A name with
a purpose.
The Romans associated Minerva with wisdom and the arts. I liked the idea of a goddess who could think, create and act, and thought that was a rather excellent combination to borrow for a business name.
When I founded Minerva Empowerment, I wanted those qualities to shape the way I worked.
The heart of my reason for starting Minerva was to empower women to start and grow their businesses, and to build financial independence through their ideas. Women have so many practical, thoughtful ways to solve everyday problems. I wanted to help more of those ideas find the confidence, tools and support to grow, and to make room for perspectives that do not always get heard.
Knowledge matters. I love learning, looking at a problem from different directions and understanding the people behind the numbers. Strategy is far more interesting when you can see how it will change someone’s day.
Creativity matters just as much. The best idea needs to come to life. It might become a campaign, a customer experience, a beautifully clear website or a small moment that makes someone smile and remember a brand.
Minerva herself represents something else I admire in a leader. She has intellect, authority and a very good helmet.
I believe a woman’s perspective in business and leadership is imperative. Women often arrive at the table having navigated different experiences, expectations and responsibilities. Those experiences can shape which questions we ask, what we notice and how we understand people.
Of course, women do not all think alike, nor do men. That is precisely why different perspectives make leadership stronger. A room becomes more interesting, and its decisions better informed, when more people can contribute what they see.
For me, empowerment means giving people the confidence, opportunities and tools to do something meaningful with their ideas.
That extends to marketing. Good marketing builds healthy businesses, but it can also help customers make better decisions, bring communities together, open doors and make people’s lives a little easier.
So the name Minerva is a small declaration of what I value: learning, courage, thoughtful leadership and creativity with a purpose.
If the statue looks as though she knows something the rest of us don’t, perhaps she does. I rather like that about her.
Fiona van Iersel | Founder, Minerva Empowerment
