Ana Lucia Cepeda

Updated March 2017

Growing up in Mexico with a mother who worked part-time, Ana Lucia Cepeda thought that was the norm and that your working life accommodated your lifestyle, but when she entered the professional world she realised the reality was very different.Seeing how many educated women were forced to leave their jobs when they had children because companies were unwilling to offer flexible working was a huge problem for Ana Lucia. It was addressing this crucial social issue that drove her to set up Bolsa Rosa in 2014.

“I just felt I needed to do something to help find a way to help reduce the discrimination and disadvantages of Mexican women in the workplace,” so after much investigation and research amongst companies in the UK and US, the 28-year-old launched Bolsa Rosa, the first and only online job exchange in Mexico aimed at connecting female talent, especially mothers, with flexi-time roles. The company strives to improve the conditions and quality of life for working Mums and reduce the gender gap, by allowing women to pursue their career and achieve a work-life balance.

“The impact is immediate for the women, they’re bringing home an income and its also enhancing their self-esteem. But it also directly affects their family, if they have a husband, it’s bringing home two incomes and if they don’t have a spouse, it’s having a job that pays them well, while still being able to tend to their children.”

Since launch, the company has reached more than 30,000 candidates and more than 3,000 companies have registered, posting 3,800 flexible job offers, with more than 75% hiring through Bolsa Rosa. The average salary posted in the job offer is $US1,500 a month.

Changing the culture

Boosting female talent and helping change the labour market culture in Mexico so that flexible working becomes much more the norm is the mission of Bolsa Rosa. A big part of that change will come from fostering flexi-time working cultures inside companies and Bolsa Rosa is addressing this through its consulting services, which advise companies on implementing flexitime policies. The methodology includes a survey, focus groups and interview before results are analysed and flexitime working policies are proposed. The team supports through the implementation phase with a trial period and workshops, until the new working program is part of the company’s culture.

There are two other strands to the business. A virtual headhunter service which allows clients to recruit through the job board, with the Bolsa Rosa team conducting the phone interviews and putting potential candidates forward. There is also an online service, called ‘Back To Work’, for candidates needing help with their resumes or practice with interviews, to maximise their chances of finding a job. The paid-for service includes a 45-60 minute session via Skype or hangout.

Gaining recognition

Bolsa Rosa is starting to make waves in the Mexican market with business volumes continuing to grow each month. Between 100-130 new companies are using the software, 250-300 job offers are made and more than 2,000 candidates registered. From being pioneers in the Mexican and Latin American market, Bolsa Rosa is now gaining recognition as an expert in promoting gender equality and reducing the gender pay gap.

By 2020, the company plans to have operations in other Latin American countries like Chile, Colombia, Argentina and Costa Rica, enhancing and empowering the lives of thousands more women.

A true believer that changing the world is in our hands, Ana is using Bolsa Rosa to make a huge social impact by providing a solution for women to get a job with fair conditions, driving women to leadership positions and ultimately leading to a better economy.