Ellevate Podcast: Conversations With Women Changing The Face Of Business

Haben Girma, a disability rights lawyer who is deaf and blind, joins the Mobilize Women Summit 2019 to share her experiences on how disability can be interpreted as an opportunity for innovation - and we are bringing her keynote right to your ears. On this episode, Haben explores why companies need to prioritize access for those with disabilities and inclusion, designing with access in mind, and the unknown as an opportunity to learn, grow, and innovate. Girma draws examples from her experiences in salsa dancing, sign language, surfing, and more as she unpacks the connection between creativity and inclusion.

Meridith Maskara, CEO of the Girl Scouts of Greater NY, runs a panel discussion about astronauts, designers and the future of STEM, with Taylor "Astronaut Starbright" Richardson and entrepreneur and designer Ashley Voisin. At this unique Mobilize Women 2019 panel, the powerful panelists tackle questions larger than themselves, as we talk about innovation, role models. STEM, and the importance of a support system. 

With another episode from one of our favorite Mobilize Women Summit 2019 segments, we're bringing Stacey Flowers' fascinating keynote to our podcast. Stacey Flowers, Speaker, Entrepreneur, Eternal Optimist; shares her five step plan to achieve happiness in your career and life, relinquish the idea of control, and how she started to "live her best life" after losing track of taking care of herself through her relatable life experiences. 

On this week's episode, we are bringing one of our favorite segments from the 2019 Mobilize Women Summit right to you. Valerie Jarrett Senior Advisor, Obama Foundation & Attn: and Chair, Ellevate Network; Co-Founder and CEO, Ellevest have a discussion on how to find your voice, staying positive while facing criticism, and leadership lessons from her time as the Senior Advisor for the Obama White House. 

On this week's episode, we are bringing one of our favorite segments from the 2019 Mobilize Women Summit right to you. Ajay Banga, President & CEO, Mastercard; Andrea Jung, President & CEO, Grameen America, and our very own Kristy Wallace, CEO, Ellevate Network have a discussion on why it is important to practice empathy and lead with empathy inside organizations, tackling bias in the world, as well as how they address tough problems at work through their empathetic approaches.    ᐧ  

On this week's episode, we are bringing one of our favorite segments from the 2019 Mobilize Women Summit right to you. Tony Prophet, Chief Equality Officer, Salesforce; Kiersten Barnet, Global Head of Gender-Equality Index, Bloomberg; Susan Lee, Chief People Officer, SeatGeek; and Rachel Sklar Co-Founder, Change the Ratio, TheLi.st,  have a discussion on bringing cultural changes to businesses, particularly as it relates to diversity and equality in the workplace. The speakers also focus on the role of employees at every level, instead of focusing on the leadership. 

Claire Mazur and Erica Cerulo, co-founders of Of a Kind, join us this week as we talk about how they met and how their friendship escalated to running a successful business today. The duo share their experiences on why storytelling is important, how they determined their core values, and the power of embodying values. They also talk about the notion of having a "work wife", their book on female friendships in the workplace, as well as their thoughts on conflict between work partners and family leave.

Luvvie Ajayi, NY Times best selling author, digital strategist, joins us this week after taking the stage at Mobilize Women 2019. Having discovered a love for writing through blogging, Luvvie talks about how writing became her job, career choices, and the importance of self-confidence. She also shares her learnings around solopreneurship, access gap, how not to take yourself too seriously, and her online academy, The Do Better Academy.

Sian Beilock, President of Barnard College at Columbia University, joins us this week after taking the stage at Mobilize Women 2019. With vast experience as an academic studying why we sometimes "choke" under pressure, Sian shares about the importance of talking about insecurities, the phenomenon of "spotlighting", and steps of overcoming fear of failure. She also talks about imposter syndrome, the complicated relationship between economic opportunities and education, as well as her thoughts on single gendered educational environments.

Kiersten Barnet, Global Head of Gender-Equality Index at Bloomberg, joins us this week after taking the stage at Mobilize Women 2019. Realizing the importance of company culture early on, Kiersten joined Bloomberg first serving at a travel-heavy role. On this episode, she talks about the role of culture in global organizations, the notion of diversity throughout countries, as well as the importance of taking action. Kiersten also shares her expertise on the Gender-Equality Index, the increased demand for financial services for women, and the importance of data-driven approaches to progress and equality.

On this episode, Tabitha Laser; CEO, T.A. Laser Consulting, author, and speaker, joins us to talk about how she got to where she is today, ups and downs of her career journey, and how she was inspired to write her book, Culture Killers. Tabitha shares her vast experiences including why some leaders can be difficult to work with, getting "permission" to do the right things, work / life balance, and working for an unpopular company. From working in Hawaii to getting the "pink slip", Tabitha's story story is far from your typical career journey.

On this episode of the Ellevate podcast, Victoria Tsai, founder of TATCHA, joins us to talk about the wake up call that led to her switching careers, the importance of finding meaning in her work and how important that was to her being happy in her life. She talks about the inspiration behind founding TATCHA, the lack of oversight in the cosmetic industry and her experience with creating a sustainable business and creating a product in the beauty and wellness industry. She also shares her tips on traveling for work while being a parent and talks about her partnership with Room to Read.

On this episode of the Ellevate Podcast, Kristen Kimmell, Chief of Staff of RBC Wealth Management joins us to talk about how her career began and developed at RBC, her advice on finding work-life balance and how this can be achieved, and the importance of having a strong support network. She also talks about how RBC is working to create an environment where you can bring your whole self to work, the best ways to speak up and talk more openly at work and the myth-busting behind the relationship between women and money.

Leaving her career in the financial industry behind, Heidi Nazarudin, Co-Founder and CEO of Marque Media, created her own path focusing on her skills in growing a business and building a brand. On this episode, Heidi shares how she was able to build a brand, being honest about yourself, and her career as a social media influencer. She also explains what makes people follow others on social media, when to pivot a message, and lessons she learned through her journey to both building a company and growing her brand to over 400,000 followers. 

If you've ever felt burnt out, you are not alone. On this episode, Stacey Flowers, speaker, entrepreneur, and eternal optimist, joins us this week to talk about how she got her start, making a living while staying sane, and the importance of transparency. She also shares her experiences around building a personal brand, raising kids as a single mother, as well as using technology to help her business. Stacey will take the stage as a keynote speaker at Mobilize Women on June 21st to continue to inspire, activate, and share her story as she shares what excites her the most about Mobilize Women. 

Starting her activism journey on Sesame Street at the age of 10, Emily Ladau, Disability Rights Activist, Writer, Communications Consultant, joins us this week for a sneak peak into what she will be sharing at the Mobilize Women Summit. On this episode, Emily talks about the role of advocates and how one can be a good advocate, as well as making the disability experience accessible. She also shares best practices on talking about disabilities with kids, the nomenclature on disability, and what is next on the horizon for her. Emily will take the stage at Mobilize Women on June 21st to continue to inspire, advocate, and activate.

After hearing the consumer needs, Susan Packard, author and co-founder of HGTV, became one of the masterminds behind the household TV channel, HGTV. On this episode, Susan shares the story behind HGTV, her new book, and all about emotional intelligence. She discusses her tips on how to practice emotional fitness, how to know when to leave a job and when to slow down, as well as the importance of knowing yourself and becoming more self-aware.

As we continue counting down for Mobilize Women Summit 2019, Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to the Obama Foundation and Attn:, joins us this week for a conversation with our very own Sallie Krawcheck. On this episode, Valerie reflects on how she got to where she is, how her relationship with the Obamas began, and the complicated world of politics. She also shares the importance of stepping outside your comfort zone, creating a safe space for talent, as well as her favorite and least favorite memories from the White House. From listening to your own voice to how she hired Michelle Robinson (Obama), Valerie and Sallie will take the stage at Mobilize Women on June 21st to share more life lessons and continue this intimate conversation. 

Our very own, Sallie Krawcheck, Chair of Ellevate Network, joins us this week as we kick off our countdown to Mobilize Women 2019. On this episode, Sallie shares her favorite Mobilize Women memories, the importance of attending women’s conferences for all women in the workplace, and her own takeaways from conferences over the years - whether it is networking, hearing diverse voices, or finding investors. She also focuses on the importance of including allies in the conversation, and how Mobilize Women is preparing all of us to take action and step up for what’s right. Join Sallie, Kristy, and the rest of team Ellevate at Mobilize Women on June 21st!

Through an unusual career path, Susan Freeman, Founder & CEO of Freeman Means Business, found her passion for business communication - where she focuses on the differences between how women and men communicate in business settings. On this episode, Susan shares how she started off her career, the impact of communication styles on diversity and equity, and how diversity isn’t always comfortable for everyone. She also touches on her work as a continuous “trouble maker", muted-group theory, non-binary people, as well as how men play a key role in achieving diversity.