Women who Tech: Anamaria Onica, CEO VoxiKids

We talked to some of the women co-founders of our Alumni community. Although they are of different age, innovate in a different vertical and have a different role within the company, all have in common the determination and the way they used their knowledge to shape their company and generate a positive social impact, through their start-ups.

Now it's the turn of Anamaria Onica, co-founder & CEO of VoxiKids, but also UI / UX designer for e-learning platforms. Ana is closely involved in the development of the VoxiKids project, building the branding part and the user experience for the digital clinic. In 2020, she focused on launching a new concept in speech therapy. She is currently working on the sales strategy for VoxiKids, prospecting international markets and connecting with potential business partners.

What motivates you in this journey of tech startup founder?

For me, the first spark came before becoming a tech startup founder. The exchange of ideas between my future co-founders and me motivated us and gave us the impulse to start the business. We piqued each other's interest and got excited about what we could create together. In the same way, we continued to motivate the team by being open and everyone can contribute with new ideas.

As a tech startup founder, the desire to build a better product and the curiosity to discover how to make this by keeping our motivation alive. It has also been a challenge to discover ways of building smart. Another important factor is that our product brings a social positive impact. To know that you can make a difference in someone's future adult life goes beyond anything it's a feeling of well-being that stays with you.

Beyond any pragmatic aspects, being a creative person, music is a strong motivator especially when creating. It helps me be present.

What are the 'must- haves' for successful founders?

First of all, I think each founder has a series of traits - either possessed or developed - that are helpful in business. But I don't think we can talk about a standard set of skills because people are different and developing a business is like embarking on a journey in which you'll discover your own leadership strengths.

If I describe what I appreciate in a founder, it would be:

• Passion for your own product - I think it's important to be enthusiastic about the product you're going to develop.
• Vision - the so-called creative thinkers who can anticipate various possible scenarios and how the product can meet someone's needs.
• Analytical thinking - in business is not just about creativity/ vision. It's important to test your product and have metrics on which you can rely on.
• Listening skills - it's important to be able to listen to experts/ advisors, be open to any ideas or suggestions that may not be entirely on the same page as yours. It's a good way to improve your vision and make the right choices for your business.
• Adaptability - I think 2020 was a year that showed us there are founders who know how to adapt and find ways to grow and adapt in a new and unpredictable context.
• Open to always learn something new - to develop a business is first and foremost a continuous process of learning and improvement. Sometimes an important lesson can be that your ego has nothing to do with business.

What technology fascinates you the most today?

Artificial intelligence. It's amazing how much technology has evolved, the speed and accuracy with which a system can learn, the ability to understand ideas, and more, replicate procedures better and faster than humans can.

In health and tele-therapy, the ability to make decisions and generate diagnoses, and even detect behavior or emotional changes clearly shows us its significant impact. It puts our imagination to the test when we think about what the future might look like in medicine and not just.

Find more about VoxiKids here.