With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, various industries are being forced to reconsider how to carry on working with the minimum amount of disruption. This is also apparent in the education industry.

With government-mandated school shutdowns and going digital, there is no shortage of institutional and educator support as education could carry on through online learning.

The pandemic has opened up an opportunity for new solutions to change how students learn in even better ways than pre-pandemic, not just to act as a stopgap for school restrictions.

This is why when presented with a choice to stick to the status quo or innovate the education technology industry; entrepreneurs are the ones that turn ideas into reality. Like most good ideas, it’s simply about solving a problem. 

On my part, I was just an ambitious educator with a limited understanding of technology but a massive passion for education which grew to the establishment of the leading edutech platform, Tutopiya.

Turning a passion into a meaningful purpose

During my stint as a tutor, most of my students spent more time travelling to attend my tutoring classes than learning in the classroom. There have also been requests to teach students already living in another country.

This created the potential since options for live online teaching were limited, resulting in an opportunity to maximise my time with my students.

Interestingly enough, accessibility in education was already apparent pre-COVID-19, long before edutech became the standard today. Despite some initial scepticism, Tutopiya had succeeded in its mission of providing personalised online lessons where each student learns at their own pace and convenience.

Also Read: Edutech is surging, but here are the 3 issues it is facing

One could say that the idea of providing personalised lessons online was borne out of necessity, fueled in part by a passion for teaching. In hopes of providing the best for my students, Tutopiya’s learning options could be expanded, and students could be connected with the best resources of learning materials, technology, and educators.

The global edutech market was only worth US$76.4 billion before the pandemic. By 2025, the market is expected to have grown to a size of US$400 billion. This indicates that the education technology market was already growing at the time but reached a tipping point just as the pandemic began.

Challenges as a woman in tech across Southeast Asia

With the help of emerging technologies, education and other legacy industries are no longer confined to their previously conservative boundaries, especially in this increasingly digital and globalised world.

To be more specific, there is a common misconception that founders in technology must have extensive tech backgrounds to succeed; coding skills, knowledge, programming, and analysis. 

If you know how to code, you can create your prototype, iterate it to a strong beta, and begin acquiring users and gaining traction. From basic website development to in-depth app development, there are misconceptions that the more a founder knows about technology, the better their chances of success are.

However, I believe this is not the case. For example, Brian Chesky, the founder of Airbnb, was a designer, to begin with. Despite having no technical knowledge, he could propel the digitally-based platform to the forefront of the online hospitality industry.

The skills might be critical but not mandatory as they are other skills that are far more important when it comes to being a successful tech founder.

Then, there’s being a modern-day mompreneur. Every day I am tasked with managing the home and the office and juggling between the two.

Having to transform from a mother to a boss instantly while also meeting the expectations of both families and customers is difficult for me and working mothers across the globe.

According to one study, over 252 million female entrepreneurs worldwide, with more than 90 per cent of them being mompreneurs who are still struggling to overcome the challenges they face daily.

My journey with Tutopiya is not without difficulties. This can be said in terms of obtaining assistance, whether it is due to a lack of relevant connections, given my lack of familiarity in the tech landscape or a need for financial or emotional support from peers and investors. I also needed mentors and sponsors to help me navigate my entrepreneurial path. 

Truthfully, it was challenging. According to a survey, 48 per cent of female entrepreneurs say a lack of mentors and advisors limits their professional development.

Having a well-connected mentor will undoubtedly assist in expanding business networks and will increase your chances of being presented with opportunities such as sitting on business or investor boards.

Also, a professional support system is frequently expensive, forcing some women to put off starting on their own business ventures. Of course, a support system is even more important, especially as a mompreneur.

Also Read: ‘Education is not a content business but a human one’: Nas Academy’s Nuseir Yassin

When it comes to new ventures and ideas, people generally doubt what they don’t know or can’t conceptualise. When Tutopiya first launched, my customers and friends frequently left sceptical comments such as “Sounds like Rocket Science!”, “I don’t believe in online learning,” and “How do you even learn online?!”

Getting ahead in tech as a woman

According to Crunchbase, 844 women founded or co-founded a startup in Southeast Asia in 2014. Some of them have been instrumental in transforming the region’s start-up scene.

According to a recent Mastercard study on female entrepreneurs, women own 16.7 per cent of businesses in Malaysia. According to the survey, Vietnam has 31.3 per cent of female entrepreneurs, followed by Singapore (27.5 per cent), Thailand (25.2 per cent), and the Philippines (23.9 per cent).

Climbing the tech career ladder, on the other hand, is no easy task as it is not necessarily the easiest environment for women to break into.

In my opinion, the path to the top for women technologists is much more difficult due to bias, different standards, a lack of a robust support system, and capital raising issues that marginalise them.

Enter the imposter syndrome. Women in tech can experience stress and anxiety if they believe they are not intelligent and creative enough or otherwise deserving of their success, even though there is ample evidence of their accomplishments.

Imposter syndrome affects 84 per cent of entrepreneurs and small business owners, which is defined as the feeling of being a fraud who is undeserving of success.

This is especially prevalent in the tech industry, with 58 per cent of tech entrepreneurs and employees reporting that they are currently dealing with some form of the imposter syndrome in their jobs, particularly software engineers, developers, and designers.

These tendencies are also more common in newcomers to the tech industry, particularly women, who must contend with a steep learning curve and prejudices and preconceived biases based on their gender.

Female entrepreneurs need a solid community to help them get through the difficult times in their business journey. After all, shattering the glass ceiling is hardly a one (wo)man job. When it comes to stepping outside gender norms, the entrepreneurial world can be brutal.

Also Read: The inevitable digitalisation of education and what educators really need

Problems that you would never think would ever arise and test everything about the business, especially in Southeast Asia, where it is now thriving with techs and startups. These strikes will eventually sap our motivation and determination to succeed, and that’s where a sense of community and support can help.

In today’s high-tech world, female entrepreneurship has enormous potential for fostering socio-economic growth. As new generations take charge and the world emerges, female entrepreneurs must be primed as there will be more great opportunities for women in the future.

A woman’s potential contributions to innovation, economic growth, and business investment can definitely be recognised with the right support system and determination.

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Image Credit: Tutopiya

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