Aarna's News | Inspiring and Uplifting Stories of Women In STEM

In this episode, Cheryl Porro shares her career journey with us, starting from her high school love for chemistry to her pivot to software engineering with her friends in the Bay Area. Emphasizing the importance of being comfortable with not knowing and being resourceful in finding the answer, she also dives deep into how art has influenced her problem-solving skills as an engineer. Tune in to hear Cheryl's inspiring journey and gain valuable insights into succeeding in STEM.

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In Episode 31, we talk with Preethi Narayanan, Vice President of Engineering at Afero and a Chapter Leader at UPWARD Women, who shares her inspiring journey from living in a rural village in India to successfully climbing the career ladder. She offers invaluable advice on how she was able to level up from starting with nothing, and pushes forwards the principles she has learned along the way. Tune in to learn more about Preethi's career path, the resources that helped her succeed, and the one thing she wishes she had known when starting out.

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In Episode 30, we chat with Maria Kazandjieva, Co-founder of Graft & former Director of Engineering at Netflix, who has demonstrated her exceptional abilities through being awarded a Technical and Engineering Emmy from Netflix for her role in the standardization of HTML5 Video. Today, she shares how she was able to be empowered all throughout her career path & how she continued her educational & professional journey. Join us for an engaging conversation with Maria and learn how to thrive in your own career journey.

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In Episode 29, Jennifer Haley, a Board Certified Dermatologist who has worked with multiple Global Fortune 500 companies such as Apple & is licensed in over sixteen states in the U.S., shares her inspiring career journey and advice on pursuing a similar path, emphasizing how she was able to be so successful and thrived over the course of her professional and personal life. Join us for an engaging conversation with Jennifer Haley and learn how to thrive in your own career journey.

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In Episode 28, we hear from an inspiring woman who has broken through gender stereotypes and created a successful career in the space industry. She shares her journey from being a student athlete and playing in national basketball games to founding Space Kidz India, a non-profit organization that aims to inspire and educate children about space and has so far launched 18 Balloon Satellites, 2 Sub-Orbital Satellites, and 4 Orbital Satellites---the only one in THE WORLD to have done so! Dr. Srimathy offers advice to those wanting to pursue a similar career path, emphasizing the importance of perseverance and positivity. 

What You Will Learn Today:

1. Why you can change the world regardless of your background.

2. The importance of having a positive mindset.

3. How you can break through barriers through introspection.

“Do what you feel in your heart to be right- for you'll be criticized anyway.” -Eleanor Roosevelt

In this episode, we sit down with a highly successful leader who has continuously learned and grown throughout her career path. Jossie Haines, an executive coach empowering women leaders to thrive in tech, has had over 20 years in the technological field. Some keynote features include adding 30+ new features to Siri music, earning a technical Emmy, and building an amazing inclusive culture program. Now as a public speaker and coach for women leaders who are burnt out and feeling overwhelmed, she is on a mission to retain women in tech. 

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Do you wonder how your peers are getting ahead of you, and want to have rapid career progression? Or, do you want to know more about building connections in your professional network?

In Episode 26, we learn the importance of technology changes and the need of a balanced work-life lifestyle with Nitu Parimi, Head of Solutions Architecture, Strategic Accounts, at Amazon Web Services. With more than 20 years under her belt and has  5 AWS certifications and is a Google Cloud Platform certified professional, she encourages listeners to explore different opportunities which is the best strategy in unlocking your full career potential. Tune in to gain valuable tips and strategies for achieving success in your own career journey. 

What You’ll Learn:

1. Why it's important to put yourself in positions to learn.

2. Why people with hard work and dedication typically don't land their dream jobs.

3. How to achieve growth and live a balanced life.

Do you aspire to attain a management or leadership role, but find yourself second-guessing your skills or can't find yourself loving your current situation?

In Episode 25, Aarna unpacks the management and leadership-role myths with Christine Gapuz, VP of Laboratory Operations at Emerald Cloud Lab. Drawing from her 14 years of experience in the field, Christine shares valuable insights on climbing the management ladder, overcoming self-doubt, and the importance of self-reflection in professional AND personal growth. Tune in to gain valuable tips and strategies for achieving success in your own career journey.

What You’ll Learn:

1. Why you shouldn't get comfortable in your professional and personal life.

2. The importance of back-up plans and why you should implement them in your life.

3. How to balance your professional and personal life.

Welcome to Episode 24!

Do you struggle with sticking to your decisions, frequently overanalyze, or have doubts about your success and available choices?

In this episode, we explore the advice and experiences of Ishita Majumdar, Vice President of Data Analtyics Platforms in Ebay & also the Chief Founding Member of Chief. Her path was not linear, and she attributes her success to her curioisty and openness to learning new things. She believes that being open to exploring the unknown and voicing your opinions are key to professional and personal growth.

What You’ll Learn:

1. What are mentors and how can you utilize them effectively.

2. How to work around overthinking in the professional and personal workplace.

3. Importance of asking questions and how those can give you a doorway of opportunities.

Resources Mentioned:

Email me at: [email protected]

Thank you FeedSpot for choosing this podcast channel as part of the "60 Best Women in STEM Podcasts" where it was handpicked from thousands of others on the web and selectively chosen to listen to in 2023.

https://blog.feedspot.com/women_in_stem_podcasts/

In the eleventh episode of the Women In STEM series, Elizabeth Daggert reveals the secrets to jumping the corporate ladder--owning your own career and being conscious of your current future and how you can target your goals.

As the Head of Engineering at Procore Technologies, she has been able to propel her career through key qualities: leading her teams through a sense of continuous improvement and accountability. As she learned how to provide clarity to others, overtime, she has embraced the ideal mentality towards her peers. With a marvelous career progression, you'll takeaway three gold nuggets:

1. The number one career progression trick

2. How you can own your career

3. Why building relations is so pivotal in your professional and personal life