Parents in Tech

Rejecting the status quo, drawing clearer boundaries, and finding the right balance in managing children’s relationship with technology. I talk to Shadab Taiyabi about how he and his wife adapted to COVID and created quality time, and shielded their kids from the perils of technology. Shadab is the Head of FinTech and Innovation, APAC at Schroders. He is the President of the Singapore FinTech Association, a member of the Digital Innovation Committee at the Investment Management Association of Singapore, and the Head of Community at the FinTech Nation. Shadab is a father to two children: a daughter, age eight, and a son, age four. In this episode, Shadab shares how he and his wife minimizes sibling rivalry even before their second child was born, ensures boundaries are set between work and home during the COVID situation, and finds the right balance in kids’ relationship with technology. To get in touch with Shadab, find him on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/shadab-taiyabi/ Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech, or drop me a line.

Diving into the deep end of family planning, finding the right parenting footing with your spouse, and applying the concepts of integration and setting boundaries, Sriram shares both his and his wife’s experiences with their two girls, aged two and a half and 9 months old. Sriram is the Director for Sales Strategy and Operations at Salesforce. He leads a multi-faceted team spanning sales strategy, sales operations, and go-to-market strategy. Before Salesforce, he began his career at McKinsey before joining Dell as the Director of Global Operations Strategy and Digital Transformation, and finally Salesforce. In this episode, Sriram shares his parenthood journey, and how he is supported by the people around him. He also talks about parenting mindsets as having more empathy and patience, and also describes parenting as a team activity rather than a ‘helping’ one. He also shares personal anecdotes on his transition to fatherhood, particularly on learning how to compartmentalise, how to integrate both family life and work together, and how to set boundaries. To get in touch with Sriram Ved, find him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sriram-ved/

The flexibility that work-from-home offers, teaching computational thinking to kids at an early age, and the importance of family. I talk to Steven Tong on how he navigates through work, personal, and family life. Steven Tong has more than two decades of experience in technology - starting from a solutions architect and IT consultant, to investor at SG Innovate and StartupBootcamp and now, leading innovation as Head of SAP.io Foundry in Singapore. He is a genuine, warm, and welcoming person who is a father to a nine-year-old daughter and a husband to his entrepreneur-couples therapist wife. Steven talks about the importance of finding a company that values work-life balance. His previous work experiences allowed him to work on a flexible schedule. This gave him the freedom to work around his own schedule and have time for family despite the hustle. As much as work is important, family must always come first. He also wants to teach his daughter the value of family and to empathize with others. Steven also shares the early stages of her fatherhood journey. His daughter was born prematurely, and it was very challenging for him and his wife. Fast forward to now, he is starting to introduce his daughter to the world of tech. He teaches her coding for the benefit of computational thinking, which he believes is helpful in daily life. He shares, “When we teach our kids, we learn from them too.” To get in touch with Steven Tong, find him on LinkedIn: https://sg.linkedin.com/in/steventong. Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line.

Taking turns to parent and bond with their newborn, facing challenges with a calm and discerning mindset, and being aware of one’s self and the people around us. Aditya is the Head of Growth and Partnerships for Southeast Asia and India at HubSpot. Before this, he led the international expansion of Practo, a B2B startup in India, and was the country manager for Singapore. He is passionate on topics including sales and marketing tech stacks, low no-code platforms, and farm-to-table initiatives. Recently, in August 2021, Aditya welcomed his daughter into the world, along with his wife, Priya. In this episode, Aditya shares how moving to Singapore was a timely and good decision for his family in the wake of COVID-19. His parenting dynamic, his teamwork with his wife Priya are some of the valuable lessons he has learned as a parent in tech. Listen in to know about his views on family bonding time, advice on how to help the wife during pregnancy, balancing time between work and his two girls, and raising a newborn. To get in touch with Aditya, find him on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/toadityakumar/ Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line.

Letting children learn through hands-on experiences, collaborating with their peers, and allowing them to always ask “why.” In this episode, I speak with John Tan about the importance of helping children keep their spark and drive to learn. John Tan is a father to five children, an education entrepreneur, and the CEO and Founder of Saturday Kids (for ages 5 to 16) and Doyobi (for ages 8 to 12). Both are coding schools in Singapore, and a product of John’s advocacy of inspiring kids to become curious self-directed learners. In the year 2019, he was recognized as an Obama leader in Asia Pacific. John also explains how children must be given the opportunity to express themselves and be provided avenues for them to discover and develop who they are as early as they can. To get in touch with John Tan, find him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/therealjohntan/ Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech, or drop me a line.

Providing a balanced and flexible working environment that allows employees to fulfill their duties at work and at home leads to producing quality work. In this special collaboration with Sleek, I talk to BanWei Chua about how he balances work and family life through the flexible working environment that Sleek provides to parents like him. BanWei Chua started as a developer and senior manager before becoming the Deputy Chief Technology Officer in Sleek. He is a parent to a boy and a girl, ages nine and seven. In this episode, he discusses the importance of setting priorities at work and at home as a parent, and how Sleek allowed him to be a hands-on father, learning and applying his role at work and being a leader. He also talks about sharing and adapting his parenting style in his working environment. To get in touch with BanWei Chua, find him on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ban-wei-chua Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech, or drop me a line. This podcast series was produced in collaboration with Sleek. Enjoy an immediate SGD $100 off or $500 HKD off any Sleek services with the promo code AF370570

Allowing employees to meet their full potential at work by providing a healthy working environment where personal time is respected. The capabilities of women at work are acknowledged and nourished. In this special collaboration with Sleek, I talk to Pauline Sim about how she faces her adversaries at work and at home, how she handles her time, and how the work culture at Sleek enabled her to become a leader. Pauline Sim worked in the banking industry for 18 years before becoming the head of the FinTech and Partnerships team in Sleek. She is a mother to two boys and a girl, ages thirteen, ten, and nine. In this episode, she discusses the importance of providing employees with a healthy working environment and allowing them to divide their time between work and life outside work. She also talks about the quality of work they produce, giving the right working hours, and how women in the tech industry make an empathetic leader that encourages the whole team. To get in touch with Pauline Sim, find on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulinesim/ Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line. This podcast series was produced in collaboration with Sleek. Enjoy an immediate SGD $100 off or $500 HKD off any Sleek services with the promo code AF370570

Switching careers in her 30s, caring for the people at Sleek and taking care of yourself before caring for others. In this special collaboration series with Sleek, I talk to Aisyiah Mohd about her journey of being a parent in tech despite having a non-tech background beforehand. Aisyiah Mohd is the Head of People and Culture at Sleek. Aisyiah is a proud mom of two teenage kids who keep her young at heart, age 19 and 15. In this episode, she discussed the story of how she left her stable job, stayed at home to care for her children, and then went back to work as an “accidental leader.” She also shared how her maternal instincts led her to care for their people during the COVID-19 pandemic when everyone felt anxious about the sudden WFH setup. To get in touch with Aisyiah Mohd, find her on LinkedIn: https://sg.linkedin.com/in/aishamohd Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech, or drop me a line. This podcast series was produced in collaboration with Sleek. Enjoy an immediate SGD $100 off or $500 HKD off any Sleek services with the promo code AF370570

Being a parent and also a founder perhaps can be challenging to others and might find it hard to manage their time. In this episode, I speak with Julien Labruyere about the importance of balancing professional life and time with family, especially with children and how it is different to raise kids in an Asian culture. Julien Labruyere is a father to 2 children. He is an entrepreneur and the co-founder of Sleek (https://www.sleek.com), a one-stop solution for entrepreneurs, SMEs and investors to register new businesses from anywhere and effortlessly manage their accounting, payroll, tax compliance, business accounts and governance through a simple online platform with first-class support. Julien dives into the values and disciplines that he practises inside his business and also he is imparting to his two kids. Julien also shares his parenting style, blending in his French culture with living in Singapore. To balance work and life responsibilities, Julien makes sure that he is setting boundaries from being a CEO to his company and being the father to his kids. He also shares how he is trying to be present and make time with his family as well as being empathetic to his employees who also are parents and soon to become parents.To get in touch with Julien Labruyere, find him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julienlabruyere/ Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech, or drop me a line. This podcast series was produced in collaboration with Sleek. Enjoy an immediate SGD $100 off or $500 HKD off any Sleek services with the promo code AF370570

Giving kids the freedom to choose what they want, the art of experimentation on parenting techniques and setting clear boundaries between work and life. I talk to Zi Xin on how to manage time and energy for work, family, and hobbies. Born and bred in Singapore, Zi Xin enjoys using technology to solve problems. He loves and lives to eat, but hates to queue - leading him to co-found Appic Technologies while in university. Appic Technologies was acquired by Chope in 2014, and since then Zi Xin has worked in product management leadership roles. Zi Xin is a father of a three-year-old boy, Arthur. In his free time, he loves to scout for food with his wife, which they both truly enjoy. Parenting for Zi Xin is a learning experience, and he shares how he is not afraid of taking risks because he can always improve and learn from it. From sleep training to letting his kid decide what to wear, Zi Xin prefers to teach their son independence from a young age. As a parent in tech, Zi Xin also tries to experiment around his approach towards parenting. He loves to try out ways to improve the status quo, and learn from what did not work out. His principles help him in his parenting which is evident in the way he teaches empathy and courage to his son. To get in touch with Zi Xin, find him on LinkedIn: https://sg.linkedin.com/in/chongzixin Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line.

Getting to know his wife through a magazine, convincing a fussy eater child to eat her meal, and creating a schedule to manage working from home. I talk to Gaurav Jain about raising his family in Singapore, while making work-from-home work with two kids. Gaurav Jain is the Director of Engineering at Autodesk. Throughout his career, he has also started several side projects such as an online social platform for creative professionals and edutech mobile apps and games. He met his wife while browsing a magazine of potential partners, which turned out to be one of the best decisions in his life. She later became the mother of his two kids, aged 11 and 6. The first was born in India while the second was born in Singapore - two blessings they never expected, but now relish. Gaurav shares one of the challenges of raising kids - fussy eating. To address this, he researched a variety of parenting techniques and experimented through trial-and-error. He recounted how starving his elder child for a day in an attempt to make her hungry and eat did not pan out as planned. As a parent in tech, he also talks about the benefits and challenges of working from home as the lines often get blurred. To create a sense of balance between the two under one roof, he creates a strict schedule of work time and family time. To get in touch with Gaurav Jain, find him on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gauravunc/ Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line.

Aligning priorities on family, fitness and work, migrating from England to Singapore and breaking parenting stereotypes, especially around dads. I talk to Sammy Elazab on having a well-balanced work, personal, and family life. In this episode, we speak to Sammy, Senior Sales Manager and Head of Online Sales Organisation - Southeast Asia at LinkedIn. Sammy and his wife moved to Singapore a decade ago with the intent of staying for 2 years, but fell in love with the sunny island and stayed on. He is on a mission to make the days of others better by helping them understand their inner strength. Earlier this year, he became an Associate Certified Coach by the ICF. Sammy is the father of 3 children all aged 5 and under. Sammy shares that despite having three young kids at the peak of his career, it has never occurred to him that family and parenthood might set him back on his career ambitions. He is grateful to have his children grow up together with a small age gap, so they can connect and bond with each other better. Sammy’s road to fitness also started during quarantine season, and since then, has built a regular fitness regime with the help of a personal trainer to keep him consistent and accountable. Despite the hustle at work, he makes sure that he spends time with family, and to make every moment with them count. To get in touch with Sammy Elazab, find him on LinkedIn: https://sg.linkedin.com/in/sammyelazab Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line.

Raising children in a digital age, having more patience as a dad and prioritizing family over work. I talk to Lennard Lim on loving and raising two kids, and how family goes beyond bloodlines.. Lennard is a Product Manager of Trust and Safety at TikTok. He has more than a decade of product management experience at Yahoo, Singtel, BBC and most recently, GovTech, and a strong believer in making use of analytics for strategy and design. Lennard is a father of two, a son aged 11 and a daughter of their own aged 2.5 years old. Lennard is an engaged father who takes the effort to prepare breakfast for his children daily, despite having domestic help. He met his wife 14 years ago when they were both Product Managers at Yahoo! so we also talk about how the tech landscape has radically changed since then. As a parent in tech, Lennard shares with us a picture of his kids’ relationship with social media and also discusses how parenthood helps him be more patient and consider challenges from different perspectives. . To connect with Lennard, you may find him on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lennard-lim-2b339920/ Don’t forget to head over to parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of Parents in Tech or drop me a line. I’d love to hear from you!

In this special collaboration series with Workato, we talk to parents to find out how they create work-life integration and balance their career ambitions with family aspirations. In this episode, I speak with Amanda Lau, Campus Recruiting Program Manager at Workato. She has more than a deacade of HR experience, helping people and organisations succeed through coaching, relationship building and HR program design. On top of that, she is also a mother to two children, aged four and seven. As a recruiting program manager, she shares how Workato helps employees achieve work-life balance through open communication and utilizing productivity tools among other initiatives. Aside from taking care of their own employees, she also shares how she raises her kids as a parent in tech, and how she overcame the struggles of being a mom to two young kids during the height of the pandemic. To get in touch with Amanda Lau, find her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandalauyl/ Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech, or drop me a line.

In this special collaboration series with Workato, we talk to parents to find out how they create work- life integration and balance their career ambitions with family aspirations. In this episode, I speak with Steven, Senior Manager of Business Technology Operations at Workato. Steven is father to three children, ages four, nine, and 13. Steven shares the importance of coordinating with his wife to come up with routines to manage their work and home duties. He also discussed how Workato offered learning opportunities and technological support to adapt to post-pandemic ways of working. To get in touch with Steven Hoon, find him on LinkedIn: https://sg.linkedin.com/in/stevenhoon Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech, or drop me a line.

Nurturing an open and inclusive work environment, encouraging employees to use their parental leave, and respecting everyone's hours. In this special collaboration with Workato, I talk to Choon Yen about how she is able to balance her time with work and family through the policies and initiatives that Workato has for working parents like herself. Choon Yen is the Head of People Operations and Systems in the Asia Pacific and Japan at Workato. She is a mother to a two-year-old and her husband works as a mindfulness coach and a data manager at a non-profit. In this episode, she talks about her role in Workato, and how they have cultivated an environment with empathy and understanding. She also mentioned Workato’s generous maternity and paternity leave; how higher-ups encourage their employees to take a break and prioritize spending time with their families; and how through openly communicating, they are able to respect each other’s time and boundaries. To get in touch with Choon Yen, find her on LinkedIn: https://sg.linkedin.com/in/choonyen Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line.

The creation of a safe space, encouraging environment, and getting rid of the stigma. From Work to Home is a special collaboration series with Stripe, the financial infrastructure platform for businesses. I speak with Rahal Kansara on how she creates work-life integration and balances her career ambitions with family aspirations. Rahal is from Stripe's APAC recruiting team who focuses on core business recruiting, particularly in risk and financial recruitment. She aims to provide a safe working environment for parent candidates coming to Stripe, as she, herself, is also a mother to her child, aged 9. In this episode, she shares that there is no stigma on being a parent candidate at Stripe, as long honesty and openness exist between the employer and employee. With the goal to make candidates believe in their ability, Rahal encourages open dialogues and discussions within the company. These initiatives help their employees become great parents and tech leaders all at once. To get in touch with Rahal Kansara, find her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahalkansara/ Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech, or drop me a line.

Getting uncomfortable and challenged in a new environment, seeking help in times of need, and setting boundaries between work and family. From Work to Home is a special collaboration series with Stripe, the financial infrastructure platform for businesses. I speak with Meenakshi Dhingra on how Stripe creates work-life integration and balances their career ambitions with family aspirations. Meenakshi is Stripe’s Global Community Support and Operations Lead for APAC. She is also a mother to 2 children, aged 13 and 9.Meenakshi expounds on her experiences, particularly in dealing with sacrifices for the sake of family, implementing work-life integration with her husband, and moving past the challenges life gives — as a family.To get in touch with Meenakshi, find her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meenakshi-dhingra-31926a23/ Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech, or drop me a line.

The preparation it takes to take on a new job and a new life in a different country, facing and overcoming the challenges of raising a family upon just moving, and setting time for yourself. From Work to Home is a special collaboration series with Stripe, the financial infrastructure platform for businesses. I talk to Vivian about her career with Stripe, her experience of moving to Singapore from the States, and how she has learned to be able to balance her work with her duties as a mother. Vivian is an Engineering Manager at Stripe’s APAC Banking team. She is a mother of 2 lovely daughters, aged 3 and 6. Vivian talks to us about how she met her husband in the US, in the States’ Bay Area. They got married, and started their careers in tech space there. When her husband decided to go back to China to start a business, she knew that staying in the States would prove to be difficult and so she moved to Singapore with her two very young children. To get in touch with Vivian, find her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vivianxx/ Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line.

Developing a supportive culture, coping with work from home adjustments, and embracing flexibility with Lisa Harris From Work to Home is a special collaboration series with Stripe, the financial infrastructure platform for businesses. I speak with Lisa Harris about how Stripe’s policies and activities actively support working parents like her. Lisa is from Stripe’s People Partner team at APAC. She is a mother of 2 beautiful children, Mikayla, age 10, and Parker, age 8. Lisa shares how Stripe cultivates the value of support and patience, proving how conducive their workplace is to building a successful career while maintaining quality time with their children and spouses. To get in touch with Lisa Harris, find her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-harris-b714931/ Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech, or drop me a line.

The journey of raising a child with special needs, overcoming the anxieties of being a first-time dad in a difficult situation, and learning how to show more support for one’s spouse. In this special episode, I speak with Jonathan Seow about the challenges and lessons he learned as a father of two. Jonathan is the Chief Financial Officer at Moleac and a board member at Down Syndrome Association of Singapore. Jonathan has an illustrious career starting as CIMB before rising the ranks in the biopharmaceutical space. He's also an active advocate and supporter for families with children diagnosed with Down Syndrome. Jonathan’s eldest son Nathan was diagnosed when he was still in his mother’s womb. Despite the medical advice and snide remarks by the gynecologist, who said that their kid would turn out to be “gross”, Jonathan and his wife decided to keep Nathan. Now, he's in a loving home environment with the help of a better gynecologist and a community that helps them learn how to become better at parenting children with down syndrome. My conversation with Jonathan was inspiring and I hope it is for you too. The Down Syndrome Association of Singapore (DSA) is also hosting the Mystique Charity Gala Dinner on Saturday, 24 September 2022. This event will mark DSA’s first in-person event since 2019, which aims to raise $300,000 to continue the association’s mission to serve persons with Down syndrome and their families with quality programs and services. Support this cause with a donation of any amount, or purchasing a seat / table for Mystique here: https://give.asia/campaign/dsa-mystique-xvi-charity-dinner Donations will be eligible for a tax deduction of 250% To get in touch with Jonathan Seow, find him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-seow/ Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech, or drop me a line.

Establishing family support and parenthood communities, being upfront on the topic of parenthood, and learning the love languages of your wife and kids. From Work to Home is a special collaboration series with Stripe, the financial infrastructure platform for businesses. I speak with Chek Lim on how Stripe creates work-life integration and balances their career ambitions with family aspirations. Chek is from Stripe’s Customer Success & Payments Optimisation APAC team. He is father to 3 beautiful children, aged 7, 6 and 4. Chek also shares how Stripe is a family-friendly company, and how it continuously helps him and his wife to raise their kids through strong parenthood communities. To get in touch with Chek Lim, find him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chekrepublic/ Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech, or drop me a line.

Coping with pandemic changes, breaking parenting stereotypes, and taking a break with Sandeep Nair From Work to Home is a collaboration series with Stripe, the financial infrastructure platform for businesses. I speak with Sandeep Nair about how important flexibility and crisis management skills are to parenting. Sandeep is from Stripe’s Customer Success and Payment optimization team at APAC. He is a father to three beautiful children, aged 5 and twins aged 2. Sandeep shares how beneficial working at Stripe is especially during his adjustment period as a working parent in the pandemic, and making sure that he and his wife still have space for quality time and restful breaks. To get in touch with Sandeep Nair, find him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanairvt/ Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech, or drop me a line.

Finding the right balance between career and family, building relationships with your children and spouse, and teaching children the value of discipline, patience, and humility. I talk to Praveen about his experiences as a dad with two boys aged two and five. Praveen Velu is Strategic Partnerships Lead at Meta. Praveen started his career in financial broadcast journalism during the Global Financial Crisis with companies including CNBC and Yahoo. He then led network development at The Walt Disney Company in APAC, before co-founding Evie.AI, an AI personal assistant that schedules meetings. This is one of the must-have tools I myself use in my day job as a venture capitalist. Praveen’s management philosophy begins and ends with people, and he is a father of two boys aged 2 and 5. Praveen shares several anecdotes and helpful insights to fellow parents in tech. He talks about implementing discipline in his children’s lives, while adopting a more inclusive, more open approach compared to the parenting he experienced in their childhood. He also shares how weekends are dedicated to quality family time, and how he is grateful to have a strong support system from his family and his neighbors in the estate he and his family stay in. To get in touch with Praveen, find him on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/praveenvelu/

Moving with a young family and living in different parts of the world, being an optimist at work as well as in parenting, and the fungibility of skills as a parent and an angel investor. I talk to Jachin Cheng on his take on parenting and investing. Jachin Cheng is a Senior Product Manager at Google Pay and Google AI. He was born and raised in the US before joining Google in 2007. His 15-year career with them has brought him across Israel, the UK, Switzerland, and finally Singapore. His globe-trotting career, along with his wife and three children, aged 10, 7, and 3 has shaped his views on parenting. Jachin is also an angel investor. Working in different countries means getting to experience diverse cultures. Jachin points out how the differences in parenting styles were an eye-opener and inspiration on how to parent as a first time father. A nomadic lifestyle started to get challenging with 3 children, so the decision to plant roots in Singapore helped. One of the lessons Jachin applies both at work and at home is optimism. He relishes seeing the good in people and in ideas, then working hard to make it happen. To get in touch with Jachin Cheng find him on LinkedIn: https://sg.linkedin.com/in/jachin Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line.

Preparing for unexpected fatherhood was the beginning of Eric’s parenthood journey, as the career-oriented product manager shares how he had to pivot from a mindset focused on himself, to the life of an actively involved husband and father. Eric talks about how he balances his zeal for career growth with a passion for parenting and supporting his wife. He highlights the importance of setting boundaries to create time for his family, share the workload, and instill good behavior in his growing daughter. In doing this, Eric encourages other dads to take small steps towards being an engaged parent. Eric is the Director of Product Management at Ninja Van, with over a decade of experience in Product Management. Born and raised in Malaysia, he is an active parent of a 5-year old girl and he believes in using technology to enable people to do great things. Although having a kid was unexpected, Eric is grateful for his daughter who has been a blessing and brought a new perspective. Sharing the strategies he used to adapt to family life, Eric notes the challenges as well as tools from work to interact better at home and vice versa. The value of patience was one of these as Eric discusses the “terrible 2s” and his views on punishment. In all of this, rest is critical; "The first advice I would give to new parents is first to give yourself a break, you don't have to get everything 100% right the first time”. Setting boundaries is another tool he uses to foster balance at work and at home. Lastly, Eric advises parents to keep up with technology trends to protect their families. To get in touch with Eric, find him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericwhy/ Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line.

Encouraging kids, especially with twins, to think critically, using a routine to allocate time between work and family, and finding meaning. I talk to Mark about banned words in their house (“can’t”), achieving work-life balance, and spending quality time with family. Mark Leadercramer is the Head of Enterprise Sales and Cryptocurrency for Stripe in Southeast Asia. Mark started his career in media and advertising before spending a decade building and leading Mintel, a market intelligence firm in Asia Pacific. Mark is passionate about coaching and building high-performing teams and is a father of three: the twins Harrison and Emily, age six, and a newborn named Sophia. In this episode, Mark talks to us about his move from London to Australia. He then met his wife Justine on his first night out in Sydney. At the time of our recording, their 10-year anniversary was coming up. The couple welcomed kids the same time Mark got a new job, and he talks about the challenges he and Justine went through, and how they conquered them together. From the importance of family values, tackling pregnancy, splitting the work between him and his wife, and the importance of communicating with his family, Mark shares the wisdom he has gained as a parent in tech. To get in touch with Mark, find him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-leadercramer-25899b15/?originalSubdomain=sg Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line.

Creating a space that encourages deep work for you and your peers, energy management as an introvert, and embracing adversity as a parent. I talk to Samuel Hall as he shares the wisdom and enlightenment he has collated over the years as a high-performing parent. Samuel Hall is the CEO of Rainmaking Asia Pacific Venture Studio. Samuel was born and raised in the UK and started his career as a lawyer before moving to Singapore and building his career across multiple startups and new ventures. In 2016, he found that the Rainmaking APAC venture studio had also launched startup bootcamp, a startup accelerator across Southeast Asia, Japan, and South Korea. Samuel has two daughters, aged three and one. As a present dad to his two daughters, prioritizing his time for family time and work time is vital. Samuel has allocated time for his deep work where he concentrates on his tasks at work and finds time to really think and get inspired. When it’s his wife’s time to do her deep work, it‘s his time to take care of his daughters. This has been a system for their family at home and being cognizant to each other’s time and space for deep work is essential. Samuel is admittedly an introvert disguised as an extrovert, so after numerous hours of dealing with teams and other individuals for work, it can get draining for him. Energy management has played a role in helping him allocate energy for both work and his family to ensure that he has enough for both. As a parent in tech, you will go through many changes and challenges in your life. You will face a number of adversities but you can acknowledge that there is a sense of winning in losing. You learn from your losses and this will help you in your path towards success. Embracing adversity must be a constant thing in life as it shows that we are progressing and moving forward. To get in touch with Samuel Hall, find him on LinkedIn: https://sg.linkedin.com/in/sam-a-hall Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line.

Taking a career risk switching from public to private sector with a young child, becoming a nurturing father and leader at work while building strong networks. I talk to Royce Wee on his views on work-life balance and the importance of being a loving father. Royce Wee is Head of Global Public Policy at the Alibaba Group. Royce is a lawyer by training, and his foray into technology began as Deputy General Counsel at the Infocomm Media Development Authority. Since then, he has held leadership roles in the intersections between tech, law and policy at organisations including the Singapore Ministry of Communications and Information. The switch from the public sector to the private sector was an exciting journey for Royce. Shifting from public service to a Chinese tech MNC was definitely challenging but he has no regrets - the opportunity has broadened his exposure, especially to the Chinese market. When asked what’s the most important thing he learned while being a parent, Royce says it’s the need to be more patient and nurturing to his daughter. He is also able to apply this at work as he tries to be more understanding to his teams while making sure quality standards are met. Growing his network has also been a key responsibility in his work. He has a healthy and genuine way of approaching this as he invests in getting to know people, rather than treat the process as a transaction. Royce has truly developed to become more courageous and compassionate as a result of being a parent in tech. To get in touch with Royce Wee, find him on LinkedIn: https://sg.linkedin.com/in/roycewee Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line.

Building a company as parent entrepreneurs, prioritization in decision making, and the role of technology in parenting. In this special episode of Parents in Tech, I speak with David and Linh Smooke on what it is like to be husband-and-wife entrepreneurs, maintain a routine to balance work and family, and manage their child’s exposure to technology. David and Linh are the Co-Founders of HackerNoon, the leading hacker and developer publication on the internet that features more than 25,000 curious and insightful contributing writers. They are also the parents of a five-year-old daughter, Norah, and a soon-to-be-born son. At the time of our recording, Linh is 33 weeks pregnant and is due in 40 days. In this episode, we take a look into how David and Linh grew HackerNoon into the media powerhouse it is today, while raising their firstborn daughter Norah. The couple moved from San Francisco to Colorado, as Linh took time off to focus on her first pregnancy before joining David to build HackerNoon. With the impending arrival of their son, both of them also share anecdotes of parenting ups and downs. As parents in tech, they also discuss their expectations and worries, as well as tips and tricks they have learned along the way. To get in touch with David and Linh, find them on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clarkkent/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/linhdaosmooke/ Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line.

Transitioning to the new reality of being a mother, learning how to parent from your parents, and balancing career and parenting ambitions with your husband. Gladys shares with us her experience as a first-time mother who also aspires to have a thriving career. Gladys Kee works in Client Services at The Trade Desk, an advertising technology company. She is also my wife and the mother of our 15-month old daughter, Gabby. In this season finale, we discuss the lessons we learnt in our first year as new parents, as well as the sacrifices and the joys of seeing our child grow. Gladys reflects on the influences her upbringing has on her choices as a mother and talks about how to balance her career ambitions with mine. She shares that flexibility is key to parenting as well as working in tech: both children and tech are constantly evolving, so you need to stay open to be able to recognize different stages and adapt to them. To get in touch with Gladys, find her on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/gladys-kee/ Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line. I’d love to hear from you!

The physical and emotional effects of a miscarriage, advocating for paternity leave to become a norm, and having an empathetic and vulnerable leadership style. I talk to Sandra Ernst about being a working mum and responding to the challenges of pregnancy and motherhood. Sandra Ernst has been working in C-level roles in fintech since 2016. Prior, she worked in finance roles across Central Europe and Malaysia. Now, she is a COO at Igloo, an insurtech company in Southeast Asia. Sandra opens up about the miscarriage she suffered from a few years back and how she bounced back. Today, she's a proud mom of a daughter, aged 21 months old. Opening up to share with others about her miscarriage was tough on Sandra, as she originally believed in carrying a work-only personality. However, that changed when she decided to talk about her miscarriage at the workplace - what she calls “one of the best decisions”. The conversation was an encouragement to her colleagues, as much as they were an encouragement to her, enabling a more empathetic and vulnerable leadership style to take form. Sandra believes that paternity leaves should become a norm. Working dads should be free to take paternity leave without fear of penalization or being questioned - it is after all, a step towards an equal footing between men and women in the workplace. To get in touch with Sandra Ernst, find her on LinkedIn: https://sg.linkedin.com/in/sandraernst. Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech, or drop me a line.

The impact of childhood experiences on parenting styles and career decisions, the importance of being a role model for your children, and the place of women in the workforce. We talk with Lynette about her thoughts on bringing up children in a technology-saturated world. Lynette Tan is Chief Executive and Board Member of Singapore Space & Technology Limited as well as co-founder and Executive Director of the Singapore Space & Technology Association. She has been featured by Fortune and CNBC for driving some of the world’s most innovative space startups. In 2020, she was appointed Karman Fellow, an award provided to individuals who have made outstanding achievements in space. We discuss how she inspires her children to pursue their ambitions. As a parent in tech, Lynette advocates for teaching children human values to ensure that technology is used to serve human needs. She also shares with us her insights on how subconscious biases drive women away from the workforce and the changes she perceives in those trends. To get in touch with Lynette, find her on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/tan-lynette/ Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line. I’d love to hear from you!

Changing jobs in the first year as a mother, cultivating values in children, and experimenting with a Japanese baby schooling method. Cynthia recounts her adventures since she became a mother less than a year ago. Cynthia Siantar is Go-To-Market Leader at Bank Jago, Indonesia’s first fully digital bank. With more than 10 years of background in banking, start-ups, and fintech, Cynthia held key positions in ING Bank and Oriente, and in 2014 she co-founded Call Levels, a finance market monitoring solution. Cynthia walks us through her thought process of switching jobs shortly after giving birth, and shares the importance of finding passion and inspiration outside motherhood. She shares with us her insights into Heguru, a Japanese teaching method that stimulates the brain with activities that foster creativity, memory, and social skills. We also discuss the importance of nurturing positive values, such as the virtues of diligence and solidarity. To get in touch with Cynthia, find her on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthiasiantar/ Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line. I’d love to hear from you!

Giving and receiving feedback, empathizing with the perspectives of others, and fighting the guilt of putting yourself first. Samantha relates the motherhood experiences that have made her grow as a person and as a professional - from calendar management and prioritization, to conflict management and task delegation. Samantha Pearlson is General Manager of South-East Asia Client Services at The Trade Desk, an advertising technology platform. She has long-standing experience in advertising and media, and a solid reputation as a leader in ad-tech. Recently, she was appointed Identity Council Member at the Interactive Advertising Bureau of Southeast Asia and India. Samantha walks us through the process of discovering her son had ADHD and tells us how keeping a long-term perspective helps her handle the cultural pressure of being a present mother, while maintaining her individuality. We discuss the importance of building a feedback culture in the workplace to develop resilience as well as dealing with the reflection of yourself that children provide. When managing differences in parenting with her husband, she signals understanding each other’s perspective as the means to find a common ground. To get in touch with Samantha, find her on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sampearlson/ Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line. I’d love to hear from you!

Managing expectations placed by society on mothers, pursuing passions despite a busy work and family schedule, and carving out time for yourself. Xin Wei shares with us her experience mothering two young children, and how she learnt to be physically and mentally present no matter how busy work gets. Ngiam Xin Wei is Managing Director of Deliveries at Grab, the iconic Southeast Asia technology company that recently went public. Xin Wei is a veteran Grabber who joined in 2015. Prior to her current role in deliveries, she held key leadership positions including head of GrabHitch, the social ridesharing service, and the Head of Economics and Marketplace. Recently, Xin Wei was recognized as Prestige 40 under 40 and Singapore 100 Women in Tech. We discuss the stresses new mothers suffer from, such as expectations on breastfeeding and making excessive sacrifices for the sake of caregiving. Xin Wei believes that breastfeeding, as with parenting decisions, is about choosing what fits you and your child. She also shares how, in the long run, keeping your passion aflame has a valuable influence on children. That’s why she sets aside time for other activities, like exercise, learning something new through podcasts, or building her wine collection. To get in touch with Xin Wei, find her on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/xwngiam Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line. I’d love to hear from you!

A special Parents in Tech episode celebrating International Womens' Day. Against all odds, Queenie had a miracle daughter after many years of waiting, defying a medical diagnosis that meant she wouldn't have been able to have a child. Queenie narrates how she was blessed with Angela but then she faced a number of post-natal challenges along with the start of the pandemic. This challenging ordeal inspired her to share her story to help and uplift others who may be facing a similar situation, motivating her to create the platform "Untold Stories", a series of inclusion stories from employees of different facets of life. She also describes the mental well-being aspect of her ordeal. She explains the relevance and importance of mental health in the work place and her efforts as a Mental Health First Aider to improve how people perceive mental health and to remove stigma. Born in Hong Kong, raised in Australia, and now based in Singapore, Queenie is the Executive Director at Standard Chartered Bank, heading strategy and transformation. She has almost 2 decades of experience working with different banks as head of technology and digital transformation leader. She created a platform at Standard Chartered for inclusion stories to be told. She is a Diversity & Inclusion and mental health champion and has a 2-year-old daughter, Angela. Queenie explains in detail how she associates emotions with objects as a tool to help her child regulate her emotions in the "Terrible Twos" period. She also notes that while the pandemic has been quite a tough time, it afforded the opportunity to spend more time with her family and experience those pivotal moments in her baby's development. Her earlier challenge was adapting to the mindset of motherhood and "mom guilt" of combining work with raising her kid. To accomplish this, she set boundaries using the "Golden Time" concept to allow herself times of flexibility and family during the day. In raising her child Queenie has learned empathy, how to focus on what is important, and ability to let things go; all tools required that made her a better leader today. She encourages leaders to be intentional about the wellbeing of the employees planning to return to work by keeping them updated on new changes in the workplace and roles available. She discusses the role of a Mental First Aider and the effort and resources the organization has invested to support employees towards early identification and tackling of mental health challenges. She is grateful for her husband for role modeling shared responsibilities within the household and supported her career aspirations. As the best role modeling for children starts from home, for the next generation to understand what equality truly means. Queenie encourages mothers; “Be kind to yourself, it takes a village to raise a kid. You are amazing because it is one of the hardest jobs. Pat yourself and appreciate those who have helped you” To get in touch with Queenie, find her on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/queeniechan1?originalSubdomain=sg Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes. Join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line

Applying positive parenting techniques, setting family as priority number one, and multi-tasking to stay productive. Michele tells us how she makes the most of her time to pursue her career, raise two children (Chloe, aged 10 and Arnaud, aged 7), and find the time for sports, reading and investments. Michele Manigart is Chief Strategy Officer of SEEK Asia. SEEK is a $12bn tech company Headquartered in Australia, with presence in 18 countries. It is most well-known in Southeast Asia for two leading brands - JobStreet and JobsDB, the #1 Job-search engines in Malaysia, Singapore, HK, Indonesia and Thailand. Prior to SEEK, Michele spent 14 years at McKinsey & Company most of which with the Tech, Media & Telecoms Practice. Michele explains that putting family first means making career decisions that fit family aspirations, such as choosing a work environment that respects her priorities and setting clear boundaries at the workplace. Partial to gentle parenting, she retells her experiences with hypnobirth, water birth, and establishing a family council. We also discuss how finding your own parenting style can lead you to question longstanding mindsets. To maintain balance, Michele maximizes her time by combining activities–like jogging while chatting with her mother, or taking work calls while on a walk or drive. To get in touch with Michele, find her on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/michele-manigart-5870001 Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line. I’d love to hear from you!

Parents in Tech host Looi Qin En joins MONEY FM 89.3 on how he thinks the tech industry can power change and progression to better support working parents and greater work-life balance especially in this Covid-19 era. Research by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) also showed that while most fathers want to use their paternity leave to be more involved when their child arrives, the key reason they do not is the lack of workplace support. Qin En shares how workplaces can better support parents by relooking at how opportunities are allocated and performance is rewarded, in addition to coaching leaders and managers, especially those who are not parents, to be sensitive and aware of the challenges that parents face. MONEY FM 89.3 is Singapore's first and only business & personal finance radio station. The English talk-format station will focus on business and money-related topics, as well as general news and discussion of wider social topics such as health, education, food, music, fitness and more. Original recording found on: https://www.moneyfm893.sg/guest/looi-qin-en-parents-in-tech/

Deciding to take a break in your career, parenting during the uncertain times of adolescence, and maintaining equal parenting responsibilities. Rama tells us how she manages to keep work, family, friends, and personal interests well balanced. Rama Sridhar is Executive Vice-President, Asia Pacific of Mastercard, where she establishes digital partnerships and develops new payment flows and products. Rama leads a team of ~50 technologists, business and finance professionals to create the future, including crypto-funded cards. Recently, she was recognized as Innovator of the Year in the Women in IT Summit & Award Series. With over 30 years of financial and technology experience, Rama shares with us the ups and downs of her experience taking a career break. We examine how the relationships with children transform as they grow, and discuss guiding a teenager through the intense emotions of self-exploration. Rama emphasizes honest conversations, alignment in schedules and shared values as key pillars to harmony and equality in the family. To get in touch with Rama, find her on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramasridhar2018/ Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line. I’d love to hear from you!

Parents in Tech host Looi Qin En joins Channel News Asia 938 LIVE hosts Lance and Cheryl for a speed-conversation behind the founding of the podcast and lessons learnt from speaking to mums in tech. Parents in Tech started from an unconscious bias Qin En realized he had between himself and his wife Gladys. Listen to this episode to hear what this bias was, and what a podcast has to do with this realization. The one takeaway Qin En has for parents in tech is that there's really no one way. It's all about figuring out what works for you and what works for your family. CNA938 is Singapore’s dedicated news and information radio station for PMEBs who want to be kept abreast with the latest at all times. CNA938 will feature breaking news, current affairs, business and financial news, and trends on health, lifestyle, travel, entertainment, and technology.

Stimulating children’s minds, parenting in a cross-cultural environment, and setting clear work-life priorities. I talk to Fannie on raising two boys who are curious about the world around them while keeping up with career aspirations. Fannie Soubiele runs Venture Capital Business Development at Amazon Web Services in ASEAN where she helps businesses scale and realize their potential. With a wealth of experience in startups, Fannie was COO of JFDI.Asia, one of the first startup accelerators in Southeast Asia. In 2020, she was recognized in Prestige’s 40 Under 40 List. Fannie and her husband learn to manage cross-cultural differences in parenting through experts’ advice, research, and open conversation. We discuss ways to encourage children’s curiosity by exposing them to diverse experiences: learning different languages, visiting the zoo (and the benefits of an annual membership), reading bedtime stories, and traveling abroad. Fannie explains how planning ahead and setting priorities help her balance motherhood with career ambitions. To get in touch with Fannie, find her on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/fannie/ Mandai Wildlife Reserve https://www.mandai.com/en/memberships.html Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line. I’d love to hear from you!

Adapting to situations, staying energized throughout the day, and building trust to deal with challenges. Marta shares with us her adventure of being a full-time working mum with two young children. Marta Higuera is Managing Director and Partner at BCG Digital Ventures, the corporate innovation and venture building arm of BCG, dedicated to launching and investing in game-changing businesses. Prior to Digital Ventures, she co-founded real estate tech startup OpenAgent, one of Australia’s successful tech companies and recognized as Deloitte’s Tech Fast 50 ANZ and APAC. An innate pathfinder, Marta reveals how staying flexible and having the right support system helps navigate life’s challenges - such as starting a company while on a sailing expedition in the Mediterranean sea, fundraising while pregnant and during delivery, and relocating to Singapore on 24-hour notice. To connect with Marta, find her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martahiguera/ Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line. I’d love to hear from you!

Adopting a growth mindset, self-promoting effectively, and mentoring kids as they make the leap from adolescence to adulthood. Karen shares her experience juggling career ambitions with parenthood and learning to let go. Karen Ho is Director of Finance at Salesforce and a certified facilitator of Google’s #iamRemarkable program, an initiative to empower women and underrepresented groups to celebrate professional achievements and develop an awareness of self-promotion. While building her career of 20+ years in tech companies like Accenture, IDA and Dell, she raised three children. We discuss nurturing children with unique abilities and interests as they navigate academic and social pressures within the local education system. Karen also shares with us tips on using allyship as a tool to promote oneself by giving credit to the team. To get in touch with Karen, find her on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-ho-ca-a514357 #IamRemarkable Program https://iamremarkable.withgoogle.com/ Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line. I’d love to hear from you!

Debugging, Breadth vs Depth and Learning to be Bored, with Sharmili Roy. Engineering experiences to instill self-sufficiency, self-awareness and survivability in our children who grow up in a tech-enabled world. Sharmili Roy shares how adaptability and debugging from her data science career is applied to parenting. Sharmili Roy, mother of two sons aged seven and three, is a leader in AI and data science with a background in electrical engineering and biomedical imaging. She’s currently Data Science Senior Lead at Tokopedia and a Bangkit Mentor, building the next generation of data scientists and data enthusiasts for Indonesia. Sharmili takes us through the process of becoming conscious about skills gaps, and the active steps she took to address them by embarking on an EMBA. She talks about balancing between breadth and depth in learning, and shares her favourite toys and tools for fostering passion and curiosity in her sons, as well as her hopes for their futures. To get in touch with Sharmili, find her on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sharmili-roy-b488265 Or shoot her an email at roy.sharmili [at] gmail [dot] com Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line.

Rewriting the narrative of a singular way to live and rejecting default choices. Karen shares her life-changing decision to move to the USA, take a sabbatical and the discoveries she made along the way. She offers tips on unlocking one’s potential and effective networking. We discuss how parenthood has shaped Karen as a mentor, coach and leader. We also talk about the differences between Singapore and the USA regarding attitudes toward motherhood and career expectations. Karen shares her thoughts on the power of owning who you are, giving yourself the permission to change and embracing freedom. Karen Tay, mother of two young daughters, is an advisor and coach to tech CEOs on operations, people and strategy. She’s had an illustrious career in Singapore’s public sector at the Smart Nation and Digital Government Office and Singapore Economic Development Board. She led tech talent attraction for Singapore out of the Bay Area, and grew the pipeline of global tech talent by 20x. To get in touch with Karen, find her on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenzytay/ Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line.

Face Everything and Rise - Suganthi shares her philosophy on managing fear, stress and anxiety as a working mum in a male-dominated industry, and the life-changing story that sparked it. We dig into the ultimate purpose of striving towards career success: our kids. Suganthi Shivkumar has two daughters, 20 and 24. When one encountered an unfortunate accident, she restructured her life and career to dedicate her time to what’s most important. Currently Vice President of Asia at Alteryx, she’s held senior leadership positions at companies like Qlik, JDA Software and Informatica. In addition to all of this, she is a coach, mentor and speaker. Suganthi sheds light on commonly-held misconceptions about working mums, the feeling of extreme responsibility and accountability and wiring yourself for success to overcome limiting self-beliefs. We also talk about big picture planning and staying connected to the people who matter most. To get in touch with Suganthi, find her on LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/suganthi-shivkumar Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line.

As a working parent, life gets easier when you are aware and make use of the resources available to you. Dr Petty Chen and I talk baby tech, knowing when to ask for help and quality over quantity when it comes to spending time with children. Currently Director of Medical Products at ASUS, Dr Petty Chen began her career as a plastic and reconstructive surgeon. She gained a Master of Public Health from Harvard University before transitioning into hospital administration and finally finding a place as a leader in health tech, all with a young child in tow. Dr Petty shares her thoughts on how parenting styles have changed from her parents’ generation to now, and expands on her ground breaking research that shaped national policy for gestational diabetes screening. We also dig into understanding our strengths and weaknesses to become better parents. To get in touch with Dr Petty, find her on LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/pettypinyuchen Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pettypychen/ Check out her blog for more baby tech or just for a laugh https://www.eatfeedrepeat.com/ Don’t forget to head over to www.parents.fm to stay up to date with new and previous episodes, join our community of parents in tech or drop me a line.

Parents in Tech is my journey to learn about parenting, entrepreneurship and technology. Each and every one of you is welcome. This is how we can rethink work and parenting. My name is Qin En, your host. I am a venture capitalist who was previously a founder, consultant and venture builder. Why should it be different back home? When did we start making decisions between “work” vs “life”? Who said that having kids sets you back? We believe being a parent shapes you to be a better entrepreneur, investor and technology professional (a better person really!). But it is hard. And it is not easy to talk about. At Parents in Tech, we say it is time. It is time to talk about the realities of parenting while building a career (or company) in tech. It is time to set aside traditional gender roles, hustling as a way of life and overwork. It is time to do it both. Well. Introducing Parents in Tech - a space to ask questions and share stories about parenting, entrepreneurship and technology.