In Her Ellement

In this episode of In Her Element, hosts Suchi Srinivasan and Kamila Rakimova kick off season four by reflecting on the key themes and discussions from season three. They dive into issues shaping the workplace today, including economic volatility, the impact of AI on jobs, return-to-office mandates, and the status of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. Throughout the episode, they provide tricks and tips to help early-career women overcome some of the challenges that branch off from these issues, including the importance of continuous learning and self-evaluation and how to avoid professional and personal burnout.They also share personal anecdotes and insights about how some of these issues have bubbled up in their own lives and careers.LINKSSuchi Srinivasan on LinkedInKamila Rakhimova on LinkedInNavigating Silicon Valley with Autotech Ventures Ivy NguyenClearing Space for Yourself with BCG’s Adi ZolotovBeing Courageous with Element Bioscience’s Molly HeAbout In Her Ellement: In Her Ellement highlights the women and allies leading the charge in digital, business, and technology innovation. Through engaging conversations, the podcast explores their journeys—celebrating successes and acknowledging the balance between work and family. Most importantly, it asks: when was the moment you realized you hadn’t just arrived—you were truly in your element?About The Hosts:Suchi Srinivasan is an expert in AI and digital transformation. Originally from India, her career includes roles at trailblazing organizations like Bell Labs and Microsoft. In 2011, she co-founded the Cleanweb Hackathon, a global initiative driving IT-powered climate solutions with over 10,000 members across 25+ countries. She also advises Women in Cloud, aiming to create $1B in economic opportunities for women entrepreneurs by 2030.Kamila Rakhimova is a fintech leader whose journey took her from Tajikistan to the U.S., where she built a career on her own terms. Leveraging her English proficiency and international relations expertise, she discovered the power of microfinance and moved to the U.S., eventually leading Amazon's Alexa Fund to support underrepresented founders.Subscribe to In Her Ellement on your podcast app of choice to hear meaningful conversations with women in digital, business, and technology.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

In the last season of In Her Ellement, we took a deep dive into the world of AI. We also looked at the role of women in venture capital, startups, and entrepreneurship. On this season we’re shaking things up again. As we launch Season 4, we want to reflect on the current work environment. There are so many topics affecting this context in the news: tech layoffs, DEI, and return to the office mandates. The list goes on.This season we’ll be bringing you guests who will dive into these and other important issues with us. All the while we’ll be staying true to our roots and talking about imposter syndrome, reskilling and upskilling, and how to balance caring responsibilities with the demands of work. We’ll also continue to cover top-of-mind tech developments as we go along. A lot continues to happen in software, AI, and design - it’s going to be an exciting season. And, as always we’ll be asking our guests about a time when they felt in their elementAbout In Her Ellement: In Her Ellement highlights the women and allies leading the charge in business, technology, and digital innovation. Through engaging conversations, the podcast explores their journeys—celebrating successes and acknowledging the balance between work and family. Most importantly, it asks: when was the moment you realized you hadn’t just arrived—you were truly in your element?About The Hosts:Suchi Srinivasan is an expert in AI and digital transformation. Originally from India, her career includes roles at trailblazing organizations like Bell Labs and Microsoft. In 2011, she co-founded the Cleanweb Hackathon, a global initiative driving IT-powered climate solutions with over 10,000 members across 25+ countries. She also advises Women in Cloud, aiming to create $1B in economic opportunities for women entrepreneurs by 2030.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

In this special episode, we’re taking you back to Season 2 for Corin Line’s conversation with Dr. Sophie Chung, Founder and CEO of Qunomedical an organization that helps patients navigate often complicated healthcare systems to get the treatment they need. Sophie may have started on the path to cardiology, but she decided to pivot into management consulting. In this role, she soon realized that she could create a digital solution for many of the problems that patients and hospitals face when allocating appropriate care and services. Sophie is candid about the challenges women face in becoming entrepreneurs and has a solid support network around her helping her to survive and thrive.Sophie's parents emigrated from Cambodia in the 80s to start a new life. She’s often asked if her parents were also entrepreneurs, and in a way, she says, they were. The most important thing she learned from them was hard work and determination, no matter what the circumstances.About In Her Ellement: In Her Ellement highlights the women and allies leading the charge in business, technology, and digital innovation. Through engaging conversations, the podcast explores their journeys—celebrating successes and acknowledging the balance between work and family. Most importantly, it asks: when was the moment you realized you hadn’t just arrived—you were truly in your element?About The Hosts:Suchi Srinivasan is an expert in AI and digital transformation. Originally from India, her career includes roles at trailblazing organizations like Bell Labs and Microsoft. In 2011, she co-founded the Cleanweb Hackathon, a global initiative driving IT-powered climate solutions with over 10,000 members across 25+ countries. She also advises Women in Cloud, aiming to create $1B in economic opportunities for women entrepreneurs by 2030.Kamila Rakhimova is a fintech leader whose journey took her from Tajikistan to the U.S., where she built a career on her own terms. Leveraging her English proficiency and international relations expertise, she discovered the power of microfinance and moved to the U.S., eventually leading Amazon's Alexa Fund to support underrepresented founders.Subscribe to In Her Ellement on your podcast app of choice to hear meaningful conversations with women in digital, business, and technology.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

How do you find the right career path with so many options available? According to Hayete Gallot, Corporate Vice President of Commercial Solution Areas at Microsoft, the key is experimentation—trying new things, figuring out what excites you, and identifying what doesn’t.In the final episode of Season 3, Hayete reflects on her eclectic career journey. She shares how her passion led her to frequently switch roles, gaining experience across diverse areas such as engineering, product management, marketing, sales, and business planning.Where does Hayete find the confidence to continually explore new paths? She credits her mom as a major source of inspiration. After becoming a widow at 32, she worked full-time while raising four young children. Her advice to Hayete was simple but powerful: always strive to be independent because life can be unpredictable.Hayete has a resourceful approach to balancing work and family life. When she became a mom, she developed a strict calendar management system to ensure she dedicated time to her children. This structure not only helped her be present with her family but also boosted her productivity within the time she allocated for work.About In Her Ellement: In Her Ellement highlights the women and allies leading the charge in business, technology, and digital innovation. Through engaging conversations, the podcast explores their journeys—celebrating successes and acknowledging the balance between work and family. Most importantly, it asks: when was the moment you realized you hadn’t just arrived—you were truly in your element?About The Hosts:Suchi Srinivasan is an expert in AI and digital transformation. Originally from India, her career includes roles at trailblazing organizations like Bell Labs and Microsoft. In 2011, she co-founded the Cleanweb Hackathon, a global initiative driving IT-powered climate solutions with over 10,000 members across 25+ countries. She also advises Women in Cloud, aiming to create $1B in economic opportunities for women entrepreneurs by 2030.Kamila Rakhimova is a fintech leader whose journey took her from Tajikistan to the U.S., where she built a career on her own terms. Leveraging her English proficiency and international relations expertise, she discovered the power of microfinance and moved to the U.S., eventually leading Amazon's Alexa Fund to support underrepresented founders.Subscribe to In Her Ellement on your podcast app of choice to hear meaningful conversations with women in digital, business, and technology.Mentioned in this episode:CEO Moments of TruthBefore we hear from our guest on this week’s episode of In Her Ellement, I want to take a moment to highlight a fantastic new video series from BCG that I think you will really enjoy. It's called CEO Moments of Truth, and it’s hosted by BCG CEO and previous In Her Ellement guest, Christoph Schweizer. Join Christoph as he talks to top CEOs about the most difficult decisions they’ve faced so far—how they navigated them and how those moments shaped them into the leaders they are today. Visit bcg.com/mot to watch the series.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

Spotting opportunities that others overlook is one of the most valuable skills in venture capital, and today’s guest, Rohini Chakravarthy, excels at this. Her passion for the field is driven by the chance to collaborate with extraordinary individuals who are eager to innovate and break new ground.Rohini began her journey at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, a prestigious university in Chennai, where she was one of only 10 women among 280 students in her electronics class. This unique environment fostered strong bonds between her and her peers, relationships that have endured to this day. She remains connected to her alma mater through her role on the board of the IIT Madras Foundation.Currently, Rohini is the Managing Partner at NewBuild Venture Capital, an early-stage enterprise and supply chain venture investment firm. Before this, she was a Partner at NGP Capital, NEA, and Intel Capital, where she served on more than 15 boards as an investor board member.Join us every episode with hosts Suchi Srinivasan & Kamila Rakhimova from BCG to hear meaningful conversations with women and allies in digital technology and business.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

Silicon Valley often celebrates the meteoric rise of young entrepreneurs, but Ivy Nguyen, Principal at Autotech Ventures, believes that valuable and rewarding experiences can be found at any stage of our careers.Ivy's journey is shaped by her family's history: her parents arrived in the U.S. as refugees from Vietnam, taking on blue-collar jobs to support their family. She became the first in her family to attend college, a milestone that surprised her parents. Upon arriving at Stanford, Ivy recalls feeling as though she had "been dropped onto another planet."Following the path of many of her peers, Ivy ventured into entrepreneurship, launching a water filtration business in Vietnam. When the business failed, she was faced with the challenge of picking herself up and determining her next steps. This pivotal moment ultimately led her to the world of venture capital.Join us for every episode with hosts Suchi Srinivasan & Kamila Rakhimova from BCG to hear meaningful conversations with women in digital, technology, and business.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

Venture Capital revolves around risk and reward. How can we learn from this field and become more comfortable with uncertainty in our lives and careers? Rashmi Gopinath, General Partner at B Capital, suggests that we can begin by avoiding setting unattainably high standards for ourselves.Rashmi was born and raised in India before moving to the US. She worked in operations at Oracle and GE Healthcare before transitioning to venture capital. Her passion for cutting-edge technology eventually led her to Microsoft Ventures and Intel Capital, where she found fulfillment supporting visionary startups.According to All Raise VC, less than 15% of 'cheque writers' in venture capital in 2022 were women. Rashmi believes this disparity results from several factors, including bias in the recruitment process and internalized expectations.This conversation with Rashmi was conducted before she moved on from B Capital. Keep an eye on her LinkedIn to see what she’s planning next.Join us every episode with hosts Suchi Srinivasan & Kamila Rakhimova from BCG to hear meaningful conversations with women in digital, business, and technologyMentioned in this episode:B The Way ForwardHey, In Her Ellement listeners! Are you looking for a game-changing podcast? We want to tell you about a show we think you’ll like. On B The Way Forward, Brenda Darden Wilkerson, President and CEO of Anita B, dives into incredible chats with tech trailblazers like Arlan Hamilton and creative powerhouses like Janelle Monae. This isn't just another tech talk—it's your front-row seat to the minds shaping the future. Ready to drive change? Be part of the movement. Get plugged into B The Way Forward wherever you stream your favorite podcasts.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

Making career decisions driven by fear can lead us astray. Instead, we need to be courageous and persistent, seizing new opportunities as they arise. This is the wisdom shared by today's guest, Jaimee Michaud, Head of Portfolio Digital at Advent International, a global private equity investment firm.Jaimee's journey began when she moved from Seoul to the United States as a high school student, boldly embracing a new culture and language. Quickly recognized for her mathematical prowess, she leveraged this reputation to build a successful career in investment banking. After several years in the industry, Jaimee transitioned to Shutterfly, where a trusted general manager saw her potential for a data-focused role. Despite her lack of coding skills, he believed her experience and attitude would ensure her success.Jaimee acknowledges that balancing career and personal commitments is challenging and rarely goes as planned. She emphasizes that making small, mindful decisions daily is more impactful than striving for perfection.Join us for each episode with hosts Suchi Srinivasan & Kamila Rakhimova from BCG to hear meaningful conversations with women and allies in digital, business, and technology.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

Running a global company is hard. But, it does give you an incredible opportunity to bring on board a diverse group of talent that can help shape your vision. This is something that today’s guest Bianca Anghelina is incredibly passionate about. Bianca co-founded the business development app Aily Labs hailed as the ‘Apple of AI’ in 2020 after she saw how hard it was for organizations to integrate AI across their entire workflow. She reflects that she has received conflicting advice from many sources on her founder journey. Her solution - critical thinking and intuition. Join us for each episode with hosts Suchi Srinivasan & Kamila Rakhimova from BCG to hear meaningful conversations with women and allies in digital, business, and technology.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

As your career evolves, so may your definition of success. For Boel Ferguson, success now means mentoring young executives and entrepreneurs navigating their path.Boel began her career without a clear focus, eventually finding her way into the media industry, where she enjoyed a career spanning over three decades. During her tenure at Disney, Boel witnessed and embraced significant changes, including the digital revolution.Today, Boel is involved in various initiatives aimed at helping young people, particularly young women, advance in their careers. She supports 25x25, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving executive gender balance and sharing best practices within the broader community. Additionally, she is actively involved with Smart Works, a UK-based employment charity for women seeking employment.Join us every episode with hosts Suchi Srinivasan & Kamila Rakhimova from BCG to hear meaningful conversations with women in digital, business, and technologyThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

In this special episode, we’re taking you back to Season 2 for Suchi’s conversation with May Habib, CEO and Founder of Writer, an enterprise AI platform.May Habib has been a CEO for the past decade and always knew she wanted to build a company. As she juggles family and work, May acknowledges that her incredible support system allows her to thrive.May is truly a global citizen. She was born and raised in Lebanon and moved to Canada when she was little. She went on to study in the USA and has worked across the world. Her parents worked incredibly hard and May recognizes that they inspired her work ethic. May’s goal has always been single-minded; to build something that outlasts her and positively impacts the world. Writer is an operating system that tackles the unstructured nature of written content to comply with brand, compliance, and all the other elements that enterprises struggle to align on.Join us every episode with hosts Suchi Srinivasan & Kamila Rakimovha from BCG to hear meaningful conversations with women in digital, technology, and business.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

In this special episode, we’re taking you back to Season 1 for Andrea Gallego’s conversation with Alaina Percival, CEO and co-founder of Women Who Code—the largest and most active community for technical women worldwide. Alaina shares her career path; she’s run niche products for Puma in Germany, led developer outreach for a technical recruiting company in San Francisco, and taught herself to code.  As the CEO of Women Who Code, she works to inspire women to thrive in the tech industry.  Alaina shares how she navigates the always near and dear imposter syndrome; if you aren’t feeling it—you may have been in your role too long.  There should always be 40% that you don’t know.  She also emphasizes the importance of community and support; don’t be shy to reach out and share your goals—there is a very accessible and supportive community willing to help. Visit Women Who Code to access free resources & workshops, browse job & scholarship opportunities, and engage with an amazing network of technical women across the globe. Join us every episode with hosts Suchi Srinivasan & Kamila Rakimovha from BCG to hear meaningful conversations with women in digital, technology, and business.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

As an entrepreneur, you sometimes have to go against the grain and defy expectations. But how can you keep yourself motivated? For Jennifer Smith, founder and CEO of Scribe, it’s the pride of building an amazing product that keeps her going through the difficult moments. When Jennifer first started her career in consulting, she had no idea that one day she would end up in tech. As she flew across the country and worked at multiple organizations, she saw a gap in the market for a tool that helped document processes, knowledge, and expertise. That's how Scribe was born.Jennifer has been underestimated in her journey as a founder. She believes that she is the one who can push herself the furthest and has been told by well-meaning people in the past that her ambitions were not achievable. Join us for each episode with hosts Suchi Srinivasan & Kamila Rakhimova from BCG to hear meaningful conversations with women and allies in digital, business, and technology.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

Imposter syndrome, or self-doubt, is something that we all experience in our lives and careers. But how can we turn this often negative experience into a positive one? Natasha Vernier believes you can make it your superpower and has used it to build her own business.Natasha is the co-founder and CEO of Cable, a financial crime compliance platform. Before founding Cable in 2020, Natasha was the Head of Financial Security at Monzo, the fastest-growing bank in UK history. In that role, she was able to seize new opportunities and accelerate her career growth rapidly.After a grueling period of IVF, Natasha and her wife welcomed their first child into the world. However, it just so happened that she was about to embark on her entrepreneurial journey. In this conversation, she talks us through that life-changing experience and how it influenced her approach to her business.Join us each episode with hosts Suchi Srinivasan & Kamila Rakhimova from BCG to hear meaningful conversations with women in digital, business, and technology.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

Many expert women decide to take the plunge into entrepreneurship - but what are the realities of this decision? For today’s guest, Molly He, CEO and co-founder of Element Biosciences, it was never her dream, but something she saw as a means of pushing the groundbreaking scientific work she was doing forward.Molly grew up in an economically disadvantaged village in rural China. She studied hard while at the same time developing her skills as a professional sprinter. At the end of high school, she decided to take a leap of faith and move to the US. In retrospect, Molly acknowledges that this was a courageous thing to do and that she used this courage and optimism throughout her career. Join us every episode with hosts Suchi Srinivasan & Kamila Rakhimova from BCG to hear meaningful conversations with women in digital, business, and technology.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

This week on In Her Element, we're bringing you Fintech Files, a podcast from BCG Platinion. A show where we delve deep into the dynamic landscape of Fintech, NeoBanks, and the Digital Banking world, sparking insightful conversations with industry disruptors from around the globe.In this episode, we ask the question: “How many globally lack access to banking?” Astonishingly, one in three. In this insightful conversation, Vera Futorjanski, former Head of Communications at Rocket Internet and founding member of Dubai Future Accelerators, shares her journey. Emphasizing the transformative role of technology, she explores challenges and strategies to enhance accessibility and diversity in finance through education and innovation. About Fintech Files: So, what are the most groundbreaking trends shaping the future of Fintech, and how will they impact your financial world? Fintech Files takes an accessible approach to technology. We break down complex topics and have our guests explain them in a relatable "explain it to your grandma" style. In every episode, we focus on real-world stories of how financial technology operates, demystifying complex concepts and making them relatable for both Fintech enthusiasts and professionals.The Hosts of Fintech Files: Fintech Files is hosted by Nora Hocke, a manager at BCG Platinion in Munich, and Annika Melchert, a principal currently based in the Middle East. Our hosts specialize in IT strategy, modern tech architecture, and state-of-the-art banking. In their work, they've collaborated with some of today's most innovative Fintechs to transform their organizations; including supporting generative AI use cases. With their unique blend of tech expertise and passion, they bring you stories that capture the essence of the evolving Fintech landscape. This season, we're thrilled to introduce Bianca Lopes. Originally from Brazil and currently based in Denmark, Bianca is an entrepreneur and economist with a remarkable background in digital identity and biometrics. Throughout her career, she has supported over 40 financial institutions and 8 governments, reshaping their approach to technology, reimagining identity, and driving innovation agendas.We Want to Hear from You!Reach out to us at fintech-podcast@bcgplatinion.com with your questions, guest suggestions, or topics you'd like us to explore. Or just drop in to say hi! Visit our website at https://bcgplatinion.com/insights/podcast-fi/ and follow us on social media for updates and additional content.We’ll be back next week with a new episode of In Her Ellement with your hosts Suchi Srinivasan & Kamila Rakhimova from BCG, where we’ll hear meaningful conversations with women and allies in digital, technology, and business.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

In this special episode, we’re taking you back to Season 2 for Suchi’s conversation with Professor Anjana Sursala, Professor of Responsible AI at Michigan State University - Eli Broad College of BusinessIn this episode, she talks about her journey to becoming one of the leaders in her field, her work advocating for more inclusive AI models, and how she successfully juggled family and work during the pandemic.Anjana’s story is truly remarkable. After suffering financial hardship, Anjana’s parents moved her family to a village in rural India, away from their home in Kakinada. She had dreams of studying in the US and eventually made them happen through talent and persistence. Anjana’s academic career has put her on the very cutting edge of AI research. She believes that one of the ways we can tackle bias in AI is to recruit more women into the creation and coding of AI.Join us every episode with hosts Suchi Srinivasan & Kamila Rakimovha from BCG to hear meaningful conversations with women in digital, technology, and business. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

Leadership puts you in the spotlight. Others will scrutinize everything you do, and you must challenge yourself to remain honest and authentic throughout. This is something that today’s guest, Emily Miner, learned by trial and error.Emily is Vice President of Partner Science and Business Operations at Starbucks Coffee Company. She started her career in the academic world as an anthropologist. However, an early career experience switched her on to the idea of large data sets being a force for great impact in the world. In Emily’s first leadership role, she struggled to find her groove. She tried to copy the management style she’d seen from her male peers and found that it didn’t work for her. Once she started leaning into her authentic voice and ways of working, she found management to be a much more rewarding experience.Join us every episode with hosts Suchi Srinivasan & Kamila Rakhimova from BCG to hear meaningful conversations with women in digital, business, and technology.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

A career in technology isn’t usually associated with flexibility. But Sharon Mandell, CIO of Juniper Networks has managed to carve out an incredible career that has allowed her to also spend time with her family. But how did she do this?Sharon almost became a professional ballet dancer but switched suddenly to a degree in computer science. Her father might not have been happy, but it was the start of a career that took her across several high-profile organizations and roles. Her advice to anyone looking to work with AI is that you should never be afraid to ask questions.Even with all her talent, Sharon still felt like an imposter at times. Her advice to others in this position is to follow your passion.Join us every episode with hosts Suchi Srinivasan & Kamila Rakhimova from BCG to hear meaningful conversations with women in digital, business, and technology.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

Adi Zolotov began her career in astrophysics as an academic but decided to broaden her horizons by transitioning to the private sector. In her current role as managing director and partner at BCG X, Adi focuses on building AI and digital solutions that unlock value and insights in aerospace, defense, and the public sector. There have been many times in Adi’s career where she has been the only woman in the room. However, when faced with this situation now, she focuses on bringing her wealth of expertise to the table. Adi has had many influential mentors in her career, one of whom was Dr. Beth Willman, whom Adi interviewed in Season 2. She believes that it's important for mentees to give back to their mentors in any way they can. If you want to revisit Adi’s conversations from Seasons 1 and 2, you can find them below.Sita SontyDr. Beth WillmanJoin us every episode with hosts Suchi Srinivasan & Kamila Rakhimova from BCG to hear meaningful conversations with women in digital, business and technology.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy