In this episode of Femmegineering: Podcast, our host, ⁠Hanna AbdelHamid⁠, speaks with ⁠Raiha Buchanan⁠ — entrepreneur, fintech executive, founder of Carateu, and classically trained violinist.

Raiha shares her journey from growing up in New Zealand and studying performance music to building a career in fintech, co-founding a global payments company, and eventually stepping away to start something entirely new.

Together, they discuss reinvention, taking calculated risks, identity beyond career, and the courage to leave behind something successful in pursuit of something that feels more meaningful. They also talk about women in tech, entrepreneurship, and why asking yourself “What’s the worst that could happen?” can sometimes be the first step toward making a change.

An honest conversation about ambition, growth, and allowing yourself to start again.

In this episode of Femmegineering: Podcast, host Hanna Abdelhamid speaks with Alanood Essa Alessa, a systems thinker and digital strategist based in Riyadh. She recently completed her master’s in Digital Transformation and Innovation Leadership and currently manages Digital CX at SAL (Saudi Logistics Services).

With digital experience across the public, banking, and logistics sectors, Alanood works at the intersection of technical logic and human psychology, translating complex real-world challenges into seamless digital solutions.

In this conversation, she shares her journey from marketing to IT, the six-year period after graduation when structural barriers limited mobility, and the mindset shift that helped her treat that time as preparation rather than failure.

The episode also explores leadership in male-dominated environments, the practical difference between mentorship and sponsorship, and how organisations can better amplify women’s expertise. It is a grounded discussion about resilience, long-term thinking, and building a career in STEM without waiting for perfect conditions.

In this episode of Femmegineering: Podcast, host Hanna Abdel Hamid sits down with Anna Radulovski, an investor, founder of WomenTech Network and author of 'Chief in Tech.'

They talk about how travel shapes leadership and perspective, why there’s no one-size-fits-all leadership style across cultures, and what it really takes to build and sustain a global community. Anna shares what sparked the creation of WomenTech Network, why women often need to unlearn limiting patterns, and how community, mentoring, and role models help people stay in tech and step into leadership.

The conversation also gets practical: networking without the awkwardness, building a personal brand one small step at a time, and negotiating beyond salary — from titles and resources to flexibility and boundaries. Throughout, Anna comes back to one core idea: being 'Chief in Tech' is a mindset, not a job title.

In this episode of Femmegineering: Podcast, our host Hanna Abdel Hamid is joined by Elaine Montilla — technology executive, author, TEDx speaker, and founder of 5xMinority.

Elaine shares her journey from starting in IT at the help desk to leading large-scale transformations as a CIO and CTO. The conversation explores what it means to build a career strategically, invest in yourself, and grow into leadership without losing your identity. They discuss inclusive leadership, navigating bias, sponsorship versus mentorship, personal branding, and why psychological safety and representation matter in tech.

This episode is an honest, grounded conversation about confidence, visibility, and leading with empathy — especially for women and underrepresented voices shaping the future of technology.

In this episode of Femmegineering:Podcast, Hanna Abdel Hamid is joined by Moa Persdotter, a gender equality expert and innovation strategist at Vinnova, Sweden’s innovation agency.

Moa shares how she moved from political science into the innovation ecosystem, why “women in tech” should include more than just coders, and what it takes to embed inclusion into funding and innovation policy.

They discuss Vinnova’s programme AI to Promote Gender Equality, with real examples of AI tools designed to detect or counter bias, from fairer venture funding decisions and recruitment to spotting bias in children’s books and meeting dynamics.

Moa also reflects on why diverse teams matter because AI reflects the values of its creators, what Sweden gets right (and where challenges remain), and what happens when organisations pull back from DEI.

The conversation closes with Moa’s work on the Just Tech Think Tank, her role with the Kofi Annan Foundation’s leadership initiative, and her new chapter in Silicon Valley supporting Nordic deep tech while helping build the Women in Tech Diplomacy Network.

From Paris to Stockholm, Marie-Lou Penin, Chief Marketing Officer at DanAds, shares how cross-cultural experience shaped her leadership, why active listening is the core of her management style, and how she bridges marketing and sales to drive product innovation.

She also opens up about building resilience, challenging stereotypes about women in leadership, and why authenticity matters more than ever.

This episode of Femmegineering: Podcast, hosted by Hanna Abdel Hamid, dives into the intersection of ad tech, diversity, and people-first leadership in a fast-moving AI era. 

In this episode of Femmegineering: Podcast, host Hanna Abdel Hamid, head of Sigma Software Canada, sits down with Dayna Moon, Head of Growth at Adarize, to explore her journey across both literal and professional summits. From climbing Kilimanjaro and reaching Everest Base Camp to navigating career pivots in New York and leading global growth initiatives, Dayna shares powerful lessons on resilience, strategy, and embracing challenges.

Together, Hanna and Dayna dive into how nature teaches leadership, how biases still shape women’s experiences in tech, and why women should stop waiting for permission to claim their seat at the table.

In this episode of Femmegineering: Podcast, host Hanna Abdel Hamid, Head of Sigma Software Canada, speaks with Frincy Clement, Principal Data Scientist at ADP and Head of North America at Women in AI.

Frincy shares how she pivoted into data science after starting her career in management, how her move from Dubai to Canada challenged her to rebuild from scratch, and how volunteering became a source of purpose and progress.

From leading all-male teams to building a nationwide AI community, Frincy opens up about the power of resilience, representation, and mentorship. She also offers practical advice for women looking to break into tech — even without a formal degree, and explains how Women in AI is helping change the face of the industry.

In this episode of Femmegineering: Podcast, host Hanna Abdel Hamid speaks with Kelly Spaulding — Head of Delivery & Project Management at Cloud Adoption Solutions, community advocate, and lifelong learner.

Together, they explore how Kelly entered the tech world later in life, what sparked her shift from curiosity to career, and why representation for women in STEM is not just needed — it’s urgent.

Kelly shares her thoughts on navigating bias, finding confidence in discomfort, and how skills from parenting to marketing can shape success in tech. She also reflects on her involvement in grassroots Salesforce communities and how inclusive learning formats can help women grow, no matter their life circumstances.

Plus: practical advice for staying curious, favourite reads, and how AI can even help with bedtime stories.

In this episode of Femmegineering: Podcast, our Host, Hanna Abdel Hamid, speak with Esther Howard — founder of Bezyl, a company transforming mental health support through technology and research. 

Esther shares her powerful journey from a challenging childhood in northern Canada to becoming a tech entrepreneur, a CEO, and a global advocate for mental health innovation. We discuss overcoming fear, building resilience, navigating education against the odds, and the real sacrifices involved in starting a company.

Esther also offers practical advice on intentional networking, mentorship, and finding internal motivation when facing life’s biggest hurdles. 

An honest and inspiring conversation for anyone looking to forge their own path.