In this episode, I sit down with Lesley Li, a strategic partnerships leader in the fintech industry, whose nonlinear career has taken her across computer science, finance, impact work, fintech, and strategic partnerships.

We talk about why she believes “humans are humans, not gods,” how she navigates high-stakes rooms without putting others on a pedestal, why authenticity matters more than pretending to know everything, and how career pivots helped her discover what she is actually good at. 

Lesley also shares her perspective on taking leaps of faith, building a sense of self-worth that doesn’t depend on one company or title, getting comfortable with failure, and turning the international student experience into a source of resilience. 

Beyond Lesley's day-to-day work, Lesley was selected as an instructor for the Merchant Risk Council (MRC), where she has educated more than 300 professionals across payments, fraud prevention, and e-commerce. She has also been invited to serve as a judge for innovation and entrepreneurship programs affiliated with Yale University, Harvard-affiliated initiatives, and Johns Hopkins University.

If you’ve ever questioned whether you belong in the room, or you are trying to build up your leadership presence in a new space — this episode is for you.

What if you could experiment your way into a career that truly feels aligned?

In the very first episode of What If, Kate sits down with Victoria Lyu, a healthcare professional and international student from China who is currently pursuing a dual MBA and MS in Biomedical Science at the University of Chicago.

Victoria’s path has taken her from consulting and finance to healthcare strategy, and is now building the next chapter of her career at Oliver Wyman's Health & Life Sciences Practice.

Instead of following one fixed career track, she treated each step as an experiment — testing different roles, reflecting on what gave her purpose, and getting clearer on the kind of impact she wanted to make.

In this conversation, Kate and Victoria talk about career pivots, grad school, women’s health, and life as an international student. Victoria reflects on how being an international student has shaped her adaptability, broadened her worldview, and strengthened her ability to navigate different cultural and professional environments. Victoria also shares why she chose a dual MBA/MS and how she is building a career in healthcare that feels personally meaningful.

Sometimes, the biggest “what if” is giving yourself permission to explore.