www.diversityinsteam.com Diversity in STE A M
77
DISM : What challenges, if any, have you experienced as a female founder and CEO in this space? Mehta: The biggest obstacle I've faced to date is the lack of prime IT opportunities specifically set aside for women-owned businesses. As Nolij has grown its foot- print across the GovCon space, and is now expanding into the commercial sector, I've continued to focus on key areas, such as cybersecurity, RPA and AI, where we can expand our partnerships to create new opportunities for women-owned businesses. DISM : What would you say is your greatest accomplishment to-date? Mehta: Building a successful, thriving busi- ness and creating an outstanding consulting company with a great work environment for my employees while being a great mother is my greatest accomplishment so far. Our employees gave us a 4 on Glassdoor, which is no easy feat to achieve for an organiza- ion. Glassdoor is a website where current and former employees anonymously review companies. I am proud of employing leading talent across the industry and having the expertise to serve our clients and add to their success. Nolij is proud to give back to various char- ities and support the less fortunate in our community. As a little girl, I always dreamed of having extra money to give to those in need. I've been able to do this while raising two beautiful children who have worked hard as well and have bright futures ahead of them. These successes inspire me every day to keep moving forward. DISM : What advice would you give to another female entrepreneur? Mehta: I would say that leading by exam- ple, pu@ing yourself in front of clients and marketing your company on social media is very important. It's also critical to set yourself apart and create a differentiator for your company. Distinguish your company and invest heavily in training resources and certifications for your organization and your employees. To build a successful team, be sure you are offering the right benefits that will keep employees with you and give them the chance to grow professionally. It's no longer expensive to provide the benefits and resources that larger companies do. It is important to create a strong foundation to make people feel valued and enjoy coming to work each day. And remember, once you have a strong service/product offering, no one will care if you are a man or a woman. DISM : What are your goals for Nolij Consulting? What do you hope to achieve in the future? Mehta: We are focused on strategic growth in a number of areas going forward to make the company future-ready. We are also focused on strong partnerships and relation- ships to further strengthen our capabilities to meet our clients' goals. We've created three new joint ventures (JV) focused on cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, emerg- ing technologies and health IT services. These joint ventures are a combination of 8A, WOSB, Hubzone, and SDVOSB managed JVs. We also have a mentor protg JV relationship with a large health IT com- pany where we plan to win opportunities under relevant IT contract vehicles. We are currently working to win several contract vehicles that give us the ability to win task orders under those vehicles. We just recently won GSA 8A STARS III and Navy Seaport NxG. We are also strengthening our AI /ML solutions to establish a strong capability in software testing and Electronic Health Records (EHR). We just won an artificial intelligence sole source oppor- tunity with Health and Human Services (HHS). We've established several emerging, next-generation technology product part- nerships and are currently establishing a workforce that is well trained on delivering these products. Our goal is to achieve an even stronger health IT company focused on our employee's wellbeing while providing excellent health IT services to our clients. DISM : What is something colleagues would be surprised to know/learn about you? Mehta: I have a twin brother who is also in IT. He is more in the sales and software product side of the business. My son looks quite a bit like him. I also have an older brother who is in healthcare mergers and acquisitions. I grew up with my father owning his own consulting business around continuing education for CPAs. He did not have the luxury of the business conve- niences that we have today. Due to the lack of technology, he had to educate CPAs in person, ship heavy training materials for his classes and had to conduct business over a phone hooked up to a wall. Today we can offer e-learning opportunities, send large documents over the internet, use our mobile phones to have Zoom or WebEx meetings with clients across the world. As a business owner and mother, I have a tremendous amount of respect for what my dad accomplished while raising kids without the technological advances we have today. DISM : Anything else you would like to add that we missed? Mehta: If your company has predominately male leadership, if it's not leaning more towards a healthy even split, then the next generation of women will consider your company yesterday's product. A product not worth their investment and time; a place where innovation and creativity will be stifled by outdated norms. I want to take a moment to recognize the bright daughters of my outstanding employ- ees and all that they are accomplishing. It's exciting to think about a future where their contributions will not only be recognized but will be sought-after. Ultimately, empow- ering women in the workplace ensures your company will be ready for whatever challenges lie ahead.
To build a successful team, be sure you are offering the right benefits that will keep employees with you and give them the chance to grow professionally."
Previous Page