#WomensMonth | Rapt’s Genevieve van Vuuren: Courage driven by curiosity

Genevieve van Vuuren, strategic business and innovation partner at Rapt is driven by curiosity, an obsession with detail, and the courage to take a different route (Image supplied)

She says her parents play a big role in this.

“My mom has run her own business since I was a kid, and my dad never treated me differently from my brother; if anything, he over-indexed on teaching me “boy” skills like using a power tool or changing a tyre.”

This, and a keen curiosity that she says never went away, inspired her to pursue a career in the creative industry.

“I’ve always been fascinated by a wide range of things - at different points I wanted to be an artist, a geologist, and a marine biologist.”
Instead, she worked in market research, consulting, and advertising.

“All three of these arenas were spaces where I got to become an expert in whatever my clients were passionate about - whether it was robotics, VR, haircare, or the texture of a potato chip.”

Staying curious, backing yourself

Staying curious and backing herself are some of the ways that she has overcome challenges in her career.

“A challenge I often faced, particularly early on in my career, was perception - both my own and that of others.

“Sometimes people underestimate you before you’ve even spoken, and sometimes you underestimate yourself.”

She learnt to challenge both.

“My philosophy is: if you don’t ask, the answer is always no; don’t ask for permission to do what you know is right - you can always apologise later.

She adds, "Also make peace with the fact that no one really knows what they’re doing - we’re all making it up as we go along.”

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Courage to take a different route

That said, she is very serious in her role as a leader.

“I believe great leadership is built on courage, conviction, curiosity, and kindness.”

She leads by empowering her teams, asking the hard questions, and making sure people feel heard.

She adds, “Being a woman can be an advantage because empathy and adaptability are often second nature; it’s a disadvantage when people mistake those same qualities for weakness.”

As for work, she says she is most proud of is helping clients completely rethink their path —"challenging the so-called 'right way' and creating something truly unique”.

These projects, she explains, have succeeded because they’re driven by genuine curiosity, an obsession with detail, and the courage to take a different route instead of following the obvious path.

“That mindset has shaped where I am today and underpins my proudest achievements (also my more recent): empowering our teams with cutting-edge technology like Unreal Engine for virtual production, and building out AI tools and solutions.”

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Celebrate the women before us

She encourages women who want to enter or progress in the industry to be curious and allow themselves to become obsessed with what they’re working on.

“Permit yourself to make mistakes - experience will give you conviction, but you’ll never have certainty at the start.

“Don’t wait for the perfect moment or the perfect plan. And remember, the most interesting and rewarding careers are rarely linear.”

She adds to this that Women’s Month is about recognising that there’s no one “right” way to be a woman, and that every path - from boardroom to home - is valid and valuable.

“It’s a reminder to celebrate the women who have gone before us and those who inspire us every day - like my mom, who has run a successful business for decades without ever feeling she had to become “more like a man” to succeed.”