Kirin is the founder and CEO of a Silicon Valley tech company (@illumixofficial). They have raised over $12M from top venture capitalists to build out mixed reality tech and games. Kirin has degrees in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, and Math from MIT, Stanford, University of Cambridge and LSE. Her focus is on AI / Machine Learning and specifically in Computer Vision. Kirin uses her platform on social media to share lessons learned along her journey as a founder – in building a company from the ground up, breaking out as woman in tech, the ups and downs and trying to find balance in it all. Through sharing her learnings, she hopes to empower her community in doing the same.

Connect with Kirin here: https://linkin.bio/kirinsinha

Connect with Illumix here:https://www.instagram.com/illumixofficial/?hl=en

Vanessa, is a first-generation Filipino-American Transportation Engineer. She started her college career at her local Community College and later transferred to San Diego State University where she received her B.S. in Civil Engineering. Outside of work, she is heavily involved with the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and volunteers in events that help promote gender-minorities pursuing engineering and entry level engineers improving on their professional development skills.

Joan is a Mission Integration Systems Engineer at NASA for the Launch Services Program working on all non-crewed and scientific missions. Her missions include the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), Europa Clipper, GOES-U and the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP).

Joan received a dual bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, and a master’s degree in Systems Engineering from Naval Postgraduate School. Prior to working for NASA, Joan worked for Blue Origin on the New Glenn rocket, and Naval Air Systems Command on jet engines, fuel systems, and biofuels research/qualification.

Connect with her and support her work here: https://beacons.ai/yourfemaleengineer/home

Christina serves as the Business Development and Marketing Officer at Space Forge, an in-space manufacturing company creating the world's first returnable and reusable satellite platform. She founded Scotland’s first Women in Space Conference and her blog, Miss Astronautica, where she speaks about space and lifestyle topics. Christina is a mechanical engineering graduate from the University of Edinburgh.

Connect with her here: https://www.missastronautica.com/

Born and raised in El Salvador, Fernanda Sulantay is a first-generation Chemical Engineer, currently earning her Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Yale University. A mother of two, Fernanda also creates content for Instagram and TikTok and is an Etsy store owner @engineeringbaddies. Along with sharing her life as a mom student, she shares study tips, scholarship opportunities, motivation to study, and much more.

Connect with her here: https://www.instagram.com/fernsulantay/?hl=en

Support her work here: https://ko-fi.com/fernsulantay

Katelyn Gunderson is a mechanical and aerospace engineer currently attending the National Test Pilot School in Mojave, CA through a flight test engineering fellowship. To pursue this opportunity, Kate left her dream job at NASA’s Johnson Space Center where she worked as an engineer and NASA’s youngest Flight Science Officer aircrew member, supporting various astronaut training activities and airborne science missions flown all over the world. Kate holds a Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology (Rochester, NY) and a Master’s in aerospace engineering specializing in structures from Georgia Tech (Atlanta, GA).

During college, Kate completed several internships/co-ops which she highly encourages all students to participate in, believing they are the key to scoring her dream job so early on. Her work assignments included several with GE Aviation and NASA’s Johnson Space Center as well as an internship with the United States House of Representatives’ Committee on Science, Space and Technology.

Kate was born and raised in West Fargo, North Dakota. Although proud of her hometown, Kate always had a nagging feeling that there was more for her somewhere else. She talked early-on (starting in second grade) and often about her desire to become an astronaut one day. Although many of her classmates were critical, she has never given up on her dream.

Outside of engineering Kate is a fitness enthusiast and Boston Qualifying marathon runner. She also has a passion for increasing female participation in engineering and authors a blog aimed at empowering women to confidently thrive in STEM fields. 

Connect with her at: www.KatelynGunderson.com and on Instagram @theplanekate 

Kat is the first Mexican-born woman to fly to space. She graduated from UCLA in 2019 with a degree in Electrical Engineering and is now pursuing her Masters in Electrical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University. After her bachelors degree, she became a full-time engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab and worked on missions such as the Perseverance Rover and Europa Clipper. Now alongside pursuing graduate school, she is also a science show co-host of the NETFLIX Youtube Series “Netflix IRL” where they debunk movie and show scenes using scientific experimentation.

Connect with Kat here: https://www.katechazarreta.com/

Follow her here: https://www.instagram.com/katvoltage/?hl=en

Support her work here: https://ko-fi.com/katechazarreta

Naia Butler-Craig is working toward her Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering and is a NASA Space Technology Graduate Research fellow and GEM fellow at the Georgia Institute of Technology. She is the recipient of the 2020 Modern-Day Technology Leader Award and 2021 Forbes 30 Under 30 award for her outstanding performance in STEM.

Naia has also built a large following online through her social media profiles and website. These outlets bring her advocacy work to life by offering a window into the life of a doctoral student.  In between her pressing academic schedule, Naia also works to advocate for diversity in STEAM disciplines. She engages in public speaking events, volunteers with STEAM organization, and virtually mentors students.

Connect with Naia: https://www.naiabutlercraig.com/

Bhavi is an Astrodynamics Engineer at Planet Labs, in San Francisco, California. She graduated with a Master's in Aerospace Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, from the Space Systems Design Lab, with a focus in orbital mechanics. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Cornell University with a Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering, and minors in both Business and Aerospace Engineering. She has experience in spacecraft GNC, satellite orbit determination, control systems, systems engineering, structural analysis, and mechanical design through projects and internships. Her passions include advocacy for gender minorities and international students in the US aerospace industry. Outside of engineering, she enjoys hiking, painting, and playing with her puppy.

We discuss using hope as a tool during the job hunt and layering various mental health resources and in-person support systems.

Welcome to Season 1.

This season shares conversations that have been recorded through Instagram Live. I first began my series named Wellness Wednesdays for Minorities in STEM which evolved to Wellness Wednesdays for Leadership in December 2020. I gave myself permission then to be scrappy and start with whatever equipment, bandwidth and time I had and to make the best of it. As my bandwidth has now expanded, I am so eager to share these conversations in a more accessible manner. Through each recording and episode on Season 1, you will witness both my personal growth in my understanding of leadership, equity and wellness for minorities across various industries and their advice on the things that have helped them lead, take care of themselves and push for an equitable future. It is my hope that these episodes help you grow too and push you to renew your commitment to taking care of yourself first.  Thank you so much for tuning in.

This is Episode 1 with Emma Louden.

Emma M. Louden, is a founder, astrophysicist, and space entrepreneur who is committed to helping everyone find their place in space. As an astrophysics Ph.D. student at Yale University, Emma studies the geometry of exoplanetary systems. She graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in Astrophysical Sciences and minors in Astrobiology and Latin American Studies from Princeton University. Now as a second-year graduate student at Yale, Emma works at the intersection of academia and the space industry and is passionate about being a steward of the story of the relationship between space exploration and humanity.

Connect with Emma on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exoplanet_emma/?hl=en

Resources - 

Passion Planners: https://passionplanner.com/collections/shop-all

Inner.U and the Handel Coaching Method: https://www.inneru.coach/