This is part of a bi-weekly series of profiles about women in business.
Though Boston University students can get their fill of rock climbing at the Fitness and Recreation Center, Natalie Siddique, a 2013 College of Arts and Sciences graduate, is providing the platform for those who love to experience the real thing with Moja Gear. On Saturday, the California-based online marketplace launched as a place for rock climbers to discover content and peruse through products. Siddique, who majored in international relations and eastern European studies, has forgone a career in diplomacy for a faster-paced entrepreneurial venture.
Daily Free Press: What is Moja Gear?
Natalie Siddique: The actual company is Moja Outdoors. Moja Outdoors is essentially a concept that starts with Moja Gear, which is the central hub for rock climbers to explore content, engage with one another and purchase products. It’s what we call an ecosystem. It is a functioning environment for rock climbing enthusiasts. Personally, we are all rock climbers.
You say that you are content and community driven. Can you elaborate on that?
Yeah, absolutely. Every other online outdoor retailer that exists right now really doesn’t care about creating an experience. It’s a very transactional approach, a really robotic movement of selling products through promotions. It should be more than that, in our opinion [at Moja Gear]. By community driven, look at us online. Essentially all of our content is user-submitted and it really revolves around our community of climbers.
Are there any plans to bring Moja Gear to Boston?
I grew into the sport in Boston. It changed my life when I was studying at BU. I would absolutely love to extend the reach out there. Actually, our designer and developer is a BU graduate and she was a freelancer. She works remotely from Boston. We also work with a developer in India, so we are a little bit global.
At BU, you majored in international relations. Why the career change?
I was on a very strict path to pursue a career in foreign service. Throughout my time in Boston, that was what I wanted to do. All my classes circulated around that. My second major was Russian and Eastern European studies, which I pursued with a lot of passion as well. I still love everything that I learned and despite being in entrepreneurship, all the skills that I learned on that path to becoming a diplomat really have been pivotal, enabling me to thrive in this startup environment. I just feel like I am able to do a lot more than I might have [in a career in international relations].
As a female entrepreneur, are there certain things you have to be cognizant of?
There are probably between 10 to 15 companies and …. about three females [in those companies], so it is definitely a male-dominated arena right now. But I think you just have to be cognizant. Everything you are doing is just as important [as what men are doing]. It’s just exciting and it’s a great environment. I’ve had nothing but encouragement.
Compared to a career in diplomacy, how does entrepreneurship compare in terms of being accepting of women?
One of the reasons I changed [careers] is because, like it or not, for women, it [diplomacy] is a very demanding career, especially if you have a desire to have a relationship or maybe have kids. Not that I do. But looking into the future, it is a very demanding position. It can be really intense too. It wasn’t an investment of my time I wanted to put in at this stage of my life. With entrepreneurship, it’s very quick-paced. Every day is different. I am not sitting in an office issuing visas. I am making business decisions every day. Just what this career path entails, those are the major differences. [In] entrepreneurship right now, being a woman has a lot of advantages and people listen and don’t take you for granted. It’s a newer, more quick-paced environment.
What has been the biggest challenge of starting Moja Gear?
That’s a hard one. I think we have a clear passion for what we are doing. Making sure there was purpose for it. That took a lot of time, a lot of interviews. Otherwise, I remember in high school waking up to go to school at six in the morning. I wake up every day at five now and I am working and I love every moment of it.
What advice would you give to aspiring female entrepreneurs?
Don’t hesitate to pursue an idea. Make sure you do a lot of testing and know that you need to keep pushing. There are going to be times where it is hard but it is always worth it and there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.
