Flip the Tortilla

Lisa Alvarez-Calderon has worked as a senior executive for some of the top companies around the world. What you may appreciate even more is her ability to make career and life decisions that are in concert with her values. The saying "you can have it all but not at the same time" is certainly true and Lisa shares how she made her bold choices. You will love her honesty and integrity.

Do you have an unrealized idea that involves helping others but struggle with making it happen? Then you will love this episode of Flip the Tortilla!

Ajit Vakharia, founder and CEO of Flare Education, is passionate about addressing the systemic racism and generational poverty plaguing American communities. He created a program to help high school students in Boston gain real-world experience through company-paid internships. While working toward an MBA at Harvard, Ajit made his dream a reality by raising significant funding and igniting companies, mentors, and other volunteers. His 10-year goal is to create 100,000+ paid workforce opportunities for high school students across the country. He is well on his way. Talk about making a difference!

April Zambelli-Wiener, Ph.D. is a Hopkins-trained epidemiologist and healthcare entrepreneur. She is founder of TTi Health Research & Economics and works to address rare diseases which impact only 1% of the population. As a family member and caregiver of children with rare congenital defects, April's passion and commitment are an inspiration. In this episode, April talks about how she got comfortable being uncomfortable and how that has fueled her life's work.

Did you know that 7% of meaning is communicated through spoken word, 38% through tone of voice, and 55% through body language? Understanding non-verbal communication and reading body language are advantageous skills for anyone. Join Denice as she talks with Shelly O'Donovan body language expert and instructor at Wharton. You will learn some great tips!

"You can have it all, but not at the same time." Working moms know this challenge well.... the delicate balance of personal and professional goals and demands. In this episode, I talk to my good friend, Amy Saltzman, an accomplished marketer, world traveler, wife, and mom to two children under the age of three. Millennial moms are experiencing overwhelming complexity driven by the pandemic, changing work norms, and the quest for perfection. Amy shares the joys and challenges of raising a family while pursuing career goals. Her insights are touching, inspirational, and relatable to anyone trying to balance personal and career goals in today's wildly changing world.

Ever wonder how people become a CEO? In this episode of Flip the Tortilla, you have the opportunity to get the inside scoop from Rob Ross, CEO of Surface Oncology. Rob certainly has extraordinary career experience (oncologist, researcher, industry) and educational background (Harvard, Columbia, Stanford). What is even more special, is his incredible purpose and passion - the inner fire that drives him. I have the great fortune of working with Rob and it is so refreshing to see how he approaches his life's work. Rob's humility and ability to reflect on the lessons he has learned is something I think you will find inspirational!

Some leaders are also really special human beings. Biopharma executive, Dan Lynch, is one of those people. He has achieved "rarefied air" success (executive venture partner at Google Ventures, Board Chair of nearly 15 public companies, former CEO) while being the epitome of a values-based, inspirational leader. In this episode of Flip The Tortilla, we learn about Dan's philosophy and why every person he has ever worked with says "You are so lucky to work with Dan. He is amazing."

Asking for what we want can be hard. Knowing how and when to ask is a bit of an art. And then when we go about asking, how do we balance confidence and humility? Jessica Meng, a biopharma executive with an incredible track record of success across multiple companies shares her lessons in asking and getting what you want in your career. She shares her inspirational story in this episode.

"Tell me about yourself." Ever freeze when you get this question? Jean Allen, Partner and Head of Global Communications Practice at Heidrick & Struggles, gives real-world advice on how to tell your story in a way that is interesting and impactful. Jean has talked to thousands of candidates (and executives) and also talks about how to control rambling and fill in uncomfortable gaps in conversations (the dreaded moments of silence). Tune in, you will learn a lot from this episode!

"Tell me about yourself." Ever freeze when you get this question? Jean Allen, Partner and Head of Global Communications Practice at Heidrick & Struggles, gives real-world advice on how to tell your story in a way that is interesting and impactful. Jean has talked to thousands of candidates (and executives) and also talks about how to control rambling and fill in uncomfortable gaps in conversations (the dreaded moments of silence). Tune in, you will learn a lot from this episode!