Have you ever looked at a business beyond their visual branding and thought about who they are and what they stand for, and who the owners are and what they stand for? Branding is more than just an aesthetic. It's about connection.

Join us as we speak with Ari Krzyzek, CEO and Head of Strategy of Chykalophia about Ari's journey to creating her own brand agency, the potential of FemTech to change the narrative around women's health, and why knowing your 'why' can help you to succeed.

About Ari Krzyzek 

CEO and Head of Strategy at Chykalophia (read: see-ka-lo-fia), Ari Krzyzek helps FemTech, DTC, and women-led brands transform their website into a platform that unlocks business opportunities. She is co-author of one of the Top 3 Best Sellers book in web design, Made to Sell: Creating Websites that Convert. She serves as a branding, UX consultant, and professional peer in support of fellow female entrepreneurs through the #1 ranked private business incubator in the world, 1871 Chicago, and Chicago’s global healthcare startup incubator, MATTER. She’s the co-host of Halo Femtech Podcast, a podcast that honors disruptive innovators and change-makers advancing women’s health.

Furthermore, she helps women in tech and design break into the industry and succeeds in it by mentoring them for personal branding, career advancement, and entrepreneurship through Interaction Design Foundation, Chicago Innovation and ADP list.

Show Notes (link)

[00:00:57] Ari's journey to visual communication design.

[00:03:00] The gap between design and business strategy.

[00:06:29] The superficial way in which we view branding.

[00:07:25] On your mission and culture.

[00:09:05] Ari's motivations for starting her agency.

[00:10:09] Business identity vs individual identity.

[00:13:13] Starting a business is a journey of self-discovery.

[00:14:11] Everyone should have a personal philosophy.

[00:15:46] What is your 'why'?

[00:16:59] Giving back because of the support she received.

[00:18:25] There's so much available to help you to succeed.

[00:20:13] How to find your niche.

[00:21:42] The focus on tech and FemTech.

[00:24:05] Trends in FemTech beyond medical.

[00:24:49] Awkward Essentials - Dripstick (Content Warning: Sexual health, may be TMI for some).

[00:25:33] The burgeoning space of FemTech in lifestyle and wellness.

[00:26:33] Solutions for quality of life as well as sustainability, because women's bodies and our needs are always changing.

[00:27:55] The point of connection.

[00:30:23] The significance of building connection in FemTech.

[00:32:09] The challenges of marketing FemTech begin with education (or a lack thereof).

[00:34:50] The potential scope of FemTech's role in public education.

[00:37:45] Women can thrive in tech.

[00:39:47] How to position yourself as the solution.

[00:42:10] Bonus Question 1: What hobby or interest do you have that is most unrelated to your field of work?

[00:43:36] Bonus Question 2: Which childhood book holds the strongest memories for you?

[00:44:43] Bonus Question 3: What advice you would give someone who wants to do what you do? Or what advice should they ignore?

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Hosted and produced by Michele Ong.

Music is "Gypsy Jazz in Paris 1935" by Brett Van Donsel.

Bias and discrimination are everywhere. It's something we as a society are generally trying to improve. But when it comes to solutions, there is nuance in terms of cultural and social context, personal perceptions, and privilege that can complicate matters.

Join us as we speak with Raksha Kumar, an award-winning journalist and documentary filmmaker with a focus on land, forest, and human rights issues. We speak about Raksha's investigative work into the layered and complex issues of caste and sexism in India's tech industry, and elsewhere too.

About Raksha Kumar 

Raksha Kumar is an award-winning journalist, with a focus on land and forest rights. Her work highlights human rights abuses by the State, thereby holding the powerful to account. Since 2011, she has reported from twelve countries across the world and a hundred districts in India for The New York Times, BBC, The Guardian, Foreign Policy, among others. Additionally, Kumar studied media freedoms in India in great detail and wrote reports for the Committee to Protect Journalists, the International Federation of Journalists, and PEN International.

Raksha graduated from the Journalism School, Columbia University, and holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Human Rights Law. She is also a documentary filmmaker and a Chevening Fellow and has been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship for Leadership Development.

Show Notes (link)

(00:02:11) Raksha's focus on human rights in journalism.

(00:02:39) People are interesting, and each person matters.

(00:05:03) The impetus for writing about sexism in India's tech industry.

(00:05:11) Writing about caste in India.

(00:05:47) India's caste system.

(00:06:33) A court case in the US raising outside awareness to caste discrimination.

(00:07:08) Equality Labs.

(00:07:35) The case was covered in India, but there was no discourse around caste in the Indian tech industry.

(00:09:22) When discrimination was raised in the investigation, gender kept coming up.

(00:10:24) Everyone talks about gender discrimination in tech. What makes India different?

(00:12:40) "Tech came with a promise of a flatter world."

(00:13:12) The privilege of being blind to discrimination.

(00:14:09) The implicit threat to remain silent for fear of repercussion.

(00:15:14) The varied reasons for remaining silent, and the individual interpretations of discrimination.

(00:16:52) Privilege and discrimination are not mutually exclusive.

(00:18:19) Awareness of our individual privileges and the affect of our intersectionality.

(00:20:50) Observations: There hasn't been any research in caste discrimination in the Indian tech sector, and the more you delve into gender discrimination the more layers there are to investigate.

(00:23:56) The drivers behind a high percentage of women in tech in India.

(00:25:03) An open economy and upward mobility.

(00:28:45) The subconscious awareness of your career 'expiry' as a woman.

(00:29:41) The two-body problem in a different context.

(00:30:57) The issues aren't unique to tech, but the way they manifest can be.

(00:32:40) Intense, and potentially exploitative, work environments.

(00:32:51) Wrong paper, I meant: Becker, SO., Fernandes, A., Weichselbaumer, D., 'Discrimination in hiring based on potential and realized fertility: Evidence from a large-scale field experiment', Labour Economics, vol 59, 2019, pp 139-152.

(00:34:10) What makes some of these issues uniquely tech.

(00:37:22) Women's visibility.

(00:38:56) The support structure around women and careers.

(00:41:06) The need for bi-directional support.

(00:43:04) Do you know how much work it takes to make something look effortless?

(00:44:01) Well meaning policies which become unintentionally discriminatory.

(00:46:12) Law needs to take culture into consideration.

(00:49:01) The need to incorporate the humanities into science and technology education.

(00:51:45) Science is about questioning. The questioning should be about all aspects of the work, not just the science.

(00:55:18) Raksha's observations from her investigations.

(00:58:21) The journey between knowledge and realisation.

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Hosted and produced by Michele Ong.

Music is "Gypsy Jazz in Paris 1935" by Brett Van Donsel.

If you can't decide between two career paths, try exploring both. Krithika Chandramouli found biomedical engineering to be a sweet spot between health sciences and technology and was able to explore both pursuits before she found her way to software engineering. Join us as we speak about Krithika's path to software engineering, contributing back to the community through her work and mentorship, and going from a love-hate relationship with running to completing a half-marathon.

About Krithika Chandramouli 

Krithika Chandramouli is a Software Engineer at Meta. She comes with over 8 years of experience working in a range of industries like video streaming services, fintech, and social media. She is an expert on JS and full stack engineering, and is a technical and thought leader. She thrives when she is working on solving complex people problems that lead to innovation in products. She mentors young professionals, especially women, in the areas of career development in the tech industry. Outside work, Krithika is a runner, rows crew, practices Vipassana for mindfulness, a Veena player and an aspiring writer!

Show Notes (link)

(00:00:56) Biomedical engineering is the sweet spot between health sciences and technology when deciding whether to pursue med or tech.

(00:03:30) The opportunity to study a broad range of subjects.

(00:04:33) Bioengineering and nano drug delivery.

(00:06:28) Being drawn to wearable medical technology.

(00:09:05) Krithika's path to computer science through wearables.

(00:09:50) Crowdsourced labelling and gamification of medical images.

(00:11:38) Observations of the human element of crowdsourcing data.

(00:14:10) A desire to use her skills to give back to the community.

(00:16:16) Building tools to help build communities at Meta.

(00:18:58) Buy Nothing groups and the importance of community in times of crisis.

(00:21:26) Krithika's passion for mentoring and career development. Wanting to pay it forward.

(00:22:43) Finding mentors.

(00:26:59) Nerdy Girl Success.

(00:27:43) Becoming a mentor or advisor in organisations like Nerdy Girl Success.

(00:31:34) Bonus Question 1: What hobby or interest do you have that is most unrelated to your field of work?

(00:31:38) Running and marathons.

(00:34:39) With a love/hate relationship with running, why a half-marathon?

(00:38:02) Bonus Question 2: Which childhood book holds the strongest memories for you?

(00:38:14) "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini and reflections on who and where we are in this world.

(00:40:53) Kumar, R. (2022, Nov 1). The enduring sexism of India’s tech industry. Rest of World.

(00:42:58) Bonus Question 3: What advice you would give someone who wants to do what you do? Or what advice should they ignore?

(00:43:03) Advice for Life: Be bold.

(00:45:08) Reflect on your own qualities, skills, and objectives, and be intentional about it.

(00:49:56) Finding out more about Krithika.

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Hosted and produced by Michele Ong.

Music is "Gypsy Jazz in Paris 1935" by Brett Van Donsel.

Compassion in healthcare is about operating with respect in more ways than one. We've spoken previously about the cultural side of medicine and the program Operating With Respect, but today I speak with Leah Elson about developing technology and procedures that can create psychologically and physiologically better patient outcomes, and also about getting people excited about science again.

About Leah Elson 

Leah Elson is an academically-published clinical development scientist, public science communicator, and non-fiction author. Her research career in human medicine has included the fields of orthopedics, oncology, and neuroscience.

Show Notes (link)

(00:01:06) Sportscasting in college.

(00:02:24) Adventures in pre-med.

(00:03:01) Leah's early interest in surgery, but realising she could do more upstream.

(00:04:43) Research is playing the long game.

(00:05:44) Leah's current work with peripheral nerve repair and its compassionate applications.

(00:08:43) Taking a more holistic view of patient outcomes.

(00:10:28) Allowing researchers to actually see the impact of their work.

(00:11:18) STEMM can be a social equaliser because you're working towards the same goal of humanity.

(00:12:30) How Leah determines the direction of her research focus.

(00:14:59) The beauty of research rabbitholes. The best discoveries are accidental.

(00:15:51) The importance of maintaining connections and networks. You never know where you'll find convergence across fields.

(00:18:15) Hyperspecialisation and the globaliser that was COVID.

(00:20:45) The future is in unpacking genetics.

(00:24:58) The science that divides advances us.

(00:26:01) The impact of market (and climate) forces and the reminder that humans are creative and resilient.

(00:29:27) '60 Seconds of Science' and the importance of supporting the voices that inform.

(00:32:35) Science doesn't have an alignment, it's what we do with it.

(00:35:01) Science is fluid and has so much scope.

(00:36:43) Fake science and the narrative around it is evocative.

(00:38:13) Science fiction into science fact.

(00:39:05) Writing 'There Are (No) Stupid Questions … in Science'.

(00:42:05) Making people excited about science again.

(00:45:39) The accessible nature of a book like this.

(00:47:10) Being selective about what community questions to answer.

(00:48:11) Randall Munroe (xkcd).

(00:49:35) Bonus Question 1: What hobby or interest do you have that is most unrelated to your field of work?

(00:50:18) Powerlifting is complementary to Leah's optimal workflow.

(00:51:35) Bonus Question 2: Which childhood book holds the strongest memories for you?

(00:52:51) Michele's favourite childhood book.

(00:54:10) 'Where's Waldo?'

(00:55:18) Bonus Question 3: What advice you would give someone who wants to do what you do? Or what advice should they ignore?

(00:58:54) Finding out more about Leah and their work.

Listen to our conversation about Operating With Repect with Assoc Prof Rhea Liang.

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Music is "Gypsy Jazz in Paris 1935" by Brett Van Donsel.

Dr Kandis Leslie Abdul-Aziz is an Assistant Professor in the Chemical and Environmental Engineering department at the University of California, Riverside. She joined the University in 2018 after receiving her Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Before joining UC Riverside, she was a Provost postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania, where she developed procedures for synthesising heterogeneous catalysts using atomic layer deposition. She has also worked previously as a Forensic scientist for the Philadelphia police department and as a Refinery chemist at Sunoco Chemicals in Philadelphia after receiving a B.S. in Chemistry from Temple University.

Her research group develops sustainable catalytic processes using an interdisciplinary toolset from environmental, materials and chemical engineering for sustainable applications.  

In our conversation, we talk about science entrepreneurship and circular solutions that put waste to good use.

Show Notes: https://steampoweredshow.com/shows/kandis-leslie-abdul-aziz

[00:00:51] Leslie's introduction to chemistry.

[00:01:46] Where Leslie saw her future with chemistry.

[00:02:55] Working in forensics.

[00:04:07] The novelty and then the tedium of working with drugs.

[00:05:20] Developing protocols for new drugs.

[00:06:33] Inventing a sensor for drug detection.

[00:10:13] The challenges of bringing new technology to market.

[00:12:14] Alternate paths to science entrepreneurship.

[00:13:47] The path to The Sustainable Lab.

[00:16:05] The transition to an engineering role in chemistry.

[00:19:47] The types of problems The Sustainable Lab means to solve.

[00:20:04] Replacing fossil fuels with renewables or waste.

[00:21:58] The applications for converting CO2 and methane into biofuels and other materials.

[00:24:28] Applying chemistry, materials science, and chemical engineering to the optimisation of chemical processes.

[00:25:39] Repurposing agricultural and plastic waste.

[00:26:18] Investigating alternative approaches to recycling and the return to science entrepreneurship.

[00:28:56] Working on the methane problem from all ends: Dr Parwinder Kaur's past work on clovers.

[00:29:54] Bonus Question 1: What hobby or interest do you have that is most unrelated to your field of work?

[00:30:53] Bonus Question 2: Which childhood book holds the strongest memories for you?

[00:31:43] Bonus Question 3: What advice you would give someone who wants to do what you do? Or what advice should they ignore?

[00:33:59] The experience of transitioning back into research after working in industry.

[00:36:20] Learning to become a science entrepreneur.

[00:40:34] Finding out more about Leslie and The Sustainable Lab. 

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Shirley Yu is the CEO and Founder of Choosii, the community app for everyone that loves to collect (including herself and her friends - crazy plant collectors). Prior to launching Choosii, she discovered her creative side in high school, studied computer science at Rutgers, and then started an award-winning creative production studio where she created environmental portraiture and conceptual still life works for clients that include New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg Businessweek, Barclays and Toyota.  

In our conversation, we talk about Shirley's journey from computer science to entrepreneurism, her creative process, and building communities with our collections.

Show Notes: https://steampoweredshow.com/shows/shirley-yu

[00:01:17] Shirley's beginnings in computer science. [00:01:29] Shirley's family is heavily STEMM leaning. [00:02:55] With a creative background, computer science seemed like a good balance between technical and creativity. [00:04:15] Algorithms to 3D print sculptures. The intersection of creativity and technology. There's an intentionality and logic to the universe. [00:05:37] Shirley's pursuit of photography. [00:05:52] The creative problem solving of photography and bringing a vision to life. [00:07:45] Seeking a creative outlet and discovering the scope of photography. [00:10:27] Renting a studio to develop her skills in parallel with school. [00:11:38] Being nominated for awards and having commissions and realising that photography would be a viable career path.[00:13:51] Steve Giralt and being motivated to be in that world where she could innovate creatively. [00:15:20] Graduating from computer science and building her studio. [00:15:53] Developing client work, but also personal projects to explore what you're capable of creatively. [00:17:07] Being passively creative and pulling from both her technical and creative experiences. [00:19:32] Creating Choosii for collectors inspired by her own experience. [00:20:57] Creating experiences from interactions. [00:25:48] The experience doesn't end with the transaction. [00:30:39] The emotional satisfaction of knowing something you care about has gone to someone who will care about it as well. [00:34:42] Shirley made Choosii for people like her. [00:36:36] On Shirley's COVID experience and reflecting on care packages and contact. [00:42:15] The evolution of shopping habits and the trend toward supporting local businesses and responsible capitalism. [00:46:52] Creating networks from which to buy also gives provenance and builds trust. [00:47:28] Shirley's breadth of experience and interactions inform the wholistic view of how she creates. [00:50:05] Shirley's process in portraiture and capturing her subject and their environment. [00:58:42] All of Shirley's experiences and people she has met through her creative work now informs her own journey as an entrepreneur. [00:59:11] Curating her projects to reflect her own values and cultivate her journey. [01:01:08] Finding mentorship when your growth is across multiple spaces. [01:01:49] Show up. Know [01:03:42] FounderCafe. [01:04:38] Launch House. [01:05:08] Finding like-minded people and organically grow the relationships. Create new connections and reengage with old connections. [01:09:53] What it means to Shirley to be good at business. [01:12:01] Bonus Question 1: What hobby or interest do you have that is most unrelated to your field of work? [01:14:13] Loving what you do takes work, risk, and perseverance. [01:19:50] Bonus Question 2: Which childhood book holds the strongest memories for you? [01:21:16] Bonus Question 3: What advice you would give someone who wants to do what you do? Or what advice should they ignore? [01:21:26] Diversify. Always keep learning and exploring. 

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Dr Parwinder Kaur is an award-winning scientist, a passionate leader and positive role model as a mother, and a professor in science for the next generation of diverse scientists to pursue their passion for science and discovery. She leads cross-disciplinary biotechnology research investigating Earth’s biodiversity and natural environments to ensure sustainable futures. She uses her expertise to reach people in new ways, connecting them with their surroundings. Through her diverse research teams, such as ExPlanta, she harnesses STEM to achieve maximised impact. In doing so, she believes this will help us tackle the bigger issues we as society are facing, bringing about solutions through fresh thinking rather than following usual norms. She has been recognised for her substantial contributions to biotechnology and scientific excellence by the prestigious “Science and Innovation Award” by the Australian Academy of Sciences in 2013, won the Microsoft's AI for Earth award for 2019 and WA Innovator of the Year (finalist) in 2022. Dr Kaur is a passionate science communicator, an entrepreneur in the biotechnology sector, an active mentor for gender equity, a Superstar of STEM, a Women in Technology WA Role Model, GirlsXTech international ambassador working to close the gender gap in technology and Diversity in STEM expert panel appointment with the Office of the Hon Ed Husic MP, Minister for Industry and Science, Australia.  

In our conversation, we talk about biotechnology and genetics for conservation, and creating sustainable solutions through interdisciplinary innovation.

Show Notes: https://steampoweredshow.com/shows/parwinder-kaur

[00:01:11] Parwinder's journey to molecular biology and the study of DNA. [00:02:10] Growing up surrounded by different cultures and faiths. [00:03:23] Parwinder's chemistry teacher opening the door to science as an avenue to answer her questions. [00:04:28] Changing perspectives over time. The relationship between Ayurveda and epigenetics. [00:06:16] Tools don't make the science, but they sure can make things go faster. [00:06:47] Work that took Parwinder 7 years, now can be done in 7 days, because of tools. [00:08:00] The knowledge needs to progress and we can help that along by making it more accessible to get a wider range of perspectives. [00:08:38] Diversity is an important factor in innovation. [00:11:07] How Parwinder's cultural and religious background inspires her science. [00:13:18] There is enough old knowledge validated with science to suggest that we just need better tools or methods to get there as well. [00:13:47] Investigating different faiths revealed to her that there are many common beliefs about the origin of life. [00:14:35] Epigenetics. It's all connected. [00:15:13] The road to understanding DNA in a three-dimensional space. [00:19:35] We need to think bigger as well. Many of the problems we're trying to solve globally also must be viewed in multiple dimensions. [00:24:32] Parwinder's work touches on so many different areas, what has been achieved could not have been done without multidisciplinary collaboration. [00:25:53] Comparatively, Australia is less restrictive than India with respect to disciplinary boundaries. [00:28:14] The system doesn't favour multidisciplinary approaches that may take longer. [00:28:58] It's hard to inspire students to solve the problems around us if we can't allow them to explore a broader range of disciplines to find the solutions. [00:33:17] Funding and KPIs can be bound to a limited scope. [00:33:28] Obstacles to remote collaboration, and being a scientist in the most isolated city in the world. [00:37:49] Remote collaboration with a medicine lab outside KPIs has lead to initiatives like DNA Zoo. [00:41:55] Promoting Australia for its biodiversity and Perth for its Pawsey supercomputer. [00:45:38] DNA Zoo. [00:45:57] What can we learn about the superpowers of other species. [00:47:24] Conservation has to factor in genetics as well as environment. [00:48:47] The rate of innovation in genetics just for humans. Why not also for animals? [00:49:36] With technological advancements, sequencing costs are significantly more accessible. [00:52:55] It's about helping people connect the dots. Making the content public domain because this is bigger than just publishing papers. [00:55:22] Open data because not having access to the knowledge is inefficient and making it accessible allows more people to take a shot at it. [00:56:57] Data is our next bio-economy. [00:58:21] Methane from cows. [00:59:54] The factors that contribution to methane emission. [01:00:22] "You are what you eat". Let's look at diet. [01:00:49] Clovers and their simplicity and impact, and secondary discoveries in science.  [01:03:00] Japanese research on red clovers and their applications. [01:04:27] A serendipitous conversation about kombucha. [01:05:44] From a joke to a commercial opportunity in synthetic biology. [01:07:29] Giving her students another option for a career path in entrepreneurism. [01:10:57] Bonus Question 1: What hobby or interest do you have that is most unrelated to your field of work? [01:12:41] Bonus Question 2: Which childhood book holds the strongest memories for you [01:15:17] Bonus Question 3: What advice you would give someone who wants to do what you do? Or what advice should they ignore? 

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Music is Gypsy Jazz in Paris 1935 by Brett Van Donsel.

Dr Jessica McCarty is currently a tenured Associate Professor of Geography and Director of the Geospatial Analysis Center at Miami University in the United States. She has more than 15 years’ experience in remote sensing and geospatial science to quantify wildland and human-caused fires, fire emissions, agriculture and food security, and land-cover/land-use change. She is a NASA-funded investigator and author or co-author of more than 35 peer-reviewed journal articles, 4 data citations, and 1 NASA Technology Transfer. She is a member of the NASA Land-Cover/Land-Use Science Team and an Arctic Council Working Group, and has worked closely with many U.S. federal and state agencies as well as the United Nations. She is originally from the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky and is a mom. She prefers dogs to cats and coffee to tea.  

In our conversation, we talk about the multidisciplinary nature of geography, fire, agriculture, and the two-body problem.

Show Notes: https://steampoweredshow.com/shows/jessica-mccarty

[00:01:02] Jessica's journey to public policy. [00:01:30] Being willing to say yes to some seemingly odd requests. [00:02:14] Mapping human-caused fire across the lower 48 states of the US. [00:03:09] Being asked to do similar for Europe / Eurasia and IIASA. [00:04:26] The importance of international conferences and being exposed to the policy side of the work. [00:05:13] Understanding diplomacy and cross-cultural communication in a global space. [00:07:24] Fire and agriculture are male dominated areas. [00:10:16] Be willing to say 'yes', but recognise when you're not the right fit for the opportunity. Pay it forward. [00:12:28] Get to know who your civil servants are because science is closely tied to the factors that make up our society. [00:14:00] Scientists and policy-makers work together to find solutions. [00:16:52] Sometimes the reality is hard to hear. But it's necessary. [00:17:19] The private sector is becoming more directly interested in building resilience into their business model. [00:18:29] Academia and research is not the only path, use your expertise to create that bridge to industry as well. [00:20:23] If you're here, and you want to be here, this is where you belong. [00:21:35] What drew Jessica to fire and agriculture. [00:21:52] Jessica's upbringing around farms, national forests, and living off the land. [00:22:33] Living with the reality of wildfires and prescribed burning. [00:23:01] Learning and loving about satellites and GIS. [00:23:49] Realising she could combine technology and the knowledge she was raised with. [00:24:58] Geography is about the land as well as the people. [00:27:10] Researching fire regimes in the arctic and boreal regions. What is burning and why? [00:28:44] Prescribed burning and investigating (over) managing the land. [00:30:16] Understanding the transition between the boreal and the artic and the impact of fire in these areas. [00:30:41] Quantifying the benefits and impact of prescribed fire and cultural burning. [00:31:48] Short‑lived climate forcers (SLCFs) and the albedo effect. [00:33:18] Trying to ensure that all participants are compensated for their contributions. You pay your experts. [00:34:44] Working with the commercial satellite data to understand how much human-caused burning is happening in Northern America. [00:35:50] Working with a NASA-led team on how near-term climate futures impacts food security and food systems. Multi-factor including social systems and infrastructure. [00:37:12] Building up global scientists. We don't want to do 'parachute science' and leave anyone behind. [00:39:22] The land is also the relationship that people have with it. [00:39:53] The mission is to understand the universe, and the earth is part of it. [00:40:18] The transition to making knowledge and technology accessible to encourage collaboration and innovation. [00:41:23] Open data can lead to more applications and use cases. [00:42:40] NASA transitioning to open-source science. [00:43:20] How fire in the southern hemisphere is connected to the northern hemisphere. [00:46:20] Satellite imagery and visualisation exposing the connections between these global systems. [00:47:51] We're all connected. [00:51:27] Geography trains you very quickly to see the connections. [00:53:00] Do you know the difference between moose and elk? [00:54:45] Geography is the study of home. It's home economics on a global scale. [00:56:31] Deep time / Deep ecology. There is permafrost older than our species. Getting some perspective. [00:58:12] A point of reflection. Humans don't do well with uncertainty. We are in a moment of pause. But it's a time of opportunity. [01:01:40] The opportunities to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion by using technology to make science and knowledge more accessible. [01:02:47] Michele's not-COVID project. [01:04:43] Bonus Question 1: What hobby or interest do you have that is most unrelated to your field of work? [01:07:50] Bonus Question 2: Which childhood book holds the strongest memories for you? [01:11:19] Children and developing a sense of justice or injustice. [01:16:14] Bonus Question 3: What advice would you give someone who wants to do what you do? Or what advice should they ignore? [01:16:18] You don't have to pursue graduate studies immediately. You can take your time. [01:18:22] Make sure you get out what you put in in terms of your work and respect. You need to be able to thrive. [01:20:26] The two-body problem and balancing careers, relationships, and identity. [01:29:04] The freedom to have the choice to live our lives the way we feel works for us. [01:35:04] Find out more about Jessica and their work. 

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Music is Gypsy Jazz in Paris 1935 by Brett Van Donsel.

Anna Ritzema is a passionate STEM educator, working in rural and regional Western Australia. In 2020 she was named WA Science and Engineering Teacher, having led her school to the finals of the Governor's STEM awards and becoming a Teacher Development program for STEM and Science. She was awarded the School Plus 2021 Teaching Fellowship. Anna currently works at the Polly Farmer foundation and is an advocate for young girls and Women in STEM. She was a finalist for the Director General's Women of the Year 2020.  

In our conversation, we talk about inquiry based learning, and how we can guide students through their curiosity, and help them to succeed.

Show Notes: https://steampoweredshow.com/shows/anna-ritzema

[00:01:00] What drew Anna to education. [00:02:14] The relationships that we build as teachers and the impact that it has. [00:03:51] Encouraging and cultivating engagement and instilling self-believe and confidence. [00:05:17] Balancing passion for STEM subjects and the fear of getting it wrong. [00:08:42] Making teaching STEM about the journey and not just hitting the objectives. [00:10:52] Peer learning and learning to teach is important at all ages. [00:14:08] Incorporate mindfulness in the teaching and learning experience. [00:14:56] Education systems, modes of learning, and developmental stages. [00:18:14] Empowering teachers to be flexible within the system and in the context of individual development. [00:20:06] KPIs of the teachers don't always correspond to the intrinsic value of the experiences and learning development of the students. [00:22:58] Anna's journey and initial reluctance to enter STEM. [00:23:54] Discovering a love for the analytical side of linguistics. [00:24:38] Teaching at Dragon School and having the opportunity to hone her craft. [00:26:17] Taking a position as a science teacher and finding she actually enjoyed this. [00:27:17] Science is magic. [00:32:23] Teachers provide direction and can help keep dreams alive even when there isn't an obvious path. [00:34:03] The privilege of being able to see your potential right in front of you. [00:34:55] Providing opportunities to connect with possible industries and futures. [00:37:37] Virtual STEM academies and the technology to bring the wider world closer to home. [00:43:46] Enquiry-based learning. [00:47:49] Polly Farmer Foundation and their programs empowering indigenous students and incorporating the knowledge of the First Scientists into what we do now. [00:51:15] On problem solving and learning about failure. [00:54:59] Crafting learning narrative, connecting to the emotion and being able to reflect on the process. [00:56:30] Building that relationship so the rest will follow. [00:58:24] Learning that indirect routes can be fun and just as rewarding. [01:00:09] Not being "the sage on the stage, but being the guide from the side". [01:01:17] Anna's key observations teaching in such a wide variety of environments. [01:01:48] "Every child will make progress in my care… I am proud to be their teacher, and every child has impacted my journey." [01:06:18] Always looking for what a child can do. [01:07:40] Believing in yourself and each other is powerful. [01:09:53] Bonus Question 1: What hobby or interest do you have that is most unrelated to your field of work? [01:12:21] Bonus Question 2: Which childhood book holds the strongest memories for you? [01:14:35] Perspective on others' experiences. [01:17:59] Bonus Question 3: What advice you would give someone who wants to do what you do? Or what advice should they ignore? [01:18:07] It's about passion. [01:19:03] Do not doubt your power as an educator. 

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Music is Gypsy Jazz in Paris 1935 by Brett Van Donsel.

Gry Stene loves to share her observations from her 30+ years as an "IT Girl" aka Woman in Tech.

When it came to choosing a career, Gry only had a couple of criteria…

Firstly, she wanted to help people solve problems and create a better world. Secondly, she wanted to prove that girls were as capable as boys. Given her proficiency in maths and science, information technology (IT) was a very real option, and when she realised that IT was likely to be a key component and foundation for solving pervasive problems across industries globally, the choice was easy. She started her career with a BSc(Hon) of Computation in Manchester, England in the late eighties and has built on that ever since.

Through her career, Gry has had the opportunity to design and deliver solutions across many industries, creating the right mix of people, systems, processes and culture. She has been fortunate to work across all continents and is as at home in early stage startups as she is in global conglomerates.

Often the only woman in the room, she has a unique perspective on IT, the people in IT, and what we need to do to create diverse and inclusive cultures where people feel they belong. She is driven to ensure that we create meaningful technology and are ethical in our considerations.

Gry loves the expression "same same but different", and lives to engage, empower and inspire people to find their place in a digital world.

As an original "IT Girl" from the 80s who studied Computer Science and started out as programmer at a time when there were 35-40% women in key roles, she has loved working across continents in customer obsessed roles, and is equally at home in conceptual stage startups as she is in global conglomerates. She is deeply concerned with the downward trend of women in tech, especially as tech creators and inventors, and is on a mission to encourage, enable, empower and inspire more women, girls and other underrepresented people to step into IT! 

The IT Girls Rock community is part of that mission, as are the projects and initiatives across education, corporate and technology that she designs, develops and delivers through her social enterprise STEAM Engine Global.  

In our conversation, we talk about Gry's journey to computing, being an IT Girl, and building an ecosystem that cultivates and nurtures careers in tech for women.

Show Notes: https://steampoweredshow.com/shows/gry-stene

[00:01:11] Gry's worldly early years. [00:02:33] Academic proficiency leading towards mathematics and sciences. [00:03:45] Pursuing sciences further in high school. [00:05:20] Returning and readjusting back to Norway. [00:06:05] Choosing a career path. [00:09:30] Applying 'ikigai' and f inding your purpose. [00:10:05] Gry's motivations for pursuing computation. [00:11:37] Entering the workforce and growing her understanding of the scope of technical work. [00:13:31] Learning you can't be a dev in isolation. [00:15:22] Dame Stephanie Shirley. [00:16:18] #DevThings Segue: Technical Debt. [00:18:24] The need to cultivate diversity in teams. [00:22:46] Observations about gravitating towards roles which accommodate our other aspects. [00:26:49] Prioritisation habits of high performing women. [00:31:29] Standards. [00:35:06] Finding a place for everyone's unique skillsets. [00:36:58] Solving the right problems. [00:40:25] Expanding your thinking about what others' experiences are. [00:58:23] STEAM Engine Global. [00:58:31] Cultivating spaces in the pipeline for creating belonging and nurturing talent. [01:06:15] Following her north star. [01:08:14] Bonus Question 1: What hobby or interest do you have that is most unrelated to your field of work? [01:13:24] Bonus Question 2: Which childhood book holds the strongest memories for you [01:14:27] Bonus Question 3: What advice you would give someone who wants to do what you do? Or what advice should they ignore? 

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Music is Gypsy Jazz in Paris 1935 by Brett Van Donsel.