Podcasts about Women in Tech

On this episode of the Scouting For Growth podcast, Sabine VdL talks to Andrei Craciunescu, founder and CEO or RiskCube about why the next generation of insurance will be built like software; adaptive, transparent, and embedded into every business platform. They also talk about how AI and data are transforming the role of the broker from middleman to intelligent orchestrator, and what the insurance experience of 2030 could look like when protection becomes invisible and trust becomes the new currency. KEY TAKEAWAYS What companies want from the insurance market is fast underwriting, not to talk with humans so much any more, especially startups, they want a quote in minutes not months. This is how we got into the segment where we offer business insurance for startups – mainly venture backed startups. There are some providers that already offer what we are doing, but there is no comparison. Every founder needs to go to every insurance company separately and ask for a quote, which often vary a lot – sometimes 40% difference between quotes. They spend a lot of time investigating these quotes which is expensive and hard to understand. RiskCube is an AI insurance agency for startups where founders can buy and manage insurance online. We looked at what an agency traditionally does; they have different processes in place like application for insurance, renewal, cancellation and claims. We tried to map out all these processes to see which can be done by AI agents. AI cannot solve the whole insurance value chain, but we see a huge adoption on the claims and applications processes. Generally, most founders don't really care which insurance company they're with, they care that they have somebody that really understand them as a customer. We want startups to come to us because they trust the system which provides a fast experience that works for them. It's not very complicated, what we do for them at the beginning, we provide a smooth process where we can say they have high, medium or low risk then evaluate different quotes for them. BEST MOMENTS  ‘Everybody's pushing on the AI front, but the insurance market is also evaluating if it's really necessary, it's not all in which is impressive.'  ‘We build the firm first and then embedded the technology inside the firm, this will make us defensible in the future because we will own the data in our agency and use it to train our own model.' ‘People are using a lot of AI nowadays, but nobody really understands where the data is going or hosted.' ‘Insurance companies tend to adapt AI for themselves, not for the whole market. We want to bring them all together in one channel.' ABOUT THE GUEST Andrei Craciunescu is redefining risk management with RiskCube, an AI-powered platform revolutionising insurance by streamlining risk assessments, accelerating quote processes, and providing real-time insights to help businesses secure coverage faster and smarter. LinkedIn ABOUT THE HOST Sabine is a corporate strategist turned entrepreneur. She is the CEO and Managing Partner of Alchemy Crew a venture lab that accelerates the curation, validation, & commercialization of new tech business models. Sabine is renowned within the insurance sector for building some of the most renowned tech startup accelerators around the world working with over 30 corporate insurers, accelerated over 100 startup ventures. Sabine is the co-editor of the bestseller The INSURTECH Book, a top 50 Women in Tech, a FinTech and InsurTech Influencer, an investor & multi-award winner. Twitter LinkedIn Instagram Facebook  TikTok Email Website This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

In this episode of Mainframe Coven, Jessielaine Punongbayan (Product Manager, Dynatrace) and Richelle Anne Craw (Software Engineer, Beta Systems Software) chat with Lezlie Browder, A Technologist Devoted to Lifelong Learning. She shares her decades-long career as a mainframe mentor, instructor, and technologist. She reflects on inclusive tech culture, teaching across generations, volunteering, and offering grounded advice for women balancing caregiving, career growth, and lifelong learning.Links and Resources Mentioned in the Episode:- Open Mainframe Project Mentorship Program: https://openmainframeproject.org/projects/mentorship/- IBM TechXchange Community: https://community.ibm.com/community/user/my-community- Black Girls Code: https://www.wearebgc.org/- Blind Service Chicago: https://www.blindservicechicago.org/- Source: Isha Jain, “Care responsibilities impact career choices for 40% of women in tech,” Data Centre & Network News, Tech Talent Charter survey, retrieved from dcnnmagazine.com: https://dcnnmagazine.com/news/care-responsibilities-impact-career-choices-for-40-of-women-in-tech/

In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Jac Dunne, CEO of Dimply, an AI-powered financial experience platform that's quietly reshaping how banks, insurers and wealth managers serve their customers. After almost three decades in legacy finance, Jac made a bold move in her mid-50s into regtech and then fintech, “bookending” her career by building the kind of technology she always wished existed inside the big institutions. She breaks down what Dimply actually does in plain English, how it powers hyper-personalised journeys inside apps like AIB's, and why the future of money will be a hybrid of human advice and seamless digital experiences. Jac also opens up about leaving a senior corporate role where her voice wasn't being heard, taking on a startup CEO role, scaling a remote-first team, and building practical programmes to get more women and students into tech. If you're a founder, operator or leader trying to scale something meaningful and still have a life outside of work, this conversation is packed with insight. Show Notes: In this episode, we cover:

StormHarvester has been announced as the fastest growing technology company in this year's Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Awards at a ceremony in the Mansion House in Dublin this evening. StormHarvester uses its advanced anomaly detection system to analyse data from thousands of sensors to help wastewater utilities predict and prevent issues like flooding and pollution. The Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Awards, now in its 26th year, is one of Ireland's foremost technology award programmes. It is a ranking of the country's 50 fastest-growing technology companies based on revenue growth over a four-year period. Previous winners include Wayflyer and Swoop. Reacting to the win, Brian Moloney, founder and CEO of StormHarvester, said: "Achieving the top spot in Deloitte's Fast 50 ranking is a really special moment for all the team at StormHarvester. What started as an idea over ten years ago in Australia for a solution that would reduce the impact of flooding has grown into a proud Belfast-based business that is going from strength to strength. In the last year alone, our funding has enabled us to double our headcount, which will help us fuel our expansion further and create even more exciting opportunities in Ireland. "The Deloitte Fast 50 Awards recognition is a chance to pause, reflect and celebrate all that we have achieved and all that we plan to achieve in the years ahead." Cumulatively, the Deloitte 2025 Technology Fast 50 winners generated €1.76 billion in total annual revenues. The average growth rate of the companies was 442%. The 50 companies employ over 7,500 people and 12 of the ranked companies were first time winners. Announcing the winners of the programme, James Toomey, partner and Fast 50 lead, Deloitte Ireland said: "For 26 years, the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Awards have been a benchmark for Ireland's most ambitious tech entrepreneurs. The combined €1.76 billion in revenues generated by these 50 indigenous companies is a powerful symbol of the exceptional talent and innovative thinkers we have in Ireland. Despite a challenging external environment, Fast 50 companies are still growing, which is a real signal of confidence. "A standout from this year's awards is that companies with Artificial Intelligence (AI) embedded in their operations are seeing the biggest growth, but access to skilled employees who can prompt and deploy AI effectively will be crucial. "The Deloitte Technology Fast 50 is a rigorous, data-driven ranking that provides a trusted measure of success and growth. Congratulations to all the companies that ranked; your grit, resilience and creativity are truly inspiring. I would like to extend a special congratulations to StormHarvester for securing the top spot in this year's rankings." In addition to announcing the ranking of the Fast 50 companies, the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Awards included several award categories. Protex AI, which uses AI to enhance workplace safety and operational efficiencies, won the Rising Star Award in association with Enterprise Ireland, having demonstrated a promising growth trajectory and the potential for inclusion in the Fast 50 rankings in years to come. Receiving the award, Dan Hobbs, co-founder and CEO of Protex AI, said: "Since founding Protex AI, our mission has been to enable organisations to use data-driven insights to drive safer workplaces and unlock meaningful operational efficiencies. The growth of our team and client base has made achievements like this possible, and we are thrilled to celebrate receiving the Deloitte Fast 50 Rising Star Award and to meet the incredible tech entrepreneurs in the rankings." The winners of the awards this year were: Award Winner Growing new technology in association with Google This award recognises a company that has created or introduced a new or innovative product or service to international markets, which helped grow their business over the last four years. Aerlytix Advocate for Women in Tech in association with NetSuit...

Why We Still Can't Say ‘Vagina' at Work, and What It's Costing Women in Leadership. Ugh. I know. But there's hope:What if the biggest barrier to women's leadership isn't a lack of confidence, but the shame we're taught to carry about our own bodies?In this episode, Helena sits down with Kamola Mir, CEO and founder of Lidovex, a health-tech company building the world's first cervical (data) ecosystem. What begins as a conversation about fem-tech quickly expands into a deeper truth:You cannot build a world that values women if you still devalue the female body.From being laughed at on stage for saying the word “vagina,” to navigating investor meetings where a woman's worth is often assessed before her work isKamola breaks down the emotional, biological, and cultural realities women face when they lead inside male-designed systems.Together, we explore:Why de-stigmatizing women's bodies is a leadership issue, not a “women's topic”How shame shapes everything from our ambition to our burnout cyclesWhy female biology is not a weakness, but a strategic advantageThe hidden mental load female founders carry in every roomHow to stay authentic when the world rewards you for fitting inHow to build inner power even when the system feels riggedThis is an episode for every woman who has ever hustled through pain, silenced her intuition to appear “professional,” or tried to win inside a structure that was never built for her.If you're ready to unlearn the shame, reclaim your biology, and lead from a place of grounded power, this one is for you.Chapters:00:55 Intro: Why femtech isn't niche but a cultural revolution01:20 Moving past generations of research centered on white men02:16 The rise of women leading taboo-breaking innovation02:49 How women are finally steering investment and change03:37 Celebrating Kamola Mir, Founder/ CEO reshaping women's health with Lidavex: Building an ecosystem that returns ownership to women's bodies04:16 Kamola's Trauma: childbirth care built without women in mind06:00 Leaving patriarchal workplaces, listening to our inner voice and create the change we need in the world07:30 Women must fight for their bodies09:07 The moment intuition becomes survival in labor10:41 Why women need both intuition and data to lead well12:06 How shame still silences women's conversations about our bodies13:03 Reclaiming our anatomy and naming our truths without fear15:01 When saying “vagina” triggers giggles and how to speak up17:09 Patriarchy at work and why women don't fit the 9–5 mold19:37 Redefining productivity through the wisdom of female cycles21:08 Navigating sexualization while trying to lead authentically24:26 Three ways women can release shame and rise into leadership29:43 Building an immune system for disagreement and staying grounded under pressure31:53 The emotional cost of being ‘fuckable' in male-dominated spaces & how to deal with it33:07 Showing up empowered while navigating safety, power, and perception37:53 Knowing when to adapt, when to walk away, and when to stand your ground43:01 Why patriarchal hustle culture breaks women's bodies and how to reclaim balance Connect with Kamola on LinkedInDiscover, stay up to date, fund and support Lidovix' journey: Website and LinkedInUntil next time!! xx Connect with me:IG: https://www.instagram.com/whereboundariesdissolvepodcast?igsh=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D&utm_source=qrTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@helena.arjuna?_t=8oSbtTilPSQ&_r=1LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helenasuter/ Youtube: https://youtube.com/@whereboundariesdissolvepodcast?si=g63NToOK45W1CiBI Support the show

On this episode of the Scouting For Growth podcast, Sabine VdL talks to Rob Schimek, Group CEO at bolttech, about how bolttech's connector model is redefining global insurance distribution, from telcos to auto makers and beyond. They also talk about why the future of protection will depend on trust, data and design more than policy documents and premiums, and what leadership really looks like when you are building at the intersection of revelation, innovation, and human impact.  KEY TAKEAWAYS If you have an hour to solve a problem you should spend 55 minutes on the problem and then 5 minutes on the solution. I've spent my career in the problem, the formation of bolttech is the attempt at the solution – it's the path that I've chosen to bring that solution to the marketplace. Our mission is to work out how to close a multi-billion-dollar protection gap that has existed for years, that's getting bigger? In order to do that we need to really understand the problem. We think there are 4 basic drivers for this multi-billion-dollar protection gap that and they're pretty irrefutable. We're trying to make a seamless connection between the buyers of protection products (insurers) and the distribution partners who have access to the customers so we can put those solutions into the hands of the customers. bolttech's here to try to provide tailored, affordable, accessible, and convenience insurance in the hands of the customer on a B2B2C basis, connecting big partners who have lots of customers to the insurance providers. Without the data there's a tendency to paint everything with one brush, like it's all the same. Data is accessible and available on a real-time basis today and it can be available with no intervention, straight from the vehicle telematics about the unique driver. BEST MOMENTS  ‘We really want to connect people with more ways to protect the things that they value, we want to close the global protection gap.'  ‘The more we make connections frictionless, the more the connection will happen and the more the protection gap will get closed.'‘ If the mission and the vision are super-well-known then nothing can distract you from solving that problem, regardless of what's going on in the marketplace around you.'‘ If a customer doesn't trust the use of AI in their interactions with you then AI won't be successful in that space because it won't be accepted in that space. Ultimately it comes back to do we do things the right way and give the customers a reason to trust us?' ABOUT THE GUEST Rob Schimek is Group Chief Executive Office at bolttech where he leads the team across its operations globally, overseeing its growth and partnership opportunities. With more than 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, Rob previously held senior leadership roles, including Managing Director & Group Chief Operating Officer for FWD Group, President and Chief Executive Officer of AIG's commercial insurance businesses worldwide, and Chief Executive Officer of the Americas for AIG. Prior to that, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of EMEA for AIG, and was the Chief Financial Officer of AIG's global property and casualty insurance business. LinkedIn ABOUT THE HOST Sabine is a corporate strategist turned entrepreneur. She is the CEO and Managing Partner of Alchemy Crew a venture lab that accelerates the curation, validation, & commercialization of new tech business models. Sabine is renowned within the insurance sector for building some of the most renowned tech startup accelerators around the world working with over 30 corporate insurers, accelerated over 100 startup ventures. Sabine is the co-editor of the bestseller The INSURTECH Book, a top 50 Women in Tech, a FinTech and InsurTech Influencer, an investor & multi-award winner. Twitter LinkedIn Instagram Facebook  TikTok Email Website This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

Periodically on Trust Me, I Know What I'm Doing, we share a SPOTLIGHT conversation and feature brief chats with an individual from the community about a very special topic or a unique endeavor. Now, we live in an era where lessons and memory of the past seems to get crystallized and presented with increasing speed and accuracy. But perhaps now more than ever, it's equally important to actually pause and reflect and synthesize and process our experiences as rich human lessons to share and express to the world. Vinita Gupta is a pioneering entrepreneur and technology leader who made history as the first woman of Indian origin to take a company public in the US. With over 40 years in Silicon Valley, she's a celebrated leader in engineering and innovation, and a staunch advocate for women in tech. To add to that, Vinita is an internationally recognized bridge champion, an artist, and a writer. And she recently wrote about her multifaceted journey in her memoir, The Woman Indeed: Road to IPO, Bridge Tables, and Beyond, which is available everywhere.Big shout out to INDIASPORA for sparking this one, to anyone who is sick of the six seven trend, to the American South Asian Network at americansouthasiannetwork.comIt's Thanksgiving week in the US, so please, find someone in need and consciously practice a random act of kindness!

This episode is brought to you in partnership with flaconi, Germany's leading online destination for beauty and fragrance. But flaconi is more than a retailer, it's a platform that celebrates individuality and empowerment. Values that deeply align with today's guest and everything she stands for.Linda Hallberg is a name many in the beauty world already know. A visionary makeup artist, founder of LH cosmetics and one of Sweden's most creative forces. From pioneering multi-use products to building a radically inclusive beauty brand, she's been shaping the conversation long before it was mainstream.But behind the iconic looks and bold colors is a story of resilience. In this episode, Linda opens up about growing up queer in a small town, the early days of makeup school while living in a caravan and the journey of building her own brand, LH cosmetics.This conversation is a reminder that it's okay to take up space  and that sometimes, the most powerful thing you can do is return to artistry and play.Read more about the Women Authors of Achievement (WAA) Podcast via waa.berlin/aboutFollow us on Instagram & find us on LinkedInSubscribe to our newsletter via waa.berlin/newsletter ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

AI on the In-House Agenda Rhiannon Webster is joined by Rebecca Seaman and Abby Kay, who are Legal Counsel in the Product and Technology Legal team at Sage. Rebecca and Abby talk through their career journeys that have taken them from literature and languages degrees to leading legal support on AI strategy at a global tech company. They share how they made the leap into in-house legal work and what it's like advising on AI developments in real time. They also discuss Sage’s work in helping to empower the next generation of women in tech, including initiatives like EmPowerCyber, which introduces school-age girls to careers in technology and cybersecurity. To listen and subscribe to this Women in Tech mini-series, search for ‘Ashurst Legal Outlook’ on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcast player. And to find out more about the full range of Ashurst podcasts, visit ashurst.com/podcasts. The information provided is not intended to be a comprehensive review of all developments in the law and practice, or to cover all aspects of those referred to. Listeners should take legal advice before applying it to specific issues or transactions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's episode in the Founding Mother's series, we explore two influential women from the past: Lilian Gilbreth, an American psychologist, industrial, consultant and educator who was once described as “a genius in the art of living," and Edith Clark, an electrical engineer who is credited with laying the foundation for the smart grid. Both women were born in the late 1800s, but both of them made impacts in their fields that affect our lives to this day.Join Lauren Torres and Kimberly Rockwell as they discuss the legacies (sometimes controversial!) of these two fascinating women.

Danika Waddell's journey from solo founder to firm leader is a masterclass in intentional growth.In this episode of The Advisor Journey, Danika—founder of Zena Financial Planning—shares how she built a practice centered on professional women in tech, the lessons learned from evolving her business model, and what it takes to create lasting partnerships.From starting her firm in 2020 to merging with another RIA five years later, Danika opens up about the realities of entrepreneurship, why she left the hourly model behind, and how aligning values and vision made her merger a success.Advisors will walk away with insight into fee structures, niching with purpose, and building meaningful collaborations that amplify both impact and joy.ABOUT ALTRUIST: We're on a mission to make independent financial advice better, more affordable, and accessible to everyone. As a modern custodian, Altruist helps high-growth, client-centric, and tech-forward RIAs deliver great advice to more clients at lower costs. Want to find out how Altruist can help you grow? Talk to our team by visiting www.altruist.com/talk-to-us STAY CONNECTED: Instagram ► https://www.instagram.com/altruistcorp/ Twitter ► https://x.com/altruist Linkedin ► https://www.linkedin.com/company/altruistcorp/ ABOUT THE ADVISOR JOURNEY: Real-life strategies for the modern financial advisor who's ready to scale. Join Altruist leaders and guests as they share proven tactics, unfiltered advice, and hard-won lessons you can apply to your own practice. These conversations will propel your career to the next level—don't miss it. Disclaimer: Altruist Corp ("Altruist") offers technology and tools designed to help financial advisors achieve better outcomes. Advisory and certain other services are provided by Altruist LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser, and brokerage related products and services are provided by Altruist Financial LLC, a member of FINRA/SI...

In this inspiring episode of Mindset Mastery Moments, Dr. Alisa Whyte sits down with Ciara (Kiara) Azam, the powerhouse entrepreneur behind Eventist, a rapidly growing software platform transforming the fitness tech space. As a fully bootstrapped founder, Ciara brings a refreshing blend of authenticity, resilience, and innovation to the entrepreneurial world.Together, they explore the realities of building a business from the ground up — from navigating uncertainty to balancing personal life with the demands of leadership. Ciara opens up about her journey from electrical engineer to software developer, sharing how she carved her own path without traditional funding, investors, or external pressure.With vulnerability and wisdom, she breaks down the mindset shifts required to embrace failure, learn from every challenge, and define success on your own terms — not by revenue, but by happiness, alignment, and purpose. Their conversation highlights the importance of community, the power of inner confidence, and why authenticity is the true currency of sustainable entrepreneurship.Whether you're a creator, startup founder, or dreamer at heart, this episode is filled with actionable insight and inspiring truth.

In this episode of Beyond Potential, Tom Emery and Tomas Mason sit down with Christina Lewis, founder of Herizon, and an expert in emotional intelligence and gender-balanced leadership in high-growth tech. Christina's career has been anything but linear. From widening access to higher education, to representing rider and driver communities across global tech platforms, to scaling operations impacting over a million drivers across 54 countries, her journey has shaped a unique perspective on how organisations grow, and how people thrive within them. Together, they explore the pressures of high-growth environments, why emotional intelligence is a commercial advantage, and the truth behind gender representation in tech, including why thousands of women leave the sector each year, and why it's not for the reasons most people assume. The conversation dives into: Why “high growth” shouldn't mean low emotional intelligence The hidden cost of losing women in tech and why the real issue isn't childcare The structural and behavioural barriers stopping women from progressing Why leadership stereotypes create narrow definitions of success How culture, systems, and emotional intelligence work together not in isolation The role leaders play in shaping environments where diverse thinkers can thrive Why organisations must stop trying to “fix the individual” and start redesigning the system Christina brings honesty, clarity and nuance, sharing personal stories, sharp insights, and a reminder that leadership and inclusion are not add-ons. They're business-critical.

On this episode of the Scouting For Growth podcast, Sabine VdL talks to us about all she's learned from the numerous guests on the show recently, from startup founders who build AI to simplify the chaotic insurance back office, to innovation leaders in Fortune 500 firms wrestling with ethics, regulation, and talent shortages. After dozens of conversations here's what Sabine has learned: AI isn't just changing our tools. It's changing our temperament. This episode is her reflection on those lessons; a guide for leaders and builders trying to navigate this new age of intelligence and unpacks five principles that define successful AI adoption. KEY TAKEAWAYS When Branch Insurance introduced AI into its claims process, something unexpected happened. It wasn't the customers who resisted, it was the adjusters. They were worried, not because AI made mistakes but because it didn't. When Lisa Bechtold's (who led AI governance at Zurich Insurance, now at Nestlé) team started implementing AI, they faced the classic dilemma: Move fast or move right. Lisa said: “We don't see governance as slowing innovation – we see it as enabling trust at speed.” ERGO Group worked with CamCom, a startup from India that uses computer vision to detect car damage from photos or drones. The tech was brilliant. The challenge? Integrating it into a multinational insurer's process. They didn't just hand over the product, they sat side by side – engineers, adjusters, compliance officers, even lawyers – to make it work. It took nearly a year to get from pilot to production and the result wasn't just faster claims; it was a new relationship model. The startup learned how corporates think. The corporate learned how startups move. That's the real win. After all the talk about data, systems, ethics, and pilots, what really matters is how humans evolve. AI won't replace people, but people who know how to use AI will replace people who don't. That's not a threat, it's an invitation. AI is already changing what we expect from talent. Claims adjusters now need to interpret AI outputs. Underwriters must question models. Leaders must learn to manage digital teammates. BEST MOMENTS  ‘Intelligent tool don't remove human judgment; they reveal it in higher resolution.'  ‘In this AI era, trust is the new currency.'‘Every AI dream dies in the shadow of bad data.'‘The irony is that the more intelligent our systems become, the more human our leadership must be. Empathy, creativity, ethics aren't data points, they're our differentiators.' ABOUT THE HOST Sabine is a corporate strategist turned entrepreneur. She is the CEO and Managing Partner of Alchemy Crew a venture lab that accelerates the curation, validation, & commercialization of new tech business models. Sabine is renowned within the insurance sector for building some of the most renowned tech startup accelerators around the world working with over 30 corporate insurers, accelerated over 100 startup ventures. Sabine is the co-editor of the bestseller The INSURTECH Book, a top 50 Women in Tech, a FinTech and InsurTech Influencer, an investor & multi-award winner. Twitter LinkedIn Instagram Facebook  TikTok Email Website This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

Timestamps:4:58 - Diversity in tech: challenges and opportunities6:08 - Recruiting challenges in tech13:00 - Supporting girls in STEMThis episode was sponsored by Google Cloud. Join their Founder's Story event on December 4th to hear an exclusive panel discussion with visionary leaders sharing what it takes to go from building companies to funding them. Link is in the bio! This episode was originally a live conversation recorded at the SEF.Growth Founders Conference back in June 2025.Episode Summary:Beat Knecht is the co-founder and CEO of the TV streaming provider Zattoo, and a general partner at the VC fund REALR. She also founded Genistat and Levuro. Bea holds a BA in Computer Science from the University of California, Berkeley.Carla Bünger is the co-founder of Phoenix Technologies, a tech cluster that drives the AI landscape through its sovereign hyper-secure IT infrastructure (kvant Cloud) and its SaaS solutions in frontier technologies. She also co-founded KORE Technologies Switzerland. Carla holds an MA in International Relations from the Geneva Graduate Institute.Sandra Trittin is the co-founder and CGO of beebop.ai, a power grid orchestration software which unlocks grid flexibility within consumer devices, turning it into a valuable, tradable asset. She also founded Futurize Energy. Sandra holds an MBA from Mannheim Business School.During their chat with Silvan, our 3 guests discussed the current representation of women in tech in the Western world. Women are significantly underrepresented in tech, especially in leadership roles (e.g., only 22% of AI professionals in Switzerland are women). They face career obstacles such as stereotypes, biases, and societal filters that hinder their progress.Diverse teams drive innovation, but the tech industry often overlooks this potential. To improve gender representation, proactive efforts are needed, including:Encouraging risk-taking (critical for startups and leadership).Building support systems (mentorship, peer networks).Fostering STEM environments for girls to ensure future diversity.Addressing unconscious biases in hiring and promotions.Ultimately, empowering women in tech requires systemic change, from education to workplace culture, to unlock their full potential and drive long-term progress.

Melinda French Gates is a philanthropist, business leader, and New York Times bestselling author who has spent decades transforming lives around the world. Melinda opens up to Hoda about why her latest chapter is more personal than ever, how she learned to let go of perfection, and what it means to lead with empathy. She reflects on her lifelong advocacy for women and families, the faith and friendships that have grounded her, and why she believes the smallest acts of kindness can spark the biggest change. Plus, she shares where her focus lies today through her work with Pivotal Ventures. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Join us this week for The Tech Leaders Podcast, where Gareth sits down with Kate Hayward, UK Managing Director at Xero. Kate talks about how AI can make life easier for small business owners, the new skills the next generation of accountants will need, and how organisations can manage maternity leave for the benefit of everyone. On this episode, Kate and Gareth discuss how gymnastics breeds discipline, why Britons are generally lacking in financial literacy, and the three things Kate looks for when starting a new job. Timestamps: Good Leadership and Early Career (1:45) Xero – The "Gangly Teenager Phase" (9:00) Career or Family, or Both… (13:00) Discipline and Gymnastics (20:30) Financial Literacy and Entrepreneurship (24:20) Xero and AI (31:35) New Skills for Accountants (42:30) Tips to stay Organised, and Advice for 21-year-old Kate (45:45) Hopes and Fears for Future of AI (48:00) https://www.bedigitaluk.com/

AI is changing how people get hired — and it's happening fast. In this episode of Leading Women in Tech, Dr. Toni Collis sits down with Nicole Bugenske, a recruiter from Robert Half, to unpack what's really going on in the 2025 tech job market. From fake résumés and AI-generated cover letters to the rise of quiet hiring and risk-averse employers — we're breaking down what job seekers and hiring managers need to know right now. Learn how to stand out as the human signal in a sea of AI, what recruiters are really looking for, and how to future-proof your career in tech leadership. If you're applying for jobs, leading a team, or planning your next career move — this episode will help you navigate the new hiring landscape with clarity, authenticity, and strategy. What You'll Learn How AI-written résumés are flooding the job market (and how recruiters are spotting them) Why 1 in 4 candidate profiles may now be fake — and how hiring managers are adapting What to do when applying through job boards vs. networking directly The truth about quiet hiring and the hidden job market How to show strategic visibility instead of applying to hundreds of roles What makes a candidate a "safe bet" in today's risk-averse hiring climate Real recruiter insights on résumés, references, and interview trends What hiring looks like for women in tech leadership in 2025 Want to make your résumé stand out — without sounding like a bot? Download my free AI-Powered Résumé Writing Guide to learn how to use AI ethically and effectively to land more interviews:

Send us a textIf you've been worried about AI replacing your job, overwhelming your business, or making you feel obsolete—this episode will give you a fresh, empowering perspective.In this episode of The Good Enough Mompreneur Podcast, Angela sits down with Dr. Joan Palmiter Bajorek—AI expert, entrepreneur, and bestselling author of Your AI Roadmap: Expand Your Career, Money, and Joy. Joan shares how she turned two layoffs into opportunity, what women are getting wrong about AI, and how to take your career and income into your own hands in this fast-changing world.Whether you're building a business or raising the next generation, this episode will help you navigate change with clarity and confidence.

On this episode of the Scouting For Growth podcast, Sabine VdL talks to Stephen Brittain, co-founder of InsurTech Gateway, a pioneering venture builder focused on bringing early-stage startups into the heart of the insurance world – a regulated industry that typically moves at glacial speed. Over the past decade, Stephen has helped launch and scale ventures inside one of the most regulated, risk-averse business sectors on the planet: the insurance space. He has been the spark for innovation inside large insurance corporates and the strategic partner for founders who wanted to navigate the labyrinth of regulation, procurement and distribution at scale. In other words: he has been solving the archetypal “how to innovate inside a large enterprise” question while keeping the spirit of a startup alive. KEY TAKEAWAYS I was a product /service designer, and I found myself – through building bigger and bigger products – coming up against risk, and I saw risk as a constraint. I knew that if I could only understand risk better that I might be able to do bigger and bolder and better projects. That's how I outgrew product design and moved into insurance. InsurTech Gateway's original intention was to find amazing founders and fast-track them into market with enough creative energy to survive, adapt and evolve in an environment where your first idea had to be your fixed idea. Today we give founders greater agility to learn and evolve, because no one ever knows what to do when they first start, it's a learning journey. The upside, the enthusiasm, the opportunity framing of entrepreneurialism and venturing gets everybody started, rallies people together. But, an a bad day, the downside view is actually the long-term sustainability of any new category. VCs and insurers have never sat round the table together. BEST MOMENTS  ‘The opportunity was not to make insurance sexy, it was to look at the secret powers of insurance to create mutual models to work at scale, to unlock lending and put trust into ecosystems that didn't exist before.'  ‘One of the biggest challenges in InsurTech is; to get a successful outcome from something that looked great on day 1 but didn't evolve into the opportunity.' ‘Pattern recognition has never been higher and the cost to entry and experimentation has never been lower. We recognise what works and what doesn't much better, but can we validate it with an insurer and get them onside? I think we still need to work out the connectivity.' ‘If you can work with innovators, and you understand risk, and you can help unlock that innovation, you can make it sustainable.' ABOUT THE GUESTS Stephen Brittain is the Co-Founder of InsurTech Gateway, the world's first authorised venture builder and fund focused on insurtech. A true pioneer at the intersection of innovation, investment, and impact, Stephen has spent the past decade turning bold ideas into scalable ventures that redefine how insurance and technology collide. ABOUT THE HOST Sabine is a corporate strategist turned entrepreneur. She is the CEO and Managing Partner of Alchemy Crew a venture lab that accelerates the curation, validation, & commercialization of new tech business models. Sabine is renowned within the insurance sector for building some of the most renowned tech startup accelerators around the world working with over 30 corporate insurers, accelerated over 100 startup ventures. Sabine is the co-editor of the bestseller The INSURTECH Book, a top 50 Women in Tech, a FinTech and InsurTech Influencer, an investor & multi-award winner. Twitter LinkedIn Instagram Facebook  TikTok Email Website This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

AI is reshaping retail. Anca Iordanescu, is the one doing it

What if the fastest way to grow your career is to reinvent how you work before the market forces you to? In this episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Caitlin Clark-Zigmond, a two-time entrepreneur and former CMO for Intel's global software and SaaS portfolio, to map the leap from hands-on operator to AI-powered brand builder, and why clear value translation beats clever slogans every time.Caitlin takes us from scaling a catering business to shipping Comcast Digital Voice, to leading massive B2B portfolios at Verizon and Intel. We dig into how Intel Tiber emerged to make software visible inside a hardware giant, uniting trust and security, AI and ML, edge and cloud, performance optimization, and developer workflows under a narrative customers could navigate. The result: sharper messaging, analyst clarity, and real pipeline acceleration. If your portfolio feels like a maze, her brand framework shows you how to draw a clean map.Then we get practical with AI go-to-market. Forget tool-chasing—start with painful use cases, build on clean, connected data, and let AI amplify what already moves the needle. Caitlin explains why a CDP or an MCP layer unlocks CRM, marketing automation, analytics, billing, and customer success, enabling them to communicate effectively with each other. We cover intent data for account prioritization, conversation intelligence for coaching, predictive scoring for pipeline, and agents that handle repetitive data pulls and weekly reporting so teams can focus on thinking, not tab-hopping.For leaders and modern marketers, the upskilling path is clear: achieve 30% fluency in core AI concepts, measurement, and understanding how your stack—HubSpot, Salesforce, GA, CDPs, and chat systems —actually works. You don't need to code; you need to understand revenue mechanics. We also share Caitlin's strategic networking system—the 5–5–5 method—that turns coffee chats into an operating system for your career, with value-first follow-ups that work even for introverts.We conclude with candid insights on the value of progress over perfection, investing in relationships before you need them, and redefining success in terms of client transformation, sustainable growth, and work-life integration. Subscribe, share with a friend, and tell us: what's the scary move you're finally ready to make?Resources: Website: www.clarkgp.com  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitlinclarkzigmond Upcoming LILive GTM Event: https://www.linkedin.com/events/2026gtmrealitycheck-makemisalig7393722093324107776/Monthly Blog: https://gtmmaven.substack.com/p/why-the-c-suite-must-work-together

If your product strategy stops at the download, you're leaving impact—and revenue—on the table. In this conversation, I sit down with Ghazenfer Mansoor, CEO & founder of Technology Rivers, to talk about building software that actually gets used, loved, and shared. Ghazenfer has been in mobile since the pre-iPhone days and has led the build of nearly 60 apps, primarily in healthcare. We explore ideas from his forthcoming book, Beyond the Download, including why retention beats acquisition, when a mobile app truly makes sense (and when a web experience is smarter), and how AI-driven, proprietary workflows can become a company's real moat. We also step into leadership, including what it takes to fix “broken” projects, the values that guide his global remote team (transparency, fairness, and getting things done), and why peer networks and coaching matter for founders. It's a practical, fast-moving chat for leaders who want their technology to create efficiency, differentiation, and long-term value. Here are some highlights: -Retention over acquisition: Ghazenfer shares practical ways to design for daily use and bring people back because downloads without engagement aren't success. -“Do you really need an app?”: We unpack decision criteria for native vs. web, and why solving a real, repeat problem is the first gate before writing any code. -Workflow is the moat: How codifying proprietary processes, especially in healthcare and HIPAA-sensitive environments, creates efficiency, margin, and higher valuations. -Fixing broken projects: Common failure patterns (from feature chasing to UX missteps) and how to course-correct so you “build it right the first time.” -Leading a global team: The operating system behind Technology Rivers; clear KPIs, remote-first communication, fairness, and a growing commitment to women in tech. Plus the role of EO/Vistage-style peer groups and coaching for tough decisions. About the guest:  Ghazenfer Mansoor is the founder and CEO of Technology Rivers, a Washington, D.C.–area software firm specializing in HIPAA-compliant healthcare SaaS and mobile apps. A mobile veteran since the pre-iPhone era, he has led the build of 59+ apps and numerous AI-powered workflow platforms that help service businesses scale, boost margins, and increase valuation. Known for “building it right the first time,” Ghazenfer is frequently tapped to rescue broken software projects. He's the author of the forthcoming book Beyond the Download: How to Build Mobile Apps That People Love, Use, and Share Every Day and host of the podcast Lessons from the Leap. Active in EO and other CEO peer groups, he leads a global, values-driven team grounded in transparency, fairness, and getting things done. Connect with Ghazenfer: Website: https://technologyrivers.com/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gmansoor/  Connect with Allison: Feedspot has named Disruptive CEO Nation as one of the Top 25 CEO Podcasts on the web, and it is ranked the number 6 CEO podcast to listen to in 2025! https://podcasts.feedspot.com/ceo_podcasts/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonsummerschicago/  Website: https://www.disruptiveceonation.com/   #CEO #leadership #startup #founder #business #businesspodcast  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Send us a textFormer Army veteran and cybersecurity strategist Nia Luckey joins Joey Pinz Conversations live at Cyber Bay 2025 to explore how calm, creativity, and courage intersect in today's fast-moving digital world.From 13 years in the U.S. Army to leading major security operations for Cisco, JSOC, and AT&T, Nia reveals how adaptability, humility, and trust fuel progress in both tech and life. She reflects on her TEDx Sugar Creek journey, turning raw burnout into a message that now inspires thousands.We dive into:1️⃣ How her military mindset evolved into collaborative cybersecurity leadership2️⃣ Why AI and quantum bring both opportunity and risk3️⃣ The life lessons behind her motto — “Choose your hard.”Nia reminds us that real success starts with stillness, service, and consistent action — whether hiking mountain peaks or leading global security teams.

http://tonicollis.com/how-to-prioritize-work-to-get-promoted/If your calendar is overflowing but your career feels stuck, this episode is for you. You're not alone in the busyness trap. For so many high-achieving women in tech, doing more has always felt like the way to get ahead — but it's not what gets you promoted. In this episode of the Leading Women in Tech Podcast, we're unpacking the truth behind prioritizing impactful work, the hidden gap between performance and promotion, and how to build the kind of executive presence that actually gets noticed. If you're ready to stop being the go-to person for everything and start focusing on what truly shifts your career — this episode will show you how to lead smarter, not harder.

Send us a textIn this engaging conversation, Alana Karen discusses her journey in the tech industry, the challenges of the Hard Tech Era, and the emotional shifts she has experienced over the years. She emphasizes the importance of sticking to one's principles, navigating workplace dynamics, and the evolving role of AI in the workforce. Alana also shares insights from her new book, a guide for individuals navigating the complexities of the tech world today.TakeawaysPrinciples are only meaningful when adhered to during inconvenient times.The Hard Tech Era is characterized by a shift in company values and in how employees are treated.Emotional shifts in the tech industry have led to a loss of trust among employees.Feedback should be viewed as a gift, even if it's unwanted.Breakups with companies can be emotionally challenging and require time to heal.Having a plan B is essential in today's unpredictable job market.AI is not a direct threat to all jobs, but it will change the nature of work.Employees need to take agency over their careers and decisions.The tech industry is experiencing a resurgence of entrepreneurial spirit due to AI.Alana's new book offers group therapy for those navigating changes in the tech industry.Sound bites"Do you still want it?""It's a breakup with a company.""You need to have a plan B."Chapters00:00 Introduction and Journey with Alana Karan02:02 Principles and the Hard Tech Era08:09 Navigating Change in Tech12:36 The Evolution of the Tech Industry17:17 Trust and Disappointment in Tech22:04 Feedback as a Gift30:03 Emotional Reactions and Personal Growth30:23 Navigating Breakups with Companies35:34 Staying Layoff Ready44:08 The Impact of AI on Employment55:04 Empowering Change Through Alana's BookSubstack - https://www.alanakaren.com/newsletterLatest Book - https://www.alanakaren.com/books#hardtechBuy the latest book - https://www.alanakaren.com/preorder | LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanakaren/ Website - https://www.alanakaren.com/ 

Building your brave career isn't always about leaping, insisting, disrupting. Sometimes it means staying with intention using. This moment to calm your nervous system, build your skills and inner strength, enhance your financial safety and deepen your real life, your hobbies and your interests, and the most important relationships.Building your brave career is sometimes about bravery in the meantime.Listen to this episode for concrete examples of how to use a difficult career phase to build your long-term career without stressing out, burning out, or limiting your goals. More Links:Check out my websiteJoin my mailing list for more insights, opportunities, and inspirationConnection with me on LinkedInDetailed TranscriptRight now, most women in tech are in a career phase that isn't quite what they expected. I mean, sure some of my clients and some fellow women in tech are moving abroad. Accepting promotions or lowering their stress by working fewer hours, traveling less, taking on less emotional labor. Yes, that is true.What is also true is that most of my clients, and many women in tech, are in a career phase that kind of sucks. They've been laid off with no warning, passed over for deserved, and sometimes even promised promotion, or they're stuck working with people they don't respect on products that aren't quality at companies that don't seem to care. They're watching executives and shareholders, and investors take far more than they could ever create.Because here's a brave truth: it's rough out there for a lot of women in tech, quite frankly, for a lot of everyone. And maybe that's you, and if it is, keep listening.By the end of this episode, you'll have a few ways to build the skill of bravery in your meantime. Even if you're in a job, that kind of sucks. Right now, you may be feeling ignored, stressed, lost, angry, stuck. You may feel held down by bad management and tough, real economic realities, but you're still showing up for work.Maybe you're biting back your sarcasm, your boredom, maybe even your hope. You are watching the cost of everything rise: food, clothing, housing, schooling, everything. It feels threatening. You're saving, but it never feels like enough. And you know that guy who does less and does it poorly is still earning more than you.You want to grow, be bold, create your next career phase, but you've also survived three layoffs in two years. Your friends are struggling, your mentors are struggling. You look around and it feels like just about everyone is struggling.You keep wondering what's right for me right now? Is there anywhere safe anymore?  In the tech industry, we often celebrate the bravery of quitting, founding, leaping, reinventing. We talk about moving fast and breaking things, but sometimes the bravest thing, the best Next thing is choosing to stay. Choosing to stay at a job, that kind of sucks because it gives you the stability you need this month and the next.It helps you rest, build skills, activate your network, and deepen your personal relationships. Yeah, it kind of sucks and you can use this phase.You can use this phase to be your phase of bravery. In the meantime, crafting the foundation you need for that next clear leap. That might be exactly the type of bravery you need right now.Now, before I go any further, I wanna be really clear the rest of this episode is not for you. Or anyone. If you are in a truly unsafe environment, if you're being abused, bullied, harassed, or just frankly not paid, these tips are not for your situation. You need to protect yourself, and you need to seek support.What I'm about to share is for women in tech who are stressed, overworked, underpaid, and trying to stay afloat and craft a future in a very tough season.Today we're talking about how staying, how choosing bravery in the meantime can support your next career and life phase. None of what I'm about to say will help a toxic or abusive situation. Okay?If work feels draining. And it's impacting your life. This is your time to focus on bravery. In the meantime, it's about making conscious choices to build the habits and the skills you need for lowering your stress, for managing your time better. For most of you, that means working less. And setting yourself up in the future for greater income.Because you have built, expanded your sense of self, you've made yourself more valuable on the market. These are tiny habits that remind you of who you are, what you want, and why you matter.This might mean staying quieter in meetings, doing the minimum necessary for success in your role.Pay attention to what I just said : you're still going to meet success for your role. You're going to achieve. Not gonna overachieve you are not gonna extremely achieve. You're going to achieve and do the minimum necessary for achievement in your role.Maybe this means you're gonna be asking fewer questions and listening even more carefully to what is not being said.You're gonna be tracking your time more consciously.You are gonna be showing up on time with an attitude of your choice, and you're also going to be leaving on time in the attitude of your choice.One of my clients who's in a unhelpful boss situation, has chosen her quiet tiny habit, is creating sticky notes and placing them around her apartment. These sticky notes translated into English. Say, " You are an expert. This is a phase I believe in me."She's using these little habits, these little mindset choices as a reminder to keep learning her skills. She's an expert. Even if she has an unhelpful boss, she can still gain and deepen skills.Building her network : this is a phase. It's a phase in her career. The next phase is coming because she's creating it because she believes in herself. Remember her quote, I believe in me . So she's going to events, expanding her network, and she picked up her favorite hobby again.Another client to give you another example, is currently working with three colleagues who consistently drop the ball and then even worse lie about it.Yes, she's keeping a running track of all the times that she saves their butt and all of the lies that they've made. However, what she's focusing on is her phone background is a thank you message from a long-term customer. Every single time she unlocks her phone, she remembers who she's really working for : her craft, her standards, and her future.,Right now she needs to work in this environment, with this healthcare, because she has a child with a disability. But in a few years, she's gonna be going out on her own.She's building the reputation and the skills and the network to set herself up for that success. She's choosing bravery in the meantime. You too. If you are in this type of situation, you need to find your own quiet way to build your brave while you bravely stay.Pick up a hobby you loved as a kid to build your energy and your personal relationship and your belief in yourself. Learn to play the piano again, like one of my clients, or join a hiking group or volunteer locally.Listen, regardless of the phase you're in, keep it simple.I love to say, I read fast and I run slow. I volunteer my time and my heart, and right now I am so privileged, so I'm donating more money than I ever have to feed my neighbors.When you invest time in the parts of your life while you're building these tiny little habits, these quiet moments of bravery in the meantime, you are strengthening your internal safety net.You're sendin...

AI only works at scale when the shiny demo meets the gritty realities of deployment, security, and change management. In episode #146 of the 2B Bolder Podcast, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Monica Livingston, AI Platform Lead for the Americas at Red Hat and a former Intel leader, to unpack how open source accelerates real outcomes, and why the “plumbing” behind enterprise AI matters more than most roadmaps admit. Monica shares a clear view of what platforms must do in production: version control, monitoring, governance, policy, and cost discipline, all while staying flexible enough to avoid stack lock-in.We get candid about the two biggest misconceptions leaders hold: AI isn't a black box you plug in once, and the most complex variable is people, not models. Monica explains how to align teams through transparency, psychological safety, and clear KPIs so pilots survive the leap to operations. She also offers practical advice for new managers under pressure, from building trust to making recognition routine, and reflects on mentors who pushed her to trade constant breadth for deep expertise that compounds.For anyone mapping a career in AI, this conversation covers real paths forward, including accessible learning, hands-on projects, and emerging roles that are reshaping the field. We discuss early STEM exposure as a lever for agency, guidance for young women entering the tech field, and the value of calculated risk anchored in personal values such as family and health. Monica also shares her perspective on how to stand out in crowded applicant pools, the power of referrals, and why transformation often occurs on your own time before it becomes a job title.If this resonates, follow and share with a colleague who's building AI for the real world. Subscribe for more conversations at the intersection of open technology, human leadership, and careers with purpose, and leave a quick review to help others find the show.Hi Mary here, through my conversations with women leaders, I've learned just how urgent the need is for AI strategies that actually make sense. It's not about adopting tools just to keep up; it's about building a smart foundation. That's exactly what Beyondsoft is doing. To learn more visit https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-yCsEeZbsl6ivoZoS9YW1quYxbQr1Teo

On this episode of the Scouting For Growth podcast, Sabine VdL talks to Sebastien Denef, CEO and co-founder at AGENTS.inc, a company at the forefront of building intelligent agent platforms for enterprises. On this episode we explore how agentic AI architectures are reshaping industries, what it takes to scale agentic AI solutions across siloes, and why the winners in this space will be those who master both the technology and collaboration. KEY TAKEAWAYS You can give a task to an AI agent – a piece of software – that autonomously handles the task. When compared to previous layers of automation, we can now increase the autonomy level because of the AI models and the increased amounts of data we have.  It's underhyped. The impact we can have with today's technology is very, very big and it will impact all sectors, from education to finding a job, buying a house, buying your groceries, deciding where to go on your weekend where right now we're only seeing the beginnings of what could happen.  Almost the entire industry is trying to improve ChatGPT, to make it a little bit better, we actually see that this chat function isn't really needed. What is needed is having a tireless workforce that tirelessly works for you as AI agents – you don't necessarily want to converse with all of them because there would be too many messages to handle. You need a control interface to steer these new employees. RPA allowed us to move a document from A to B. AI agents will allow us to understand what's inside that document, extract the right stuff, put the right thing into the system, evaluate the information, and so on. All these things were impossible before, that's the big difference and that is possible today. BEST MOMENTS  ‘Think of AI agents as computers that work while you are asleep.'  ‘We will see shifts in entire industries, especially those with large workforces which will no longer be needed, and we will see new stuff coming up because of that.' ‘Companies are only just waking up from the dream that if you use ChatGPT or Microsoft CoPilot you're “AI-ready”.' ‘More than 70% of the work people do right now can be automated.' ABOUT THE GUESTS Sebastien Denef is CEO and co-founder at AGENTS.inc who is inventing the future of human-computer interaction. LinkedIn ABOUT THE HOST Sabine is a corporate strategist turned entrepreneur. She is the CEO and Managing Partner of Alchemy Crew a venture lab that accelerates the curation, validation, & commercialization of new tech business models. Sabine is renowned within the insurance sector for building some of the most renowned tech startup accelerators around the world working with over 30 corporate insurers, accelerated over 100 startup ventures. Sabine is the co-editor of the bestseller The INSURTECH Book, a top 50 Women in Tech, a FinTech and InsurTech Influencer, an investor & multi-award winner. Twitter LinkedIn Instagram Facebook  TikTok Email Website This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

 In this second episode of the special AI mini-series, we now explore the human side of transformation, where technology meets purpose and people remain at the center. From future jobs and critical thinking to working with C-level leaders, how human intervention and high-quality data drive success in an AI-powered world.This week, Dave, Esmee, and Rob talk to Indhira Mani, CDO at Intact Insurance UK, about the Love for data, insights on leadership, resilience, and preparing the next generation for what's next.    TLDR:01:30 Introduction of Indhira Mani and Scotch whisky05:45 Explaining the State of AI mini-series with Craig07:12 Conversation with Indi about her boyfriend called Data 38:33 Umbrella Sharing in Japan and the trust on AI45:15 The British Insurance Award and Women in Tech finalist GuestIndhira Mani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/indhira-mani-data/HostsDave Chapman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chapmandr/Rob Kernahan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-kernahan/Esmee van de Giessen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/esmeevandegiessen/with co-host Craig Suckling: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigsuckling/ProductionMarcel van der Burg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcel-vd-burg/Dave Chapman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chapmandr/ SoundBen Corbett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-corbett-3b6a11135/Louis Corbett:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/louis-corbett-087250264/ 'Cloud Realities' is an original podcast from Capgemini

Angela Woody talks about her career journey; learning to let go of inherited beliefs; making IT investments; & the guiding principles that have shaped her life. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:   [04.09] Angela's coincidental career – how volunteering at an event led to an internship that led to a full-time role at Kimberly-Clark. "It was a happenstance!... Someone took a chance on me." [08.41] Angela's 13-year tenure at Kimberly-Clark: how her career progressed, what she learned, and her biggest achievements. "Working for a global manufacturing company, you just had a wealth of opportunities… There was an opportunity to work on a first-of-a-kind project… and on that project, I could be innovative, experimental – it was career-changing." [14.21] Why Angela made a move from large CPG to small healthcare business, and how she changed her assumptions around what a stable, long-term career should look like. [17.45] What Angela loves about supply chain. "Supply chain is not a flashy job! … It's dirty, and for some reason that sparked my intertest... Supply chain is the last thing that's going to touch a product before it's delivered to the customer, that's our responsibility – and I fell in love with that." [21.40] How the pandemic shone a light on the industry, and why hesitation to make capital investments in IT systems is one of the biggest challenges in supply chain right now. "2020 was a blessing in disguise for supply chain. It brought some immediate visibility into how fragile our global supply chain really is – and it finally became a topic in the boardroom." "The companies that are truly making the investment in IT, making the investment in upgrades, they're the ones that are winning." [24.40] Why change management is still such a big problem, and how businesses should be approaching it for success. "Change management takes focus, time, resources and empathy. Change management is one of the most underleveraged capabilities, and I've seen many IT transformations fail because of a lack of investment in it." [27.40] Angela's 'Bring Your Kid To Work Day' experience with her daughter, and how we engage the upcoming generations in supply chain. "I have two girls, and I want to be a role model for them. I want to show them they can do anything they set their minds to, as long as they work hard." [31.31] Angela's experience as a woman in supply chain and technology. [35.15] The guiding principles that have shaped Angela's success, in life and work. [36.08] The importance of mentorship, and how Angela supports the next generations. "When I first started, mentorship wasn't something that was available, or even discussed… So, as we've evolved, and have seen its importance, I've taken male and female mentees and worked with them to have an opportunity to talk about things – I wish I had that." [38.35] The future for Angela. "I've worked hard to be where I am, but the feeling you get when you spend time out in the community and truly give back, is very special to me." RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED:   You can connect with Angela over on LinkedIn. If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear from more women in tech, check out 493: Women in Supply Chain, Natalie Walker, 470: Women in Supply Chain, Melodie Van Der Baan, or 479: Women in Supply Chain, Lina Castaneda.

In this episode: Why do 84% of reorgs fail?, Building psychological safety, Managing fear responses, Creating clarity during change, Financial resilience with Chelsea Wierbonski Episode Summary In this episode of the Mindful Fire Podcast, host Adam Coelho sits down with career transformation coach and Group Product Manager at Google, Chelsea Wierbonski. Together, they explore the challenging landscape of organizational change, specifically focusing on why a staggering 84% of reorganizations fail. Chelsea shares invaluable insights on building psychological safety, managing fear responses, and creating clarity during turbulent times. They also discuss the importance of financial resilience and side hustles in navigating change. Guest Bio Chelsea Wierbonski is a career transformation coach and Group Product Manager at Google. With extensive experience in leading teams through organizational change, she empowers individuals to build resilience and thrive in their careers. Her passion lies in helping women in tech elevate their careers through neuroscience and inner work. Host Adam Coelho helps tech leaders land their reorg in 2-3 weeks instead of 6-9 months by rebuilding psychological safety and alignment to a shared vision. He created The Mindful FIRE Podcast in 2020 to explore the intersection two of his passions, mindfulness and financial independence. Resources & Books Mentioned • "The Simple Path to Wealth" by JL Collins • Mindful Fire Podcast Episode with JL Collins Guest Contact Information Instagram: Chelsea W LinkedIn: Chealsea Wierbonski Key Takeaways Understanding Reorgs: 84% of reorganizations fail due to broken trust and lack of clarity. Building Psychological Safety: Leaders must create an environment where team members feel safe to voice concerns and ideas. Managing Fear Responses: Recognizing and addressing the fear that comes with change is crucial for individuals. Finding Clarity: Clear communication around roles and expectations helps teams navigate uncertainty. Financial Resilience: Building an emergency fund and exploring side hustles can provide security during turbulent times.

Send us a textIn this inspiring episode, Cornell Bunting sits down with Priya Ahluwalia, a powerhouse of innovation and heart. Priya's journey spans continents, industries, and impact — from leading global business growth to empowering her local community through education, entrepreneurship, and service.With over 14 years of experience, Priya has worn many hats: Business Leader – As former VP of Operations at One Homes, she helped drive North American sales from $2 million to $50 million, reshaping operations with a global vision. Community Builder – At Prime Fiber, she's bridging the digital divide, helping communities gain access to high-speed internet and a brighter future. Investor & Mentor – Through MoAloo Ventures, she's fueling innovation across food tech, ed-tech, electric mobility, and drone technology — empowering the next generation of changemakers. Educator & Lifelong Learner – Since 2009, Priya has taught Entrepreneurship, Chinese, and Hindi, preparing students to thrive in a globalized world.  Rotarian & Humanitarian – As founder of the SWFL Rotary, she's redefining how service meets innovation. She also serves on the boards of EHAS (Everyone Has A Story) and NCWIT's Aspirations in Computing (AiC), where she advocates for young women in tech.Since moving to Babcock Ranch in 2021, Priya has become a beacon of community spirit — launching programs, mentoring youth, and leading initiatives that bring people together.This episode dives deep into her passion for purpose, the power of innovation, and her vision for creating change that lasts.Tune in to hear how Priya Ahluwalia continues to build bridges, uplift others, and inspire transformation — one story at a time. Support the showThank you for tuning in with EHAS CLUB - Stories to Create Podcast

On this episode of the Scouting For Growth podcast, Sabine VdL talks to Ulrich (Uli) Homann, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft, and Mark Luquire, EY Global Microsoft Alliance Co-innovation Leader, about how to build an agentic AI enterprise that doesn't just work faster, but works smarter and, most importantly, works for everyone. KEY TAKEAWAYS In the past automation has been very task driven and specific, things had to go in a certain order and you needed to know that order ahead of time. While you need some of that with generative AI, we now have a system that can help do some of that thinking, so if things change in the process along the way, you can deal with it. Now you can rethink what processes even need to exist and focus on the outcome and how to get to it in a new way.  By giving everyone at EY access to generative AI a couple of years ago we learned that people were able to accomplish more more quickly. They used it as a thought-partner, used it as a way to fine tune the product they were working on. Being able to see the evolution of generative AI to now where it's coding applications on its own almost, seeing the new agent capabilities and tools, and being able to take action on its own with very little prompting, it opens the doors to possibilities and what you'll be able to do in the future.  BEST MOMENTS  ‘Focus on where you want to be and then rethink how you're going to get there, that's the real key.' ‘It's not just an assistant to you, providing you with information, it's actually taking on work it's actually thinking through and processing those things as well.' ABOUT THE GUESTS Ulrich (Uli) Homann is a Corporate Vice President & Distinguished Architect in the Cloud + AI business at Microsoft. As part of the senior engineering leadership team, he's responsible for the customer-led innovation efforts across the cloud and enterprise platform portfolio. Previously Homann was the Chief Architect for Microsoft worldwide enterprise services, having formerly played a key role in the business' newly formed Platforms, Technology and Strategy Group. Prior to joining Microsoft in 1991, he worked for several small consulting companies, where he designed and developed distributed systems and has spent most of his career using well-defined applications and architectures to simplify and streamline the development of business applications. Mark Luquire leads the EY organization's global efforts to co-develop innovative solutions with Microsoft and clients, driving growth and accelerating technology strategy. He oversees cross-functional teams spanning sectors and service lines, serving as a key liaison to Microsoft's product and engineering teams. Previously, Mark headed Platform Adoption for EY Global, leading enterprise-wide AI and cloud enablement, including integrating generative AI tools like EYQ, GitHub Copilot and Microsoft Copilot. He also created the first EY Global DevOps Practice and led cloud transformation efforts, making EY a leader in Microsoft Azure usage. Mark's career includes leadership roles in large healthcare enterprises and technology startups, where he established scalable operations, spearheaded digital transformation, and built high-performing global teams. ABOUT THE HOST Sabine is a corporate strategist turned entrepreneur. She is the CEO and Managing Partner of Alchemy Crew a venture lab that accelerates the curation, validation, & commercialization of new tech business models. Sabine is renowned within the insurance sector for building some of the most renowned tech startup accelerators around the world working with over 30 corporate insurers, accelerated over 100 startup ventures. Sabine is the co-editor of the bestseller The INSURTECH Book, a top 50 Women in Tech, a FinTech and InsurTech Influencer, an investor & multi-award winner. Twitter LinkedIn Instagram Facebook  TikTok Email Website This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

What if the biggest health crisis of your life became the turning point that saved it? Chris Reade joins me today with a story to share — including what he discovered that completely flipped the medical narrative that type 2 diabetes is not a lifelong sentence, but instead a reversible condition and he found the science to prove it. Chris Reade is an entrepreneur, technologist, author, and avid determined researcher who uncovered the truth about type 2 diabetes and metabolic health. I don't know about you, but I imagined this would be a complicated subject — and it absolutely blew my mind when he shared two simple words that changed the diabetes game for him. He's here now to give you hope that healing isn't out of reach. 

Today's guest is Conny Zhang. She is a curious mind, a culture lover and the Head of Music at Spotify DACH. Her journey took her from writing newspaper columns as a teenager to shaping what millions of people listen to every day.Conny grew up with a deep love for stories. Reading constantly, playing music and always finishing her homework before letting herself unwind. That mix of discipline and imagination has stayed with her, whether she was studying in Shanghai and San Diego, interning at Universal Music, or building her career at Google and now Spotify.In this conversation, Conny opens up about launching her first scholarship, finding confidence through coaching and how she's still learning to rest in a world that rarely slows down.Read more about the Women Authors of Achievement (WAA) Podcast via waa.berlin/aboutFollow us on Instagram & find us on LinkedInSubscribe to our newsletter via waa.berlin/newsletter ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

What if being emotional, vulnerable, and transparent could actually be your greatest leadership advantage?In this powerful episode, Kendra MacDonald, CEO of Canada's Ocean Supercluster, shatters the myth that effective leaders must separate their personal and professional lives. Leading a national innovation initiative with a majority-female team, Kendra shares raw, honest stories about adopting her daughter while climbing the corporate ladder, managing family health crises, and why scoring "high on emotion" as a CEO became her superpower—not her weakness.You'll discover:Why transparency builds trust faster than perfection ever willThe "24-hour rule" that prevents career-damaging emotional reactionsHow to reframe problems instead of falling in love with solutionsWhy purpose-driven leadership naturally creates emotional investmentHow to create truly inclusive policies (starting with your language)The truth about work-life "blend" vs. "balance"—and why it mattersWhy there's never a "perfect time" to step into leadershipThe Challenge: This week, examine one area where you're hiding your authentic self at work. What would it look like to bring more transparency to that situation? Share your insights with your team or a trusted colleague.Key Timestamps: [00:01:00] - Introduction: Can you lead effectively without sacrificing your personal life? [00:03:00] - The power of women in tech and innovation [00:05:00] - Why diversity of thought solves complex challenges [00:07:00] - The evolution from "private life stays private" to authentic leadership [00:08:00] - Kendra's adoption journey: When transparency transformed her career [00:11:00] - Remote work as a strategic talent advantage [00:14:00] - Why men need work-life blend too (and the "babysitting" problem) [00:15:00] - Language matters: From "maternity leave" to "parental leave" [00:18:00] - Being an "emotional CEO": Liability or superpower? [00:19:00] - Purpose creates emotion, emotion creates power [00:24:00] - The 24-hour rule: Sleep on it before you send it [00:25:00] - Focus on purpose, not path: Your North Star in chaos [00:26:00] - "Are you trying to be pregnant or be a mom?" Reframing the problem [00:27:00] - We need leaders in the mess—there's no perfect time [00:28:00] - Setting personal boundaries in an age of transparencyConnect with Kendra MacDonald: Canada's Ocean SuperclusterCall to Action: Ready to transform your leadership approach? Subscribe to Shedding the Corporate Bitch Podcast for weekly episodes that challenge conventional corporate wisdom. Share this episode with a leader who needs permission to show up as their whole self.Rate & Review: If this episode resonated with you, please leave a 5-star review and share what you learned. Your reviews help us reach more leaders ready to embrace authentic, purpose-driven leadership.Next Steps:Subscribe so you never miss an episodeShare this with your leadership team or HR departmentJoin the conversation on LinkedIn and Instagram @SheddingTheCorporateBitch#AuthenticLeadership #EmotionalIntelligence #WorkLifeBlend #PurposeDrivenLeadership #WomenInTech #HRLeadership #ModernWorkplace #LeadershipDevelopmentSupport the show

What if your next season wasn't about doing more, but dreaming bigger?Whether you're craving rest, adventure, or soul-nourishing connection, there's something beautiful waiting for you.Space to Dream RetreatPhineas Wright House EventsParis Christmas Markets TripWelcome to the Say YES to Yourself! Podcast—the show for midlife women, empty nesters, and anyone navigating life after divorce, burnout, or big transitions. If you're ready to shed cultural expectations, reconnect with your true self, and put your joy first—you're in the right place.In this episode, Wendy sits down with Elizabeth Bieniek, tech pioneer, leadership consultant, and author of Cake on Tuesday: 25 Lessons to Unlock Corporate Innovation. Elizabeth shares her journey of leaving corporate America after 20+ years to launch her own consulting practice, publish her book, and start a podcast all while discovering what it means to say yes to herself in midlife.They explore: Why culture isn't a luxury, but the foundation of innovationThe value of disagreement, vulnerability, and psychological safety in leadershipHow to navigate the messy middle of any venture and focus on the gain, not the gapThis conversation is packed with wisdom for anyone leading teams, starting something new, or learning to trust themselves as the CEO of their own life. Connect with Elizabeth:Get her book: Cake on TuesdayInstagram @cakeontuesdayLinkedInElizabethBieniek.comWendy's Appearance on the Cake on Tuesday PodcastReferenced in this Episode:The Gap & The Gain & Who Not How by Dan SullivanNow, Discover Your Strengths by Don CliftonOn Our Best Behavior by Elise LoehnenEpisode 242: Julia Brooks________________________________________________________________________________________ Say YES to joining Wendy for her: Say YES Sisterhood PWH Farm StaysPWH Curated France TripsInstagram: @phineaswrighthouseFacebook: Phineas Wright House LinkedinWebsite: Phineas Wright HousePodcast Production By Shannon Warner of Resonant Collective Want to start your own podcast? Let's chat! If this episode resonated, follow Say YES to Yourself! and leave a 5-star review—it helps more women in midlife discover the tools, stories, and community that make saying YES not only possible, but powerful.

After two decades in government, most recently as Deputy Chief Information Officer for the New York State Office of Information Technology Services, Jenn Lorenz did something bold: she walked away.In this episode of The Career Flipper Podcast, host Jenny Dempsey chats with Jen about what it really takes to leave stability behind and create a career (and life) on your own terms. From her early days as a single mom rebuilding after divorce to building teams in IT leadership and now launching her own business, Human Insights Consulting Group, Jen's story is proof that reinvention can happen at any stage, and that you're never starting from scratch.We dive into:What it's like to leave a stable, 20-year government career by choiceThe emotional side of change, managing fear, imposter syndrome, and “what ifs”How to repurpose your skills into something completely newCreating a business that supports the life you want now (not 30 years from now)Why your future self deserves the good life tooThe story behind her upcoming book, 10 Little Rules for Getting It DoneWhether you're stuck in a role that doesn't fit anymore or dreaming about your “someday” plan, Jen's story will remind you that someday can start with just one small step.Connect with JennGet her book, 10 Little Rules for Getting IT Done: https://10littlerules.com/store/10-Little-Rules-for-Getting-IT-Done-p779037877LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jennlorenzHuman Insights Consulting: insightbyhumans.com/services-main Thanks for tuning in to The Career Flipper!If this episode made you think, laugh, or feel a little braver about your own flip, do me a favor:

On this episode of the Scouting For Growth podcast, Sabine VdL talks to Laurna Castillo, Senior Vice President of Product at CSAA Insurance Group, a AAA insurer serving millions of customers across the western United States. Laurna has become a leading voice in reimagining how the insurance industry – and entire communities – can build resilience in the face of escalating wildfire risk. On this episode, Laurna will share her journey, lessons learned from the frontlines of growth, and actionable insights for listeners eager to drive meaningful impact in their own ventures. KEY TAKEAWAYS The AAA was originally an automobile association focussed on making cars safer with advocacy for seatbelts, for example. Without seatbelts car insurance would be more expensive making driving less accessible to the average person. It's the same with wild fire, there a massive quantities of homes being lost every year and if we don't have these solutions for less homes being burned down by wild fire, it's going to be less accessible for the average consumer to live in places like California. Knowing where to start was our biggest challenge, but picking a direction and sticking with it, and recognising all the different facets that need progressing, we leant in when we recognised those. We've learned that people are overwhelmed. There's so much information out there, if you speak to your neighbour you might get one thing, if you speak to your local fire-chief you might get another. That was reinforced in our community engagements, as was the fact that trusted voices matter; people are most likely to trust the motivations of people they know rather than insurance companies.  We've been leaning into this problem with this mindset for over a decade and it's becoming more of a strategic focus and imperative for us because of the increase in really large fires that are affecting a lot of properties. One of the most important issues is where to start, in terms of mitigation. The 0-5 foot ignition zone is the single most important factor. Te next is scalability, we need to rally around and give common standards and similar messages, that will help homeowners receive clear, consistent guidance. BEST MOMENTS  ‘Do the next, best, right thing that's in front of you. If you keep doing that, eventually it builds up into a system of change and collective progress.'  ‘I cannot emphasise enough how important partnerships are to this problem. They extend reach.' ‘The easiest way to have a wild fire resilient home is to build one, building one that's not resilient and trying to retrofit it is less optimal and not as easy.' ‘The single most important thing is clearing flammable material (fences, overhanging trees and bushes) from a 0-5 foot zone from the house.' ABOUT THE GUESTS Laurna Castillo is a forward-thinking leader and passionate advocate for innovation and sustainable growth. With a dynamic background spanning entrepreneurship, community development, and strategic leadership, Laurna has dedicated her career to empowering organizations and individuals to unlock their full potential. LinkedIn ABOUT THE HOST Sabine is a corporate strategist turned entrepreneur. She is the CEO and Managing Partner of Alchemy Crew a venture lab that accelerates the curation, validation, & commercialization of new tech business models. Sabine is renowned within the insurance sector for building some of the most renowned tech startup accelerators around the world working with over 30 corporate insurers, accelerated over 100 startup ventures. Sabine is the co-editor of the bestseller The INSURTECH Book, a top 50 Women in Tech, a FinTech and InsurTech Influencer, an investor & multi-award winner. Twitter LinkedIn Instagram Facebook  TikTok Email Website This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

Send us a textSome stories rise from privilege. Others, from perfect timing. But then there are stories like Shelley's — born from the ashes of burnout and built on the courage to begin again.A decade ago, she was a single mum, exhausted and uncertain, trying to find her way back to herself. Today, she's the Co-Founder & CEO of SQR, a tech company making the digital world safer through intelligent identity infrastructure.From performing arts to technology, from rock bottom to leading teams across continents — Shelley's journey is anything but linear. It's a creative remix of resilience, curiosity, and the courage to take the scenic route.In this cinematic conversation, we talk about:What it really takes to build and lead a startupThe villains and turning points that shaped her storyThe power of reinventing yourself after burnoutAnd why growth often begins at the edge of your comfort zone

Carol PittmanBS, College of Arts and Sciences, 2001CEO, RedKnot Resource GroupMore InformationRedKnot Resource Group - websiteRedKnot Resource Group - Empowering the Next Generation: The Carol Trull Pittman Endowed ScholarshipUAB News - Carol Pittman believes in future BlazersBusiness Alabama - Alabama's top Women in Tech: 25 for '25insideARM - Women in Consumer Finance and The iA Institute Announce New Mentorship Program

My guest this week is Tifenn Dano Kwan, Chief Marketing Officer at Amplitude.Tifenn's mission as a data-driven leader is to shape the future of work through superior digital experiences, great teams, and technology that customers love. What a novel idea.At Amplitude, she drives global marketing strategy and leads a team focused on helping organizations thrive in the digital era.Her career includes CMO roles at Collibra—hopefully I said that right—Dropbox, SAP Ariba, and SAP Fieldglass. A track record that speaks to her ability to scale brands, build impact, and lead with vision.Beyond the C-suite, Tifenn is a vocal LGBTQ+ advocate, a passionate supporter of women in tech, and an avid motorcyclist who brings that same bold energy to everything she does.Dare I say, my newfound friend.

On this episode of the Scouting For Growth podcast, Sabine VdL talks to Yo Kwon, CEO at Voltaire.Claims. Together, we pull back the curtain on how enterprise operations (and in particular finance and insurance operations) are being reinvented – not tomorrow, but right now. KEY TAKEAWAYS           ·       I was working with my co-founder on Ai technology trying to work out what would be applicable for wider businesses. While we were testing ideas someone was using one of our products to write claims letters. ·       Adjustors don't enjoy writing claims letter, especially denials, they lean heavily on templates and cheat sheets to figure out the clauses to cite, so small mistakes and big ones can slip though. Voltaire generates each letter from scratch, it doesn't take shortcuts which removes the room for error.  ·       Litigation alone adds an average of $10,718 per claim in loss adjustment expense, we projects Voltaire can reduce litigated claims by 10% or more through more defensible correspondence. Even a conservative 5% improvement in leakage through clearer letters translates to $320,00 in recovered value.  ·       We include critical guardrails. If an adjustor requests a denial letter but there's no valid policy exclusion that exists to support the denial, the system returns ‘no relevant policy language was found'. This prevents a wrongful denial or compliance violation before it happens. BEST MOMENTS  ‘Before I started this company I did not think this would be a problem in 2025, and this is a problem because of the complexities of claims.'  ‘Whenever productivity is measured, people will choose speed over compliance, I'd go far as to say most adjustors never actually learn the correct way to write a claims letter.' ‘Claims managers and adjustors have told us the AI is teaching them things about policies that they've never known before.' ‘Our approach treats compliance as a product feature, not an afterthought.' ABOUT THE GUESTS Yo Kwon is the Co-Founder and CEO of Voltaire.Claims, where he leads the development of cutting-edge AI solutions that transform insurance correspondence. With deep expertise in artificial intelligence, decentralized systems, and cybersecurity, Yo brings a rigorous technical perspective to one of the industry's most overlooked but high-impact challenges: claims letter automation. Under his leadership, Voltaire has built a lightweight, API-driven platform that integrates seamlessly with core systems like Guidewire to deliver accurate, regulator-compliant claim letters in seconds. LinkedIn ABOUT THE HOST Sabine is a corporate strategist turned entrepreneur. She is the CEO and Managing Partner of Alchemy Crew a venture lab that accelerates the curation, validation, & commercialization of new tech business models. Sabine is renowned within the insurance sector for building some of the most renowned tech startup accelerators around the world working with over 30 corporate insurers, accelerated over 100 startup ventures. Sabine is the co-editor of the bestseller The INSURTECH Book, a top 50 Women in Tech, a FinTech and InsurTech Influencer, an investor & multi-award winner.   Twitter LinkedIn Instagram Facebook  TikTok Email Website This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

In this episode of Zero to CEO, I speak with Anya Cheng, founder of AI fashion startup Taelor and former product leader at Meta, eBay, and Target. Anya shares her journey from Silicon Valley insider to scrappy startup founder, revealing how she scaled Taelor with zero marketing budget, secured funding from top VCs, and broke barriers as a female immigrant entrepreneur. We dive into the AI behind personalized fashion, lessons from tech giants, and what it takes to build a fast-growing brand on a shoestring. This episode is a must-listen for founders, fashion innovators, and anyone chasing startup success.

Ethel Cofie didn't plan to build Africa's largest Women in Tech network. She just wanted to create a place for women in tech to find each other in a male-dominated industry. Today, Women in Tech Africa has 5,000+ members across 30+ countries and won the UN EQUALS Award.But Ethel's work goes beyond WITA. As CEO of EDEL Technology Consulting, she sits on boards from insurance to fintech, advises governments on digital strategy, and serves on investment committees. Her secret? A willingness to show up, even when it's inconvenient.In this episode:The "inconvenience yourself" philosophy of community buildingWhy she left Vodafone after being told "it's not what you do, it's how you do it"How context shapes everything in African tech marketsHer controversial banking hot takeWhy regulators and startups talk past each otherFor: Founders who think they can go it alone, leaders building ecosystems, anyone who's ever felt like they're shouting into the void.Ethel Cofie proves that the most powerful role isn't king, it's kingmaker.

Want a real look at how breakthrough tech actually gets built and shipped? I had the pleasure of sitting down with Samira Naraghi, Chief Business Officer at Enovix, who has held previous roles at AWS, Meta, Qualcomm, and other notable companies, to unpack a career defined by tackling challenging problems, making significant pivots, and achieving results that speak louder than titles. From growing up in post-war Iran, where power outages made technology feel magical, to leading global go-to-market strategies and launching industry-defining products, Samira shows how adaptability, curiosity, and grit compound into leadership.We trace the through line across semiconductors, cloud, and next-gen batteries: translating deep technology into real business impact. Samira breaks down why go-to-market must start on day one, how co-building with early customers derisks product-market fit, and what it takes to prioritize nascent bets like AR when constraints around power, space, and manufacturability are unforgiving. She shares the unglamorous truth of innovation, fighting physics, supply chains, and disbelief, while still hitting commitments through decisive execution and a culture built for pressure.For women in tech navigating ceilings and seeking visibility, the guidance is clear and actionable. Choose the messy, high-impact work others avoid. Build trust by delivering under pressure. Communicate with clarity, drop the hedging, and be overprepared. We also explore becoming future-ready with AI: learn the fundamentals, speak the language, and use the tools to amplify your work. Mentorship, peer networks, and “quiet boldness” round out a candid playbook for career growth that doesn't wait for permission.I hope this conversation gives you the nudge to take the harder path intentionally, and if so, share it with a friend who needs the encouragement. Subscribe for more honest, tactical stories from leaders building the future, and leave a review to tell us the bold move you're making next.Hi Mary here, through my conversations with women leaders, I've learned just how urgent the need is for AI strategies that actually make sense. It's not about adopting tools just to keep up; it's about building a smart foundation. That's exactly what Beyondsoft is doing. To learn more visit https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-yCsEeZbsl6ivoZoS9YW1quYxbQr1Teo

On this episode of the Scouting For Growth podcast, Sabine VdL talks to Bobbie Shrivastav, co-founder and CEO of Solvrays about building AI-driven workflows that aim to eliminate 70% of manual back office work with governance, auditability, and with human-in-the-loop controls directly built in. They also talk about what makes vertical AI for insurance defensible and measurable, compressing sales and implementation cycles without cutting corners on risk, change management, and how to augment teams as talent retires while new talent ramps up. KEY TAKEAWAYS When the work comes into an organisation, not everything is digital. Things are still mailed, the first help we provide is extracting the information from those manual sources and place it with the right person in their case management system. That alone eliminates 5-7 touch points. When an agent sends an email we're able to get a new business application, we're able to extract the information, we understand that this is a new business applications, and we can take that data and integrate it into the new business solution. Before, someone would have checked an email, gone to the new business application and keyed that in so work could move in. We've eliminated that complex new business touch point. 74% of our industry is still tackling legacy. Customers don't care if you're still using mainframes, they shouldn't feel a difference. We're using agentic AI as a connector to legacy systems, we're also doing database to database connectors, and for newer systems we're using APIs. We eliminate a dependency factor and empowered IT to work with new technologies, so they're not dependent on us. But the business and IT partnership with any project, whether it's our solution or another, is the key to success. BEST MOMENTS ‘We want to be a ray of hope for the operations staff for back office.' ‘What makes us superior, from an industry point of view, is that we've innovated in this space for the last 10 years, we understand operations intimately.' ‘Once a signature is signed, our goal is to do one workflow in two weeks, not months or years, weeks.' ‘Where I've seen most anxiety in business and IT is in implementation, it can drain your team. Our goal is: If we can build our orchestration layer the right way you don't have to be so tense.' ABOUT THE GUESTS Bobbie Shrivastav is founder and managing principal of Solvrays. Previously, she was co-founder and CEO of Docsmore, where she introduced an interactive, workflow-driven document management solution to optimize operations. She then co-founded Benekiva, where, as COO, she spearheaded initiatives to improve efficiency and customer engagement in life insurance. She co-hosts the Insurance Sync podcast with Laurel Jordan, where they explore industry trends and innovations. She is co-author of the book series "Momentum: Makers and Builders" with Renu Ann Joseph. LinkedIn ABOUT THE HOST Sabine is a corporate strategist turned entrepreneur. She is the CEO and Managing Partner of Alchemy Crew a venture lab that accelerates the curation, validation, & commercialization of new tech business models. Sabine is renowned within the insurance sector for building some of the most renowned tech startup accelerators around the world working with over 30 corporate insurers, accelerated over 100 startup ventures. Sabine is the co-editor of the bestseller The INSURTECH Book, a top 50 Women in Tech, a FinTech and InsurTech Influencer, an investor & multi-award winner. Twitter LinkedIn Instagram Facebook  TikTok Email Website This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

On this episode of the Scouting For Growth podcast, Sabine VdL talks to Amit Santhirasenan, co-founder and CEO of hyperexponential, an actuary and software engineer who has built the AI native pricing and underwriting platform used by leading specialty carriers. In this episode we cover how to turn messy submissions into structured signals your pricing model can trust – without hiring an army, multi agent architectures, the agentic AI mesh, and the human in the loop controls executives need for auditability and speed, and where agentic underwriting is ready today (and where it isn't), plus the metrics executives should track—cycle time, hit ratio, and loss ratio uplift. KEY TAKEAWAYS Email submissions were a luxury at the start of my career! What's been so exciting for me, as a self-professed nerd, is the pace at which the capabilities of core models have got so good that even 6 months ago was a whole product's capability and feature set is now within the gift of Gemini or GPT5. If you're an underwriter filling out a spreadsheet/renew model, in 2025 you need to be working with hx underwriting , actuary or agent inside a renew model to have your paired partner helping you get to the best result. Why can't you have deep risk research on every single risk? Why can't you say: Tell me the most important characteristics in the world that you can tell me about the top 3 exposures? No human can do this work, the cost/benefit trade off there isn't economic, but you can run an OpenAI deep risk API call to do that on every single risk you underwrite today. We do it for you, it's what we do. All of a sudden it's dramatically easier to bring that level of differentiation and specialism in the way that great underwriting has always been done to every single risk you want to touch. BEST MOMENTS ‘You won't see that many places with a $7 trillion contribution to GDP, with such a small number of companies and people responsible for this.' ‘We demonstrated the first API machine vision algorithm in the market in 2017, now kids coming out of university are doing that as toy projects before they get to our clients.' ‘You can have an army of digital agents helping you now, all for $20 per month!' ‘Generative AI models have unlocked the ability to pull data so quickly out of the information required for underwrite that you can put a very quick red/amber/green status on risks, several orders of magnitude greater than ever before.' ABOUT THE GUESTS Amit Santhirasenan is the Co-founder and CEO of Hyperexponential (hx), the AI native pricing and underwriting platform for P&C insurers. Under his leadership, hx Renew has become known for delivering executive level outcomes: ~50% faster submission to bind, 10× faster model build and deployment, and a platform that supports $45bn+ in GWP for 20+ enterprise customers worldwide. A qualified actuary and computer scientist, Amrit previously spent over a decade in the London Market. He served as Head of Pricing & Analytics at Tokio Marine Kiln, building the managing agent's first technical pricing team to support ~£1.5bn GWP, and earlier held actuarial roles at Catlin (including standing up the Canadian actuarial function). ABOUT THE HOST Sabine is a corporate strategist turned entrepreneur. She is the CEO and Managing Partner of Alchemy Crew a venture lab that accelerates the curation, validation, & commercialization of new tech business models. Sabine is renowned within the insurance sector for building some of the most renowned tech startup accelerators around the world working with over 30 corporate insurers, accelerated over 100 startup ventures. Sabine is the co-editor of the bestseller The INSURTECH Book, a top 50 Women in Tech, a FinTech and InsurTech Influencer, an investor & multi-award winner. Twitter LinkedIn Instagram Facebook TikTok Email Website This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/