Cyber Monday Sale! 50% Off Entrepreneur+

Our biggest sale — Get unlimited access at an unbeatable price.
Use code SAVE50 at checkout.*

CLAIM THIS OFFER

Already have an account?

Sign in

*Offer only available to new subscribers.

Entrepreneur Plus - Short White
For Subscribers

Breaking Ground An entrepreneur uses a mother's touch to help keep workplaces safe.

By Andrea C. Poe

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Being a woman in a male-dominated industry has given Tara Hart, founder and CEO of workplace safety firm The Compliance Alliance, an edge. Hart brings what she calls a "matriarchal approach" to establishing workplace safety standards for clients in the gas, oil and construction industries. "The patriarchal system of zero tolerance [for mistakes] doesn't work," says Hart, 51, whose clients include Fortune 50 companies. "Employees are afraid to report unsafe conditions for fear of being punished. My paradigm is all about collaboration and cooperation so safety concerns are brought to light and dealt with."

Hart started the Houston company 22 years ago when she was a single mother of three children. "The irony that I made my family safe by helping make others safe is not lost on me," she says. The company had seven-figure sales last year, and it projects 20 percent growth this year.

The rest of this article is locked.

Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

Subscribe Now

Already have an account? Sign In