She-Inspires"When I feel I am spending too much time at work I know that next week I will balance it out with my family"
She-Inspires
"When I feel I am spending too much time at work I know that next week I will balance it out with my family"
Liri Halperin Segal, Co-Founder and CEO at LeO, shows that it is possible to raise children, build a company and help others
Four years ago, serial entrepreneur Liri Halperin Segal, Co-Founder and CEO at LeO, co-founded Parliament51 together with Daniel Ofek. The organization aims to help women reach C-level positions in the workplace by providing practical tools for executives. “At insurance for example, 60% of the workforce in the U.S. is female. However, there are very few that have reached C-level. This is where organizations need to push and we educate them on how to do it."
Parliament51 has partnered with large organizations such as HP and Salesforce. “We were invited to speak at the UN and our next event is speaking at the U.S. Congress on Women's Day 2023,” Halperin Segal says with excitement.
Halperin Segal founded her first startup, Dealiri, at the age of 24, following a short period as a journalist covering the startup scene. “I decided to open my first startup which was a recommendation site for DIY (do it yourself) projects. I began selling kits as I saw there was a need and I ended up selling more than I thought I would.” Soon the company turned into a startup. “I added two co-founders, expanded abroad and became Take & Make - a DIY platform creating kits for thought leaders and YouTubers. Today the company is called Outgage, an offline/online gifting platform and it's doing great."
Following Outgage, Halperin Segal decided to start something new and founded LeO. “I knew nothing about insurance but I had an experience with an agent and realized insurance is fertile ground for entrepreneurs as there are so many opportunities for innovation." The company started in Israel as a beta site and grew to the U.S. “We needed changes and made sure we have the right solution for the market and today, we are working with large agencies in the U.S. by helping them use data to sell better."
LeO develops an AI-scaling platform for digital transformation tailored for the insurance industry. The company automates processes, provides insights, and executes upon them. To date, the company has raised $8 million to date.
Halperin Segal, a mother of two, admits to feeling no guilt regarding her abilities to juggle work and life. When asked how she does it, Halperin Segal replies: “First of all, marry the right person and set expectations. We have 1-on-1’s every Saturday to plan the week. We also outsource. I don't cook as I have no time, so we buy food and I don't clean. I want to spend quality time with my family. When I am with them I am 100% with them - this is super important as it is very tempting to check your phone. Finally, when I feel I am spending too much time at work I know that next week I will try to balance it out with my family. I don't feel guilty, maybe I should, but it's not a feeling I have in my lexicon."
CTech's She-Inspires series follows the stories of various female leaders in Israel. The interviewees hail from various sectors: some work at high level positions in large organizations, some are founders, and some are key players in industries aimed at changing the world for the better. The goal is to learn where they came from, where they are going and how they are bringing inspiration to an entire sector making its way towards a glass ceiling just waiting to burst.
What was your childhood like?
“Both my parents are entrepreneurs. My father has his own company and my mom also had a few initiatives. They always let us feel like we can do anything. And If we fail, it's okay, we move on. We felt like we had superpowers. I felt special and my siblings did too as they are both very successful.”
What would your tip be for girls who want to grow to be successful?
“They should jump into the water,” said Halperin Segal. “My husband and I don't ever want to feel like we missed out on something we could have done. I tell my daughters to be fearless, to see the fear and do it anyway. Similar to the Dr. Seuss quote ‘Take every chance, drop every fear’."
First published: 12:26, 21.12.22
