Equal Inspired

We’re wrapping up the 2024 season of our Equal Inspired Podcast, with a very special guest.

An HR expert with two decades of experience in hiring, training, development and retention-promoting relationship building. The incredible Yosra Söderberg.

Yosra's proven track record in scaling high-performing organizations and fostering meaningful relationships is just the beginning of what she brings to the table.

In this episode, we dive into:

- Design Thinking Recruitment

- Building Synergy Between Tech & Hiring Managers

- Culture Add Interviews over Culture Fit

- Creative Writing in HR: Elevate Your Job Descriptions

- Reducing Bias in Decision Making

- How to Stand Out in Job Applications

With unemployment in Sweden at 8.5%, it’s never been more important to create personal rejections and feedback, no matter the outcome. Your applicants deserve to be seen!

If you’re ready to rethink your hiring processes, empower your team, and foster a culture that’s truly inclusive, this episode is for you.

Senior Engineer, Mentor & DEIAB Advocate Scott Josephson joins us.

Scott's passion for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility, and Belonging. Drives his mission to empower women from underrepresented communities.

Through mentorship, he is helping others build confidence. Overcome challenges, and stand out in today’s competitive job market.

In this episode, we delve into:

- Unlocking Confidence

- Turning Failure into Fuel

- Networking with Impact: Building Authentic, Human Connections

- Crafting a Standout Resume

- Building Your Authentic Personal Brand: Showcasing the Unique YOU

- Job Application Hacks: The 80/20 Rule

- Gamifying Your Personal Growth

- Mentorship: Building Trusted Relationships

Senior Engineering Manager, Gavin van Lelyveld joins us.

Who is on a vital mission to transform the tech industry by empowering people from underrepresented groups to take on leadership roles.

With a deep passion for building high-performing, inclusive engineering teams. Gavin has seen firsthand the incredible power of Diversity, Inclusion, Psychological Safety and Equity.

In this episode, we delve into:

- The Power of Genuine Listening

- What True Inclusion Looks Like

- The "Curb Cut Effect" for Hiring

- Real Allyship vs. Performative Actions

- Spotting and Stopping Bias in Meetings

- TEAM - Gavin's Inclusive Interviewing Checklist

- Self-Reflection and Challenging Assumptions

Simone Gemkow brings over a decade of accomplishments in the field of automotive product engineering. Now, she is dedicated to building and leading a highly productive and engaged teams. To deliver the attribute performance across all automotive programmes.

Throughout her journey, community and mentorship have been guiding lights. Drawing from her own experiences, Simone is now paying it forward.

As President of the International Association of Women (IAW), London chapter, she is committed to creating a strong support system for women professionals.

Here we dive deep into her valuable insights on:

- Silencing self-doubt and embracing your true worth

- Why not having all the answers can be your greatest strength

- Secrets to leveraging mentorship for rapid career growth

- Proven tactics to inspire and empower your team

- Essential skills for a seamless transition to leadership

- All things International Association of Women (IAW)

- Strategies for assembling a powerhouse board that drives your vision

Don't miss this empowering episode championing the spirit of collaboration, the strength found in mentorship, and the impact of building a community where women can thrive together.

Honoured to welcome the incredible Edwige A. Robinson.

From her native Cote d’Ivoire in West Africa to leadership roles at major U.S. companies including Comcast and Verizon, Edwige's ascent in technology is a testament to her faith, family, and indomitable spirit.

Today, Edwige is not just a leader; but a transformative force in the world of technology. Breaking barriers and shattering ceilings in the tech world.

Join us for a beautifully enriching conversation exploring: - Facing the Unknown with Courage - The Ripple Effect of One Brave Decision - Tips for Integrating into a New Culture and Learning a New Language - Building Courage: The Optimism Muscle - Grace, Compassion, and Empathy in Leadership - Visualizing Success for Daily Wins - Staying Authentic Amidst Change - The "Believe It's Possible" Mantra - Becoming an Author: The Journey

📚 Get your copy of Believe It's Possible Today! https://www.amazon.com/Believe-Its-Possible-Mountains-Uncommon-ebook/dp/B0CZCPKMGH/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=PhlPq&content-id=amzn1.sym.f911c8db-3a2b-4b3e-952f-b80fdcee83f4&pf_rd_p=f911c8db-3a2b-4b3e-952f-b80fdcee83f4&pf_rd_r=145-7344900-5041830&pd_rd_wg=51h47&pd_rd_r=66a2a11d-d858-40af-af3e-b0c20a1abc5b&ref_=aufs_ap_sc_dsk

The amazing Madona S. Wambua joins us for Episode 21. Madona is an inspiring CTO, Founder, Google Developer Expert for Android. Keynote Speaker, Author, and passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion in technology. Expect inspiring insights on: - Becoming a Google Expert in Android - Hacks to Skyrocketing Your Productivity; Goodbye Procrastination - Creating Accessible & Inclusive Events For Parents/Careers - How Passion Supercharges Resilience - Balancing Career & Family Life: Debunking Parenthood Myths: - Nailing Your Tech Talk: Tips for a Standout CFP (Especially for the Grace Hopper Conference!)

We are joined by the inspiring ⁠Elaine Montilla. CTO, ⁠TEDx Speaker, Founder.

Who is recognised as Technology Magazine 2023 Top 100 Women in Technology, HITEC 100, Top 100 Outstanding LGBTQ+ Executive Role Model, Top 100 Latinas of 2024.

We dive into so much empowering stuff that you don’t want to miss like:

- Practical Tips to Transform Your Thinking

- Secrets to Creating Safe Spaces

- How Mentorship Reshaped Elaine’s Life

- Becoming a TEDx Speaker

- Books that deeply impacted Elaine's life, shaping her journey

- Being a True Ally and Supporting LGBTQ+ Individuals Beyond Pride Month 🏳️‍🌈

Our first episode of 2024! With a very special guest, 10-time award winner in Artificial Intelligence and Open Source, Co-author of the book 'Sculpting Data For ML', Machine Learning Google Developer Expert and Google Women Techmaker Global Ambassador...The incredible Jigyasa Grover. We dive into: - Modern-Day Approaches to Privacy-Preserving Machine Learning: With Example Techniques - Mastering the Art of Data Curation for Machine Learning - Deploying Machine Learning Models at Scale - Game-changing advice for building a successful career in ML - The Power of Open Source and Collaboration Engagement in Tech - 2024 predictions for the evolution of Data-Centric Approaches to AI - A Guide to Becoming a Published Author in Tech

Our final episode of 2023! Honoured to welcome the incredible Steffi Sylvester. Implementing World Class SAAS ERP Systems with passion | Information Systems Enthusiast | Culture Champion | Women in Tech |Ambassador Kids Hack Day. Get exclusive insights from Steffi on: - Her Beginner's guide to getting the most out of a Hackathon - Strategies for conquering pre-event anxiety - Top tips for initiating conversations, with examples! - Non-coding skills you can develop to thrive in tech - Top 3 tips to maximize security when setting up a system We also explore Steffi's spectacular career journey to becoming a Solutions Manager. Uncovering and celebrating her inspirational role models along the way.

Join us for our Nordic Women in Tech Awards special episode!

NWiTA's phenomenal Founder & CEO, Plamena Cherneva joins us.

We learn more about Plamena's story, which paved the way for the Nordic Women in Tech Awards.

In our chat, be prepared to: - Learn about the evolution of NWiTA: From a simple addition to a summit → To an event as grand as the Oscars in the Nordics

- Hear stories from attendees, volunteers and sponsors positively impacted by the awards

- Discover how NWiTA works

- Get a sneak peek of what to expect at NWiTA 2023 in Iceland

NWiTA takes place on 9th November 2023, in Iceland (https://nordicwomenintechawards.com/)NWiTA is aimed at celebrating the achievements of women in the tech industry and inspiring diversity in IT.

Their mission is to inspire, educate, and support women pursuing careers in IT and create a safe environment where everyone feels they fit in.

Follow their incredible work

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nwitawards/

Twitter: @NWITawards

Adaptability. Resilience. Triumph. This is the journey of Swetha Dua. 

Join us, as Swetha Dua (Project Manager and Career Mentor) shares her journey of relocation and navigating carving out a career path in an unfamiliar territory. With countless setbacks.

Swetha emerged from these setbacks stronger than ever

Today, she is thriving and mentoring others. Paying forward the support and inspiration she received.

We dive into:

- The transformative power of mentorship

- The secrets to establishing vital relationships in a new country

- How to persist and maintain a positive mindset, even in the face of adversity

- Game-changing resources that can fast-track your integration into the Swedish job market

- Becoming a mentor at Beela

and so much more.

This episode is your ultimate guide for navigating the job market and achieving success. Even in the most challenging circumstances!

A career in SalesForce will change your life...It changed Heather Black’s. As a new mum, Heather relaunched her career as a Salesforce Consultant. Enabling her to: - Work remotely 3 days a week - Earn £60,000 annually - Craft a career that aligned with her need for flexibility Now, as the CEO of Supermums. Heather helps parents to upskill and transition into a career in the Salesforce ecosystem. Heather joins us on our new Equal Inspired Episode. Where she demystifies the myths about relaunching your career after kids. Sharing her inspiring wisdom on: - Ambitious Women’s Mindset - Taking back control of how to be happy - How to become a super Salesforce Consultant - Setting and communicating boundaries - Using transferable skills to ignite your journey - Weathering storms as an entrepreneur Striving to craft a fulfilling career on your terms? This episode is for you! Follow Supermums: https://supermums.org/

From a single tweet to a thriving global community of 20,000+ members. Black Girls in Tech has been making waves since 2020! BGIT's ever-inspiring Founder, Karen Emelu joins us for episode 014 of Equal Inspired. We explore: - The birth of BGIT - How BGIT is making tech accessible for Black women - Strategies for maintaining smooth operations at BGIT whilst scaling  - The secret sauce for creating a sense of community and sisterhood - Karen's own journey into UX/UI and Product Design - Tips to navigate the transition into tech and so much more! This is a powerful episode for anyone seeking inspiration, guidance, and empowerment in the tech world. BGIT is dedicated to increasing the representation of black women in the tech industry: https://www.blackgirlsintech.co.uk/

We are thrilled to welcome, Founder of Femme Lead Podcast, Alexandra Ciobotaru. Alexandra is a source of inspiration and a true embodiment of a role model who is actively involved in promoting women in STEM. She has been nominated for Nordic Women in Tech Awards several times and in 2022, was named one of the Top 100 Talents in Denmark by Berlingske. In this empowering chat, we discuss: 🌟 The power of self-reflection to align with your North Star 🌟 How to discover your non-negotiables 🌟 Investing in yourself; the transformative impact of having a life/career coach 🌟 Embracing change and discomfort to unlock your full potential 🌟 How to best understand our strengths and weaknesses to gain confidence and overcome negative self-talk 🌟 The uplifting strength of community and how it has helped shape Alexandra today 🌟 All things Femme Lead Podcast This episode is your key to igniting a life of fulfilment and empowerment. Tune in now and unlock the secrets to aligning with your true purpose!

Author of Thriving in a Data World (Business Expert Press, December 2022) and engaging Business Intelligence and Analytics Leader, Sangeeta Krishnan joins us. She has worked with Fortune 500 organizations, not-for-profits, and everything in between, helping various organizations build their operations and monetizing data products from the ground up.

We discuss:

🌟 Transitioning from Software Engineer to Analytics

🌟 Key Skills Needed to Thrive in an Analytics Career

🌟 Data-Driven Culture; Why is it Important?

🌟 Techniques for Fostering a Data-Driven Culture

🌟 Strategies For Building Effective, Diverse Data Teams from the Ground Up

🌟 Creating Collaborative and Inclusive Spaces for Growth

🌟 Becoming an Author; The Process and Biggest Lessons

Moran Weber, CEO & Founder of Women on Stage; a platform to showcase, book, and train women professional speakers for any tech event, conference, meetup, or webinar (https://www.womenonstage.net/) joins us!

We explore:

🌟 Why Women on Stage Exists

🌟 Lessons of a CEO & Founder

🌟 The Technical Speakers Academy

🌟 Moran's Public Speaking Journey

🌟 Tips for Becoming a Key Note Speaker

🌟 Strategies for Overcoming Nerves

🌟 Code Like a Girl: Breaking the Gender Stereotype

🌟 Attracting more Women and Girls to Tech

🌟 The Best Things About Working in Tech

Moran also shares a powerful snippet from The Computer Girls article from Cosmopolitan, 1967 that reinforces how gender stereotypes have impacted and shaped the tech world today.

Register as a speaker on Women on Stage today! https://www.womenonstage.net/

Sara Smolley (Co-founder and Head of Partnerships) & Dr. Rachel Levy (Lead Customer Success Manager) from Voiceitt join us to discuss the world of voice recognition technology.

Voiceitt (https://voiceitt.com/) is a digital health startup that has developed a unique speech recognition technology to help people with disabilities live more independently.

We explore:

🌟 The origin story of Voiceitt
🌟 How Voiceitt's proprietary automatic speech recognition (ASR) was developed
🌟 The main use cases and features of Voiceitt's iOS and Web app
🌟 How Voiceitt is positively impacting the lives of its users; Dr. Claire Malone's story
🌟 The mission of making speech truly accessible to all
🌟 Disability to Diffability; The importance of celebrating and accommodating DIFFabilities
🌟 Accessibility and Inclusion; "When you design for anyone, it benefits everyone"

You will also get to hear Voiceitt in action as we end with a powerful demo of the app!

Ways to get involved with Voiceitt ([email protected])

✅ Sign up to join their development programs
✅ Become an ambassador
✅ Participate in research
✅ Partner with Voiceitt
✅ Sponsor devices for beta testers at nonprofit partners

Keeya Wang-Jones joins us who is an award-winning international Human-centered design leader and advocate for equality, equity, as well as inclusive and diverse methodologies across digital platforms.  

She’s now betting on herself and her trusted cofounder to bring the general public a digital platform that helps them run their media teaching and coaching business online (WRKiiT). Their goal is to remove 90% of administrative works from Creators and Educators. So that they can show up and do what they do best. Share knowledge and build communities.  

We discuss:  

🌟 WRKiiT's mission and journey  
🌟 Becoming a Cofounder; taking the leap; moving away from stability & making sacrifices
🌟 The importance of self-care as an Entrepreneur and how to approach it
🌟 Leveraging skills from previous roles to pivot to a CTO/Cofounder  
🌟 How are biases and inequalities affecting technology & products?
🌟 Questions we can ask ourselves to challenge our own biases
🌟 The Curb-Cut Effect

Jonah Andersson, Founder of the Azure User Group Sweden, Senior IT Consultant, Microsoft Certified Azure Developer, DevOps Engineer and Microsoft Certified Trainer joins us. 

Jonah is passionate about making a difference by advocating tech, gender equality, diversity and inclusion.

We discuss:

- Jonah's inspirational career journey
- Effective ways to bounce back from adversity
- Becoming a role model in tech
- Actionable steps to be more authentic and confident
- Powerful advice for pursuing a career in tech
- Founding a community; from conception to launch

Resilience and adversity being the fuel of greatness is a theme we explore. Jonah speaks from the heart and her openness and humbleness in sharing the highs and lows of her journey is truly admirable.

Toju Duke, Responsible AI Programme Manager at Google & Ambassador for Women in AI UK joins us.

Toju designs Responsible AI programmes focused on the development and implementation of Responsible AI frameworks amongst Google’s product and research teams, with a focus on Large Language Models, Natural Language Processing, and Generative models.

We discuss:

- All things responsible AI
- How to ensure bias-free AI to reduce systemic injustices and further equality
- Celebrating 9 years at Google
- Women in AI UK's mission and upcoming projects
- Strategies for building unshakable confidence as a woman in tech
- How to create a safe environment for women to improve inclusion and reduce bias

& so much more!