Cher Grant, Founder and CEO of Wazzio
Cher is all about resolving pain points and helping people and companies resolve issues. This is what prompted her to launch Wazzio Inc, a technology company specializing in web, mobile and applications software development and solutions. Cher started the company in 2013 with the overarching goal of making [technology] user’s lives easier.
Cher’s road to founder and CEO in the tech space has not been an easy one. “My field, technology, has traditionally been a male dominated field. So for me, I faced 2 challenges; being a female in tech and being a woman of color in tech. I remember that, after being forced yet again to face a male panel with questions on if I had read any books on “how to be an entrepreneur” or “how to grow a business,” I decided it was time to take matters fully into my own hands. I followed alternative funding channels to grow my completely bootstrapped business to what it has become today”.
Today Wazzio continues to develop solutions that help individuals, companies and children stay connected, educated, informed and competitive in this new and ever evolving landscape.
Focused on EdTech and Corporate solutions, the company has two apps in the marketplace that are enhancing student learning, teaching financial literacy (WazzCards), easing friction in consumer interactions (Rylli).
Cher is passionate about growing Wazzio Inc as a “tech solutions company” and seeing more women and women of color enter into the tech space. You can find out more about Cher
How did Wazzio come about?( please share a bit about your background and influences that led you to Wazzio)
I got started in the computer technology field because a friend convinced me to apply for a job believe it or not. Previous to that, I had had no inclination to pursue anything in that field. I did know though, that I enjoyed problem solving and was always interested in taking processes that were good and making them better .
What really struck me after I started working in the technology field was just how much opportunity there was in the field itself. I was initially on the sales and service side, and after millions of dollars of tech solutions I saw an opportunity with Cloud based technology. This really captured my attention and I focused on that – it became the spark that led to my entrance into the Tech world when I created Wazzio Inc in 2013. In those early days we focused on Cloud tech + Cloud Solutions). Later, after many various challenges, we pivoted and moved into mobile technology devices + solutions and today we focus on
What challenges did you face or still face in the tech world and how did/ do you navigate
This field has traditionally been a male dominated field and I faced 2 challenges; being a female in tech and being a woman of color in tech. I remember getting some questions that I am sure my male counterparts did not get. For example, if I had read any books on “how to be an entrepreneur” or “how to grow a business”.
To be honest, it takes determination and a willingness to stay true to yourself to make it.
Between those two challenges and the challenge of getting funding for a start-up, you have to be tenacious. And for me, my team was critical. Having individuals around you that have also bought into the vision was, and continues to be, a critical part of Wazzio Inc’s success.
What advice do you have for women entrepreneurs looking to launch their products or services in the tech industry
Be committed to yourself, be tenacious, be flexible, do not be deterred and make sure you are feeding your passion. This will get you through the long hours, the disappointments and the setbacks. Things will happen along the way that will test your resolve, necessitate a slight change or even a pivot perhaps. But it is very difficult for someone to steal your passionate commitment.
My second piece of advice, and this is to male or female, is to make sure you have a viable product or service. Take the time to ensure what you have developed or are proposing is something that is needed, that provides a solution or fills a void.
Leverage connections. It may prove more challenging than anticipated to find funding, especially for more “seasoned” female entrepreneurs, and (specifically here in Canada) it is often a long tedious process. Be sure to look at alternate sources of funding. In my case, I bootstrapped by tapping into a market where I had connections and and grew my business from that initially.
Guard your intellectual property. Be careful of sharing too much of your intellectual property too soon with other companies, especially larger ones that may have the resources. This was a big mistake I made early on and it cost me dearly as the company I shared my ideas with had the ability to make it happen, so they did just that. They took my idea and ran with it.
You stress on the importance of financial literacy for children. Why is this important?
One thing Covid-19 did was bring to the forefront the need to be financially responsible as the world came to a grinding halt. But, even before this, what many financial educators, parents and even some young adults themselves were realizing is that they did not know how to manage debt and did not have a solid grasp on their financial health. This is because financial literacy is a critical component that currently remains lacking in our educational systems.
By focusing on financial literacy for children from an early age, we provide a way for young learners to develop a foundational understanding of money and finance and lay the groundwork for strong financial habits that will last them a lifetime. It is the reason why we are so committed to EdTech and the launch of WazzCards. Along with covering core subjects, as a tool, the WazzCards platform focuses on financial literacy for those in Grades 3-8, in a way that drives engagement, participation and learning in children while it empowers parents and teachers as student supports.
How can we encourage more women of colour to enter the tech space?
I think one of the biggest ways is for them to see more women like themselves in the space in meaningful ways. Representation matters. We are learning this more and more. Seeing someone else there that looks like you lets you know it is possible.
What have been the best moments in running your company?
Being able to drive our focus, working with partners, manufacturers and helping schools. These have all been things I am so grateful for.
What are the most consistent habits you formed that ensured your success
Two of the most important/consistent habits have been
Take the time for yourself. It’s been imperative that I take a moment for myself; to center myself, brush off/move on from what happened and find a solution.
Keep pushing forward. There will be good days and bad, some days you will be on top of the world, then the next your world has blown up but no matter what, never stop your forward movement.
What has been your greatest failure(s)?
This is one that taught me the greatest lesson (and birth Advice #4) Pitching my innovative product to a billion-dollar distributor for them to be one of our customers, they then turned around, implemented my idea and purchased another company to roll out my idea. Initially, we tried to compete with the company, however it was not possible. They were much larger than us and certainly had the capacity, which we did not. So, we made the decision to pivot from that and focus on ways we could address challenges consumers were feeling and make users’ lives easier.
Today Wazzio has two apps in the marketplace that are doing just that. WazzCards is a platform that enhances student learning and teaches financial literacy to children. Rylli is the other and it is easing friction in consumer interactions and making technology users’ lives easier.
What are you passionate about?
As an individual I remain passionate and committed to doing my part to see more women and, specifically, women of colour in this space. And of course, I am passionate about Education Technology.
What’s next for you?
As a company, we are committed to serving the unmet needs of individuals and service gaps within our own communities and others. And, especially with what we have just gone through, and in many aspects are still going through as a result of Covid-19, one of our major focus is on the financial health and wellbeing of future generations. I spoke about WazzCards a bit earlier and we have just invested our resources into rolling it out WazzCards Live and Pre-Recorded Seminars by Certified Teachers starting August 9th. For this initiative we will have certified teachers teach Financial Literacy lessons via Zoom using WazzCards with students from grades 4 to 8 students a couple of times a week.
