditioning of our society is such where the health of a woman is not of priority in India country. This brought up the idea of Bebaha, a place where women feel comfortable discussing their health problems without needing to worry about their privacy and facing the fear of judgement. In today's day and age, women must have an avenue to get their health subjects addressed privately and suitably.

With everything becoming digitalized, there is a possibility for many health issues to be handled via telehealth. This initiative aims to create a knowledge and guidance ecosystem for women to make empowered and educated health choices in an inclusive, transparent and holistic manner to make fully informed decisions for themselves. I believe that every business ought to have a purpose other than profit. This business, therefore, has great potential. In addition, it would allow me to give back to society – something that I have always wanted to do.

I am a firm believer in speaking up and using my voice to spread awareness about issues faced by women, and even the smallest act can help someone. If we don't push for change now, future generations will face the same challenges.

I have enrolled with the Greenhouse incubator at St.Paul's University College; the program helps me move my ideas into action to access funding opportunities and coaching from professional networks. I am looking forward to joining MBET; it will allow me to unleash my potential and transform into a better business leader with training from the best faculty and highly energetic entrepreneurial peers.