
Flavilla Fongang: From the Ghetto of Paris to Rewriting the Rules of Success & Leadership
Speaking up when it's easier to stay silent taught me that change doesn’t come from conformity.
Speaking up when it's easier to stay silent taught me that change doesn’t come from conformity.
As a non-tech founder building a tech product, I have faced many challenges. I am seen as being 'older' at 62, but I have used this to my advantage.
Around six years ago, my marriage ended very suddenly and unexpectedly — over breakfast, no less. I had thought I had it all… I had a choice: give in, or go all in. I chose to go all in… That decision has shaped my work ever since. It fuelled my determination to encourage women to rewrite the rules.
The one thing I have learned from all of this is that access is the game-changer... We will change it, investor or not.
I had to unlearn a lot, especially the belief that success looks a certain way, comes at a certain time, or requires permission from anybody but me.
What makes me a Disruptor is the refusal to accept that business success must come at the expense of ethical practices or feminist values.
Being a Disruptor has been a central theme in my life, particularly in my professional journey. Founding BYP Network was a direct response to the systemic inequalities I observed in both the corporate world and the sports industry.
At the age of 10, I was introduced to the world of neurodivergence. In the past, I would have said I was "diagnosed" as if it were a condition that would prevent me from living a wildly wonderful and creative life.
Navigating a world that wasn't built for people who can only use one arm has led me to think more creatively, be innovative, adapt and be resilient.