Founder spotlight: Biliana Rajevic
The final iteration of our spotlight series is Biliana Rajevic, co-founder of Quantum Women.
Quantum Women is a professional network of current and rising women leaders in Quantum Technology and related Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics fields.
We spoke with Biliana about her journey in starting Quantum Women, the challenges facing women in the emerging technology sector, and advice she'd pass along to women considering a career in the industry.
Tell us a bit about yourself
I started my career in the mid-90s in New York with what is essentially today considered product management, with a global provider of data analytics software for financial firms.
After business school, I transitioned into investment banking, working across equity capital markets, leveraged finance, and asset securitisation for about 10 years.
Since moving to Australia, I’ve worked in investor relations, business development, leading a tech start-up, and even having a go at being a tech co-founder. I certainly don’t have a “traditional” background. But I have now acquired a great set of skills, knowledge, and perspective that I seek to pass on to those just starting out in their careers, specifically through Quantum Women.
Can you tell us a bit about the organisation you co-founded, Quantum Women, and what made you decide to launch it?
Quantum Women is connecting two crucial issues of our time: the quantum revolution and empowering women in quantum and related fields. We are a professional network, a registered not-for-profit organisation with ACNC, aiming to help propel women into positions of leadership and power. We do so through initiatives that elevate their voices and empower each member of our community to influence change for themselves and others. These initiatives include workshops, webinars, networking events, and, in the future, mentorship/ coaching programs.
We officially launched last year, and I need to say upfront that the launch never would have been possible without my co-founder Dr. Irene Fernández de Fuentes – then a Ph.D. candidate at UNSW and now a postdoctoral researcher at QuTech in the Netherlands where she is working on expanding our European footprint – as well as senior stakeholders in the quantum tech community in Australia who are strong supporters of our organisation. And the progress we’ve had since launch would never be possible without our amazing team of volunteers who have been with us on this journey almost from the beginning.
We all share the belief that quantum technology be developed with strong input from women and that we create a community of future women leaders so there are footsteps the next generation can follow.
What three words would you use to describe your work, and why?
Rewarding: having spent a big part of my career on Wall Street, the rewards I was looking for at the time were very much self-serving. The world revolved around me and my needs and wants. I am at a point in my life where I find a lot of joy in enabling others and sharing my 25+ years of experience and perspective with those who are in their 20s or 30s, helping them succeed.
Scary: whenever you start something from scratch, that struggle to establish your company/product, etc, and get stakeholder/community/customer recognition and buy-in are always daunting.
Fun: we are all having a great time building Quantum Women!
What does your typical day look like?
Since this is not my day job, I don’t really have a typical day! The Quantum Women work begins after my day job ends, so evenings, early morning before work, and weekends.
Last year I spent a lot of time on governance, ensuring that we lay the right structural foundation. This year, my time will be spent on pursuing partnerships, and supporting the team so they can lead our planned activities. I have a lot of insight into how they can position themselves and our community to excel and thrive in their workplace, but they also have incredible insight into their peers’ needs. I want to serve as an enabler for them so they can be an enabler for our community.
What have been the biggest challenges you’ve faced launching Quantum Women?
Focus, structure, order: there is SO much we want to do, but we need to put the right structure around our ideas, activities, and programs.
Finding the time: since everyone on our team has day jobs, it is challenging to push people to execute ideas in a timely fashion, myself included. We have to be mindful of everyone’s responsibilities outside Quantum Women.
Sustainability as an organisation: we are not building a product that we can sell to customers and grow revenue. In the near future, we are going to approach organisations to support us with financial and in-kind contributions so that we can create activities and programs that are both aligned with their strategic diversity objectives and our community’s needs.
We are incredibly fortunate to have Stone & Chalk as our Ecosystem Collaborator. The resources provided to us have been instrumental to our success in our formative stage.
What advice would you give to women considering a career in the emerging technology industry? What do you wish you had known?
If you have a curious mind, the emerging tech industry is for you! Pursue your passion and don’t let societal norms or stereotypes hold you back. Although the industry is very male-dominated, it's important to remember that diversity of perspective is crucial for innovation and the betterment of society. You bring valuable perspectives and skills to the table. The industry is constantly changing, so stay adaptable, open to new challenges, and don’t let setbacks bring you down.
I wish I had better appreciated the importance of being more outspoken and self-promoting throughout the early years of my career. That is one of the outcomes I hope to achieve with Quantum Women: pushing people outside their comfort zone, elevating their voices, and making them realise that if you want something, just go for it!
