Do you have amazing women in your life? We sure do at Farmbot, strong, independent, driven and from diverse backgrounds.
Leading into International Women’s Day we asked some of the Farmbot women to share a few things and here is what they had to say….
Rachael Dunn is Farmbot’s longest-serving Business Development Manager. She works across New South Wales, Northern Territory and Queensland. Rach’s office is both in her car and at home in Cudal, NSW, where she lives with her “superpartner, kids and menagerie”. Upon sitting down with Rachael to ask about the women in her life and why she thinks gender equality is important she stated that “A gender-equal world is a mind space – I am already in one, as are most of my colleagues, friends and agricultural women. My sphere – personal, Farmbot and, of course, my amazing and resilient clients are strong, empathetic, hard-working and passionate women – they all inspire me.”
From Rach who spends most of her time on the road to Simone Barakat who is heavily involved in the backend software development of the Farmbot platform. Simone is a product owner and business analyst, who previously worked at agtech and fintech startup AgriDigital, with a particular focus on grain supply chain management in the US and Australia. She has a Bachelor in Food and Agribusiness (Honours Class I) from the University of Sydney. Simone’s interest in the agriculture and tech industry has led her to each of her roles where she hopes that “By working in the space, I hope to break down that stigma and encourage other women to consider a career in agtech. I’ve had the privilege of working for and alongside many women across the agtech space. I am forever inspired by the incredible talent and diversity of ideas that women can bring to the table in this industry.”
From backend software development to Marketing, Mary Carter is from a superfine merino property in the Northern Tablelands of NSW. Mary is a marketing assistant at Farmbot while finishing her Bachelor Degree in Marketing and Communications. Before Farmbot, Mary was an event coordinator at the Fleece to Fashion awards which enticed emerging designers to use natural fibres, particularly merino wool and assistant at Henry and Grace, an Australian merino wool label. When asking Mary what the 8th of March meant to her, she noted that “International Women’s Day serves two purposes. Firstly, it is a catalyst for change towards industries and sectors that need to do more in ensuring there is equality and open conversations towards forging a gender-equal environment. However, it’s also a beautiful day that invites us to celebrate and reflect upon the incredible women within our lives, whether they are our mothers, sisters, colleagues or friends. The women I work and socialise with amaze me every day with their strength to overcome adversity. All women in my life make me proud with how they are all-inclusive and willing to share knowledge, creativity, learnings, stories and experiences. The support I feel within a room filled with women passionate about their sector or industry is incredibly uplifting and empowering.”
Catalina Chaparro Solano is from Colombia, where she studied industrial engineering. She is the Logistics Manager, another long-standing employee at Farmbot. When sitting down with Catalina asking her views of gender-equality, she believes that it “must be taught from home, encouraging and empowering girls to develop and strengthen their rights to learn and develop emotional and mental skills. Latin American women are known to be tireless in the scheme of following their dreams, and each time I meet one of them in Australia, it makes me feel so proud of where I come from.”
From Catalina with Colombian heritage to Elizabeth Cameron, who grew up on her family property in southern NSW. Elizabeth is the Marketing and Communications Manager and has a passion for supporting the agriculture industry, which stemmed from growing up on a property. Elizabeth recently moved to Sydney to join the Farmbot team after 10 years in Melbourne, a short stint in London and Jerilderie. Elizabeth remarks that “Agriculture has been known as a male-dominated industry, with more women gradually taking leadership positions, it is important to keep highlighting the roles they are playing. Education, encouragement and ensuring women not only have a seat at the table but are also driving conversation are all pivotal in driving a gender-equal industry. To assist with driving a gender-equal industry there should be higher importance powered at an executive level to draw more women to the industry.” In light of International Women’s Day, Elizabeth shared some insights in her personal life and career where she has been “fortunate to be surrounded by many amazing women. Working in a small business means that you are lucky enough to work closely across all departments. This forms a strong understanding of one another where we can learn, drive for success and most importantly, have fun. I also want to call out rural women, I spent ten months on my family property last year. It was an excellent reminder of how adaptable and caring the rural community is. No matter the age you’re included in the conversation. Care is taken to listen and inspire the next generation of rural women to grow.”
From one Southern lady to the next, Tess O’Hagan is the Customer Service Manager at Farmbot and juggles two boys who love sport and are on the go 24/7. Tess was born in LaTrobe Valley, Victoria, before moving to Sydney where she has resided for the last 27 years. Being a Mum of two boys, Tess’s views on gender equality is focused on educating her “boys that there are no limitations based on gender. Focusing on how important it is to not stereotype someone based on their gender.”
“Unfortunately still today kids tv shows stereotype our gender roles and I often have to remind my boys that those shows are no longer the reality of society. I hope to see them both actively working in years to come where it’s not even thought about if their superior is female or male or what the ratio is in their workplace.” Tess’s views on the women which she works with is that they “are an amazing group with a huge array of skills and achievements. Making for a dynamic workplace filled with fun, laughter and lots of successes.” Farmbot is a workplace that is inclusive of women. Each of these women have phenomenal views and outlooks, we are fortunate to have many of them leading and driving their teams to inspire future leaders of the industry.
