6 Acquisition International - Influential Businesswoman Awards 2022 am so bullish on XR and am frankly leading the way with respect to merging learning and the metaverse.” Working in these new digital spaces has opened the door to many in the industry, with women being one of the biggest beneficiaries. “I am definitely seeing more women jumping in - and it’s great!” she enthuses. “Given how nascent the concept of the metaverse is, I don’t see it as more difficult for women to enter. It’s a level playing field. The people who are getting on board are early adopters, educators frustrated with antiquated education systems, and those who frankly see a massive opportunity in front of us.” This massive opportunity is one which has already seen many women flourish. “My experience so far has been that women understand the need to support one another vs. compete with one another. And this is true in entrepreneurial circles as well. Another observation I have in the world on learning and education in the metaverse is that more women than men are interested in teaching, coaching, and building immersive learning experiences. Interestingly, the vast majority of the Edstutia team is female.” The ability for Christine to uplift the voices and talents of the women around her has been a blessing. “I think one of the obvious challenges of being a woman in a corporate - or even academic - environment is that often your voice and abilities are suppressed,” she tells us. “Your ideas, your contributions, and your potential just aren’t taken seriously. It’s ridiculous. When I look back at my career, I’ve left organisations because the culture was toxic and not supportive. In other instances, I simply disregarded the conformity and existing circumstances and made up my own rules. Not everyone appreciates that - and I’ve ruffled plenty of feathers along the way! - but over the years I have definitely increased my confidence in forging my own path.” This ability to forge forward into bold new territory is one which has served Christine well. Her career is one which has been built on knowing the value of what she has to offer and not accepting situations where she is not able to apply it. “I don’t do well in environments where someone else or outdated systems determine my personal success or my ability to evolve,” Christine explains. “I will be in charge of that, thank you very much. And I strongly suggest that women make their voice heard, that they follow their personal dreams and goals, that they shouldn’t be afraid to carve out their own path, that they shouldn’t be afraid of change. And if you find yourself in an unsupportive culture, move on.” This continual drive towards solutions which empower people and allow them to flourish is a vital part of how Edstutia operates. “The past two years have been simultaneously exhausting and exhilarating,” she tells us. “Obviously as the sole founder, I wear a lot of different hats - and I love it. But my saving grace is the small army of committed people who are on the Edstutia team. We are small, but mighty. I cannot - and never will - fully take credit for Edstutia’s successes. I am surrounded and supported by some rock star quality
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTUyMDQwMA==