Arosha Brouwer on Scaling Workplace Wellbeing with Impact and Integrity | Show notes episode 122 – Women Disrupting Tech

What if scaling a company does not mean adding features and employees?

When Arosha Brouwer and her co-founder saw that the product they were building at Quan needed to be end-to-end, they could have decided to build everything in-house.

But they knew that this would cost millions, and come with the risk of watering down what was already working.

So they decided on one final pivot. And in episode 122, Arosha Brouwer returns to Women Disrupting Tech to share how Quan found the right home through an acquisition by TrueTribe.

Scroll down to explore the lessons from this conversation, or listen to the episode using the links below.

3 Lessons From This Conversation

Picture of Arosha Brouwer, co-founder of Quan and Chief Impact Officer at TrueTribe, with a quote from episode 122 of the podcast Women Disrupting Tech, which features an interview with her.

When Arosha described the process of joining TrueTribe, one thing stood out to me: she never lost sight of the mission. Our conversation teaches three important lessons:

Focus to protect your mission and impact.

Quan could have ended like many startups, losing focus in pursuit of doing it all. But Arosha and her co-founder, Lucy, recognized early that their product solved a real pain point, yet wasn’t ready to become the all-in-one solution the market wanted. They knew that broadening the product too soon could dilute their focus and erode their core strength. As Arosha said, “If you’re not super focused, you could die in the process.”

Mission comes before ownership.

Most exit stories celebrate the wealth that was generated for founders and investors. Quan’s deal was not about selling out. Arosha deliberately chose not to cling to control. Her choice was never about equity but about sustaining impact. “It was never about ownership. It was always about impact.”

Privilege comes with responsibility.

Arosha and her co-founder Lucy found themselves ‘lucky’ to receive funding and get access to stages where women are often absent. That privilege came with weight. As Arosha put it: “We feel the responsibility to make our companies a success for the sisters that come after us.”

These lessons show that an exit through an acquisition can protect and even strengthen the values that a company was built on.

Ready to inspire your network? Share this post with a fellow founder who needs to hear this story of mission-driven growth.

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Or scroll down for magical moments, practical takeaways, and my own observations.

Highlights and timestamps

Time	Highlight
02:05	Arosha’s New Role and Impact Focus
05:00	True Tribe and Quan: A Partnership for Wellbeing
08:11	Predictive Analytics in Workplace Wellbeing
11:09	Acquisition Journey: Aligning Missions
13:53	The Importance of Integrity in Business
16:53	Navigating the Acquisition Process
19:46	The Decision to Pursue Acquisition
22:54	The Value of Focus in Business
25:51	Opportunities Post-Acquisition
28:42	The Pressure of Being a Female Founder
31:33	Letting Go: The Transition of Quan
34:41	Building a Legacy Through Impact
37:05	Lessons Learned from VC Funding
40:01	Healthy Investor Relations
42:49	The Role of Allies in Entrepreneurship
45:46	Advice for Aspiring Female Founders

3 Magic Moments In The Episode

Every conversation I’ve had with Arosha shows how she combines personal integrity with business drive with a sharp strategic focus on what really matters. Here are three moments that highlight how Arosha thinks and what she values most.

“As an impact founder, you don’t just sell your company.”

This quote is a reminder that a deal can either dilute or amplify your mission. The episode shows how this belief guided Arosha and Quan to find their future with TrueTribe.

The dentist analogy

Quan is like an X-ray. It only becomes valuable when a specialist explains it. That is why the fit with TrueTribe worked so well: their predictive software spots the problem, Quan diagnoses the cause, and together they offer a complete solution.

Putting ego aside

She wanted her story to show what is possible: that a woman of colour without a technical background can start from zero, build something real, and achieve an exit while keeping the mission intact. Doing that meant putting her ego aside so the mission could stand taller than personal credit.

These moments shift the meaning of success from personal wins to collective possibility and remind us that magic does not always come from big announcements. It comes from clarity, patience, and choices that protect what truly matters.

💡 What was your favorite moment in the episode? Share yours in the comments. Then scroll down for more takeaways and links to listen.

Practical Takeaways for Founders

Arosha’s advice is both sharp and usable. It comes from lived experience as a founder. Here are three takeaways to get you started right:

Know what investors are really after

Having investors on board comes with responsibilities, not only to them, but also to their investors. Arosha’s advice: be clear on whether your idea is truly built for billion-dollar scale. Otherwise, you risk forcing your company onto a path that does not fit.

Make sure one founder can tell the story.

Arosha did most of the storytelling on various international stages. Her co-founder, Lucy, equally capable, stayed predominately behind the scenes to focus on building. That balance worked because the mission was both communicated and delivered.

Be patient and do the groundwork.

Two years before the acquisition, Arosha and Lucy already saw that scaling would be a challenge. Instead of rushing, they slowed down to explore options carefully. They also did 300 conversations before shaping Quan, making sure they understood the problem space of workplace wellbeing deeply before committing to a solution.

These takeaways remind founders that growth is not only about speed or capital. It is about clarity, patience, and knowing when to protect what you already do well.

🙋🏻‍♀️ Know a founder who could benefit from these clarity, patience, and mission lessons? Tag them in the comments or share this episode directly. It could be the clarity they need!

Or scroll down to discover an inspiring quote and learn about my own takeaways.

The Quote From The Episode

“It was never about the ownership. It was always about the impact.”

Arosha Brouwer, Chief Impact Officer at TrueTribe and co-founder of Quan

3 Things That Changed The Way I Think

This is the third episode where I interview Arosha. So you’d think we covered almost all aspects of her life as a founder. Yet, when I reflected back on this one, I noted these three notes to self:

The weight of responsibility

Until I heard Arosha say it, I never realized that women founders who receive funding often feel they carry the responsibility for those who come after them. That insight made me see how personal success is tied to collective progress.

The integrity in letting go

What struck me most was how she put her ego aside. She wanted her story to prove it is possible for a woman of colour without a technical background to build something from zero and reach an acquisition. For her, integrity meant protecting the mission, not her own stake.

“I continue as the conscience of TrueTribe.”

She said it with a laugh, but the meaning was serious. It changed the way I think about exits. They are not the end of a journey. They can be a way to carry your values forward into a larger structure.

These shifts show me that exits are not only about strategy. They are also about responsibility, humility, and the power of legacy.

👉 What were moments in the episode that changed your thinking? Let me know in the comments.

And if you’re ready to discover what else Arosha and I cover, listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

A Question for You 🤔

When you think about an exit, what is the one value you would fight hardest to carry forward into the new structure?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments or message me directly. I’d love to hear your take.

Coming Up On Women Disrupting Tech

Well, next week will be truly magical again. VC Investor Azin Radsan van Alebeek shares her journey from Stanford to stay-at-home mom to being a co-producer of the movie “Show Her The Money”.

Why she invested time and money in this movie as a VC? Here’s why:

Click to hear Azin share the moment she knew the movie was making the right impact.

So stay tuned for more Women Disrupting Tech. And until the next episode, as always, Keep Being Awesome!

Dirkjan

PS If you fear missing out, subscribe to updates or follow the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube.

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About Arosha Brouwer

Arosha Brouwer is a wellbeing evangelist and the co-founder of Quan, a B2B SaaS company that helps teams measure and manage their mental health and wellbeing. Before starting Quan, she worked in consulting and innovation across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.

In 2022, Quan became one of the first female-led Dutch startups to enter Y Combinator. That milestone placed Arosha’s mission on the global stage. Over the years, Quan secured funding from a mix of US and European institutional backers, impact funds, and angel investors.

After Quan was acquired by TrueTribe, Arosha stepped into the role of Chief Impact Officer. She continues to guide the mission of workplace wellbeing, making sure Quan’s values remain part of how TrueTribe grows.

You can connect with Arosha on LinkedIn.

And don’t forget to listen to the earlier episodes to hear more about her founder journey before Quan was acquired.

About TrueTribe

TrueTribe is a Dutch HR tech company led by CEO Mayke Nagtegaal. Their mission is to make employee wellbeing a structural priority inside organizations. Instead of offering one-off perks, TrueTribe helps companies spot early signs of stress, absenteeism, and disengagement, and then take action based on real data.

With the acquisition of Quan, TrueTribe can now go a step further. Their platform not only highlights risks in wellbeing but also diagnoses the root causes and points to what leaders can do about them. You can learn more about TrueTribe on the website and by following the company on LinkedIn.

Events that Women Disrupting Tech Must-Attend

October is loaded with great events, and I’ve found some cool ones. Below is one event you definitely want to check out. For a full overview of all events, including links to buy tickets, please check the events page.

Diverse Leaders in Tech Events

If you like being in the know about what is happening in the DEI space, Diverse Leaders in Tech is the place to be.

Every last Thursday of the month, they have monthly in-person meetups for tech people, HR leaders and supporters of diversity to exchange insights, tackle challenges, and take action. It’s a vibrant, safe space where diversity is celebrated.

You can register for events on the DLiT website. Did I mention that joining your first event is free?

FemHealth: women-friendly healthcare in 2040

Hear from the experts on female health what the future of Female Health in the Netherlands should look like.

Date: 7 October 2025
Location: Dauphine, Amsterdam
Time: 15:00 – 18:00 hours
Tickets: on Eventbrite

What I Want To Leave You With

Arosha Brouwer’s story is a beautiful personal milestone for her. It is also the first full-circle exit we have had on this podcast. She showed that focus, integrity, and mission are not just words on a slide but forces that can guide real decisions in high-stakes moments. And by choosing impact over ownership, she created an example that will make it easier for others to follow.

Her story also shows how workplace wellbeing, when scaled with integrity, can reach further when the right partners come together.

Listen to episode 122 on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube and hear Arosha Brouwer on Scaling Workplace Wellbeing with Impact and Integrity.

Arosha Brouwer on Scaling Workplace Wellbeing with Impact and Integrity | Show notes episode 122

3 Lessons From This Conversation