Queens of Tech Podcast | 100 Voices of Impact | Representation Matters!

Lawyer-turned-operator-turned-investor, Nina is focused on sourcing and identifying innovative technologies for Type One while partnering with partners Tarek and Abdo on investor relations. Before joining Type One, Nina was a founding team member at food tech startup HUNGRY. Her work spanned nearly all aspects of business operations, from fundraising to strategy, contributing to the team's growth from six employees to 200+ and scaling the business to 12 cities within three years. Before Type One, Nina gained venture capital experience at a Silicon Valley-based firm and a global tech accelerator. 

Nina's affinity for space tech began in law school. While working seed stage startup hours as a full-time law student (which she does not recommend), Nina coupled her political expertise with her interest in space commercialization efforts, authoring her graduate paper on non-state actors in space. She is fueled by a curiosity and passion for technological advancements that will ultimately change the human experience for the better. 

Nina is of Iranian descent and grew up outside of the nation's capital in a soccer-obsessed family. She holds a JD from Georgetown University and a BA in International Studies & Political Science from Virginia Commonwealth University. 

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Jeannette Gorzala is a prominent figure in the European AI ecosystem. She has founded several initiatives and companies, including the law firm go_legal, specializing in business law and new technologies, and the AI literacy platform Act.AI.Now, it supports the development of AI literacy and AI governance in organizations. Her clientele includes Fortune 500 companies and public institutions.

As Vice President of the European AI Forum, she has helped establish it as one of the largest networks for AI companies in Europe. During the legislative process of the AI Act, Jeannette represented over 2,000 European AI companies in her leadership role at the European AI Forum, giving them a unified voice for the first time. In her role as Chief Policy Officer at the independent think tank AI Austria, she launched one of the first campaigns to inform and educate the public about AI's opportunities, challenges, and regulatory framework.

Currently, Jeannette applies her extensive expertise as the deputy chairwoman of the AI Advisory Board for the Austrian Federal Government. With a background in international business administration and law, she has over 15 years of experience in international commercial law firms and investment banking. She has been recognized as one of Austria's leading legal advisors for AI and has received various international accolades for her contributions.

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Tracey Spicer AM is a renowned keynote speaker, emcee, facilitator, media/presentation trainer, author, documentary host, and journalist, celebrated for her dedication to social justice, technology, and storytelling. With a career spanning over three decades, she has anchored national news programs for ABC TV, Network Ten, and Sky News, as well as hosting on 2UE and ABC Radio.

As a creator and visionary, Tracey was the inaugural national convenor of Women in Media, collaborating with iSentia on groundbreaking research that highlighted the silencing of women and marginalized communities in the media. In 2017, she co-produced the first Me Too stories in Australia, a collaboration between ABC and Fairfax Media.

Her most recent broadcast achievement is the ABC TV documentary Silent No More on the #MeToo movement. Additionally, her latest book, MAN-MADE: How the Bias of the Past is Being Built into the Future, calls for action against the embedded bigotry in technology, advocating for equity and highlighting the efforts of those striving for change in the tech sector. This book has been longlisted for a Walkley Award and won the Social Responsibility category in the Australian Business Book Awards.

Throughout her illustrious career, Tracey has received numerous accolades, including the NSW Premier’s Woman of the Year, the Sydney Peace Prize alongside Tarana Burke for the Me Too movement, and the national award for Excellence in Women’s Leadership through Women & Leadership Australia. She was also named one of the Australian Financial Review’s 100 Women of Influence in 2018.

Tracey’s impactful work extends to writing, producing, and presenting documentaries on women and girls in various countries. She serves as an Ambassador for ActionAid, the Ethnic Business Awards, Emerge Australia, the Australian POTS Foundation, and Purple Our World, and is Patron of the Pancreatic Cancer Alliance.

Her first book, The Good Girl Stripped Bare, became a bestseller, and her TEDx Talk, The Lady Stripped Bare, has garnered nearly seven million views worldwide. Tracey’s essays have been featured in numerous collections, emphasizing her profound impact on media and advocacy.

Tracey Spicer continues to be a leading voice in the fight for gender equality and social justice, inspiring countless individuals through her work and advocacy.

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Josefina Sonnhammer, the CEO and Co-founder of Subscriby, a pioneering startup dedicated to streamlining e-commerce subscriptions. Josefina's journey is driven by a relentless quest for innovation, seeking efficient solutions to optimize daily routines and create more time for her passions.

Her inspiration sprouted from a personal need: simplifying the process of subscribing to essential products like razors, dog food, and hand soap. Despite embracing the convenience of subscriptions, Josefina encountered frustrating customer experiences and the complexities of managing multiple subscriptions. Determined to find a remedy, she combined her background in management consulting with insights gained from her role as Domain Operations Lead of Payment Methods at Klarna.

In August 2022, the vision for Subscriby took root—a revolutionary subscription management software empowering brands to deliver exceptional customer experiences.

For consumers like Josefina, Subscriby offers a seamless platform to subscribe to and effortlessly manage their favorite products, consolidating everything into one convenient hub. Josefina's unwavering commitment to simplicity drives Subscriby's mission to revolutionize the subscription landscape, one hassle-free experience at a time.

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Arezou Zarafshan, the visionary Founder and CEO of Call Emmy, is revolutionizing the landscape for working parents through her innovative one-stop-shop platform.

A career-driven individual from the outset, Arezou's journey into motherhood brought about a transformative realization of the challenges faced by working parents. While flourishing in her executive role at a $1 billion enterprise, Arezou benefitted from the support of a full-time house manager and nanny named Emmy. This invaluable assistance allowed her to maintain focus on her professional aspirations while remaining present for her family. However, upon facing the loss of her job and the subsequent inability to sustain full-time household help, Arezou experienced firsthand the profound impact of this shift. Domestic responsibilities escalated, tensions arose within her household, and the delicate balance between career and family life began to unravel. Determined to find a solution that would empower working parents like herself, Arezou embarked on a mission to create Call Emmy.

Call Emmy emerged as a beacon of hope—a transformative platform that bridges the gap between busy parents and local household service providers. By offering on-demand assistance with household chores and childcare, Call Emmy became the go-to resource for those seeking support in managing the demands of both work and family life.

Arezou's entrepreneurial journey is a testament to her resilience and determination to effect positive change. As an immigrant, accomplished business leader, and devoted mother, she understands firsthand the challenges faced by working parents. Her commitment to empowering others extends beyond the realm of entrepreneurship; she serves as a mentor and coach to aspiring founders and small business owners, guiding them through the complexities of the startup landscape with unwavering support and encouragement.

Recognized as one of the Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Business in Colorado in 2021, Arezou's impact extends far beyond the confines of her business endeavors. With Call Emmy's success gaining traction in Colorado, Arezou's vision is set on national expansion, poised to bring the transformative benefits of her platform to working parents across the country.

Arezou Zarafshan's journey embodies the ethos of resilience, empathy, and empowerment. Through Call Emmy, she is reshaping the narrative for working parents, proving that with determination and innovation, it is possible to thrive in both career and family lif

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Priyanka Vazirani has a diverse work experience. Priyanka began their career in 2011 as a Summer Intern at JPMorgan Chase. In 2012, they worked as a Summer Intern at Morgan Stanley. In 2013, they interned at BCBG Max Azria as a Planning and Retail Operations Intern and at PwC India as a Corporate Finance Intern. From 2014 to 2018, they worked as a Strategist, at Global Investment Solutions at UBS. In 2018, they co-founded Benefactory, a collective movement to make donations to help tackle urgent crises. In 2020, they co-founded Volv Media.

Priyanka Vazirani attended the University of Southern California from 2010 to 2014, where they earned a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Economics & Business Administration. In 2012, they attended the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) for a Summer School in Economics. Priyanka also participated in the Yellow Accelerator program.

Volv captures the zeitgeist of this generation. A Snapchat-backed super app that gives you a personalized stream of content in 9-second reads using AI. From niche newsletters to breaking news, to YouTube snippets. Users have read over 35 million stories so far.

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