Giselle Gonzales is the award-winning founder and CEO of EqualReach, a social enterprise bridging the gap between teams of tech skilled refugees and transformative work opportunities by urging the private sector to outsource its digital projects to displaced talent.
A passionate and compassionate leader of her own growing team, Giselle is reimagining the workplace by often being the only female in tech focused boardrooms, encouraging businesses to combine profit with purpose by trusting refugees to deliver on brand development and website design tasks, for example.
With only 5% of leadership positions in the technology sector being held by women, Giselle is often the only woman who isn’t the partner, spouse or sister of a technology company founder in the room. Giselle and her team are working hard to make the technology industry a more attractive, inclusive working environment for all.
Giselle’s mission to reshape the future began in the winter of 2015-2016 when she travelled Europe’s refugee route from Greece to Germany, documenting the realities of forced displacement as millions fled Syria’s war. She met skilled, educated people trapped by invisible barriers, unable to rebuild their lives due to a lack of economic opportunities.
Amidst the crisis, Giselle also saw the power of technology and business to create solutions. That experience ignited a mission and she spent years advocating for refugees and raising awareness. The real question was: How could the private sector be part of the solution?
EqualReach was born when Giselle launched a social enterprise which drives significant, lasting change for skilled workers who would otherwise be offered only low paid roles.
How is Giselle making waves in the world of tech?
In founding EqualReach Giselle has created life-changing opportunities in 13 countries connecting skilled individuals from displaced communities with companies needing tech talent.
EqualReach functions as a freelancing marketplace, but its framework is designed to be a more responsible alternative to traditional gig platforms. Its ethos ensures a fair and sustainable income for workers, protecting rather than exploiting marginalised communities.
Peter Maurer, President of the Basel Institute on Governance and former President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, said: “There is a certainly a strong case for supporting refugees into skilled work. Businesses need to look at refugees as an economic and social asset because it makes perfect sense to build on their skills and capacities. Small steps lead to positive change, and Giselle is highlighting the opportunity for managers to aid humanitarian development by offering dignified work to tech savvy refugees.”
How is Giselle inspiring other female entrepreneurs?
By working for some of the world’s biggest brands and then spending nine years working with displaced communities, Giselle has a profound understanding of both sides of the coin. Her team at EqualReach and those she meets around the world are inspired by her firsthand experience and are empowered by her determination to make impactful long-lasting change.
This viewpoint is endorsed by the fact that EqualReach has achieved a Net Promoter Score of 9.7 out of 10, demonstrating trust earned from clients and teams.
Sharing her experience of how EqualReach has inspired her is Susan Achiech, a successful entrepreneur and prominent advocate for refugee empowerment through technology.
Susan, whose mentorship with EqualReach eventually led to a collaboration on a project, said: “This experience not only guided my professional growth but also inspired the creation of Tech-Femme Algorithms—an initiative I founded to empower refugee and marginalized youth, particularly women, through technology, game development, and digital skills training. Equal Reach played a foundational role in shaping this vision and equipped me with the confidence to pursue new opportunities. The mentorship and support system I received was truly unmatched.”
EqualReach has also won numerous awards, achieving social impact through business while delivering high-quality results to clients. The most recent are below:
- JPMorgan Chase’s Female Founders Rise programme: EqualReach won first place in this programme, which included a cash prize, mentorship and brand exposure.
- Santander X Global Challenge: EqualReach won the global award for Education, Employability, and Entrepreneurship.
- Amazon & Social Shifters Global Innovation Challenge: EqualReach was a winner of this challenge, which recognized innovative solutions for the global refugee crisis.
What is Giselle striving for?
At the One Young World Summit in Munich, during a main stage speaking slot with Z Zurich Foundation, Giselle urged business leaders to commit 10% of their everyday project budgets to outsourcing tech work to skilled refugees. This started a movement for NGOs, SMEs and other enterprises to drive meaningful social impact while still making a profit and experiencing world class project delivery.
Going into 2026 Giselle’s challenge to business leaders is simple: redirect just 10% of your everyday project and service spend to refugee communities. This isn’t about charity; it’s about integrating displaced talent into the core of your business strategy so it can’t be “swept aside” when leadership changes.
If every leader reading this allocates just 10% EqualReach could collectively catalyse millions of pounds in opportunities for communities that deserve to be at the forefront, and improve millions of lives through dignified digital work.
