Hello, everyone. My name is Ari and I am the CEO and co-founder of in institute, a technological style that creates a new type of revolutionary computers called quantum computing.And I'm so excited to be with you today for Women Tech Network 2021 as a, as an engineer and a former military officer, I evolved in a very male-dominated environment in my own life. And I was used to be the only woman in the room. So it's always a pleasure for me to share my particular journey with other women. And I hope my story will encourage you to become entrepreneurs in the tech industry. And honestly, I don't see myself as an exception. But the beginning of a new stand out with Hoffman says that starting a company is like jumping off a cliff and assembling the plane on the way down. I love this quote because it is the impression it gives from outside. And the thing is as an entrepreneur, you only take calculated risks. You focus on building the plane, you follow your gut and you know, you will make it and you love it. So to all the women who have ever considered the option of becoming an entrepreneur or who make nothing. It's possible due to their current life career of experience, I'm here to tell you that you can do this.

It's not an easy ride, especially for us in te we have to climb harder. We authorize more and code switch constantly to all, all together. But hey, we are women, right? And we end up being impossible every day. All it takes is passion. So in my case, he studied with my passion for science and technology. I studied math and physics at school and I loved it. I even received a female techno, technical and scientific vocational work and those who have my age on same page. But in the late nineties, quantum mechanics was quite a thing. And I remember reading several books on these strange pagans had a classmate with whom I love discussing about the Schwinger cat. He can be dead and alive. At the same time, I also studied electronics. And ironically, I didn't know at the time that I would want to revolutionize the world one day using somehow as I was studying. My second question is lying. And when I was a

child, I was

passing by an airfield every weekend when I was going to the shopping mall with my parents. And one day when I was 15, I asked my parents could stop there. I pulled the door of the air club and I started crying, my parents didn't have a lot of money. So I spent all the savings, they said during my whole life birthday, Christmas gift, my work all burn in one summer. But you know, I got my pilot's license be before my driving license. And actually I think my parents were quite proud of me and somehow flying told me rigor and il but also I think this immense feeling of freedom that gives me confidence that everything is possible. Somehow sky of the limits and it can, it can watch, keep my eyes open and navigate her head. A threat of an entrepreneur is his ability to see opportunities everywhere. So keep you rather open. My other big passion is people, their journey, their cultures, I believe in people in humanity. And I think you read it a lot, but it's really true. It's all about the people, especially in the start up. They are the one who build the technology and the business as an entrepreneur. It's all about the people you meet your co-founders, mentors, investors, partner customers. Hence, during all my life, I took every opportunity to travel but not as a tourist.

I worked in Germany when I was a teenager in AC and I was an air cadet in Sweden and Canada. And I joined the Navy when I was 19. As a young officer, I was deployed aboard a helicopter carrier for six months all around the world at 21. And for me, it was an amazing opportunity to discover new pictures, new landscapes, new perspectives, think out of the box. And I started to understand that the same problem can be perceived differently. And the Navy was an amazing school of life. My experience as an officer told me, leadership, teamwork, resilience values, taking care of my crew, how to manage unexpected events and how to make quick decisions. And it's so fundamental in a start up for me as a CEO. It's crucial all the people you bring around the table to build the company needs to share the same values. And I think the medicure, it's all about respect and diversity, dedication and results driven, fun and teamwork and innovation and excellence. My best first experience as a leader was at the head of the department for the G Engine Marten in the French Navy. I was 24 in other more than 80 technicians, but we had one mission delivering engines to the aircraft carrier and operations and we did it on time on target, whatever it took and talking about managing tricky situations in my career.

I had to manage a runway excursion, doing my first duty too. As a young officer, we had someone who jumped out of windows, he ended up being ok. But I learned a lot about crisis management paperwork. We had cases of alcoholism, a strike of civilian, the restructuring of my department. And also I have to face tape. I had to announce the death of two young Pettys to their family. I also lost several good friends over the journey. And I think it can me step back and understand what true risk mean. And when somehow I'm complaining, I always remind what my former deputy who worked in the special forces was telling me already, we should not complain. At least when we get home every evening, we are in one piece, we got two arms and two legs and it gives me the power to keep my head up. When I think that life is hot regarding my career. A big happens, I got injured at some point and I couldn't be deployed and I had to stay at the naval station and I was so devastated. I thought it was the end of my career. And it's an example of something I perceived as a disaster at the time. But that became a real opportunity. And because of the RAA technology, that analysis was something important, especially to predict maintenance and all preparations.

I got it by computer science and I did a master in it. I discovered hardware cybersecurity coding algorithm. And it was personally personally a great opportunity to stay at the neighbor station without being deployed and have my daughters. I had my first daughter at the beginning of my master's year and I remember my professor looking at my belly and asking me how I, I hope I could manage that. And I replied, oh, it wouldn't be a problem. So, a lot of pressure, I went to school until I gave birth and coming from the military, going to school was quite relaxing. And I remember telling my classmates, oh, I see you tomorrow for the workshop. And actually I didn't attend this workshop because I was giving birth. I was lucky enough to have my neighbor who helped me with my little one because I did a huge coding exam 17 days after giving birth and I studied between two bottles and is it? And then nobody asked me how I would manage my baby and my study at the same time because women can really manage the impossible without something. Anyway, after 16 years in the navy, I was 25 I had a husband, kids beautiful house near the sea, but actually the perfect life. But my parents both were their entire life.

But you know, my inner voice was nagging me about innovation and needs to get to change something that says, hm, my life can continue like this until retirement. I need new challenges to challenges. So I decided to start a new civilian life in Canada. And I chose to do an MB A at mcgill University in Montreal to ensure a smooth transition between military and civilian life. Well, I guess I underestimated going back to school when you were 35 years old. All the while with young kids at home renovation, an apartment extra extra. So it was not smooth at all. Anyway, I did my internship at Parade. I got hired full time job, well paid regular the first year of my B A when some of my classmates were still struggling to find internship. So perfect. Yeah. But something happened. What you mean that you changed my life? We did that entrepreneurship, evening class at Miguel and the CEO of Montreal or in better spoke the volume about being an entrepreneur. And he finished this speech with this question, do you want half a million of dollars a tech fund and a great deep idea. Send me an email. So yeah, I I sent an email, I got an interview and with my background, he saw some potential and out of my full time stable job, my pension applied to become an entrepreneur.

And for me, it was really my first true experience as an entrepreneur. It was the first time I was creating this company from scratch. And I learned a lot about how to build a small company, how to develop a project, how to pitch an idea to investor, create a deck strategy. Have a theory with my MB A and the practice with myself. And it was fantastic coming for the military. It was easy to work crazy hours, switch my goals. But when, when this investor for half a million of dollars and the co founder and a deep take, it didn't really explain what the commission were and I realized that my company wasn't really mine and it wasn't so it wasn't my baby. And so that, that is what I've learned. I just tried another venture and then after a couple of atoms, always in the tech space of bio sensing A I and drones, um I just a John Miller, the see of artificial intelligence. And it's when it was in the start up mode, it's where I met a researcher who we the new formulation of quantum mechanics.

And we started discussing training our cats both dead and alive at the same time and discovered we can create a resident tech that would help today's businesses process the impossible problems like personalizing medicine to prevent advised side effects and addiction, optimizing emergency supply chains and preparing the world for future Black black black Stone.

So now I have uh six kids or six if I my husband and our name is infinity Q and it's a real fashion. Our team is scary smart. And together we develop a brand new type of computers built with analog electronics that diverge center certain quantum effects, bringing the promise of quantum computing to today. And we even surprise ourselves, but it's because of our non traditional strikes that we were able to see outside of our disciplines and get stuff done. And I'm proud to say that we are led and engineered by women in a lovely Canadian form of Montreal. And um my entrepreneur life has been defined by many amazing moments. Like when I came together, we were inspirational female CTO PC. And the funny thing with PC Chris and I have never met in person. Uh this one when we pitched to our investor in London and uh she was stuck in our hometown at Sophia during COVID. So she was building our stuff in our uh living room. But there is something to be said for female nutrition, We clicked in something and I knew she would be the right woman for the job. And I knew our value system much.

So when finally she got her home visa, a work visa and came from home to here and we met in person, we came the two of us and the company, other two great wings when we close our financing, when we moved to our office and as some IKEA furniture together with my neighbor or when we continue to welcome super exciting results in the quantum analog computing space, every little step forward is a victory.

So I'll leave you with this. I would say first, don't listen to people who say it's not possible no matter what stage of your life or career you are. Trust, winstein, trust yourself, everyone has an opinion. But it's very important to understand pe people's personal agenda. And I'm not saying, don't listen to anyone. It's important to have trustful mentors and people who can guide you and provide useful advice. What I'm saying. Is learn to peter out knowledge and use your critical mind, listen to your own judgment, but don't lie to yourself. And once you do that, things will start to align and fall into place. And especially in tech, it's not always easy to explain the technology to invest and they will focus on risk, but don't give up provide proof. Because at the end of the day, what matters is what you bring to customers. My next takeaway is if you first entrepreneur, entrepreneur, your tech idea is not successful and you may not be take what you learned and apply it to your next one. And I think every entrepreneur will tell you that fail and learn, fail again and learn. And it's part of your journey. You don't realize you don't really learn how to build a, a company in books. So to succeed, you have to be at the right time, the right place with the right people. And I have so much for my previous entrepreneurial adventures and I learned from my career in the Navy. So use your strength, step back and improve.

Also as a woman, be aware that we often suffer from the good girl syndrome and the imposter syndrome. But once you are aware of that, make this for yourself and just do. And uh a little bit anecdote, I remember when I was visiting the Nebula Academy for the first time and I met this guy and she was barely older than me, but she looked so much older and mature in her uniform. And I got impressed and I think, you know, I was wondering if I would be able to be at a place in a couple of years and it was my first time of my imposer syndrome. And I think as a woman, we want to be perfect, as we were told, you know, be the best, have good grades, learn by hard lessons and somehow we forget who truly are. And I always, I always try to be a, a good girl, you know, a good officer obedient, doing my best to please my commanding officers. Also, when they just, you know, consider me as a woman who would come in in our life and be super good at. Hr Yeah, without highlighting my great technical results.

And ironically when I decided to quit the Navy to move to Montreal, something interesting happens, you know, I decided to be my true self and as I'm giving my opinion, oh no, I, I was knowing I was reading so I didn't really feel the impact on my career. But frankly, I noticed that I became more respected and one and one thing I noticed also when I attended the different presentation of our CEO in success. During my interview, I was listening to the CEO S and to be honest, uh really felt that I wasn't that different from them and what they were explaining, resonated in me, I knew I could do this and I would love it. So I think I kind of got rid of my imposter and my gyros next would be, you know, when possible, always promote other women in sex. I think we need to encourage women to embrace career in inside, starting with exposure uh to it at a young age and I have two daughters. Uh and I'm trying to make them aware of them who was about seeing what I'm doing every day. And as the CEO I tried to provide that equity for women. And actually, I'm here to women's entrepreneurial journey in the tech industry.

And finally, I would say if there is no seat at the table available, it's time to build your own that house and you are the only one responsible of your destiny and the other women. And we are really powerful and resent for us to be the con we just have to find passion and fate. Thank you for having me share a little bit of my story and I hope it will inspire some of you to listen to yourself and trust yourself. Now we are uh some minutes left. Um I'd like to open the floor to you to share some of your thought. Or do you have any question? How about? Thank you. Yeah, they push in the chatops.

Thank you for your kind comments. Any questions? More strategy for imposter syndrome? That's a very good question because uh we will, it's really about your self-confident and your self esteem. So I think every day try to focus on your little victory and, and don't try to uh put too much pressure on your shoulder, just try to uh you know, every day, find your positive uh little victory and um you know, celebrate every, every little positive uh steps and, you know, you will see uh step, step, um step after step, you will improve your self-confidence.

And it's all about, you know, the, the mental health, mental health is key. You need to feel

good

to, you know, to add your true yourself. How do you find people that support you? That's uh another very good question I would say, start with your family and friends first because, you know, family, they are here every day. And me, I'm really lucky to have a very loving uh husband. Also, I would say um mentors, it's very important to have a mentor and people who share the same value with you. So they can really give you some uh some tips, you know, when you have uh

um

question or, you know, it's important to have people you can talk to and you can discuss topics. So uh myself, I, I have a, a very good mentor and when I have questions, I just, you know, call her and see, oh what do you think about that? And uh it's good to have also an external point of view. So you can uh you know, balance ideas. Oh, that's uh another question about how I handle my Children. Um It's really all about organization because I have four kids and uh it's not easy every day. And sometimes with my husband, we are like, oh my God, uh who will uh take the little one to the daycare? And so it's really to uh kind of navigate ahead and know that, you know, today I'm the one who will uh take it into the daycare. And then, and then I put all the different events in my calendar. So I don't forget anything otherwise, you know, I'm an old lady and I, I forget. But uh yeah, it's, it's uh very important to uh you know, keep some time, for example, and I keep some time between uh 5 to, to 7, I would say really dedicated to my family. And then usually I do all my un mean stuff uh in the evening then when everybody is at is, is in bed and sleeping. Yeah. Thank you everyone. Thank you.

Ok.