Myriad Software co-founder: Don’t let tech scare you | Tech Watch
35 years after co-founding Myriad Software, Carolyn Crowley said she is happy to see more women in leadership roles in both the home furnishings and tech industries.
Crowley received the 2025 Visionary Award from WithIt, the women’s leadership development network for the home and furnishings industries, during the WOW Awards ceremony at the April High Point Market. The award recognizes a woman of achievement whose insight and actions have significantly impacted the home and furnishings industries.
“It meant so much to me to receive this award,” Crowley said. “It was a special moment in my life and my career to be recognized by my peers. I was happy that my husband was able to attend the ceremony with me. And we were also grateful to see a service company get some recognition.”
Crowley and partner Russell Higgins founded Myriad Software in 1990 after both left positions at GE Retail Systems. Crowley said the home furnishings and tech industries were male-dominated at that time, but since then, both areas have made a great deal of progress.
“I wondered where all the women in the industry were,” she added. “Since I founded Myriad with Russ, I can’t say what my experience would have been like if I had founded the company alone. I am happy to see more women who are now running both retail and manufacturing operations.”
Crowley describes her background with GE Retail Systems and before that, Levitz Furniture, as what led her and Higgins to develop a software application for mid-sized retailers. They presented their idea to their boss at GE Retail Systems at that time, explaining that it was aimed at software running on PCs and networks.
“He was a smart man, but he didn’t see PCs and networks taking off and said that he didn’t think that would fly with big companies running on PCs,” she said. “I didn’t plan to start my own company, but Russ and I went to the October High Point market in 1990, and we signed several new clients, including American Furniture in Denver.”
According to Crowley, some smaller retailers are still using pen and paper and are worried about making the change to computers. They tell her that their warehouse manager knows where everything is, but that can be a challenge if that person is not available. Crowley said she loves to see retailers embrace tech who have been so far behin,d and loves when they consider adding e-commerce and a modernized website.
“If you have been a retailer in your community for a long time, people will recognize your name,” Crowley said. “But that doesn’t help to bring in new customers. I am proud of the retailers who have brought in new generations, children and grandchildren, who have helped to modernize the companies when it comes to technology.
For example, Myriad’s PointCentric system is cloud-based, which can be accessed from anywhere there is access to the internet. Crowley said at the High Point Market, clients were able to pull up company information on smartphones and tablets to show what is happening in real time.
“We wanted to be touch screen and tablet oriented, which is inherent in a web application,” she added. “And the system is constantly being updated with the latest technology. It is not as difficult as it sounds to move to a web app.”
Crowley said one goal for Myriad Software over the next few years is to continue to educate retailers about the importance of embracing technology so that the change isn’t so daunting.
“We will also continue to do a great job building custom applications for companies like Bassett and La-Z-Boy,” Crowley added. “We want to help other sections of the industry with that, including bedding and accessories. The data from a web application allows companies to see how they are doing relative to last year; what items are turning faster, and how they can remain more relevant to their frequent customers.”
