InnovateHER: Women in product

In the latest episode of InnovateHER: Women in Product, host Rebecca Madro sits down with product leader Preeti Kashyap. The two explore the unique contributions women make to product management, from their focus on user experience to their ability to pivot and adapt. 

The two dive into overcoming self-doubt, fostering inclusivity on teams, balancing career and personal life, and the evolving role of women in the field. If you're looking to grow your confidence, learn from peers, or be inspired by stories of leadership, this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss!

What’s happening in episode 8?

• How women are often over-prepared and bring a high level of preparedness to their roles

• Women's attention to user experience and focus on the "why" behind features

• Overcoming self-doubt and fighting imposter syndrome and how mentorship (both female and male) can help

• Advocating for others and ensuring diverse voices reach decision-makers

• Balancing career and personal life by setting boundaries and not taking on unnecessary tasks

• Emphasizing on-the-job learning and gaining experience through different situations

Meet Preeti

Preeti Kashyap is a seasoned leader in technology and product management, with over 18 years of industry experience. She has dedicated more than 12 years to transforming digital commerce for retailers and marketplaces worldwide, specializing in enabling domestic and cross-border eCommerce growth. 

Beyond her technical expertise, Preeti excels at building and mentoring high-performing product teams, fostering innovation, and empowering the next generation of product managers through her passion for leadership and inclusivity.

Join us for the latest episode of InnovateHer: Women in Product, where we delve into the inspiring journey of women in the product management space. In this episode, Cindy Camacho, Director of Product Management at VivoAquatics, shares her insights and experiences, empowering listeners to embrace their authentic selves in their careers.

In this episode, you'll discover Cindy's inspiring journey from customer service to product management and learn how women bring unique perspectives to the industry.

Cindy shares insights on overcoming challenges, fostering inclusivity, and balancing career growth while emphasizing the importance of empathy and collaboration. Gain practical strategies for decision-making and find out how to support women in product management through community involvement. Tune in for valuable advice and trends shaping the future of product management!

What’s happening in episode 6?

• How technical degrees favor men and biases in business

• How communicating with genuine care and interest in others' perspectives will diversify your knowledge base beyond just industry experience

• Learn to control your schedule, have a vision, take time off to recharge

• Why knowing your superpower and being your authentic self will help you

• The importance of skills like empathy, leadership, and communication

• How to focus on the user, get feedback, and not be afraid to pivot if something isn't working

Meet Cindy Camacho

Cindy is the Director of Product Management at VivoAquatics, where she drives the development of their SaaS web application, VivoPoint, and fosters a Product-Led culture. With a broad background across industries like Healthcare, Education, and IoT, she brings diverse insights to her work. Cindy holds dual Master's degrees in Business and Public Administration, alongside certifications in Product Management and Scrum. Passionate about leadership, diversity, and environmental advocacy, she also enjoys spending time with her family and pets in Orlando.

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Ready for episode 5? We sure are! Join us as we sit down with Sirisha Dinavahi, a seasoned product management leader, to discuss the unique strengths, challenges, and opportunities women face in product management. 

Discover how women’s unique strengths—like empathy, resilience, and humility—can make them standout leaders in product management. Sirisha breaks down how these "soft skills" aren’t just nice-to-haves but essential for building strong relationships with stakeholders, driving innovation, and fostering collaboration.

The episode also doesn’t shy away from the tough stuff. We dig into the challenges women in product still face today: underrepresentation in leadership roles, gender bias, work-life balance struggles, and pay inequity. 

Sirisha offers real talk about what it takes to navigate these hurdles while staying true to yourself. You’ll walk away with practical strategies for managing career and personal life, as well as ways to embrace your individuality and values to build a fulfilling career.

What’s happening in episode 5?

• The empathy, humility, persuasiveness, and resilience that women bring to product management

• Ongoing issues of underrepresentation of women in leadership roles, gender bias and stereotyping

• The importance of being true to yourself 

• Prioritizing high-impact work, establishing boundaries, and delegating tasks

• Greater recognition of soft skills and focus on ethical product development 

Meet Sirisha Dinavahi

Sirisha is a results-driven Product Management leader with a passion for delivering exceptional products that leave a lasting impact. With years of experience leading both B2B and B2B2C teams, she’s no stranger to solving complex problems and driving meaningful business outcomes. 

Sirisha has led five teams to success, reducing manual operational costs by 90% and increasing customer revenue by 5%—all while fostering innovation and collaboration within her teams. Known for her commitment to mentoring and coaching, she’s helped shape the next generation of product leaders, all while delivering products that consistently exceed customer expectations.

Join us as Sirisha shares her journey, her passion for innovation, and how she’s navigating the evolving world of product management. You won’t want to miss it!

Listen now 🎙️

Join us next time on InnovateHER: Women in Product as we continue to celebrate the achievements of women who are driving innovation in the product world.Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast, and follow us on social media for updates and more inspiring stories.

Get ready for the next episode as our host, Rebecca, sits down with the lovely Katya Denike. If you’re passionate about product management, tech, or simply love hearing stories of women making waves in their fields, this episode is for you.

Rebecca and Katya dive deep into the emerging trends shaping the world of product management and how the role of women in this field is evolving. They’ll explore Katya’s unique approach to decision-making and problem-solving—touching on how empathy and innovation go hand-in-hand in her leadership style. 

Katya shares some unforgettable success stories that highlight the power and impact of women's leadership. From tackling complex challenges to driving change in her industry, her insights are not to be missed.

What’s happening in episode 4?

• The role and responsibilities of being Chief Product Officer at Holland and Barrett

• Leadership tactics in driving the digital transformation at a major company

• Advice for young women aspiring to enter the product management field

• Strategies for fostering inclusivity and diversity within product teams

• Balancing career growth with personal life and family responsibilities

About the guest

Katya Denike is a passionate and empathetic product leader, currently leading a cross-functional team of product managers, designers, and researchers across a portfolio of products at one of Europe’s largest health and wellness retailers.

On a mission to humanize work, Katya is a big fan of tech and numbers. She’s been at the forefront of adopting AI and machine learning in products on a scale long before it became mainstream. Her visionary approach has not only transformed the way products are developed but also the way teams collaborate and innovate.

Welcome to the next episode of InnovateHER: Women in Product, the podcast that explores the journeys, insights, and strategies of remarkable women driving innovation in product management.

Today, we’re joined by Julia Kastner, a visionary executive known for her strategic transformation and exponential growth initiatives. Julia combines foresight and vision with ruthless prioritization and warp-speed decision-making to navigate and succeed through complexity, risk, and uncertainty.

Julia explores the unique perspectives and skills women bring to product management and the challenges they face in male-dominated industries. Julia highlights the importance of mentorship, sponsorship, and fostering diverse teams. She also delves into "creative destruction" in product development, where success requires the courage to sunset failing features.

Throughout, Julia offers insights on balancing data-driven decisions with empathy and shares her views on the evolving role of women in product management and how organizations can promote gender equality.

What’s cooking in episode 3?

• The unique perspectives and skills that women bring to product management, such as empathy and communication.

• The challenges of often being the only woman in leadership roles and having to "make space" for themselves in male-dominated environments.

• The importance of prioritizing meritocracy and ensuring the right fit for the organization.

• The significance of considering diverse perspectives to build products for diverse populations.

• The crucial role of incorporating human empathy and understanding user needs.

• How AI can assist with data processing while humans focus on the "human truth."

About the guest:

Julia is the Chief Product Officer at NeuroFlow, where she oversees the company’s technology strategy, including product design, management, data science, and analytics. She also lends her expertise as a Product Advisor at Ilant Health.

Come explore Julia’s journey and uncover the secrets behind her success in product management.

Get ready for the next episode of InnovateHER: Women in Product.

This week, host Rebecca Madro sits down with the incredible Ronke Majekodunmi, a strategic and user-centric Director of Product Management with over ten years of experience in SaaS product development.

In this episode, the two delve into Ronke's inspiring journey from technical support to influential product management roles across various industries. She’ll share her insights on how women bring unique perspectives like empathy, humility, and a focus on employee well-being to the field of product management.

What’s happening in episode 2?

• Ronke's journey from technical support to product management roles and gaining experience across different industries

• Perspectives women bring to product management like empathy, humility, and prioritizing employee well-being

• Lack of diversity, limited career advancement opportunities, and addressing impostor syndrome faced by women

• Promoting mentorship, sponsorship, and inverse mentoring programs to support women and foster inclusion

• Advocating for inclusive hiring practices, representation in design/research, and challenging traditional assumptions

About the guest

Ronke Majekodunmi is a powerhouse in the world of product management. With over a decade of experience in SaaS product development, she has mastered all stages of the software development lifecycle. From defining product vision and roadmap to formalizing go-to-market strategies, Ronke's expertise is unparalleled. She is particularly known for standardizing user-centered design processes and leveraging both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies to drive success.

Listen now 🎙️

Join us next time on InnovateHER: Women in Product as we continue to celebrate the achievements of women who are driving innovation in the product world.

Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast, and follow us on social media for updates and more inspiring stories.

Welcome to InnovateHER: Women in Product, PLA's newest podcast where we shine a spotlight on the incredible women leading the charge in the world of product management.

Join your host, Rebecca Madro, where in each episode, she dives into the stories of women who are breaking barriers, driving innovation, and making a difference in a male-dominated sphere.

For the kick-off episode, Rebecca had the pleasure of speaking with Holly Holbrook, Product Operations Manager at Nylas.

Hear about Holly's inspiring journey and the significant impact she's made in the tech industry. Holly's story is a testament to the power of perseverance, the importance of diversity, and the impact that one individual can have on a company's success.

What's cooking in episode one?

• Holly's career path

• The challenges women face in tech

• Holly's pivotal career moments

• The importance of diversity and inclusion

• Advice for aspiring women in product operations

About the guest:

Holly Holbrook is a trailblazer in the tech industry, currently serving as the Product Operations Manager at Nylas. Holly enables the delivery of high-quality products and services by working with cross-functional teams to manage the product lifecycle, from ideation to launch.

Her expertise in Product Management, Customer Service, and Software Systems Engineering helps optimize product operations processes, tools, and metrics. Holly is passionate about creating innovative and impactful solutions that solve real-world problems and add value to users and society.

Listen now

Join us next time on InnovateHER: Women in Product as we continue to celebrate the achievements of women who are driving innovation in the product world.

Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast, and follow us on social media for updates and more inspiring stories.