Empowering Indigenous Women in Tech: A Vision of Support

Indigenous-SME small business magazine
Image Courtesy: Virtual Gurus

We had an interview with Bobbie Racette, Founder & CEO of Virtual Gurus, stands at the forefront of tech innovation and social impact. As a proud Métis-Cree entrepreneur, Bobbie is redefining the virtual assistance industry while creating pathways for underrepresented communities. Under her leadership, Virtual Gurus has expanded across North America, with ambitious plans for global growth. Bobbie’s commitment to inclusivity, flexible work policies, and fostering belonging in the workplace has transformed Virtual Gurus into a beacon of opportunity. Her influence extends far beyond business, inspiring Indigenous women in tech and mentoring the next generation of leaders. In this interview, Bobbie shares her vision for expansion, technology advancement, and uplifting diverse voices in the workforce.


What are Virtual Gurus’ plans for global expansion in 2025?

As we kick of 2025, I’m excited about what’s ahead for Virtual Gurus and how we’ll continue to grow.  We continue to expand our services with our human-powered virtual reception services to further what we can offer our clients. We will also continue to grow VG Connect, our AI-powered virtual receptionist service which launched at the end of 2024.  We are excited to see both of these new services help our clients better manage their customer interactions. Of course, we’ll continue to grow and expand our virtual assistant services across Canada and into the United States. We’re also looking ahead to growing our business across the globe.  I was lucky to travel to Vietnam and Taiwan to find ways we can extend our services, especially our AI, in Asia. I am off to SIngapore in the coming months to continue that effort! 


How can strategies be developed to create more job opportunities for underrepresented communities?

I think workplaces need to focus on creating a space where folx from underrepresented communities will be able to show up as their true selves. Three things we focus on at Virtual Gurus both with our full-time employees as well as in the jobs we create for our virtual assistants that help to create opportunities are:

Cultivating belonging: Encouraging open dialogue, celebrating diverse identities, and creating spaces where everyone feels they belong and can thrive authentically. 

Fostering Inclusive Leadership: Training leaders to prioritize DEIB in decision-making, creating a culture where diverse voices are valued and respected. 

Create Flexible Work Policies: Implementing policies that accommodate diverse needs such as maternity leave, mental health support, and work-life balance to make the workplace more inclusive and supportive.

Image Courtesy: Virtual Gurus

What are the goals for advancing technology in the virtual assistance industry?

There are so many goals for the year ahead. We will continue to use AI and machine learning to better match virtual assistants with clients and provide the tools and technology our clients need to manage their businesses better. We’re very excited about VG Connect and using AI to integrate seamlessly into our clients’ customer interactions. 2025 will see us also continue to advance our proprietary Talentplace technology to ensure using virtual assistant services is as seamless and easy as possible for our clients. Overall being able to use technology as a tool to help advance the virtual assistant industry at large is exciting – and we’re proud to be leading the way in doing that!

Image Courtesy: Canva

What is your vision for mentoring and supporting other Indigenous women in tech?

When I first started Virtual Gurus, I was the first Indigenous woman CEO in tech in Canada – now there are so many. For me, my vision is to continue giving back to the tech community through mentorship and being part of their support networks. My motto is “Inspire one person a day, and you will inspire a nation” and I think that very much applies to my vision of mentoring and supporting other Indigenous women in tech. It’s so important to me to inspire and empower other Indigenous women to reach their full potential – providing them with tools, support and encouragement they need to thrive and succeed; and this includes sharing some of my own experiences and lessons I’ve learned along the way. If you’re looking for mentorship from me, please visit bobbieracette.com



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