Jacqueline Perrottet is the Founder and CEO of Hoopla, a platform dedicated to helping parents and children develop emotional resilience through engaging and intuitive tools. With a background in partnerships, education, and the arts, she has always been passionate about fostering meaningful connections. Her personal experience with anxiety deepened her commitment to emotional wellness, inspiring her to create solutions that empower families. Jacqueline believes in the power of small, intentional moments to shape emotional strength and well-being. Through Hoopla, she continues to advocate for integrating emotional wellness seamlessly into everyday life.
What were your initial years of growing up like? Tell us about your life before starting your corporate journey/venture/initiative.
I grew up curious and creative, always drawn to storytelling and understanding why people think, feel, and act the way they do. Anxiety was part of my life early on, which shaped my resilience and my belief that emotional wellness should be proactive, not reactive.
Before starting my entrepreneurial journey, I worked in the art world, where I saw how emotions drive human experiences. But becoming a mother shifted everything. I realized how little support existed to help families build emotional resilience, and that’s when I knew I had to create something that truly made a difference.
Every industry that is now a large-scale, top-notch business once started as a small idea in the minds of entrepreneurs. What was that idea or motivation that made you start your business/initiative? What motivated you within to say, “YES, go for it!”?
Hoopla began with a simple but urgent realization: families needed better tools for emotional resilience, and they needed them now. While research-backed strategies existed, they weren’t accessible or engaging for everyday parents and kids. Emotional wellness shouldn’t feel like another task—it should be part of life, as natural as play.
What pushed me to say yes was seeing how much this was missing in homes, schools, and communities. I didn’t wait for the perfect time—I built Hoopla step by step, determined to create something that wasn’t just effective but intuitive, fun, and truly useful in helping families navigate emotions.
Would you like to share with our young budding women entrepreneurs the change you would like to see in the world if given an opportunity?
I want to see a world where emotional wellness is treated as essential, not optional—where parents and children have the tools they need to handle life’s challenges with confidence. And I want to see more women leading businesses that solve real human problems, not just following traditional business models. There’s a massive opportunity for purpose-driven innovation led by women, and the world needs more of it. My advice? Start where you are, build what matters, and don’t wait for permission.
Women are a growing force in workplaces worldwide, standing shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts. There are cracks in glass ceilings everywhere, with many women breaking through to carve out a space right at the top of the pyramid. What are your thoughts about women’s leadership today?
It’s true that women are breaking barriers in every industry, but there’s still a long way to go—especially when it comes to funding, visibility, and resources for female-led businesses. What excites me about women’s leadership today is that we’re no longer just fitting into existing spaces—we’re creating new ones. We’re redefining leadership by bringing emotional intelligence, empathy, and long-term impact into the conversation. My hope is that we continue to champion each other, invest in each other, and demand a seat at the table—without feeling the need to prove we deserve it.
What’s the most important thing you have learned in your personal life and professional journey? What is your personal motto in life?
The biggest lesson I’ve learned—both in business and in life—is that resilience and adaptability matter more than having the perfect plan. Success isn’t about avoiding failure; it’s about learning, adjusting, and moving forward despite the setbacks. Whether it’s building a company, raising a family, or navigating life’s unpredictability, the ability to pivot and persevere is what truly makes a difference.
I’ve also learned that taking care of yourself isn’t selfish—it’s essential. The stronger you are mentally and emotionally, the more you can give to others. This applies just as much to personal life as it does to business, yet it’s often overlooked. Prioritizing well-being isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity for sustained impact, leadership, and meaningful connections.
As for my personal motto, I live by two: “Faith and fight” and “Progress over perfection.” I believe in trusting the process while staying relentless in the pursuit of my goals. Action is what drives change—ideas alone don’t change the world, execution does.
With your grit and determination, you are making a considerable impact, breaking through, and serving as a role model for many budding entrepreneurs. What would you want to say to our young women leaders/audience reading this?
You don’t need permission to build something meaningful. You don’t need to have it all figured out before you start. The world needs your ideas, your perspective, and your leadership. Start before you’re ready, stay curious, and surround yourself with people who push you forward. And most importantly—you belong in every room you walk into. Own that.
