We have the opportunity to hear from a remarkable group of women at the Amplifying Her Voice “In Moms We Trust” Mother’s Day Summit May 11-13—including Genevieve Leveille, who will speak on the “Blockchain for a Better World” panel, discussing how the technology can help underserved communities and fill needs in the world today.
Leveille, originally from Haiti, is the principal founder and CEO of AgriLedger, developing a blockchain-based platform to democratize farmers’ access to resources and finances, as well as improve their knowledge about markets and the supply chain. Leveille is passionate about and information—in particular, how they can be used to serve marginalized communities and reduce suffering and inequality. She is a leading voice in supply chains, disruptive tech, digital identity and financial transformation; using the powers of distributed ledger technologies to promote financial inclusion.
Here she talks about the values instilled by her single mother, increasing financial pressures on women and mothers, the importance of setting boundaries, and more.
What inspired you to join Amplifying Her Voice for Mother’s Day? What do you hope to share with the world?
The great Anu!
But all kidding aside, it is necessary to be a voice and show other women that they can be a force and create thought leadership in any fields they desire. But moreover, it is necessary to be able to do so in disruptive technologies as we tend to believe (and in fact it is) a male-dominated field.
Crypto and blockchain and technology, for that matter, provide one of these pathways that allow women to aspire to great achievements that do not exclude having a family and being a mother. The time demands are more manageable as one is able to work on a 24/7 time frame and as such be the mistress of one’s destiny.
What most drives and motivates you each day?
The great things that one can achieve in a day and being able to see things come to fruition. As they say hope, springs eternal—and each day is another opportunity to grow and win.
Who is your role model, and why?
I do not do role models. I admire different things about different people, but do not put one individual on the pedestal unless it is my mother.
Her drive and wishes as a single mother to get her daughters the best opportunities and the best education is something to be admired. She created three fierce and fabulous daughters who fear not what the world can bring as we know we can always surmount the challenges and get to a happy place.
What cause, company, group, or movement are you a part of that you would like to share with us?
I run AgriLedger as my full-time gig, but I am always trying to do something new and different. What I am very passionate about is giving an opportunity to women to succeed by removing barriers or brokering opportunities for them.
As such, I work with the ConsenSys Academy in securing scholarship for underserved communities. I am a board member of two charitable organizations. The first one, Life Skills Haiti, is supporting the Haitian population by training them in technical skills so that they can make a living. The other one is Resurgence, which is looking at providing weather information to marginalized communities to support their effort in being able to plan when inclement weather is expected.
What do you think are some of the most pressing issues facing moms, families, and caregivers today?
The financial burden and pressures on women have increased. As caregivers they always had to take accountability for keeping the house and caring for their children and their parents. However, with the COVID pandemic, many have also lost their sources of income and as such if they do have a partner that provides, they are still now disadvantaged as they no longer have financial freedom and may also be subjected to additional duties in the home due to their no longer being able to contribute to the family’s financial wellness.
How do you feel being a mother is different now than it was in the past? What do you hope will change in the future?
I am not a mother of children coming from my womb. I can see that the sacrifice remains the same and what I would say is as a society in the last year we have stepped backward as a lot of the pressures came back to the mothers and it is so hard to reverse bad habits.
What is the best advice you’ve received?
Tomorrow is another day!
What is something you would like to share with the next generation?
You have to keep at it and never give up. Technology is great, but it does not have all the answers—and it is still important to create the human connection.
Who inspired you as a child or young person?
My mother.
What do you think is the most important thing for women to keep in mind in terms of caring for themselves?
It is OK to get help. Make use of resources and outsource what you can. Make time to pamper yourself and practice self-love.
What are your views on “work-life balance” for women? How should women handle the obligations of both professional and family life, and what messages does it send to the next generation?
Work-life balance is a misnomer for a woman, as when she gets home she has housework to perform. It is important to clearly define with your partner how you share the workload. I do not do laundry and my husband knows it, so I will cook but he will clean. Define those boundaries.
What advice would you like to share with girls and women looking to achieve their dreams and lift up one another?
Keep reaching for the stars.
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We’re so grateful to have Genevieve Leveille’s enthusiasm, optimism, expertise, and guidance at the Amplifying Her Voice “In Moms We Trust” Summit. Register to join her and other leading women from around the world. Sign up for free now—the summit starts tomorrow!
