Atalanta Diaries Breakthrough Women in Conversation with Enma Popli

With a Masters Degree in Demographics from University of Berkeley, California, Seema is an HR Executive with over 25 years of progressive HR experience in the technology and space industry and has played a key role in Building, Transforming and Restructuring Organizations for Success through Organizational Innovation. 

She started her career with Sun Microsystems where she spent more than a decade and moved on to take on HR leadership positions at SAP, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, SSL and most recently as CHRO of MetricStream in California.

Positioned in non-traditional and transformative roles, Seema is recognized and respected for building trust across the enterprise and being a strong voice of HR at the executive table.

Seema actively participates in Home of Hope and Bitiya, nonprofits focused on the education and wellbeing of young girls. 

Seema currently resides in the Bay Area.

Insights from the episode:

Connect with Enma Popli on Linkedin: 

>> https://www.linkedin.com/in/enmapopli/

Visit Enma Popli's website
>> http://www.enmapopli.com/

Shikha (Saklani) Malaviya, a poet, writer, and publisher, was born in the U.K. and raised in Minnesota and India. Co-founder of The (Great) Indian Poetry Collective, Shikha champions powerful voices from India and the Indian diaspora through a mentorship model press. Her involvement as an AWP (Association of Writers and Writing Professionals) poetry mentor and as a Mosaic America Fellow underscore her commitment to nurturing emerging talents and fostering cultural collaboration.

Shikha has released notable works such as "In Her Own Voice: Poems of Anandibai Joshee" and "Geography of Tongues," where the latter was acclaimed and featured at events like the Bangalore Literature Festival and Times of India Literary Carnival. Shikha's passion for poetry intersects with social change, which is evident through her engagement with initiatives like Greenpeace India's solar energy poem and the Sankara Eye Foundation's eye donation campaign.

Shikha has been a featured TEDx speaker and was selected as the Poet Laureate of San Ramon, California, in 2016. Her poetry has earned a Pushcart Prize nomination and has been showcased in fine publications such as Catamaran, PLUME, and Prairie Schooner.

After completing degrees in liberal studies, creative writing, and mass communications at the University of Minnesota, Shikha now resides in the San Francisco Bay Area. She engages with the poetry community to use poetry as a force for societal change.

Key themes emerging out of our conversation:

Connect with Enma Popli on Linkedin: 

>> https://www.linkedin.com/in/enmapopli/

Visit Enma Popli's website
>> http://www.enmapopli.com/

Born in India in 1980, Priyanka Rana's early inquiries into aesthetics and philosophy and professional work in exhibitions led her to establish a full-time sculpture practice in 2018. 

Largely self-taught, Priyanka's experiments with various sculptural materials have led to a nearly singular engagement with untreated wood. 

Her practice is rooted in ecology and sustainability, where she works with local trees, transforming naturally felled trunks into abstract sculptures using a range of power tools and chars many of her surfaces, which she likens to "painting with fire." 

Living and working in San Francisco, California's Bay Area, Priyankas' work has been shown widely in the region, including at a number of arts festivals and through prestigious and highly visible public art commissions.

Key Themes: 

Connect with Enma Popli on Linkedin: 

>> https://www.linkedin.com/in/enmapopli/

Visit Enma Popli's website

>> http://www.enmapopli.com/

Claudia Aguilar Barroso, a distinguished lawyer from the Escuela Libre de Derecho, is the founding partner and director of the Aguilar Barroso Abogados firm. The firm was founded in 2009 and specializes in constitutional, administrative, regulatory, and human rights litigation. 

Claudia is also a professor of the constitutional procedural law course at the Escuela Libre de Derecho, where she served as a member of its Board of Directors from 2018 to 2022. She served as a deputy in the Constituent Assembly of Mexico City from September 2016 to January 2017.

Member of the Mexican Bar-College of Lawyers, A.C. Since June 2003, she has been Coordinator of the Mexico City Commission and the Constitutional Law, Human Rights and Amparo Commission. She is currently a member of the Board of Directors and Advisor of her Foundation. 

She has specialization studies in Public Services, Hydrocarbons, Electric Energy, Telecommunications, and Water, taught jointly by the Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico (ITAM), the Carlos III University of Madrid, and the Ciudad Argentina Graduate School. And High Training in Constitutional Justice and Jurisdictional Protection of Human Rights" at the University of Pisa. 

In her pro bono work, Claudia has successfully accompanied litigation in education, health, bullying and rights of indigenous peoples and communities, and violence against women and children, among others.

Claudia has participated in multiple conferences on topics of constitutional law, constitutional procedural law, and human rights and gender. She is a guest columnist for SIEMPRE magazine and regularly participates as an analyst on legal issues in Adela Micha's information space and various media by invitation.

Key themes emerging out of our conversation:

Connect with Enma Popli on Linkedin: 

>> https://www.linkedin.com/in/enmapopli/

Visit Enma Popli's website
>> http://www.enmapopli.com/

Baljeet Kaur, an accomplished mountaineer from Solan, Himachal Pradesh, has etched her name in history with remarkable achievements. As the first Indian woman to conquer Mount Pumori Peak (7161m) and Mount Dhaulagiri Peak (8167m) in Nepal, Baljeet set a precedent. In 2022, she accomplished an unprecedented feat by becoming the first Indian to summit seven peaks above 8000m, achieving five of them within a remarkable 30 days.

Beyond her mountaineering skills, Baljeet excels in a variety of sports, demonstrating her skill in marathons, rock climbing, skiing, theatre, kabaddi, volleyball, and hockey. Her commitment to fitness is highlighted by a notable World Record — completing the longest relay marathon run against depression in 2022, covering an astounding 9490 km.

Baljeet's mountaineering expertise is further underscored by the successful ascents of iconic peaks like Mount Everest and Mount Trishul. Her unwavering determination shines through in impressive world records, including scaling three peaks above 8000m in just seven days and achieving the unprecedented feat of ascending Mount Everest and Mount Lhotse in a remarkable 25 hours and 20 minutes.

In recognition of her outstanding contributions, Baljeet was honored with the Gold Medal by the Indian Mountaineering Foundation in 2023. 

Key themes emerging out of our conversation:

Connect with Enma Popli on Linkedin: 

>> https://www.linkedin.com/in/enmapopli/

Visit Enma Popli's website
>> http://www.enmapopli.com/

Rachna Singh former Principal Commissioner Income Tax is a multifaceted professional whose expertise spans across literature, finance, and writing. She authored notable books on economic matters, including 'Penny Panache: Piecing the Economic Puzzle' (2016), 'Financial Felicity: Making Sense of Money Matters' (2017), and 'Myriad Musings' (2016), a compilation of her published articles and travelogues. Her recent publication, 'The Bitcoin Saga: A Mixed Montage,' was released by Bloomsbury.

In the academic sphere, Rachna excelled in English Literature at Punjab University, earning gold medals for academic excellence. Her outstanding achievements led to the Nehru Centenary scholarship for a doctorate at the University of Cambridge.

Transitioning from academia to the Indian Revenue Service, Rachna ventured into finance, taxation, economics, and law. Despite this shift, her passion for writing remained steadfast. Completing her Doctorate in English Literature in 2003, Rachna showcased her literary prowess through several books, including 'Myriad Musings,' 'Penny Panache,' and 'The Bitcoin Saga.'

In September 2021, Rachna transitioned into full-time writing, establishing 'The Wise Owl,' an online literary & Art magazine. Her latest creation, 'Phoenix in Flames,' celebrates the extraordinary resilience of ordinary women, portraying fortitude and grit, unveiling the remarkable strength inherent in the ordinary.

Key themes emerging out of our conversation:

Connect with Enma Popli on Linkedin: 

>> https://www.linkedin.com/in/enmapopli/

Visit Enma Popli's website
>> http://www.enmapopli.com/

Srishti is a dynamic and accomplished impact leader with a track record of successfully designing and implementing projects that create systems change.

After spending more than a decade in the corporate world, Srishti’s passion for gender equity led her to embark on a remarkable journey. She walked 3,800 kilometers over 230 days from the very south to the north of India to put a spotlight on social norms that limit a girl's potential in her country. Srishti put up a fight to bring systemic change for all women. 

Her journey has been captured in an 11-time awarded documentary WOMB 'Women Of My Billion.'  

Over the years, Srishti has collaborated with the UN, governments, and corporations across geographies in data-led impact innovations and complex campaign building.Her work has also been featured in two TED talks, TED and TED Salon.

In recognition of her outstanding contributions, Srishti has received several awards, including the UN SDG Changemaker Award in 2022 and the British Commonwealth Points of Light award from Her Majesty The Queen in 2019.

Key themes emerging out of our conversation:

Connect with Enma Popli on Linkedin: 

>> https://www.linkedin.com/in/enmapopli/

Visit Enma Popli's website
>> http://www.enmapopli.com/

Join Enma as she reflects on a year of Atalanta Diaries, sharing personal insights and growth. Explore the transformative power of breakthrough stories and the inspiration they bring. Listen to how these insights extend beyond the podcast, sparking meaningful dialogue among professionals navigating their leadership journeys. Tune in for a unique perspective that might ignite your own journey to greatness.

Connect with Enma Popli on Linkedin: 

>> https://www.linkedin.com/in/enmapopli/

Visit Enma Popli's website
>> http://www.enmapopli.com/

Hi! I am Enma, thank you very much for taking the time to listen in.

Over the years as a curious traveler of life, I went through different roles - entrepreneur, trainer and now an executive coach across multiple geographies.

On this journey I have had the opportunity to meet some amazing women. Every one of them shared a unique story of passion, resilience, and success overcoming challenges in their own unique way. Their stories kept me up, thinking and imagining…… I woke up - inspired, excited and motivated.

At the same time, I was coaching young women who were sometimes despondent about challenges they were facing, looking to be inspired or just needed that little push to seize the day.

To get broader validation, I conducted research among aspiring women professionals.

Questions ranged from, “how do we build presence and exercise influence” to the more powerful observation, “Men have to state whereas women have to convince”.

It was evident that there was much to learn from women who had walked the path and created their own course. No matter which discipline you looked at - there were many unsung hidden stories of women that were amazing and inspiring.

I am driven to find these hidden stories, collate them and now with the technology of podcasting, share them with you.

I named my podcast Atalanta Diaries, after the Greek mythological figure Atalanta. She was abandoned as a child by her father, an Arcadian king because he wished to have a son.

She grew up in the forest to become a huntress and was the only woman amongst the famed Argonauts in their quest for the Golden Fleece.

Atalanta Diaries, I hope will be a place to have meaningful conversations with breakthrough women where we explore the ebb and flow of their unique journeys.

A place where we can learn and connect beyond the limitations of the audio file.

Do give me your feedback and your suggestions on other Breakthrough Women you would like me to invite on Atalanta Diaries.

Thank you again and happy listening.

To connect with Enma or learn more you can visit, www.enmapopli.com

Annette Clayton serves as the chief executive officer for Schneider Electric North America. She is responsible for the business strategy and developing and fostering new growth business models in the areas of sustainability, decarbonization, and renewables for the company's largest operating region, which generated $12 billion in revenue in 2022. She is also a member of Schneider Electric's executive committee.

Annette has successfully led the execution of the North American region, overseeing a workforce of 30,000 employees and achieving impressive sales exceeding $8.5 billion in 2021. Her contributions extend further as she previously held the title of Chief Supply Chain Officer, responsible for the $13.4 billion Global Supply Chain (GSC) operation. Under her leadership, Gartner recognized this operation as the global leader, ranking it first in their annual Top 25 list. 

Annette also sits on numerous public, private, and industry boards, including serving as a two-term Chair of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association. As a Champion for the 'Journey To Lead' organization, she also contributes to accelerating the diversity and trajectory of women in leadership.

Annette's commitment to industry extends to her founding membership on the Zero100 Advisory Board, focused on advancing cross-industry initiatives to design supply chains that not only enhance customer experiences but also make positive environmental and societal contributions. 

Clayton holds a bachelor's degree in general engineering from Wright State University and a master's degree in engineering management from the University of Dayton. Her educational journey also includes completion of the executive development program at the London Business School.

Key themes emerging out of our conversation:

Connect with Enma Popli on Linkedin: 

>> https://www.linkedin.com/in/enmapopli/

Visit Enma Popli's website

>> http://www.enmapopli.com/