In this week's episode we chat with CEO, entrepreneur, and former U.S. congressional candidate, Rachel Payne. She began her career studying government with the dream of one day being a Foreign Service Officer with the State Department. That all changed after being introduced to technology right at the start of the internet boom -- before the "learn how to code" craze, and before Silicon Valley was a TV show.

After graduation, she began working for a tech firm, and eventually received an MBA from Stanford, thus, enabling her humanitarian work abroad. From joining the founding team of Google's charitable branch Google.org, to co-founding FEM Inc, a research company focused on the role of gender in media, and finally, becoming the CEO of tech venture, PRIZMA -- making the decision to run for Congress doesn't seem so crazy after all, but rather a natural next step in fulfilling her life's work.

Her resume is as impressive as it is diverse, consisting of numerous pivots and setbacks. But throughout her life, one thing is consistent -- her undeniable commitment to harnessing technology to empower diverse communities, and ultimately, champion equal opportunity for all.

 

Rachel's Resources:

FEM Inc:

FEM Inc. is a media technology company that creates relevant and engaging video experiences with a woman-centered community in mind. FEM Inc.'s goal is to change the content paradigm by empowering viewers with more choices based on the effects of the content they watch. Their vision is that this will drive greater demand for intentional content that has a positive impact on society.

Google.org:

Google.org is Google's philanthropy branch which focuses on data-driven and human-focused philanthropy. Their pillars include outstanding work in education, economic opportunity, and inclusion.

Rachel was on the founding team of Google.org.

Find out more at https://www.google.org/ (https://www.google.org/)

PRIZMA:

Prizma is built by FEM Inc., a female founded tech team, whose mission create video content that resonates with diverse audiences.

Find out more at http://www.prizma.ai/ (http://www.prizma.ai/)

Emily's List:

Founded in 1985, Emily's List is an American Political Action Committee (PAC) that aims to assist the election of pro-choice Democratic female candidates to office. The organization chooses to focus on raising money early for women because historically women were not getting the distributive attention and funding from the Democratic Party-- thus, not winning races for which they were qualified.

Emily's List endorsed Rachel Payne in her run for the 48th Congressional District primary race.

You can find out more about Emily's list here at https://www.emilyslist.org/ (https://www.emilyslist.org/)

 

This Episode was produced by Emily Le, Tiffany Le, and Jennifer Rundle

Special thanks to our sound designer Kinsey Green (http://kinseygreen.com/), who mixed this episode.

In this week's episode we chat with CEO, entrepreneur, and former U.S.

congressional candidate, Rachel Payne. She began her career studying

government with the dream of one day being a Foreign Service Officer with

the State Department. That all changed after being introduced to technology

right at the start of the internet boom -- before the "learn how to code"

craze, and before Silicon Valley was a TV show.

For this week’s episode, we sat down with Hannah Puckett: digital strategist, ocean advocate, citizen scientist, and everything in between. Growing up, Hannah was drawn to the outdoors. She spent her summers camping with her family and road tripping across the country. With a passion for writing and research, she studied advertising at the University of Texas at Austin and graduated with a masters degree in strategic business communications. After some self reflection, at age 25, she decided to trade in her spreadsheets for a rubber rain suit, cubicle for the Alaskan Wilderness, thus embarking on a journey to explore her unusual passion for oysters.

Hannah's Resources:

Woofing Program: World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms

Wwoof costs $40/year to join and allows you to connect with more than 2,000 farms across the USA. Of those 2,000 , Hannah was able to find one oyster farm. And that is how she met Dave.

Find out more at wwoofusa.org (http://wwoofusa.org/)

Oyster Eating:

Hannah jokes that the number of "oyster celebrities" can probably be counted on one hand. But blogger and self-proclaimed oyster sommelier, Julie Qui would be included.

Link to blog: Rowan Jacobsen's Rules of Oyster Eating (and Julie Qiu's In a Half Shell Blog) (https://www.inahalfshell.com/journal/)

Books:

Lastly, Hannah shared some good reads that were important to her journey. Below are her reflections.

* OYSTER 101 :

Meet Paris Oyster: A Love Affair with the Perfect Food (https://www.amazon.com/Meet-Paris-Oyster-Affair-Perfect/dp/B01L9AYBY0) by Mireille Guiliano, 2014

"Bite sized and delighful from start to finish; when reading Paris Oyster, it's as if you're at the table with Guiliano sipping on Muscudet and Belons as she tells you everything you'd want to know about how to enjoy oysters like the French... a wonderful gift for oyster lovers, both novice and expert."

A Geography of Oysters: The Connoisseur's Guide to Oyster Eating in North America (http://www.rowanjacobsen.com/books/a-geography-of-oysters) by Rowan Jacobsen, 2008

"The unofficial American Oyster Eater's Field Guide, as told by a guy who literally went there and tried that. It's a comprehensive index of oyster varieties unique to North America's East, West, and Gulf Coasts, and an almanac of noteworthy farms and oyster bars that serve them. Jacobsen is inspirational to me personally as a curious person who has turned interests into income... who also dabbles at the intersections of food, cultures, and the environment."

The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell (https://www.amazon.com/Big-Oyster-History-Half-Shell/dp/0345476395) by Mark Kurlansky, 2007

"Oyster culture is more intertwined to the story of The United States than I ever knew. For history nerds, this book is as informative as it is a blast to read, all about the growth of New York City as told via the rise and fall of it's once bountiful, world-famous oyster beds."

* Inspiration for Living Non-Traditionally:

Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-term World Travel (https://www.amazon.com/Vagabonding-Uncommon-Guide-Long-Term-Travel/dp/0812992180) by Rolf Potts, 2003

"Living Your Best Life Out of a Bag 101: This book is choke full of resources, tips, and words of wisdom from fellow slow travelers, and how to enjoy and sustain a life on the move."

Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman (https://www.amazon.com/Let-People-Surfing-Education-Businessman/dp/0143037838) by Yvon Chouinard, 2006

For this week’s episode, we sat down with Hannah Puckett: digital strategist, ocean advocate, citizen scientist, and everything in between. Growing up, Hannah was drawn to the outdoors. She spent her summers camping with her family and road tripping across the country. With a passion for writing and research, she studied advertising at the University of Texas at Austin and graduated with a masters degree in strategic business communications. After some self reflection, at age 25, she decided to trade in her spreadsheets for a rubber rain suit, cubicle for the Alaskan Wilderness, thus embarking on a journey to explore her unusual passion for oysters.

Welcome to Sisterly Women. My name is Jennifer Rundle and on this show you’ll hear myself, and sisters Emily and Tiffany Le talk to some extraordinary women about how they’re living a life that feels not only meaningful, but true to themselves. To put it plainly, these women are total badasses who’ve taken risks and ultimately listened to that inner voice when it nudged them in a new direction… all without losing sight of “that thing” that feeds their passions. We explore different industries and backgrounds and share some of the tools that were essential in taking the plunge. So if you’re yearning for a community of peers who relate to and learn from each other, and grow together, you’re going to love the stories we have to share.

Make sure to subscribe on iTunes, Google Play Music, or wherever you get your podcasts and stay tuned for the upcoming season! For more information, check out our website sisterlywomen.com. Talk soon!

Hosted by Emily Le, Tiffany Le and Jennifer Rundle

Sound Design by Kinsey Green

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www.sisterlywomen.com