Even in the 21st century, female computer scientists are few in number and women founders of tech startups are even scarcer, but Ozge Yeloglu doesn’t find her position lonely. The co-founder and CEO of Halifax-based data analytics venture topLog is focused on building her company, mentoring young women in computer science and teaching men in the field how to be less sexist toward their female counterparts.

Male computer scientists don’t always react well to female colleagues, according to Yeloglu, although this can be the result of poor communication as much as outright sexism. Being asked if she was a sales rep when she took her venture to Silicon Valley recently was a bit of a blow, but Yeloglu said she laughed it off.

“I’d gone to the Valley to build relationships with potential investors and partners and to focus on the environment and the competition,” she said. “We have raised some seed money, but will have to raise money again in the next year and it takes a long time to build relationships so I’m starting now, but an organizer thought I was a sales rep. I said, ‘I am kind of a sales person; the CEO makes sales.’ He just laughed and said, ‘That’s great.’”

TopLog was co-founded in 2013 by Yeloglu and two others: Canadian Patrick LaRoche, anothercomputer science student studying for his PhD at Dal;and recent PhD graduateTokunboMakanju, a Nigerian whose thesis formed the basis of the company.

Yeloglu said that topLogmakes life easier for IT operations teams by analyzing the events that take place over IT systems and identifying anything unusual. This knowledge can prevent systems from going down and alert administrators when something unexpected happens.

Originally from Corlu, near Istanbul, Turkey, Yeloglu came to Halifax in 2005 to take her masters in computer science at Dalhousie.

“At university, I found men assumed they were more tech-savvy than me,” she said. “They said I only got awards and scholarships because I am female. You get used to it, but now I realize if we don’t change their perspective they’ll never know they’re doing something wrong. And sometimes men and women communicate differently. If you point things out, they realize.”  

Getting more young women involved in computer science is a passion of hers and she has been actively involved in the Dalhousie Women in Technology Society, and CanWIT National Advisory Council, although during the last year, she has been too busy with topLog for much volunteer work and she has yet to finish her PhD.

“All kids need to know that with a computer science degree the possibilities are endless. For instance, my younger brother Utku is 19. He’s studying mechanical engineering at Dal and wants to get into robotics. He loves to code. Computer Science is not just building apps anymore.”       

Professionally, the last year has been incredibly stressful, Yeloglu said, but worth it.

“First-time entrepreneurs don’t know anything. I’ve had to learn about human resources, communications, how not to take things personally. We were so lucky to get into Volta (the Halifax incubator for startups). It’s not just about a cheap rent, as some may think; it’s about networking, connections, mentorship. Also we did Launch 36, the startup accelerator in New Brunswick; that was very useful too.” 

Yeloglu said topLog’s three founders all love Halifax and want to stay. “But can we? When we get investment from Silicon Valley we may have to move to the Valley. Time will tell. We’re hitting our milestones. We’ve raised our seed round. It’s been a thrill, although that’s probably not a healthy addiction. I couldn’t take a compliment before, but I’ve learned how to. Too many people interpret humility as lack of confidence. In my head, I have to push myself to be arrogant, so I can look confident to those people.”