Ignite Podcast

As women, we are trained / raised to play it safe. On today’s episode we have the privilege of speaking with Ling Shao, Found and CEO of SpectrumAi, which a digital health start-up that improves access to high quality care for children on the autism spectrum. SpectrumAi has created an intuitive interface for clinicians to easily capture objective data and leverages advanced analytics to drive improved outcomes. As an engineer, clinician and mom of young boys on the autism spectrum, she has a deep-rooted passion for democratizing access to high quality care for families like hers. 

Ling shares her story and her passion around solving problems and driving solutions or as she calls it, “pushing a rock uphill”. She shares how she creates conversations that bring value while feeling uncomfortable. Making a difference is the reason she shows up every single day. Ling holds an MBA from Harvard University and BS in Nuclear Engineering with a minor in Biomedical Engineering from MIT.  

Prior to founding SpectrumAi, Ling rapidly accelerated growth as the Chief Commercial Officer of Buoy Health, an AI symptom checker startup. Ling played a critical role in telehealth adoption at major health systems like Cleveland Clinic, Providence and Atrium Health while serving as the SVP Strategic Solutions of AmWell. She also spent over a decade at UnitedHealthcare and Optum in leadership roles spanning product, clinical and sales. Ling started her career as a senior consultant with Booz Allen Hamilton and a research nurse at Mass General.  

Ling is a proud US Army veteran and spends most of her spare time teaching her sons how to play ice hockey.

00:00 – Welcome Ling Shao

07:11 – Women Who Take Breaks Have Trouble Re-entering the Workforce

20:40 – Consultant for Healthcare Issues

38:49 – Being Exceptional in Large Organizations Makes Others Uncomfortable

52:58 – What Are You Reading?

Get Connected!

LinkedIn: Ignite Women In Insurance

Twitter: @IgniteNebraska

Facebook: Ignite Women in Insurance Nebraska

Instagram: ignitenebraska

Website: Ignite! (ignitewomenininsurance.org)

This is another Hurrdat Media Production. Hurrdat Media is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat Media Network by going to HurrdatMedia.com or Hurrdat Media YouTube channel!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sara Hanke is a Commercial Real Estate Agent with CARR. She helps healthcare professionals maximize their profitability through real estate. Sara is a wife, a mother, a real estate guru and an extroverted introvert. She grows her confidence through her marriage and friendships and brings that confidence to the work she does every single day. She is a Nebraska transplant from a small town in Minnesota and loves all things Omaha. She is a foodie and her favorite go to spot in Omaha right now is Clio. Join us as we explore Sara’s journey!

Connect with Sara Hanke on Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahanke

Get Connected!

LinkedIn: Ignite Women In Insurance

Twitter: @IgniteNebraska

Facebook: Ignite Women in Insurance Nebraska

Instagram: ignitenebraska

Website: Ignite! (ignitewomenininsurance.org)

This is another Hurrdat Media Production. Hurrdat Media is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat Media Network by going to HurrdatMedia.com or Hurrdat Media YouTube channel!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Emma Fox is the CEO of ePowered Companies. Her resume is impressive as she is an innovator, entrepreneur, mother and wife! She shares her story of standing in her own truth and taking a position on what she believes in, even while receiving pressure from those who may not share her beliefs. She grew up in England (but you won’t hear an English accent) and now lives in North Carolina with her husband their blended family. She shares how she is working to remove the injustices from the healthcare system as she finds them. You do not want to miss this episode!

Connect with Emma Fox on LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmamariefox?trk=public_post_main-feed-card-text&original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F

Get Connected!

LinkedIn: Ignite Women In Insurance

Twitter: @IgniteNebraska

Facebook: Ignite Women in Insurance Nebraska

Instagram: ignitenebraska

Website: Ignite! (ignitewomenininsurance.org)

This is another Hurrdat Media Production. Hurrdat Media is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat Media Network by going to HurrdatMedia.com or Hurrdat Media YouTube channel!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of the Ignite podcast, we get to know Sara Dannen. Sara is an attorney, HR leader and all-around bad ass woman. As the Vice President of People & Culture at Vance Thompson she lives by the company guiding principles, including doing the Right Thing – always. Sara has taken an active role in understanding how she can show up as her authentic self, mastering her own course and being herself. One of her favorite things about working at Vance Thompson is the “Make Someone’s Day” activity which allows any Vance Thompson employee to use up to $100 to make someone’s day – either a Vance Thompson patient or an employee. Culture is everything at Vance Thompson and improving someone’s life through a helpful gesture can really make a difference. 

Sara Greff Dannen, is a distinguished HR attorney and executive with over 15 years of experience in the health, energy, and finance sectors. As the Vice President of People & Culture at Vance Thompson Vision, she excels in developing strategic HR programs, driving transformations, and implementing competitive compensation and benefits structures. Sara's expertise in legal compliance, performance management, and talent acquisition has been instrumental in fostering positive, results-oriented environments. Her previous roles include Director of Compensation and Executive Rewards at Sanford Health, where she led the development of comprehensive compensation programs and streamlined administrative processes. As Corporate Counsel for Advanced Asset Alliance and Northwestern Energy, Sara provided strategic legal counsel, ensured regulatory compliance, and managed complex litigation. Sara holds a Juris Doctor from the University of South Dakota School of Law and a Bachelor of Science in Business and Economics from the same institution. She is licensed to practice law in South Dakota, Nebraska, and Montana. Sara's professional affiliations include leadership roles in various community and professional organizations, underscoring her commitment to excellence and service.

Get Connected!

LinkedIn: Ignite Women In Insurance

Twitter: @IgniteNebraska

Facebook: Ignite Women in Insurance Nebraska

Instagram: ignitenebraska

Website: Ignite! (ignitewomenininsurance.org)

This is another Hurrdat Media Production. Hurrdat Media is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat Media Network by going to HurrdatMedia.com or Hurrdat Media YouTube channel!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ripple Effect – the continuing and spreading results of an event or action. In this episode of the Ignite podcast, we discuss how the Ripple Effect brings joy to our friend, Andrea Fredrickson. She is an author, coach, podcaster, speaker and entrepreneur. In addition to all of those things, she is my friend, confident and trusted partner. Andrea shares her passion of not making work suck and how she inspires others to create their own ripple effect. Join us for this episode. 

Andrea is the CEO of Revela. Revela [Rah-vel-a] To reveal, make known, discover, divulge, which is really what we do. We don’t teach and lecture in an effort to help people become stronger leaders; we help you think differently about your leadership style. This allows you to discover, or ‘reveal’ skills you already possess. By transforming your leadership style through self-discovery, you become more confident and ultimately more effective in your role.

00:00 - Who is Andrea Fredrickson?

10:00 - Coaching is About the Psychology

19:53 - That’s the Point!

29:40 - Power in Acknowledgement of Behavior

39:55 - Those Who are Most Successful…

48:28 - Where to find Revela Group

48:59 - Lightening Round Qs

This is another Hurrdat Media Production. Hurrdat Media is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat Media Network by going to HurrdatMedia.com or Hurrdat Media YouTube channel!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Meet Dr. Mary Trecek, Associate Research Director for LIMRA; a member association for the insurance industry. Passionate about education and her community, Mary brings her energy to everything she does. She is a member of the Ignite Women in Business and Insurance conference committee and learned about Ignite as an attendee. She is now heavily involved in organizing the fabulous event and we are so lucky to have her. She is Mrs. Bellevue Nebraska where she is working to drive change in the community. She encourages and inspires people (and women) to be their authentic selves and not be “robots”. You do not want to miss this episode. 

00:00 – Introduction – Associate Research Director

13:36 – Retaining Energy & Confidence

21:24 – We’re Not Robots

33:18 – How Did Your Parents Instill Confidence?

40:44 – Lightening Round Qs

45:02 – Connect with Mary

Get Connected!

LinkedIn: Ignite Women In Insurance

Twitter: @IgniteNebraska

Facebook: Ignite Women in Insurance Nebraska

Instagram: ignitenebraska

Website: Ignite! (ignitewomenininsurance.org)

This is another Hurrdat Media Production. Hurrdat Media is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat Media Network by going to HurrdatMedia.com or Hurrdat Media YouTube channel!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Creative problem solvers watch out! Our guest, Katie Kemerling will wow you with her ability to solve problems in a creative way. Katie is the co-founder of Two Hawks, which is a marketing consultancy that partners with business owners, executive leaders, management teams, and senior marketing and HR talent to align business talent, and integrated marketing strategies to achieve remarkable and repeatable results. This small town Nebraska woman shares her story from graduating from UNL to working in an environment that created a deep desire for her to build trusting relationships. Katie’s vision for helping people drove her to entrepreneurship and today she is working on behalf of her clients to make strategic moves. Katie lives in her confidence by using mantras and positive affirmations along with talking to people who inspire her to fulfill her greatness. You do not want to miss this episode.

00:00 – Introduction

05:40 – Finding confidence at UNL

15:37 – Becoming a mom

21:37 – Seasons of parenting

33:12 – A new weight is here

40:34 – Inspiring confidence in yourself

46:24 – Lightening round Qs

Get Connected!

LinkedIn: Ignite Women In Insurance

Twitter: @IgniteNebraska

Facebook: Ignite Women in Insurance Nebraska

Instagram: ignitenebraska

Website: Ignite! (ignitewomenininsurance.org)

This is another Hurrdat Media Production. Hurrdat Media is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat Media Network by going to HurrdatMedia.com or Hurrdat Media YouTube channel!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Libby Henry is a regional Vice President of Sales with Pareto Health. In her role, she is responsible for supporting employee, benefit, brokers and consultants and helping their clients find better healthcare financing mechanisms. As a badass woman, she is constantly working to use her voice to make the world better. She is someone who raises her hand and is very clear about what she wants. Join us for our conversation with Libby. 

00:00 – Introduction

03:20 – Who is Libby Henry?

16:37 – “You’re my people now”

24:24 – Early life experiences

28:20 – Sales journey

31:32 – Best success story in Sales

38:13 – How do you stay confident?

46:33 – Lightening round Qs

49:17 – Where to find Libby

Get Connected!

LinkedIn: Ignite Women In Insurance

Twitter: @IgniteNebraska

Facebook: Ignite Women in Insurance Nebraska

Instagram: ignitenebraska

Website: Ignite! (ignitewomenininsurance.org)

This is another Hurrdat Media Production. Hurrdat Media is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat Media Network by going to HurrdatMedia.com or Hurrdat Media YouTube channel!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Holly Kovy, the Large Group Market Leader at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska (BCBSNE) pushes herself outside of her comfort zone and uses her competitive spirit to drive her results. Even though she is driven to succeed, she still faces imposter syndrome and tackles those feelings by owning her accomplishment list. Her accomplishment list keeps her grounded and allows her to remember all of the tremendous things she has accomplished. Reflecting on what she has done reminds her that she can be confident in how she shows up! Yes, Holly, you can? We love your confidence and can't wait to let our listeners hear your story. Join us for more from Holly! 

00:00 – Intro

00:38 – Welcome

04:09 – Great servers make Great sales managers

09:57 – Normalizing that you can’t have it all

13:22 – How do you learn?

19:33 – What tactics do you use when you are unconfident?

38:06 – Lightening round Qs

Get Connected!

LinkedIn: Ignite Women In Insurance

Twitter: @IgniteNebraska

Facebook: Ignite Women in Insurance Nebraska

Instagram: ignitenebraska

Website: Ignite! (ignitewomenininsurance.org)

This is another Hurrdat Media Production. Hurrdat Media is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat Media Network by going to HurrdatMedia.com or Hurrdat Media YouTube channel!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Striving for excellence rather than perfection is something many people attempt. How do you actually show up with grace, allowing for autonomy which inspires growth in others while understanding that things can be messy? In this episode of the Ignite Women in Insurance and Business podcast, Cara Kirsch and Alison Richards dive into this very topic. Showing up with authenticity is something that both Cara and Alison strive for and each of these women use that skill to build confidence within themselves and others. Join this episode to learn more about this perspective and how you can use authenticity, confidence and passion to mentor and sponsor.

About Alison Richards

A UnitedHealthcare executive since 2012, Alison Richards is the CEO of Surest. A transformational leader who believes in the power of team, Alison and her Surest team are redesigning health insurance and giving employers a sustainable, attractive health benefit that better meets employees’ health care needs and lowers the total cost of care. Prior to her current role, Richards served as the chief operating officer for UnitedHealthcare National Accounts. She was responsible for helping set the strategic direction and managing the performance of high-quality, affordable, long-term health care solutions for UnitedHealthcare’s largest clients, including more than 500 employers and 9.5 million members nationwide. Additionally, Richards held various sales and operationally focused leadership roles such as senior vice president of strategic initiatives, vice president of client relations and regional vice president. Before that, she held leadership positions at Sutter Health, and helped launch a health care startup, Amil, in Nevada. Richards obtained a Master of Health Care Delivery Science (MHCDS) degree from Dartmouth College and a Bachelor of Science from California State University, Sacramento. She is based outside of Chicago and serves on the Board of Directors for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago.

00:00 – Intro

00:44 – Welcome Alison

02:53 – About Alison

11:04 – Opportunities and Risks

23:15 – Instilling Confidence as a Leader and Mother

28:34 – Delivering Direct, Encouraging Feedback

36:45 – Boundaries with Colleagues

42:49 – Lightening Round Qs

45:00 – Where to Find Alison

Get Connected!

LinkedIn: Ignite Women In Insurance

Twitter: @IgniteNebraska

Facebook: Ignite Women in Insurance Nebraska

Instagram: ignitenebraska

Website: Ignite! (ignitewomenininsurance.org)

This is another Hurrdat Media Production. Hurrdat Media is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat Media Network by going to HurrdatMedia.com or Hurrdat Media YouTube channel!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.