In Her Ellement

In this episode of In Her Element, hosts Suchi Srinivasan and Kamila Rakimova kick off season four by reflecting on the key themes and discussions from season three. They dive into issues shaping the workplace today, including economic volatility, the impact of AI on jobs, return-to-office mandates, and the status of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. 

Throughout the episode, they provide tricks and tips to help early-career women overcome some of the challenges that branch off from these issues, including the importance of continuous learning and self-evaluation and how to avoid professional and personal burnout.

They also share personal anecdotes and insights about how some of these issues have bubbled up in their own lives and careers.

LINKS

Suchi Srinivasan on LinkedIn

Kamila Rakhimova on LinkedIn

Navigating Silicon Valley with Autotech Ventures Ivy Nguyen

Clearing Space for Yourself with BCG’s Adi Zolotov

Being Courageous with Element Bioscience’s Molly He

About In Her Ellement: 

In Her Ellement highlights the women and allies leading the charge in digital, business, and technology innovation. Through engaging conversations, the podcast explores their journeys—celebrating successes and acknowledging the balance between work and family. Most importantly, it asks: when was the moment you realized you hadn’t just arrived—you were truly in your element?

About The Hosts:

Suchi Srinivasan is an expert in AI and digital transformation. Originally from India, her career includes roles at trailblazing organizations like Bell Labs and Microsoft. In 2011, she co-founded the Cleanweb Hackathon, a global initiative driving IT-powered climate solutions with over 10,000 members across 25+ countries. She also advises Women in Cloud, aiming to create $1B in economic opportunities for women entrepreneurs by 2030.

Kamila Rakhimova is a fintech leader whose journey took her from Tajikistan to the U.S., where she built a career on her own terms. Leveraging her English proficiency and international relations expertise, she discovered the power of microfinance and moved to the U.S., eventually leading Amazon's Alexa Fund to support underrepresented founders.

Subscribe to In Her Ellement on your podcast app of choice to hear meaningful conversations with women in digital, business, and technology.

In the last season of In Her Ellement, we took a deep dive into the world of AI. We also looked at the role of women in venture capital, startups, and entrepreneurship. On this season we’re shaking things up again. 

As we launch Season 4, we want to reflect on the current work environment. There are so many topics affecting this context in the news: tech layoffs, DEI, and return to the office mandates. The list goes on.

This season we’ll be bringing you guests who will dive into these and other important issues with us. All the while we’ll be staying true to our roots and talking about imposter syndrome, reskilling and upskilling, and how to balance caring responsibilities with the demands of work. 

We’ll also continue to cover top-of-mind tech developments as we go along. A lot continues to happen in software, AI, and design - it’s going to be an exciting season. And, as always we’ll be asking our guests about a time when they felt in their element

About In Her Ellement: 

In Her Ellement highlights the women and allies leading the charge in business, technology, and digital innovation. Through engaging conversations, the podcast explores their journeys—celebrating successes and acknowledging the balance between work and family. Most importantly, it asks: when was the moment you realized you hadn’t just arrived—you were truly in your element?

About The Hosts:

Suchi Srinivasan is an expert in AI and digital transformation. Originally from India, her career includes roles at trailblazing organizations like Bell Labs and Microsoft. In 2011, she co-founded the Cleanweb Hackathon, a global initiative driving IT-powered climate solutions with over 10,000 members across 25+ countries. She also advises Women in Cloud, aiming to create $1B in economic opportunities for women entrepreneurs by 2030.

In this special episode, we’re taking you back to Season 2 for Corin Line’s conversation with Dr. Sophie Chung, Founder and CEO of Qunomedical an organization that helps patients navigate often complicated healthcare systems to get the treatment they need. 

Sophie may have started on the path to cardiology, but she decided to pivot into management consulting. In this role, she soon realized that she could create a digital solution for many of the problems that patients and hospitals face when allocating appropriate care and services. Sophie is candid about the challenges women face in becoming entrepreneurs and has a solid support network around her helping her to survive and thrive.

Sophie's parents emigrated from Cambodia in the 80s to start a new life. She’s often asked if her parents were also entrepreneurs, and in a way, she says, they were. The most important thing she learned from them was hard work and determination, no matter what the circumstances.

About In Her Ellement: 

In Her Ellement highlights the women and allies leading the charge in business, technology, and digital innovation. Through engaging conversations, the podcast explores their journeys—celebrating successes and acknowledging the balance between work and family. Most importantly, it asks: when was the moment you realized you hadn’t just arrived—you were truly in your element?

About The Hosts:

Suchi Srinivasan is an expert in AI and digital transformation. Originally from India, her career includes roles at trailblazing organizations like Bell Labs and Microsoft. In 2011, she co-founded the Cleanweb Hackathon, a global initiative driving IT-powered climate solutions with over 10,000 members across 25+ countries. She also advises Women in Cloud, aiming to create $1B in economic opportunities for women entrepreneurs by 2030.

Kamila Rakhimova is a fintech leader whose journey took her from Tajikistan to the U.S., where she built a career on her own terms. Leveraging her English proficiency and international relations expertise, she discovered the power of microfinance and moved to the U.S., eventually leading Amazon's Alexa Fund to support underrepresented founders.

Subscribe to In Her Ellement on your podcast app of choice to hear meaningful conversations with women in digital, business, and technology.

How do you find the right career path with so many options available? According to Hayete Gallot, Corporate Vice President of Commercial Solution Areas at Microsoft, the key is experimentation—trying new things, figuring out what excites you, and identifying what doesn’t.

In the final episode of Season 3, Hayete reflects on her eclectic career journey. She shares how her passion led her to frequently switch roles, gaining experience across diverse areas such as engineering, product management, marketing, sales, and business planning.

Where does Hayete find the confidence to continually explore new paths? She credits her mom as a major source of inspiration. After becoming a widow at 32, she worked full-time while raising four young children. Her advice to Hayete was simple but powerful: always strive to be independent because life can be unpredictable.

Hayete has a resourceful approach to balancing work and family life. When she became a mom, she developed a strict calendar management system to ensure she dedicated time to her children. This structure not only helped her be present with her family but also boosted her productivity within the time she allocated for work.

About In Her Ellement: 

In Her Ellement highlights the women and allies leading the charge in business, technology, and digital innovation. Through engaging conversations, the podcast explores their journeys—celebrating successes and acknowledging the balance between work and family. Most importantly, it asks: when was the moment you realized you hadn’t just arrived—you were truly in your element?

About The Hosts:

Suchi Srinivasan is an expert in AI and digital transformation. Originally from India, her career includes roles at trailblazing organizations like Bell Labs and Microsoft. In 2011, she co-founded the Cleanweb Hackathon, a global initiative driving IT-powered climate solutions with over 10,000 members across 25+ countries. She also advises Women in Cloud, aiming to create $1B in economic opportunities for women entrepreneurs by 2030.

Kamila Rakhimova is a fintech leader whose journey took her from Tajikistan to the U.S., where she built a career on her own terms. Leveraging her English proficiency and international relations expertise, she discovered the power of microfinance and moved to the U.S., eventually leading Amazon's Alexa Fund to support underrepresented founders.

Subscribe to In Her Ellement on your podcast app of choice to hear meaningful conversations with women in digital, business, and technology.

Mentioned in this episode:

CEO Moments of Truth

Before we hear from our guest on this week’s episode of In Her Ellement, I want to take a moment to highlight a fantastic new video series from BCG that I think you will really enjoy.

Spotting opportunities that others overlook is one of the most valuable skills in venture capital, and today’s guest, Rohini Chakravarthy, excels at this. Her passion for the field is driven by the chance to collaborate with extraordinary individuals who are eager to innovate and break new ground.

Rohini began her journey at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, a prestigious university in Chennai, where she was one of only 10 women among 280 students in her electronics class. This unique environment fostered strong bonds between her and her peers, relationships that have endured to this day. She remains connected to her alma mater through her role on the board of the IIT Madras Foundation.

Currently, Rohini is the Managing Partner at NewBuild Venture Capital, an early-stage enterprise and supply chain venture investment firm. Before this, she was a Partner at NGP Capital, NEA, and Intel Capital, where she served on more than 15 boards as an investor board member.

Join us every episode with hosts Suchi Srinivasan & Kamila Rakhimova from BCG to hear meaningful conversations with women and allies in digital technology and business.

Silicon Valley often celebrates the meteoric rise of young entrepreneurs, but Ivy Nguyen, Principal at Autotech Ventures, believes that valuable and rewarding experiences can be found at any stage of our careers.

Ivy's journey is shaped by her family's history: her parents arrived in the U.S. as refugees from Vietnam, taking on blue-collar jobs to support their family. She became the first in her family to attend college, a milestone that surprised her parents. Upon arriving at Stanford, Ivy recalls feeling as though she had "been dropped onto another planet."

Following the path of many of her peers, Ivy ventured into entrepreneurship, launching a water filtration business in Vietnam. When the business failed, she was faced with the challenge of picking herself up and determining her next steps. This pivotal moment ultimately led her to the world of venture capital.

Join us for every episode with hosts Suchi Srinivasan & Kamila Rakhimova from BCG to hear meaningful conversations with women in digital, technology, and business.

Venture Capital revolves around risk and reward. How can we learn from this field and become more comfortable with uncertainty in our lives and careers? Rashmi Gopinath, General Partner at B Capital, suggests that we can begin by avoiding setting unattainably high standards for ourselves.

Rashmi was born and raised in India before moving to the US. She worked in operations at Oracle and GE Healthcare before transitioning to venture capital. Her passion for cutting-edge technology eventually led her to Microsoft Ventures and Intel Capital, where she found fulfillment supporting visionary startups.

According to All Raise VC, less than 15% of 'cheque writers' in venture capital in 2022 were women. Rashmi believes this disparity results from several factors, including bias in the recruitment process and internalized expectations.

This conversation with Rashmi was conducted before she moved on from B Capital. Keep an eye on her LinkedIn to see what she’s planning next.

Join us every episode with hosts Suchi Srinivasan & Kamila Rakhimova from BCG to hear meaningful conversations with women in digital, business, and technology

Mentioned in this episode:

B The Way Forward

Hey, In Her Ellement listeners! Are you looking for a game-changing podcast? We want to tell you about a show we think you’ll like. On B The Way Forward, Brenda Darden Wilkerson, President and CEO of Anita B, dives into incredible chats with tech trailblazers like Arlan Hamilton and creative powerhouses like Janelle Monae. This isn't just another tech talk—it's your front-row seat to the minds shaping the future. Ready to drive change? Be part of the movement. Get plugged into B The Way Forward wherever you stream your favorite podcasts.

Making career decisions driven by fear can lead us astray. Instead, we need to be courageous and persistent, seizing new opportunities as they arise. This is the wisdom shared by today's guest, Jaimee Michaud, Head of Portfolio Digital at Advent International, a global private equity investment firm.

Jaimee's journey began when she moved from Seoul to the United States as a high school student, boldly embracing a new culture and language. Quickly recognized for her mathematical prowess, she leveraged this reputation to build a successful career in investment banking. After several years in the industry, Jaimee transitioned to Shutterfly, where a trusted general manager saw her potential for a data-focused role. Despite her lack of coding skills, he believed her experience and attitude would ensure her success.

Jaimee acknowledges that balancing career and personal commitments is challenging and rarely goes as planned. She emphasizes that making small, mindful decisions daily is more impactful than striving for perfection.

Join us for each episode with hosts Suchi Srinivasan & Kamila Rakhimova from BCG to hear meaningful conversations with women and allies in digital, business, and technology.

Running a global company is hard. But, it does give you an incredible opportunity to bring on board a diverse group of talent that can help shape your vision. This is something that today’s guest Bianca Anghelina is incredibly passionate about. 

Bianca co-founded the business development app Aily Labs hailed as the ‘Apple of AI’ in 2020 after she saw how hard it was for organizations to integrate AI across their entire workflow. She reflects that she has received conflicting advice from many sources on her founder journey. Her solution - critical thinking and intuition. 

Join us for each episode with hosts Suchi Srinivasan & Kamila Rakhimova from BCG to hear meaningful conversations with women and allies in digital, business, and technology.

As your career evolves, so may your definition of success. For Boel Ferguson, success now means mentoring young executives and entrepreneurs navigating their path.

Boel began her career without a clear focus, eventually finding her way into the media industry, where she enjoyed a career spanning over three decades. During her tenure at Disney, Boel witnessed and embraced significant changes, including the digital revolution.

Today, Boel is involved in various initiatives aimed at helping young people, particularly young women, advance in their careers. She supports 25x25, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving executive gender balance and sharing best practices within the broader community. Additionally, she is actively involved with Smart Works, a UK-based employment charity for women seeking employment.

Join us every episode with hosts Suchi Srinivasan & Kamila Rakhimova from BCG to hear meaningful conversations with women in digital, business, and technology