Her Story of Success

Rana el Kaliouby, co-founder and CEO of Affectiva, believes technology has enormous potential to improve people’s lives, but she wants to make sure it doesn’t dehumanize us in the process. She’s a pioneer in the field of Emotion AI, and she’s working to create technology that can detect human emotion and cognitive states. Rana holds a Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge and a Post Doctorate from MIT. Through her research and her work at Affectiva, she developed a product that helps people with autism learn to read other people’s emotions and facial expressions, and she’s working to find new ways to help people with mental illness as well. Rana has also given a TedTalk, hosted a PBS Nova series on artificial intelligence, and authored the book Girl Decoded: A Scientist’s Quest to Reclaim Our Humanity by Bringing Emotional Intelligence to Technology.

Rana has become a highly respected figure in the tech world, due to both her groundbreaking research and her advocacy for greater diversity in the industry. She’s been listed on Fortune’s 40 Under 40 and Forbes’ Top 50 Women in Tech. She’s also been honored as World Economic Forum Young Global Leader and is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization.

In This Episode:

Rana shares her story of growing up in the Middle East and making the uncommon decision to move to England and pursue a career in technology. Along with sharing some amazing stories of ways her technology is improving people’s lives, she opens up about some of the struggles she’s faced on her journey, including divorce, imposter syndrome and raising money as a female founder.

Episode Highlights:

• Rana’s experience of growing up around technology in the Middle East and moving past cultural norms to pursue her career
• The importance of overcoming imposter syndrome to realize you have something important to say
• What it’s like to raise money as a female founder
• How to cultivate diversity of background and perspective in a company
• Rana’s story of adapting her technology to help people with autism, and her larger vision for a world where technology can use empathy

Toni Purry wants to be the hype woman who reminds people to celebrate their wins. She’s an entrepreneur, visibility strategist and speaker who helps women build their confidence and find new ways to show up in the world. She’s also the author of My Hype Book, a motivational journal that guides readers to self-discovery through recognition and reflection.

Toni has more than 20 years of public relations experience, and the agency she started, Purry Communications Group, represented major brands like Marriott, Disney, Habitat for Humanity, Alabama State University, and many more. After 11 years of running that agency, Toni pivoted to helping individuals build confidence and elevate their personal brands. She has helped her clients land placements with The Today Show, Food Network, USA Today, The LA Times, O Magazine and more. Toni has also been honored with awards including a PRSA Prism Award and multiple AVA Awards, and she earned a spot in the exclusive O Magazine and Chase Bank “Stay A Step Ahead” program.

In This Episode:

Toni shares her inspiring story of building a successful PR career and offers insight into some of the lessons she’s learned along the way. She also explains how you can build confidence and elevate your brand in the process.

Episode Highlights:

• Toni’s story of discovering a love for public relations
• The importance of asking for new opportunities
• Building a business during an economic crisis
• The power of having a hype man
• Leaving the business you started and overcoming guilt
• How to build confidence
• Toni’s story of breaking down barriers as a Black woman and pageant contestant in the South

Sponsor: This podcast is sponsored in part by Piccolo Marketing, providing outsourced marketing professionals for business owners. Piccolo Marketing is our go to resource when it comes to comprehensive marketing strategies and execution. Learn more at piccolomarketing.com

Lucinda Cross wears many hats in business, but all of them center around her passion for empowering women to reach new levels of success. She’s the Founder and President of Activate Worldwide, a small business consulting firm that caters specifically to women. She also sells vision board kits and is an acclaimed author, keynote speaker and educator. Lucinda has worked with brands like NIKE and TJ Maxx to host women and youth empowerment programs, and her work has been featured in ESSENCE, The New York Times, CNN, BET and more. Lucinda also created a nonprofit organization called Activate Your Life, which helps women re-enter their communities and become entrepreneurs after being involved in the Department of Justice System.

Lucinda always felt passionate about business and marketing, but it took her years to realize that she needed to stop doing behind the scenes work for other, successful entrepreneurs and start activating her own power as a speaker, leader and marketer. She rebranded her entire company around the idea that she was her own “best kept secret” and has built her success around empowering other women to embrace their own talents and abilities.

In This Episode:

Lucinda tells her inspiring story of learning to take credit for her work and stop limiting herself. She also opens up about some of the biggest struggles she faced and lessons she learned in the process, from practical concerns such as delegation to larger issues like making the money she deserves in a male-dominated field.

Episode Highlights:

• Lucinda’s story of realizing she was a “best kept secret” and deciding to start her own company
• The power of mentorship and putting in sweat equity while starting your business
• Recognizing what you need to delegate and finding the right team to support your growth
• Empowering women to reach new levels of success in male-dominated industries
• Envisioning your wildest dreams and making them a reality

Books and Resources Mentioned:

• Strengthsfinder 2.0 by Tom Rath
• The Big ASK by Lucinda Cross
• Free vision board template download
• Upwork: Hire freelance professionals

Non-Profit Spotlight: Activate Your Life works to celebrate, support, educate and connect women, helping them to integrate with their communities and re-enter the workforce after hardship and difficult transitions. They help women to rebuild, restore and re-invent themselves, all while promoting entrepreneurship as a means of economic advancement.

Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Insperity, an HR company that makes a difference. Insperity combines first class service and robust technology so you can focus on your people.

Career Thrivers Founder Brittany Cole believes every experience is an opportunity for continuous improvement, and she brings that attitude into all of her work as a speaker, coach and consultant. At Career Thrivers, Brittany partners with organizations to engage, develop and retain diverse talent through targeted leadership development. She’s also a TEDx speaker and host of the Career Thrivers Podcast.

Before starting her company, Brittany spent 12 years working at Pfizer, where she started as an intern and grew to become a high level sales and marketing leader. In August of 2019, she left the security of that job to start her own venture, because she wanted to spend more time pursuing her passion of helping others grow and thrive. Brittany also brings that passion to her local community, serving as a mentor for Pathway Women’s Business Center, the marketing director for NSN Nashville and a coach for TEDxNashville.

Brittany’s decision to take the leap into entrepreneurship was a difficult one, and she shares how experiencing grief and loss transformed her into a person who had a new perspective on her purpose in life. As a highly respected thought leader around diversity, inclusion and equity, Brittany also offers her perspective on some of the challenges women of color face in the workplace, and she gives advice to leaders who are looking to intentionally create more safe and inclusive environments.

In This Episode:

Brittany shares some of the biggest lessons she’s learned about career and family while working in corporate America and starting her own company. She also discusses the importance of allyship in the workplace and provides practical advice for anyone looking to build greater inclusivity in their organization.

Episode Highlights:

• How Brittany decided to take the leap and start her own company
• Defining diversity, inclusion and equity
• The six components of allyship in the workplace and why it matters
• The importance of allowing yourself to grieve losses in career and family
• How Brittany’s husband has been her biggest champion
• What it means to redefine resilience and learn from loss

Resources Brittany Mentioned:

• The Awareness and Actions of Allies
• Career Thrivers Podcast and its vault of free resources
• Brittany’s TEDx Talk on Redefining Resilience

Non-Profit Spotlight: Girl, unKnown Inc. provides hygiene and education for disadvantaged girls around the United States. They also hold educational events to spread awareness about women’s issues and highlight some of the amazing things women are achieving all around the world.

Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Insperity, an HR company that makes a difference. Insperity combines first class service and robust technology so you can focus on your people.

Dr. Sophia Yen is the co-founder and CEO of Pandia Health, the world’s only doctor led, women founded, and woman led birth control delivery company. With more than 20 years of experience in medicine, Dr. Sophia is board-certified in Adolescent Medicine, with a Doctorate of Medicine from UCSF Medical School and a Master’s of Public Health from UC Berkeley in Maternal Child Health. She started Pandia Health out of a desire to make women’s lives easier by reducing “pill anxiety,” the stress that comes with having to refill birth control every month. As a respected thought leader and educator, Dr. Sophia is also passionate about educating women about topics like #PeriodsOptional, sexually-transmitted infections, acne, and other adolescent health issues. She has spoken at SXSW, TedxSilicon Valley Women, TedxBerkley, and at universities around the U.S., along with teaching as a Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Stanford Medical School.

Even though Dr. Sophia is incredibly qualified to run Pandia Health, she has often struggled to get the same level of funding as her male counterparts, and she’s had to navigate the difficult regulations around practicing medicine in different states. She joins Leah on Her Story of Success for an honest conversation about the struggles so many female founders face, especially when pitching female-focused products and services to male venture capitalists. Dr. Sophia also explains how you can partner with Pandia Health to help bring affordable, stress-free birth control to women across the U.S., especially those who may struggle to afford it on their own.

In This Episode:

Dr. Sophia shares insight into the ways pill anxiety and periods can negatively affect women and describes how Pandia Health is actively working to solve those issues. She also opens up about her experience of being the only female founder and CEO of a birth control delivery company, and she and Leah discuss the importance of pushing through frustration that can arise when you have a big vision but change is happening slowly.

Here are some of the highlights:

• How Pandia Health is getting rid of pill anxiety for women
• The health benefits of #PeriodsOptional and getting affordable birth control through Pandia Health
• The unique challenges of running a FemTech company and trying to get funding
• Pushing through the frustration of slow-moving change and continuing to stay passionate about your goals

Non-Profit Spotlight: In Her Shoes helps girls and women around the world live courageously. In addition to hosting an annual women’s summit, they also provide workshops and leadership training for high school girls. Everything In Her Shoes does is centered around one question: “What would you do if you were 1% more courageous?” With this mission in mind, they help girls to understand their passions, express themselves and pursue possibility in every area of their lives.

Sponsored By: This episode is sponsored by Insperity, an HR company that makes a difference. Insperity combines first class service and robust technology so you can focus on your people.