SheLeads with Carly

Follow SheLeads with Carly
Share on
Copy link to clipboard

A weekly series with powerful female leaders from all industries! Learn from these incredible leaders about what it takes to rise to the top.

Carly Malatskey


    • Jun 17, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 40m AVG DURATION
    • 142 EPISODES


    Search for episodes from SheLeads with Carly with a specific topic:

    Latest episodes from SheLeads with Carly

    WTF Moments, Delusional Optimism, Failing Publicly and Going Direct to Consumer with Sara Cullen (Founder/CEO, GEM)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 17, 2025 45:29


    Sara Cullen is the founder and CEO of GEM, a pioneering brand creating the first real food vitamins. Sparked by her own health challenges and a frustrating experience in the supplement aisle, Sara took a hands-on approach to nutritional science. Before launching Gem, she was part of the Venture for America Fellowship and previously started Plant Water, a CBD beverage brand.In this episode, Sara shares how her upbringing on a farm shaped her maker mindset, lessons learned from a failed first startup, and why she believes true founders must be “delusionallyvely optimistic.” She talks candidly about navigating solo entrepreneurship, fundraising over $22M, hiring effectively, and the realities of building a company while raising a newborn.Where to find She Leads:Apple PodcastsWebsiteSpotifyYouTubeInstagramX (Twitter)Where to find Carly:LinkedInX (Twitter)Where to find Sara:LinkedInWhere to find GEM:InstagramGEM websiteReferenced:Sara Blakely: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarablakely27/Venture for America: https://www.linkedin.com/company/venture-for-america/In this episode, we cover:(1:22) Growing up on a farm and childhood influences(5:09) Pivoting majors at Cornell(6:28) Being practical vs. the dreamer(9:14) Joining Venture for America(12:33) The lessons from founding Plant Water(16:25) The health crisis that inspired GEM(19:28) Finding the conviction to launch(22:57) Balancing taste with nutritional function(25:23) Operating as a DTC brand(26:27) The greatest challenges working on GEM(28:49) Remote work challenges and culture trade-offs(33:35) Advice for CPG founders on venture capital(39:36) Juggling motherhood and leadership(41:34) Redefining success

    Fundraising 101: I'm currently in NY! *Buys Flight to NY* | Celine Halioua (Founder/CEO, Loyal)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 27, 2025 46:24


    Celine Halioua is the founder and CEO of Loyal, a biotech company developing FDA-approved drugs to extend the healthy lifespan of dogs. In this follow-up episode, Celine discusses Loyal's latest milestones, now with three longevity drugs in development and $150M in funding. This conversation covers the rationale behind building a multi-product biotech company, how she raised a Series B during a brutal fundraising climate, and Celine's insight into building a mission-driven company culture.Where to find She Leads:Apple PodcastsWebsiteSpotifyYouTubeInstagramX (Twitter)Where to find Carly:LinkedInX (Twitter)Where to find Celine:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/celinehh/Referenced:Accel: accel.comLoyal: loyal.com/Moderna: modernatx.comSoftBank: softbank.jp/enTimestamps:(2:39) Loyal's stakeholders(6:28) Going multiproduct(10:02) How the biotech industry gets funding(18:30) Lessons from raising money(20:28) Why constraints are useful(25:34) How raising money affects you mentally(29:16) Radical transparency(33:22) The academic-founder paradox(35:50) A small fish in a big pond(43:33) Finding low-ego team members(46:08) What does success look like?

    Side Projects Don't Work, Quit Your Job | Ashley Thompson (Founder/CEO, Mush)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2025 61:50


    Ashley Thompson is the co-founder and CEO of Mush, the ready-to-eat overnight oats brand redefining breakfast. After earning a degree in math and economics from Columbia, Ashley began her career as a trader at Goldman Sachs. But after three years on Wall Street, she left finance behind to chase a bigger mission: building Mush. Since then, she's grown Mush into a multimillion-dollar brand with nationwide distribution. Along the way, she pitched Mush on Shark Tank and landed a deal with Mark Cuban. Through relentless focus, getting early consumer feedback, and her personal connection to wellbeing, Ashely has built a category-defining brand.Where to find She Leads:Apple PodcastsWebsiteSpotifyYouTubeInstagramX (Twitter)Where to find Carly:LinkedInX (Twitter)Where to find Ashley:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-thompson-50888626/Referenced:Columbia University: https://www.columbia.eduGoldman Sachs: https://www.goldmansachs.comMark Cuban: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-cuban-06a0751bMush: https://www.eatmush.comPublix: https://www.publix.comTimestamps:(2:57) Ashley's childhood(6:54) The surprising childhood creations(9:54) How mental health influenced the journey(17:16) The early years at Goldman Sachs(25:41) Why overnight oats?(29:39) It's important to quit(34:35) What drew Ashley to San Diego(36:59) Getting early consumer feedback(39:05) Adapting to entrepreneurship(43:37) Winning Whole Foods(48:15) The story of Shark Tank(52:01) Insights into the CPG industry

    How Stanford BFFs Swapped Tech & Finance for Probiotic Yogurt | Kiki & Elan (Beny Yogurt)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 1, 2025 78:06


    Kiki Couchman and Elan Halpern are the co-founders of Beny Yogurt, an organic, probiotic-packed yogurt brand born from their shared passion for health and nutrition. After meeting at Stanford, where Kiki studied human biology and Elan studied computer science, they went on to work in private equity and product management before teaming up to start Beny. Drawing on complementary skill sets, they've bootstrapped the business through smart financial planning, scrappy marketing, and a focus on building a product they genuinely believe in.Where to find She Leads:Apple PodcastsWebsiteSpotifyYouTubeInstagramX (Twitter)Where to find Carly:LinkedInX (Twitter)Where to find Kiki:LinkedInInstagramWhere to find Elan:LinkedInInstagram

    Lessons in Leadership, Risk-Taking, and Running the World's Biggest Dating Brands | Mandy Ginsberg (fmr CEO, Match Group - Tinder, Hinge, etc.))

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 27, 2025 71:13


    Mandy's a true trailblazer who transformed how more than half of people today find romantic connections – through online dating and dating apps. As CEO of Match Group after its 2015 IPO, Mandy led the company's expanding portfolio of dating apps including Tinder, Match.com, OKCupid and Plenty of Fish, while later adding Hinge to establish Match Group as the dominant force in online dating, that owns over 45 dating apps and services. During her tenure, Mandy broke new ground as the first female CEO to conduct a comprehensive organizational pay audit to address gender wage disparities. Mandy holds a Bachelors degree from UC Berkeley in Spanish and English literature, and then went on to earn her MBA from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton.Currently, Mandy also serves on the boards of Uber, ThredUp, Universal Music Group and Flow Health, while working as an Operating Partner at Advent International, a global private equity investment firm.In this episode, Carly chats with Mandy Ginsberg (former CEO of Match Group and Princeton Review). Mandy covers her competitive nature from childhood, her transition from marketing roles to executive positions, and the remarkable gender pay audit she conducted.The conversation highlights Mandy's commitment to transparent, authentic leadership, showcasing why she's such a compelling figure in the tech and business world.Where to find She Leads:Apple PodcastsWebsiteSpotifyYouTubeInstagramX (Twitter)Where to find Carly:LinkedInX (Twitter)Where to find Mandy:LinkedInIn this episode, we cover:(00:00) Introduction to Mandy Ginsberg(02:36) Mandy's Upbringing(04:04) The Influence of Powerful Woman on Mandy(07:00) Navigating Berkeley & the woman's soccer team(11:51) You work for a person, not a company(14:20) Leadership hack: support your team(15:14) Psychology of consumer tech(16:14) Wharton Business school lessons(23:12) Early professional career at i2(26:00) Joining Match.com's Chemistry(35:25) Mandy leading Match Group(37:58) Imposter syndrome(43:28) How to evaluate new opportunities(51:18) Building culture at Match Group w/ Shar Dubey(56:30) Conducting the pay audit (01:00:08) Advocate for yourself at work (01:03:02) The power of vulnerability at work  Mandy's craft that she's spending a lifetime honing? Learning new sports

    137: Farnaz Azmoodeh | Chief Technology Officer, Linktree

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 17, 2024 46:55


    Resilience, Leadership, and Redefining Success with Farnaz Azmoodeh, CTO of Linktree.In this episode of She Leads, Carly sits down with Farnaz Azmoodeh, the Chief Technology Officer of Linktree. Farnaz shares her remarkable journey, from growing up in Iran to becoming a leader in the tech industry. Her story highlights resilience, adaptability, and the transformative power of diverse leadership.Join us as Farnaz reflects on her childhood, her passion for engineering, and her transition from technical roles to executive leadership. She also shares valuable insights into building a supportive work culture, fostering effective collaboration, and navigating challenges with a positive, gamified mindset.Whether you're an aspiring leader, a tech enthusiast, or simply looking for inspiration, this episode is packed with wisdom, vulnerability, and practical advice.Episode Highlights:00:52 – Introduction02:03 – Farnaz's Early Life and Childhood in Iran05:44 – Academic Journey and Introduction to Coding08:53 – University Experience and Gender Dynamics in Engineering12:18 – Transition to the United States and Cultural Adaptation15:29 – Entering the Tech Industry and Joining Google17:24 – Career Growth and Leadership at Google and Snap23:09 – Reflecting on Tough Times and Resilience25:50 – The Concept of Wartime Leadership26:35 – "Bull in a China Shop": A Unique Leadership Style28:12 – Building Relationships with Kindness29:18 – Transitioning from Engineer to CTO31:09 – Joining Linktree: A New Adventure37:18 – Navigating Challenges with a Gamified Mindset39:03 – Addressing Gender Disparities in Tech42:09 – Redefining Success and Embracing Struggle45:50 – The Art of Loving and CaringKey Takeaways:How resilience shaped Farnaz's journey from Iran to the U.S.The importance of adaptability in career transitions.Building strong work cultures and effective executive relationships.Addressing gender disparities and fostering diverse leadership styles.The evolving definition of success and finding joy in challenges.Tune in to hear Farnaz's inspiring story and her advice for aspiring leaders navigating their own unique journeys.

    136: Ossa Fisher | President of $9Bn Co., Aurora

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 9, 2024 52:34


    Ossa is the President of Aurora – a public company that provides self-driving technology for safe, accessible, and efficient transportation - with a market cap of ~ $9 billion dollars.Prior to Aurora, Ossa spent over twenty years at innovative technology companies in high-growth industries, serving in both strategic and operational functions. Most recently, she served as president & COO of Istation, a leading education technology provider serving millions of students across the United States. Prior to Istation, Ossa served as senior vice president of strategy and analytics at the dominant dating company Match Group, known for such brands as match.com and Tinder. In addition, she spent almost a decade at global consulting firm Bain & Co, ultimately serving as a partner in the technology, media, and telecom practice. She began her career as an investment banking analyst at Goldman Sachs. Ossa also serves on the board of directors for Instructure, a public edtech company serving over 30 million users, and Hometown Ticketing, a digital ticketing company.Ossa is a member of the Yale Alumni Association Board of Governors and has a bachelor's in economics from Yale University, an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business, and a master's in education from Stanford Graduate School of Education.  She holds both Swedish and American citizenship and is fluent in both Swedish and English. She is also married with two teenage daughters.-----Past guests include Margaret Wishingrad, Kara Goldin, Brandi Chastain, Julie Foudy, Ann Miura Ko, Linda Avey, Sarah Leary, Becky Sauerbrunn and many more.Follow us on Instagram | LinkedIn | YoutubeCheck out the She Leads website-----In Today's Episode with Ossa Fisher We Discuss:1. Ossa's Upbringing and Passion for School2. Early Professional Years at Goldman Sachs 3. Choosing To Go To Stanford Business Schools + Masters In Education4. Joining Consulting at Bain for 10+ years 5. Decision-Making Formula: Will I Regret It in the Future?6. Self-Advocacy at Bain7. The Biological Clock Women Face8. Lessons in Transitions from IC to Manager9. Choosing to join Match Group 10. Goal-Setting 11. Transitions into C-Suite Executive + Navigating Restlessness12. Joining Aurora and Leading A $10Bn Company 13. Honing the Craft of InfluencePlease share She Leads with a friend and Leave a Review!

    135: Maureen Fan | Founder & CEO, Baobab Studios, 10x Emmy award-winning interactive animation studio

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2024 63:42


    Maureen is the Co-Founder and CEO of Baobab Studios, a 10-time Emmy winning interactive animation company that blends cutting edge technology (AI, metaverse, mixed reality) with storytelling. Baobab Studios was named Fast Company's 2018 Most innovative company and the industry leader in merging gaming and Hollywood after winning 4 interactive Emmys. With Baobab, Maureen has created projects that have attracted incredible talent - including Oprah. John Legend, Kate Winslet and Ali Wong. Before founding Baobab, Maureen earned her bachelor's degree from Stanford University in a self-designed major that combined arts, computer science, and psychology. After Stanford, she held senior product and UI roles at ebay and also helped birth the social casual games revolution as Zynga's VP of Games, overseeing the original Farmville franchise.She also interned at Pixar while completing her master's degree at Harvard Business School.Maureen's work has earned her recognition as one of Ad Age's Most Creative People of the Year, Gold House's Top 100 Influential Asians, and Variety's Executive to Watch and Top Digital Creative lists.-----Past guests include Margaret Wishingrad, Kara Goldin, Brandi Chastain, Julie Foudy, Ann Miura Ko, Linda Avey, Sarah Leary, Becky Sauerbrunn and many more.Follow us on Instagram | LinkedIn | YoutubeCheck out the She Leads website-----In Today's Episode with Maureen Fan We Discuss:1. Maureen's Upbringing and Values Instilled 2. Early Adversity in Assimilation with Asian Identity3. Conflict between Passion and Job Security 4. Attending Stanford University: Creating Her Own Major 5. The Power of Champions and Mentorship6. How To Ask for a Mentor7. The Value of Business School: Is It Worth It?8. Doing the Dirty Work in Hollywood9. Transition into Tech at Ebay and Zynga 10. Founding Baobab Studies 11. Building Self-Esteem + Confidence as a Founder Please share She Leads with a friend and Leave a Review!

    134: Lara Cohen | Head of Marketing, Linktree

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2024 47:00


    Lara leads all things marketing, partnerships, business development and communications at Linktree, a platform that allows creators to build personalized landing pages with multiple links to all of their content.Before joining Linktree, Lara spent a decade at Twitter (now known as X), where she served as Global VP of Partners & Marketing. In her early days at Twitter, she was the Head of Entertainment and Lifestyle Partnerships, where she shaped and redefined Twitter's narrative for talent and entertainment partners.One of her standout achievements in this role was spearheading the iconic activation of Ellen DeGeneres' selfie at the 2014 Oscars.She earned her bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of Rochester and began her career as Editorial Director at US Weekly, back when it was owned by Wenner Media.-----Past guests include Margaret Wishingrad, Kara Goldin, Brandi Chastain, Julie Foudy, Ann Miura Ko, Linda Avey, Sarah Leary, Becky Sauerbrunn and many more.Follow us on Instagram | LinkedIn | YoutubeCheck out the She Leads website-----In Today's Episode with Lara Cohen We Discuss:1. Lara's Upbringing 2. Career + College Aspirations in Political Journalism3. Early Career at US Weekly - Entertainment Journalism4. Entertainment Media Pre-Social Media 5. Journalism Culture: Deadlines, Constant Grinding, Hustle. 6. Transition from Conventional Journalism into Tech at Twitter7. The Genesis of the Iconic Ellen Degeneres Selfie at the Oscars8. The Value of Being the Non-Technical One in the Room9. The Power of Storytelling in Marketing 10. The Rise and Implications of the Creator Economy11. Twitter Under Elon's Takeover11. Linktree's Campaign for Voter Registration is LIVE! To find out more information, check out the Linktree blog and this USA Today articlePlease share She Leads with a friend and Leave a Review!

    133: Renee Dunn | Founder & CEO, Amazi Foods

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2024 48:35


    Renee is the Founder & CEO of Amazi Foods, a mindful tropical-fruit food company that works directly with small businesses and farmers groups in Uganda to make these delicious snacks that are bringing some much-needed excitement into the dried fruit category. Amazi originated largely from Renee's college trip to Uganda where she completed her thesis research. She noticed that there were many delicious local organic fruits - something that wasn't prevalent in the states. However, the local markets had very limited access outside Uganda. The supply chains were broken. Now, Renee is dedicated to building a better supply chain and supporting economic development in Uganda. Fast forward a few more years, Amazi has sourced from over 300 farmers in Uganda with more than half being women, and is in top retailers like Amazon, Wegmans and soon to be Whole Foods Market. Renee earned her Bachelors degree in Economics and the College of Social Studies from Wesleyan University. A fun fact: on the side, Renee has also been a fitness guru for most of her life  – working as a lead strength trainer and yoga teacher. -----Past guests include Margaret Wishingrad, Kara Goldin, Brandi Chastain, Julie Foudy, Ann Miura Ko, Linda Avey, Sarah Leary, Becky Sauerbrunn and many more.Follow us on Instagram | LinkedIn | YoutubeCheck out the She Leads website-----In Today's Episode with Renee Dunn We Discuss:1. Renee's Upbringing + Family Values 2. Study Abroad Experience at Uganda 3. Forming a Thesis Around Local Entrepreneurship4. Challenges and Gaps in the Local Ugandan Food Markets5. Navigating the Quarter-Life Crisis at 25yo6. Transition from Yoga to Founder7. Knowing Nothing About the Food Industry to Being a CPG Founder8. Amazi Foods Founding Story9. The Challenges and Lessons of Founding as a Solo Founder10. Life and Entrepreneurship is an Infinity SignPlease share She Leads with a friend and Leave a Review!

    132: Ali Bonar | Co-Founder & CEO, Oat Haus

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2024 51:16


    *TW: Discussion Around Eating Disorders* Ali is the Co-Founder and CEO of Oat Haus, the first-ever spreadable granola. Think the texture of nut butter, but the warm, familiar taste of granola.She founded Oat Haus back in 2018 as it was part of her recovery journey from disordered eating.  She searched high and low for a nut-free spread that resonated with her, but couldn't find one. She came up with the idea to create one out of oats, and Granola Butter was born! Now, Oat Haus is sold at over 5000 retailers across the country, including Whole Foods Market, Publix, Amazon, and Target.  All of this earned her a much deserved 2024 EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Prior to Oat Haus, she thought she would be a doctor. She studied pre-med at the University of California Berkeley, earning a bachelors degree in nutritional sciences. While she ultimately decided not to become a doctor, she did continue in digital health for a few years, working in marketing at Doximity - the largest medical network. -----Past guests include Margaret Wishingrad, Kara Goldin, Brandi Chastain, Julie Foudy, Ann Miura Ko, Linda Avey, Sarah Leary, Becky Sauerbrunn and many more.Follow us on Instagram | LinkedIn | YoutubeCheck out the She Leads website-----In Today's Episode with Ali Bonar We Discuss:1. Early Childhood Passions + A Love for Food 2. Forgoing A Medical Career at Berkeley3. Choosing a Career Path + Trusting Your Inner Voice 4. Struggling with Eating Disorders + Journey to Recovery5. Founding Story of Oat Haus 6. Choosing a Co-Founder7. The Power of Delusion and Grit in Entrepreneurship8. Early Mistakes: Pressed Juice Story 9. Branding + Naming Lessons10. Power of Content Creation + Building Community 11. Empathy and Intuition are Superpowers Please share She Leads with a friend and Leave a Review!

    131: Camilla Matias | Chief Operating Officer, Brex

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 21, 2024 47:55


    Camilla is the Chief Operating Officer of Brex, a financial technology company that provides a range of financial services tailored to startups and other businesses. Camilla started at Brex as the Head and VP of Finance before transitioning into the operations side as the SVP of Global Operations before becoming the COO. Prior to Brex, Camilla worked at Kraft Heinz,  one of the largest food and beverage companies in the world - starting as a Finance Analyst to becoming the Director of Finance in just under 3 years and she also worked in private equity and portfolio management in Brazil. Camilla earned her Bachelors degree in Aeronautics and Mechanical Engineering from Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica - ITA, one of the most respected and top universities based in Brazil specializing in aerospace science and engineering. She was one of only 6 women in her graduating class of 120 people. -----Past guests include Margaret Wishingrad, Kara Goldin, Brandi Chastain, Julie Foudy, Ann Miura Ko, Linda Avey, Sarah Leary, Becky Sauerbrunn and many more.Follow us on Instagram | LinkedIn | Youtube-----In Today's Episode with Camilla Matias We Discuss:1. Growing Up in Brazil + Studying Mechanical Engineering in a Male-Dominated, Military University2. Embracing Challenges Throughout Life 3. Optimizing for Financial Independence in Early Career4. Navigating Early Career: Focus on Learning + People + Cold-Emailing 5.  Transitioning from Finance to Management at Kraft Heinz6. Self-Advocacy in Career Growth - Rising Up the Ladder in 3 years7. Standing Out To Your Advantage8. The Value of Plan A, Plan B, Plan C in Operations 9. Operations at Brex10. Find Your Superpower and Invest In ItPlease share She Leads with a friend and Leave a Review!

    130: Lauren Chew | Founder & CEO, Love + Chew Brands

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 6, 2024 50:47


    Lauren is is the Founder and CEO of Love and Chew Brands, a company that manufactures and distributes tasty protein cookies that are clean-label and guilt-free - with a mission to be the leader in the plant-based dessert category and to inspire ppl to enjoy healthier and more sustainable treats. Love + Chew products are on the shelves of over 2,000 stores including Sprouts, Costco, Whole Foods Market, and Amazon, reaching millions of consumers across the US.Before founding Love+Chew, Lauren worked in the sustainable energy technology space – in an energy storage startup called Stem and at Tesla, in business development, operations and sales roles. Lauren earned her Bachelors degree in Sociology, International Studies and Mandarin from the University of California San Diego. -----Past guests include Margaret Wishingrad, Kara Goldin, Brandi Chastain, Julie Foudy, Ann Miura Ko, Linda Avey, Sarah Leary, Becky Sauerbrunn and many more.Follow us on Instagram | LinkedIn | Youtube-----Show Notes: 1. Intro of She Leads + Lauren Chew 2. Lauren's early influences + growing up 3. Navigating the Corporate World and Discovering Passion for Sustainability4. Transition from Side-Hustle to Full-Time Business5. Bootsrapping6. Running a Consumer-Packaged Goods Co Do's and Don't's7. The Process of Rebranding8. Balancing Work and Family Life9. Challenges of Entrepreneurship10. Overcoming Self-doubt as a Solo Female FounderPlease share She Leads with a friend and Leave a Review!

    129: Elena Gomez | Chief Financial Officer of $14B Co., Toast

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 31, 2024 52:08


    Elena is the Chief Financial Officer of Toast, the cloud-based, end-to-end technology platform purpose-built for the entire restaurant community - a public company now valued close to $15Bn. With more than 30 years of experience in leading large global organizations, Elena's expertise ranges from scaling and building SaaS businesses into multi-billion organizations and building and leading large-scale operational teams. Before joining Toast, Elena has held senior roles in finance working as the VP of Finance at Charles Schwab, SVP of Finance and Strategy at Salesforce and the Chief Financial Officer at Zendesk, where she helped scale the company to over $1 billion in annual revenue.Beyond operating, Elena is an investor and sits on the board of PagerDuty. She is also the chair of the Berkeley Haas School Board, serving as the first woman to serve in this role; Berkeley is also where she earned her Bachelors degree in Accounting. -----Past guests include Margaret Wishingrad, Kara Goldin, Brandi Chastain, Julie Foudy, Ann Miura Ko, Linda Avey, Sarah Leary, Becky Sauerbrunn and many more.Follow us on Instagram | LinkedIn | Youtube-----Show Notes: 1. Intro of Elena Gomez + She Leads2. Elena's Upbringing 3. The Value of Education and Work Ethic4. The Influence of Elena's Grandfather in Accounting5. Early Career at Charles Schwab + Navigating Imposter Syndrome6. Transition to Salesforce7. Authenticity and Self-Advocacy in the Workplace8. Becoming CFO + Building Trust in Relationships9. Top 3 Skills in a CFO: Storytelling, Communication, Customer Obsession10. Advocating for Diversity and Inclusion11. 'Work-Life Balance' as a Mother and CFOPlease share She Leads with a friend and Leave a Review!

    128: Jessica Holton | Founder & CEO, Ours

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 26, 2024 55:44


    Jessica is the CEO and Founder of Ours, a virtual couples therapy and premarital counseling platform with a mission to make couples therapy more accessible, destigmatized and designed for young, modern couples. Beyond Ours, Jessica also founded Access Distributed to help students at non-target recruiting schools land internships in finance and she also founded BLAZE Skincare, a personalized skincare brand. However, Jessica's career started in finance. She received her Bachelors in accounting and finance from Georgetown University, and then started her professional career as an investment banker at Morgan Stanley and The Carlyle Group before receiving her MBA from Stanford Graduate School of business. -----Past guests include Margaret Wishingrad, Kara Goldin, Brandi Chastain, Julie Foudy, Ann Miura Ko, Linda Avey, Sarah Leary, Becky Sauerbrunn and many more.Follow us on Instagram | LinkedIn | Youtube-----1. Welcome to She Leads 2. Growing Up & Jessica's Upbringing3. Odd Jobs4. Choosing a Major in Finance and Business + Lessons Learned5. Power of Mentorship and Selecting the Right Ones6. Going to Business School and Having No Regrets7. Starting Access Distributed8. Founding Ours 9. Breaking Down the Stigma of Couples Therapy 10. Choosing a Cofounder: Kindness + Communication + Trust11. Lessons in Fundraising: Fake Excitement

    127: Audrey Wisch | Founder & CEO, Curious Cardinals

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 12, 2024 48:08


    Audrey is the Founder and CEO of Curious Cardinals, an edtech company committed to empowering K-12 students to discover and pursue their passions with the guidance of college mentors.Audrey started Curious Cardinals as a freshman at Stanford University, where she was pursuing a Bachelors degree in History. Just one year later, the COVID pandemic hit and Audrey ultimately decided to take a leave of absence from Stanford to pursue Curious Cardinals full time. Today, Curious Cardinals is a global community of over 500 top college students mentoring kids across the globe.Audrey has spoken on CNN, the Today Show and in Forbes to share her vision to create a community of lifelong learners and doers. She was also recognized in the 2022 Forbes 30 Under 30 Education and Youngest category.-----Past guests include Margaret Wishingrad, Kara Goldin, Brandi Chastain, Julie Foudy, Ann Miura Ko, Linda Avey, Sarah Leary, Becky Sauerbrunn and many more.Follow us on Instagram | LinkedIn | Youtube-----Show Notes:1. Welcome to She Leads2. Audrey's Upbringing in NY3. Audrey as a Child - being her own CEO4. Going to Stanford with a 10-year Plan5. The Impact of COVID6. Founding Story of Curious Cardinals 7. Power of Project-Based Learning and Mentorship in Education8. Fundraising for Curious Cardinals and Lessons Along the Way9. The Role of AI in Education Today10. The Power of Resilience and Continuous LearningPlease share She Leads with a friend and Leave a Review!

    126: Jenna Kerner | Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Harper Wilde

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 5, 2024 43:28


    Jenna is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Harper Wilde, the DTC brand disrupting the $16 billion dollar intimate apparel industry with its mission to take the B.S. out of Bra Shopping. Jenna and the brand have been recognized as Forbes 30 Under 30 and Inc. Top 100 Female Founders as well as has been featured in Vogue, the New York Times, The Today Show, Good Morning America and many more. Jenna received her B.A. in Biological Sciences and Economics from Cornell University and her MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where she met her co-founder, Jane Fisher, and together began working on bringing Harper Wilde to life.Prior to Harper Wilde, as you will soon learn, Jenna worked as a consultant at Deloitte for 4 years as well as at digital health startups in a product management role. Her passion for healthcare and biology stemmed largely from her upbringing, coming from a family of physicians. -----Past guests include Margaret Wishingrad, Kara Goldin, Brandi Chastain, Julie Foudy, Ann Miura Ko, Linda Avey, Sarah Leary, Becky Sauerbrunn and many more.Follow us on Instagram | LinkedIn | Youtube-----Show Notes:1. Welcome to She Leads2. Jenna's upbringing in a family of physicians3. Choosing a career path 4. Transitioning from consulting to startups 5. Discovering the idea for Harper Wilde6. The Power of self-belief and taking risks 7. Navigating pushback from investors with Harper Wilde8. Building a strong company culture9. Lessons learned as an entrepreneur10. Defining success and personal growthPlease share She Leads with a friend and Leave a Review!

    125: Gracie Gold | Olympic Figure Skater

    Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2024 49:55


    Gracie is an American figure skater. She is a 2014 Olympic bronze medalist, a six-time Grand Prix medalist, and a two-time U.S. national champion - both in 2014 and 2016. In 2017, Gracie stepped away from the ice to seek help for her mental health around depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and an eating disorder. She recently returned to the ice and has become a passionate mental health advocate - leading her to be featured in Sports Illustrated, the Players Tribune, the NY Times, the HBO documentary, Weight of Gold, and countless other news sources. Given her experience, she's led countless mental health initiatives and was recognized with the 2022 Bell of Hope Award. She recently released her memoir "Outofshapeworthlessloser: A Memoir of Figure Skating, F*cking Up, and Figuring It Out…" - a book in which she provides the most authentic and deep look into her journey from growing up to where she is today - navigating the world of being in the public eye as an elite figure skater. -----Past guests include Margaret Wishingrad, Kara Goldin, Brandi Chastain, Julie Foudy, Ann Miura Ko, Linda Avey, Sarah Leary, Becky Sauerbrunn and many more.Follow us on Instagram | LinkedIn | Youtube-----Show Notes:1. Welcome to She Leads2. Gracie's Childhood and Upbringing3. Gracie's Spirited Personality 4. Her introduction to Figure Skating 5. The Pressure and Subjectivity of Figure Skating 6. Finding Out She's an Olympian7. The Pressure of Body Image in Figure Skating 8. Promoting a Healthier Body Image in Sports 9. Creating a Safe Space for Athletes - Mental Health10. Quieting the Inner Critic Please share She Leads with a friend and Leave a Review!

    124: Raegan Moya-Jones | Co-Founder, Aden + Anais

    Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2024 65:09


    Raegan is the Co-Founder and former CEO of Aden + Anais – the baby lifestyle brand globally recognized for its high-quality design-driven muslin swaddles and baby products.Her success with Aden + Anais earned her reputable awards, including being named as one of EY's Entrepreneurs of the Year, considered one of the most prestigious business awards in the world. Aside from founding,  Raegan sits on the board of directors for Hopeland, a nonprofit created to help children who are separated from their family. Raegan is the author of "WHAT IT TAKES: How I Built a $100 Million Business Against the Odds", where she shares the story of her entrepreneurial journey from the kitchen table to a 100 million dollar global business. Perhaps even more impressive than all of this, Raegan is the mother to four beautiful daughters! -----Past guests include Margaret Wishingrad, Kara Goldin, Brandi Chastain, Julie Foudy, Ann Miura Ko, Linda Avey, Sarah Leary, Becky Sauerbrunn and many more.Follow us on Instagram | LinkedIn | Youtube-----Show Notes:1. Welcome to She Leads2. Raegan's Childhood and Upbringing3. Moving to New York4. Founding Story of Aden + Anais 5. Challenges in Co-Founder Relationships7. Choosing the Right Co-Founder8. Scaling a Global Business9. Hiring and building a team based on core traits 10. Navigating the Challenges of Raising Capital11. The Power of Resilience and Hard Work12. Finding Happiness and Living in the MomentPlease share She Leads with a friend and Leave a Review!

    123: Charlene Roxborough | Celebrity & Editorial Stylist

    Play Episode Listen Later May 14, 2024 47:35 Transcription Available


    With over twenty years' of experience, Charlene is one of the most renowned celebrity and editorial stylists of her generation. Her work has graced the Oscars, the Golden Globes and the Cannes Film Festival, earning her recognition in Vogue, Vanity Fair, Forbes and many more. She has become a recognized stylist and designer  for today's icons including Sofia Vergara, Eva Longoria, and Vince Vaughn.Charlene's styling endeavors span from high profile magazines to television, for clients such as Coca-Cola, Tissot, L'Oreal, Remy Martin, Nike, Guess and T-Mobile.Now, Charlene is also the founder of Stone Windsor. Largely inspired by her daughter, Stone – Charlene has created a childrenswear collection that offers premium, eco-conscious clothing for kids (even the picky ones) that is designed for an easy and seamless mix and match styling process.----- You can find Charlene's styling website here: https://charleneroxborough.com/You can follow Charlene's Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/charroxstylist/?hl=enShop and explore Stone Windsor here: https://stonewindsor.com/-----Past guests include Margaret Wishingrad, Kara Goldin, Brandi Chastain, Julie Foudy, Ann Miura Ko, Linda Avey, Sarah Leary, Becky Sauerbrunn, Miriam Haart and many more.Follow us on Instagram | LinkedIn | Youtube-----Please share She Leads with a friend and leave a review! 

    122: Angie Bastian | Founder, Angie's BOOMCHIKAPOP

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 30, 2024 34:30


    This episode was first recorded and released in September, 2020. Angie Bastian, the visionary co-founder of Angie's BOOMCHICKAPOP, ignited a global popcorn revolution from the confines of her Minnesota garage in 2001. She crafted a beloved brand of gluten-free, non-GMO popcorn that has taken the world by storm. In 2017, Conagra Brands recognized the exceptional appeal of Angie's BOOMCHICKAPOP and acquired the company, propelling it to new heights of success.Angie's outstanding achievements have garnered her well-deserved recognition. She has been honored as a Pioneer in Food and proudly inducted into the esteemed MN Women's Business Hall of Fame. Beyond her role at Angie's BOOMCHICKAPOP, Angie actively contributes to various ventures, serving on the boards of Prospera Foods and Opportunity International Nicaragua. A former Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, she made the bold decision to retire from her nursing career in 2011, fully dedicating herself to the world of entrepreneurship.With an enduring partnership spanning 28 years, Angie and her husband have built a legacy that extends beyond business success. Together, they have raised two remarkable children and remain an inspiration to aspiring entrepreneurs everywhere. Angie Bastian's extraordinary journey exemplifies the power of determination, innovation, and unwavering commitment to creating something truly extraordinary.-----Past guests include Margaret Wishingrad, Kara Goldin, Brandi Chastain, Julie Foudy, Ann Miura Ko, Linda Avey, Sarah Leary, Becky Sauerbrunn, Miriam Haart and many more.Follow us on Instagram | LinkedIn | Youtube-----If you're enjoying the show, please share it with a friend and leave a review!

    121: Aishetu Dozie | Founder & CEO, Bossy Cosmetics

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 24, 2024 59:49


    Aisha is the founder of Bossy Cosmetics, a hyper-growth independent beauty company that inspires, empowers, and champions ambitious working women. Under her leadership, the company has grown from a purely digitally native footprint to retailing in over 600 retail doors across the country, including JCPenney and Nordstrom, as well as on Amazon.com. The brand was selected (numerous times) as one of the coveted “Oprah's Favorite Things”, and has won honorable mentions and awards from Fast Company in Innovation by Design and various product awards from Self and Ebony Magazines. In the 5 years since its founding, Aisha has redefined the way beauty companies “see” professional women and has been featured in NPR's How I Built Resilience,, Forbes, W Magazine, InStyle, Refinery29, amongst others.Prior to founding Bossy Cosmetics, Aisha led a different life - as a 20-year global finance executive having worked over the course of her career at Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Lehman Brothers, Standard Chartered Bank, World Bank, and Rand Merchant Bank. Aishe has worked on over $130 billion in M&A, private equity financings, IPOs, and public capital market transactions. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Cornell University, an MBA from the Harvard Business School, and was a Fellow in the Distinguished Careers Institute at Stanford University. Perhaps even more impressive than all of this, Aisha is a wife and the mother of three sons! -----Past guests include Margaret Wishingrad, Kara Goldin, Brandi Chastain, Julie Foudy, Ann Miura Ko, Linda Avey, Sarah Leary, Becky Sauerbrunn, Miriam Haart and many more.Follow us on Instagram | LinkedIn | Youtube-----Show Notes:1. Welcome to She Leads2. Aisha's Childhood and Values3. Emphasis and Importance of Education 4. Grappling with her Dual Identity as a Nigerian Growing Up in America5. The Value and Optimizing for Money and Finding Financial Security Growing Up6. Navigating Career Paths – Tackling Job Security Vs. Passion7. Optimizing for Wealth as a Woman8. Rising Up the Investment Banking and Finance Career Path Ladder 9. Choosing to go to Harvard Business School 10. Aisha's Mental Health During  the Pinnacle of Her Banking Career11. Quitting her Banking Job (and the Health Scare that Led to this)12. Balancing Work and Family 13. Taking off to Palo Alto and the Distinguished Careers Institute Fellowship at Stanford 14. Founding Bossy Cosmetics + Early Days 15. Venture Capital Responses + Rejections of Bossy Cosmetics16. Aisha Defining Success - Then and Now If you're enjoying the show, please share it with a friend and leave a r

    120: Wendy Weston | Founder, Perfect Picnic

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2024 41:00


    My guest today is Wendy Weston.Wendy Weston started Perfect Picnic with a dream, a small blanket and endless drive and passion. She decided to hang up her figure skates, moving on from her career as a successful competitive skating coach. She has worked her way from the bottom literally - from the basements of Chinatown to her Perfect Picnic storefront across from Central Park. Wendy now delivers her vision of delicious food, and a luxury experience to New York City, The Hamptons and Cape Cod. Over the past 13 years Weston has transformed her vision into a successful business selling millions of dollars worth of picnics. She additionally has paved the way for others in the fast growing "Picnic Industry". The idea "if you can make it here you can make it anywhere" has kept her going as she balanced being a single mother determined to show her daughter what a strong woman could accomplish on her own. She has turned a quiet corner of the Upper West side to a destination for New Yorkers and travelers from around the world. She was recently awarded the Women in Business award from Chase Bank.-----Past guests include Margaret Wishingrad, Kara Goldin, Brandi Chastain, Julie Foudy, Ann Miura Ko, Linda Avey, Sarah Leary, Becky Sauerbrunn, Miriam Haart and many more.Follow us on Instagram | LinkedIn | Youtube-----Show Notes:1. Welcome to She Leads2. Wendy's Childhood + Figure Skating 3. The Impact and Challenges of Leaving Figure Skating on Her Identity4. The Importance of Freedom and Independence5. Lessons Learned Along the Way with Finding Independence6. Evaluating Opportunities and Navigating Life7. Dealing with Disappointment and Expectations 8. Inspiration for Perfect Picnic 9. Rewards and Challenges of Founding a Company10. Work-Life Balance and Putting Yourself First 11. Separating Success from Self-Worth 12. Learning Curve of Founding Perfect Picnic13. Passion for Women's Sexual Health 14. Contrary Opinion of Birth and Death 15. The Practice of Acceptanance Wendy's Passion? Women's Sexual Health and the Difference of Discourse Wendy's life-time craft she is honing? AcceptanceIf you're enjoying the show, please share it with a friend and leave a review!

    119: Holly Liu | Co-Founder, Kabam

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2024 47:39


    Holly is the Co-Founder of Kabam – a mobile gaming company that sold for approximately $1B to NetMarble in 2017. They grew Kabam to over 1500 employees with 6 offices worldwide. Prior to Kabam, Holly graduated from UCLA with a degree in Communications and East Asian studies and received her Masters from Berkeley in Information Management and Systems. She started her professional career in consulting and working as a User Interface Designer at AOL. Throughout her 10-year tenure as the Co-Founder of Kabam, Holly led efforts in a variety of roles: including User Experience, HR, Development and People. Her work has contributed to record revenue growth for Kabam year over year from $0 to $400MM annually, that led Kabam into the unicorn club in 2014. She led the design for Kabam's award-winning "Kingdoms of Camelot" franchise, which has grossed over $250 million in less than four years and the extension game, which was the top grossing app on iOS in 2012. After Kabam, Holly transitioned to the other side of the table as an investor. She spent 2 years as a Visiting Partner at Y Combinator - the leading startup accelerator for entrepreneurs. She is a consummate entrepreneur, executive, and startup mentor. Naturally, Holly has been a leading woman in gaming and entrepreneurship, named by Fortune as the “10 Most Powerful Women in Gaming”. -----Past guests include Margaret Wishingrad, Kara Goldin, Brandi Chastain, Julie Foudy, Ann Miura Ko, Linda Avey, Sarah Leary, Becky Sauerbrunn, Miriam Haart and many more.Follow us on Instagram | LinkedIn | Youtube-----Show Notes:1. Welcome to She Leads2. Holly's Early Life and Influences 3. Navigating and Finding Peace with her Asian Identity 4. Meeting Co-Founders and Initial Brainstorming Ideas 5. Founding a Company Idea 1: Social Corporate Network6. Challenges in Building a B2B Business7. Pivoting to Community Apps on Facebook 8. Entering the Gaming Industry 9. Navigating the 2008 Recession 10. Scaling Culture 11. Balancing Diversity & Scaling in Hiring 12. Experience as a Woman in Gaming 13. Selling Kabam for Over $1 Billion Dollars 14. Book Recs & Lifetime Craft  Holly's book recommendation? The bible Holly's life-time craft she is honing? Being OpenIf you're enjoying the show, please share it with a friend and leave a review!

    118: Fran Maier | Co-Founder, Match.com & Founder/CEO, BabyQuip

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 26, 2024 49:57


    Fran is a serial entrepreneur and Super Founder with over 25 years of experience pioneering category-disrupting B2C and B2B internet businesses. Fran is widely recognized for her leadership as Co-Founder and first General Manager of the online dating service Match.com, Founder of the privacy compliance tech company TRUSTe (now known as TrustArc), and Founder and CEO of her current venture, BabyQuip, the #1 global baby gear rental brand.  BabyQuip currently serves over 2k markets and maintains a network of independent gig economy entrepreneurs in the thousands.  As an award-winning business icon, trailblazer for women in tech, and advocate for female entrepreneurship, Fran has been named to the “150 Most Influential Women in Bay Area Business” by the SF Business Times, “Top 25 Women in Tech to Watch in Silicon Valley” by AlwaysOn and she is the 2016 recipient of the prestigious Jerry I. Porras Latino Leadership Award from Stanford Graduate School of Business, where she earned her Bachelors and MBA. Fran was also a featured expert on entrepreneurship in the acclaimed documentary film “She Started It” and appeared on ABC's Shark Tank.-----Past guests include Margaret Wishingrad, Kara Goldin, Brandi Chastain, Julie Foudy, Ann Miura Ko, Linda Avey, Sarah Leary, Becky Sauerbrunn, Miriam Haart and many more.Follow us on Instagram | LinkedIn | Youtube-----Show Notes:1. Welcome to She Leads2. Tanya's Early Life + Entrepreneurial Spirit3. Her First Yogurt Shop at Stanford4. Transition Post-Stanford into Consulting and Clorox Co. 5. The Rise of the Internet6. Founding Story of Match.com 7. Reflections + the Impact of Match.com 8. Lessons Learned + Advice for Female Founders9. Living in the Future and Identifying Opportunities10. Career Trajectory: Transition to Women.com and Founding TrustArc11. Gaining Confidence in each Career Pivot12. Founding BabyQuip13. Navigating Challenges and Adapting to the Gig Economy14. Recognizing true PMF15. The Importance of Timing in Entrepreneurship16. Working with Family in Business17. Ever-Changing Perspectives on Success18. Addressing Gender Biases and Stereotypes19. Challenging Misrepresentation and Advocating for Women 20. Changing Perspectives on Marriage21. Honing Patience and Being Present Fran's changed perspective in the last decade? MarriageFran's life-time craft she is honing? Patience + Being PresentIf you're enjoying the show, please share it with a friend and leave a review!

    117: Emily Harburg | CEO & Co-Founder, PairUp

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 19, 2024 45:38


    My guest today is Emily Harburg.  Emily is the Cofounder and CEO of PairUp, a B2B SaaS platform that boosts workplace knowledge-sharing, increases connectivity, and helps you solve problems more efficiently at work Emily's background spans industry, startups, and academia. She has worked at Walt Disney Imagineering where she designed technology for the Disney theme parks, at Facebook (Meta) where she worked as a UX researcher, and at EF Education First where she led the Emerging Tech and Innovation team designing tech to support millions of students around the world. In 2015, Emily co-founded Brave Initiatives, an organization dedicated to helping women build tech skills and confidence in coding for social impact. Emily's academic research lies at the intersection of technology and social behavior, and the role that technology can play in building self-efficacy and confidence. Her research has been published and shared in global conferences, academic journals, case studies, and news publications -- including the Harvard Business Review, TEDx, CNN, and more.Emily graduated with a B.A. in Social Anthropology and Psychology from Harvard College, and with a Ph.D. in Technology and Social Behavior from Northwestern University. -----Past guests include Margaret Wishingrad, Kara Goldin, Brandi Chastain, Julie Foudy, Ann Miura Ko, Linda Avey, Sarah Leary, Becky Sauerbrunn, Miriam Haart and many more.Follow us on Instagram | LinkedIn | Youtube-----Show Notes:1. Welcome to She Leads2. Emily's Childhood and Early Interests3. Navigating College and her Career Path4. Designing Technology for Walt Disney 5. Imposter Syndrome and Confidence6. Pursuing a PhD 7. Taking Risks, Following Passion, Quieting the Inner Voices 8. Overcoming Self-Doubt and Taking the Founder Leap9. Founding Story of PairUp10. Fundraising and Hiring Challenges11. Building a Supportive Founder Community12. Lessons Learned and Advice for Founders13. Defining and Evolving Company Culture14. Importance of Mentors and Champions15. Passions + Book Recs + Lifetime Craft Emily's Rare Obsession? DJ-ing Emily's Book Recommendation? Viktor Frankl's 'Man Search for Meaning' Emily's life-time craft she is honing? Bravery▶️ Video interview available on Youtube.If you're enjoying the show, please share it with a friend and leave a review!

    116: Fiona Tan | Chief Technology Officer, Wayfair

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 12, 2024 49:32


    Fiona is the Chief Technology Officer at Wayfair, an American e-commerce company that is the destination for all things home  – a place to find the right furniture and home goods online. With 25+ years of experience leading technology teams, Fiona began her professional career working at top technical companies, including Oracle, TIBCO Software and Ariba. At TIBCO, she rose up to be the Vice President of Engineering in her 16-year tenure at this intelligence cloud data company. Prior to Wayfair, Fiona served in executive leadership roles at Walmart – first as the Senior VP of Engineering for Customer Technology at WalmartLabs and then as the Senior Vice President of U.S. Technology at Walmart.Fiona earned her bachelor's degree in Computer Science and Engineering from MIT and her masters in computer science from Stanford University. In this episode, we cover the following topics:1. Fiona's childhood and the emphasis on education2. Studying Computer Science at MIT3. Gender disparity in Computer Science4. Transition from college into the professional workforce5. Her long tenure at TIBCO software6. Transition from Consumer to Enterprise Software companies 7. Impact and challenges working at Walmart8.  Hiring and building a team 9. Transitioning from coding into managerial role10. CTO role 11. Balancing perfection from good enough12. Reflecting and learning from previous mistakes13. Women in STEM Fiona's life-time craft she is honing? Cooking▶️ Video interview available on Youtube.If you're enjoying the show, please share it with a friend and leave a review!

    115: Emily Hughes | Fmr. USA Olympic Figure Skater

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 5, 2024 44:12


    Emily is an American former figure skater and Olympian.  She competed at the 2006 Winter Olympics. She then was the 2007 U.S. National silver medalist. After retiring from Figure Skating, Emily attended Harvard University and earned her Bachelors degree in Sociology. Her professional career began as a Consultant at Deloitte. After Deloitte, she worked at a handful of reputable companies, including Google, Johnson & Johnson – where she was the Director of Strategy and Operations in the Health Tech division, and Meta – where she spent time in sports-league partnerships and product marketing. Now, Emily works as a Business Lead at Grandstand– a sports tech startup that is connecting athletes and fans in a more meaningful way.  In this episode, we cover the following topics:1. Emily's childhood and early skating years 2. Sibling dynamics and Olympic Inspiration3. Balancing skating and high school 4. Qualifying for the Olympics 5. Competing at the Olympics + Reflecting on that Experience6. Post-Olympic transition and going to Harvard University7.  Navigating the Transition and Leaning on Support System8. Advocating for Yourself 9.  Challenges in the Workforce and Building Confidence10. Skills from Athletics in Leadership Roles + Startups11. Overcoming Imposter Syndrome12. Transitioning to Grandstand Emily's life-time craft she is honing? Fostering and building community▶️ Video interview available on Youtube.If you're enjoying the show, please share it with a friend and leave a review!

    114: Polly Rodriguez | CEO & Co-Founder, Unbound

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 27, 2024 48:12


    Polly is the CEO and Co-Founder of Unbound, a rebellious sexual wellness company  with the goal to make sexual health accessible to all through elevated design, body safe products, affordable prices, and educational content.As you will soon discover, Unbound's inspiration stemmed largely from Polly's experience at 21 years old. She was diagnosed with cancer that resulted in early onset menopause. Polly found herself shopping for a vibrator at a seedy shop next to the highway in St. Louis, Missouri - and this entire experience ultimately led to her founding Unbound with her cofounder, Sarah - ten years later. Before Unbound, Polly earned her bachelors from Miami University in Business Economics and went on to work as a consultant at Deloitte before joining an early-stage YC-backed startup in the dating app space called Grouper. Perhaps, more than anything, she learned what it meant to work at a failed startup. After Grouper, Polly decided to take the final leap in founding Unbound largely through her own personal experience with sexual health and wellness. In this episode, we cover the following topics:1. Polly's upbringing in St. Louis, Missouri 2. Her cancer diagnosis at 21 years old and the impact it had on her life during college + the mentality she learned from it 3. The frustration with the medical system that inspired the founding of Unbound4. Societal norms and the stigma around women's sexual health5. Founding journey of Unbound, including the challenges and frustrations6. Reshaping mentality and prioritizing enjoyment7. Dealing with guilt and finding balance as a founder8. Goal-setting, practicing personal growth, and overcoming fear of judgement.  Polly's life-time craft she is honing? Storytelling▶️ Video interview available on Youtube.If you're enjoying the show, please share it with a friend and leave a review!

    113: Linda Avey | Co-Founder, 23andMe

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 20, 2024 51:44 Transcription Available


    To put it most simply: Linda is a biologist and entrepreneur at heart . Perhaps most notably, she is the co-founder of 23andMe, a publicly held consumer genetic data company. She was the co-president of the company from 2006 to 2009. Linda is also the cofounder and former CEO of Precise.ly, an intelligent assistant for clinical care settings. Linda is currently a member on the board of directors of the Human Immunome Project, which is building the world's largest immunological dataset at a population level, and she's a Member of the Board of Fellows at Stanford University's School of Medicine. Linda graduated with a bachelors degree in Biology from Augustana University. In this episode, we cover the following topics:1. Linda's Childhood and her initial interest in Biology at Augustana University2. Choosing a career path after beginning her career in research3. Linda's Transition to the Biotech Industry4. Linda's entrepreneurial journey in founding 23andMe and everything that led to this ultimate jump, including meeting Sergey Brin (Founder of Google) and the first time she saw at a trade show that you're able to get your genetic data from saliva. Immediate light bulb moment. 5. Her decision in *leaving* 23andMe in 2009. 6. The importance of choosing your cofounders and balance the different roles and dynamics that ensure at a startup, especially with 3 cofounders.7. Balancing ethics + speed in a biotech company 8. Importance of a science background as a founder of a biotech company (+ which skills you need to lean on others)9. Linda provides her perspective as an investor when she evaluates biotech companies. Linda's Book Recommendation? "The Sovereign Self" by Acharya Shunya.  Here it is on Amazon! Linda's changed opinion in the last decade? Psychadelics   Linda's life-time craft she is honing? Self-reflection ▶️ Video interview available on Youtube.If you're enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a review!

    112: Sarah Leary | Co-Founder, Nextdoor

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 13, 2024 55:04


    Sarah co-founded Nextdoor, the world's largest private social network of neighborhoods used by over 75 million members in over 285,000 neighborhoods across 11 countries (NYSE: KIND). Sarah led product, marketing, growth, and international expansion over 10 years at Nextdoor. Sarah started her career at Microsoft and served as the VP of Product + Marketing at Epinions and Shopping.com before the company was sold to eBay. Sarah received her bachelors degree from Harvard College and her MBA from Harvard Business School. Now, Sarah is a Venture Partner at Unusual Ventures.▶️ Video interview available on Youtube.If you're enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a review!

    111: Margaret Wishingrad | Founder & CEO, Three Wishes Cereal

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 6, 2024 59:37


    Margaret is a mother of two, the daughter of immigrants, and the Founder and CEO of Three Wishes Cereal, a healthy-while-delicious cereal. Before founding Three Wishes, Margaret was Chief of Staff at BigEyedWish, an ad-agency where she worked with Fortune 100 to seed-round startup businesses. After welcoming her first son, Ellis, with her husband and Cofounder, Ian, in 2017, Margaret realized there's a white space in the market for nutritional yet tasty cereal. She has grown Three Wishes from conception to a national brand, with retailers including Whole Foods, Sprouts, Erewhon, Target, Costo and many more in addition to a strong DTC arm. ▶️ Video interview available on Youtube.If you're enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a review!

    110: Celine Halioua | Founder & CEO, Loyal

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 28, 2023 55:39


    Celine is the founder and CEO of Loyal - a biotech startup developing drugs to extend dog lifespan. Before founding Loyal, Celine worked at the Longevity Fund - a venture capital fund investing in therapies with the potential to extend human lifespan. Celine studied the health economics of gene therapy while attending Oxford for her PhD. Prior to Oxford, she received her Bachelors in Neuroscience and Nanobiotechnology at the University of Texas at Austin and at Uppsala Universitet in Sweden. 

    109: Annie Pearl | VP Growth & Ecosystems, Microsoft (ex-CPO, Calendly & Glassdoor)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 14, 2023 52:11


    Annie is the VP of Growth and Ecosystems at Microsoft. Prior to Microsoft, Annie has an extensive 10+ year experience in leading product teams. She began her product career at a financial tech startup - before joining Box. Throughout her time at Box, she rose up the ranks to become the Director of Product Management. Thereafter, she joined Glassdoor as a VP of Product and then became the Chief Product Officer. She carried on this title to her time at Calendly. As the CPO, Annie led their core product in helping individuals and teams effortlessly schedule meetings.

    108: Lauren Berson | Founder & CEO, Conceive

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 7, 2023 59:14


    Lauren is an executive turned entrepreneur with 19+ years of experience building brands, products, and communities across a diverse set of industries. Lauren is the founder and CEO of Conceive, a digital health platform aiming to change fertility and pregnancy outcomes and experiences. Prior to Conceive, Lauren was VP, Global Head of Strategy and M&A at WeightWatchers, a Senior Partner at Andreessen Horowitz, and Strategic Product Partnerships lead at Google. Lauren is also an active angel investor and advisor. She also serves as a board member for the JCCA, a child welfare agency in NYC. 

    107: Becky Sauerbrunn | Pro Soccer Player & Team USA Captain (2X World Cup Champ, Olympic Gold Medalist)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 31, 2023 56:19


    Becky is a 2X World Cup Champion and an Olympic Gold Medalist - with 216 national team appearances. She serves as the U.S Women's National Team captain and is the first ever President of the USWNT Players' Association, where she has fought for equal pay for the women's side. Beyond the national squad, Becky is a 4X NWSL Defender of the Year and 3X NWSL Champion. She led the Portland Thorns to win last year - the team in which she currently plays for. It becomes quite clear for anyone who watches Becky play over the years, she is truly one of the best center backs to ever play the game. 

    106: Nicole Baer | Marketing Executive

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 24, 2023 51:39


    Nicole is a 25+ year marketing executive who held leadership roles at Aon Hewitt, Zendesk, and Logitech. Rising from a product marketing specialist, she became Corporate VP and Head of Marketing at Aon Hewitt and COO/CMO at Logitech Sports and Human Performance. In 2022, Nicole left Logitech to start a fitness coaching business. Recently, she founded her full-service marketing consultancy, Baer Consulting, following her success with Artemis Marketing Partners, established in 2017. Nicole holds a bachelor's in English and American Literature from UC Santa Barbara and an MBA from Berkeley's Haas School of Business.

    105: Kathryn Plummer | Team USA & Professional Volleyball Player

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 10, 2023 56:51


    Kathryn is an American professional volleyball player who plays as an outside hitter for the United States Women's National Volleyball team and the Italian club Imoco Volley. Prior to playing volleyball professionally, Kat played for the Stanford Women's Volleyball team.  She led Stanford  to win NCAA Division 1 National Championships in 2016, 2018 and 2019. She was named to the NCAA all-tournament team all three years, and won the Most Outstanding Player award in her two final seasons. As a freshman, she won National Freshman of the Year by the AVCA, and in 2017 and 2018 she earned the PAC 12 player of the year and National Player of the Year. Kat has also been a member of the U.S Women's Volleyball team since 2019 and is the only player in history to win FIVB World Championship medals in both beach and indoor volleyball 

    104: Sara Beykpour | Early Stage Founder (Ex-Twitter Director)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 1, 2023 55:34


    Sara holds a Bachelor's degree in Software Engineering from the University of Waterloo. She has an extensive career, primarily at Twitter, while also working at an early-stage startup and Periscope.tv, a live video streaming application. After Periscope got acquired by Twitter in 2015, Sara ended up returning to Twitter and working there over a span of approximately 11 years. She successfully led engineering and product management teams, contributing to notable products such as Vine, Twitter Blue, and the advertiser experience. Now, Sara is founding her own company. 

    103: Olivia Kory | Head of Operations & Strategy, Haus

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 19, 2023 47:15


    Olivia is the Head of Operations and Strategy at Haus, a decision science platform who helps brands make informed investment decisions. Prior to Haus, Olivia led growth marketing at Sonos, Netflix, and Quibi. Before diving into marketing, Olivia worked in the advertising space; and worked for an AdsTech startup called TubeMogul where she joined as the 100th employee. She saw the company grow to about 500 people and get acquired by Adobe shortly thereafter for ~$540M. Olivia also received her Bachelors in English Literature and Language from the University of Michigan.

    102: Tamar Yehoshua | Partner, IVP (ex-CPO, Slack)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 12, 2023 48:42


    Tamar Yehoshua is a venture partner at IVP, where she shares her experience leading and scaling innovative products with the next generation of market leaders. She joined IVP from Slack where she led product, design and research as CPO through 10x revenue growth, IPO and acquisition by Salesforce. Prior to that, Tamar was a Vice President at Google holding product and engineering leadership roles on Google's most important products, including Search, Identity and Privacy. She currently serves on the boards of Snyk and Yext.Tamar has a BA in Mathematics from the University of Pennsylvania and an MSc in Computer Science from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

    101: Dorothy Chou | Head of Public Affairs, DeepMind

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 6, 2023 48:57


    Dorothy is the Head of Public Affairs at DeepMind, an artificial intelligence lab within Google. Prior to DeepMind, Dorothy led Public Policy, Safety, and Corporate Communications at Uber, Dropbox and Google respectively - bringing 15+ years of experience in this sector. She is also an active angel investor, and sees this as a vehicle for social change. She received her Bachelors in International Politics from Georgetown University and her Masters in Practical Ethics from the University of Oxford. 

    100: Elizabeth Weil | Founder and Managing Director, Scribble Ventures

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2023 53:16


    Elizabeth is the Founder and Managing Director of Scribble Ventures, an early-stage venture firm. Previously, she worked in VC at 137 Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz, and was an early executive at Twitter. She has invested in more than 60 technology companies across all stages, including Slack, Whatnot, and SpaceX. Elizabeth graduated from Stanford University with a BA in Economics and a Masters in Engineering. She is also the founder of Paperwheel and an ultra-marathon runner, running more than 100 marathons!Video interview available on Youtube.Please subscribe and leave a review!

    99: Carol Barrett | Engineering Leader, Netflix

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 14, 2023 46:05


    Carol has 10+ years of engineering management experience building, leading and scaling productive teams at Netflix, Intel and Cisco. She has built teams and product from concept to reality across many technologies in enterprise networking, internet of things and entertainment industries. She currently leads engineering teams in Consumer Identity and Access at Netflix, and has a Masters (Thesis) in EE from Texas A&M University.

    98: Alex Nagourney | VP of Growth, Perelel Health

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 1, 2023 55:00


    Alex is currently the VP of Growth at Perelel Health. Prior to Perelel, Alex worked in strategy at Spotify, The Walt Disney Co, and also worked at Netflix for almost 4 years in Marketing and Content Strategy. She also led growth strategy at short-form content-streaming startup, Quibi.Before starting her 8+ year career in strategy and growth, Alex started off her professional career in finance in investment banking after receiving her bachelors degree in Physics and Mathematics from Wellesley College.

    97: Ira Lam | Chief Legal Officer, SuperLayer

    Play Episode Listen Later May 24, 2023 50:53


    Ira is the Chief Legal Officer at SuperLayer, a venture studio for those building premier projects in consumer Web3. Prior to SuperLayer, Ira has 10+ years of experience working as the General Counsel in a variety of spaces, including gaming, financial technology, and cryptocurrency – working at companies including Kabam, HouseCanary, Rally, and Forte. Ira received her Bachelors in Political Science from University of CA, Berkeley and her J.D. from NYU School of Law.

    96: Ellie Chen & Jensen Neff | Co-Founders, Oddli

    Play Episode Listen Later May 17, 2023 44:29


    Ellie and Jensen are the cofounders of Oddli, a sustainably sourced clothing brand, where they are aiming to solve the problem in which 14 million pounds of perfectly good new material are thrown away everyday in the clothing industry. Solving this is at Oddli's core as Ellie and Jensen aim to boost our planet's health by turning this deadstock fabric into unique, colorful and playful clothing pieces - all while enabling a special story that each person carries while wearing Oddli. Their partnership precedes the Oddli days when they both met at Stanford University, where they both received their degree in Product Design. 

    95: Sudha Foote | Strategy and Operations Leader

    Play Episode Listen Later May 2, 2023 47:55


    Sudha is most recently the former Vice President of Strategy and Business Operations at Dropbox. Prior to Dropbox, Sudha led Growth Strategy at Amazon, LendingClub and Silicon Valley Bank, where she also led BizOps and Product Management. After receiving her Bachelors in Mathematics and Statistics from University of Connecticut and her Masters in Management Science from Stanford University, she started her professional career working in management consulting.Enjoy!

    94: Kaitlyn Trabucco | Product Manager, Nextdoor

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 25, 2023 45:04


    Kaitlyn is a Product Manager for Nextdoor, an app for neighborhoods where you can get local tips, buy and sell items, and just interact with your fellow neighbors.Prior to Nextdoor, she was a PM at Twitter on their Revenue and Ads Monetization team. Besides her product roles at these top well-known companies, Kaitlyn has also been at the forefront of creating a product from 0 to 1 as a founder. She founded Educents back in 2013 - where she built an educational marketplace for teachers and parents globally. Educents saved educators over $20 million dollars and helped more than 500,000 teachers, homeschoolers and parents gain access to educational materials all in one place.Kaitlyn is also the founder of Looky Lou, a toy that finally gets your kids to smile at the camera - a problem that many parents likely experience today or experienced in the past when their kids were little.Enjoy!

    93: Miriam Haart | Innovator, Engineer, TV Personality

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 13, 2023 57:08


    Miriam is a 23 year old engineer, innovator, speaker, and entrepreneur. While studying Computer Science at Stanford, Miriam has gained reputable skills within the fields of quantum computing, virtual reality and augmented reality - even enabling her to be the youngest teacher at Stanford University at 19 - where she teaches a Computer Science class on virtual reality. As an entrepreneur, Miriam co-founded Eazitt, a consumer-goods app in South Africa. Beyond Eazitt, Miriam has built numerous iOS compatible apps, some of which she's won awards for and most of which are geared towards underrepresented communities. She also served as a product engineer at a tech company called Yewno, where she created a platform that allows students to research, collaborate, and publish articles to peer-reviewed journals. If that isn't enough, Miriam is the host of Faking It podcast and also stars in the top 10 hit series, ‘My Unorthodox Life' on Netflix. 

    92: Dushka Zapata | PR Communications Executive, Author

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2023 46:49


    Dushka is a renowned communication expert with over 20 years of experience in the industry. Dushka's work revolves around helping companies and individuals develop their personal brand. She helps people and businesses find their unique voice. Her work has been consumed on Q&A site Quora over 265 million times, and she has written over 10 bestsellers, including most recently “For All I Know - A Shebang of Checklists for life” and “Please Don't Blame Love - A Relationship Handbook”.Enjoy!

    Claim SheLeads with Carly

    In order to claim this podcast we'll send an email to with a verification link. Simply click the link and you will be able to edit tags, request a refresh, and other features to take control of your podcast page!

    Claim Cancel