Allison Mckay is a science-backed mindset coach, somatic healer, and former engineer on a mission to help ambitious women break free from societal expectations, reprogram their limitations into empowerment, and glow up from the inside out.

After transforming her own life using nervous system regulation, somatic healing, and subconscious reprogramming, Allison left a successful engineering career to now have guided 100's of clients through their own powerful transformations.

If you want to overcome self-doubt and gain unshakable self-love, to take bold action, this episode is for you.

Emily Wiggins is a Sr. Director in Retail Product Management, a former Accounts and Marketing Manager at Paper Source, and a former packaging engineer at Target, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble, Wrigley, and Colgate. She is also a professional dancer who spent three seasons with the Chicago Bulls Luvabulls, a barre and sculpt instructor at Equinox in San Francisco, and a community builder committed to creating inclusive spaces for early-career professionals.

In this episode, we dive into the skills that let you keep evolving from following your curiosity, preparing before you pivot, mapping your personal energy, and building the muscle to explore what’s next without burning out.

If you want to reinvent your career, pivot boldly, prepare like a professional dancer, lead with both precision and creativity, and create a multidimensional life where high performance, movement and joy coexist, this episode is for you.

You can connect with her on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Lauren Rugani is an award-winning technology communications strategist, speaker, and startup advisor. With degrees in physics and science journalism, she has spent 20 years at the forefront of innovation, helping technical leaders translate complex ideas into compelling narratives from CERN to Silicon Valley.

She was the first communications leader at two deep tech startups, scaling one from pre-revenue through IPO as VP of Marketing and Communications. Her work has guided companies through every critical milestone, from first investor pitch to industry thought leadership.

Today, she helps tech founders build the messaging clarity and communications systems their companies need to grow. Driven by the belief that technical leaders should not have to choose between authenticity and accessibility, Lauren helps founders turn their expertise into their greatest strategic advantage.

Lauren has made seven transcontinental moves and now lives in Rhode Island with her rescue cat, Austin. When she is not supporting founders, you can find her walking outside or by the ocean with a good book. You can reach her for a free consultation as a listener of this podcast at https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenrugani/ Just mention 'The Rikhi Roy Podcast'.

'Storytelling' is the hottest career skill right now, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.

In this episode, we talk about becoming an authentic storyteller, knowing your Human Design type, always taking the call, and building a career around your natural rhythms instead of fighting them.

If you want to build your own company with strong storytelling, scale your voice alongside it, and honor your natural rhythms and strengths, this episode is for you.

Hitha Palepu is the CEO of Rhoshan Pharmaceuticals and a woman of multitudes: a feminist, a lifelong politics enthusiast, a daughter of immigrants, and a mother raising feminist sons. These multitudes spill into her multi-hyphenated career as an entrepreneur, investor, writer, and speaker.

Her Webby-honored series #5SmartReads delivers five essential articles each day to help her community stay informed without feeling overwhelmed and her book How To Pack, was published by Clarkson Potter in 2017.

She is an early-stage investor and partner at Adama Ventures, backing innovative companies primarily founded by and focused on women (MM.LaFleur, Girls' Night In, Brightland, and Heymama among them) and is a sought-after voice on politics, investing, entrepreneurship, work-life juggle, and motherhood.

We talk about building influence without burnout, staying politically engaged without overwhelm, becoming a first time author, and leading across multiple identities without shrinking any of them.

If you want to build a multi-hyphenate career, stay informed and intentional in a noisy world, become an author, and lead like a modern CEO who refuses to fit into one box, this episode is for you.

Priya Monga is a powerhouse tech and business leader, and currently the GM and Senior Director of GTM Strategy at Instacart Business. She’s built a global career across Facebook, LinkedIn, and Unilever and has served twice as Chief of Staff to an iconic executive, operating in the rooms where real decisions get made.

She’s also a mentor and coach at Monday Girl, helping women navigate career pivots, claim leadership roles, and grow with strategy, not luck.

In this episode, we talk about making your own luck, amplifying your magic, advocating for yourself, and finding sponsors who are generous with their influence.

If you want to build a career across continents, move toward the C-suite, and surround yourself with people who amplify your potential, and think like a Chief of Staff this episode is for you.

Dr. Ellen Stofan is the Under Secretary for Science and Research at the Smithsonian Institution. She previously served as the Director of the National Air and Space Museum, becoming the first woman in that role, and as Chief Scientist at NASA (2013–2016).

She earned her PhD in Geological Sciences from Brown University and began her career at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, serving as Deputy Project Scientist for the Magellan mission to Venus.

She is co-author of Planetology: Unlocking the Secrets of the Solar System and Next Earth: What Our World Can Teach Us About Other Planets, both published by National Geographic.  

Stofan serves on the National Geographic Society’s Board of Trustees, the Presidential Committee on the National Medal of Science, and as Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Space Technologies.

We talk about confidence, belonging, and what it means to be the 'solution person' in high-stakes room.

If you want to inform and inspire millions, champion audacious ideas, steward powerful institutions responsibly, and lead with the clarity of a NASA Chief Scientist, this episode is for you.

This conversation with Dr. Ellen Stofan was originally recorded in June, 2023. Some details may have evolved since the time of recording.

Hi, I’m Rikhi and you’re listening to The Rikhi Roy Podcast. This show is for anyone building ambitious, well-rounded lives that feel as good as they look.

Each week, I share honest conversations with leaders and builders I deeply admire, along with solo episodes on routines, mindset, and growth all designed to help you create a life that feels aligned, vibrant, and yours.

We talk ambition, reinvention, wellness, identity shifts, and what it really takes to design a life on your own terms without shrinking any part of who you are.

If you’re building something…your career, your confidence, your dream life… you’re in the right place.

Tune in every Friday wherever you get your podcasts.

Hi! My name is Rikhi and you are listening to The Leadership, Equity and Wellness pod. Thank you for tuning in to Season 2. This season shared conversations that were recorded a year after the episodes from Season 1. Since then my understanding of leadership, equity and wellness for minorities across various industries evolved so much as did my understanding of recording, editing and sharing podcast episodes with the world. I am so honored to have had your time every Friday as new episodes released and it is my hope that together we grew through each episode and pushed ourselves to renew our commitment to taking care of ourselves first.  Thank you so much for tuning in.

Paola Terrazas was born and raised in El Paso, Texas. Paola is a first-generation college graduate from The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) where she obtained a Bachelor's in Computer Science and a minor in Mathematics. During her college career, she completed 5 SWE internships including Disney, Facebook, Lucasfilm and Facebook. She created Lady Engineering, her blog, to share her advice, experience and learnings being a minority in tech. Her goal is to inspire, encourage and motivate gender-minorities in STEM to break barriers and achieve their career goals.

Kellie Gerardi is an aerospace and technology professional, a popular science communicator, and a payload specialist flying to space on a dedicated research mission with Virgin Galactic. Kellie is the author of Not Necessarily Rocket Science and the children’s picture book series Luna Muna. Kellie lives in Jupiter, Florida with her husband and their daughter Delta V. You can follow her on social media @kelliegerardi