In Her Ellement

In this special holiday episode, we’re taking you back to Season 1 for Andrea Gallego’s conversation with Constance Curtis, Founder of The List.Anyone who has ever dreamt of becoming a tech entrepreneur will ask themselves pivotal questions. How will I raise capital?  Where do I recruit talent? What if I don’t know how to code?  Constance Curtis founded The List to revolutionize modern dating, driven by her frustration with online dating apps.  She shares her founder's journey with us in this episode. As a consumer in the online dating space, Constance was fed up with all of the common problems that people experience; online misrepresentation, the time and energy investment involved and the discouragement from not finding a successful match. Constance decided to found The List with the idea of revolutionizing dating for the 21st Century using AI and data science to make dating a more efficient, successful and enjoyable experience.  As a tech entrepreneur Constance faces the challenges of raising capital, recruiting smart talented tech co-founders to work alongside her and how you’ve got to just keep going even after setbacks.  Constance’s story is sure to be inspiring to anyone who has ever had a dream of running their own business and she’s got valuable real-world experience to share of how to make it happen. Join us every episode with hosts Suchi Srinivasan & Corin Lines from BCG to hear meaningful conversations with women in digital, technology and business. 

Dr. Beth Willman is a powerhouse in the astronomy space. In this episode, she discusses how she's navigated the changes in her career, taking her all the way from academia to huge sky-mapping projects.This episode was hosted by Dr. Adi Zolotov, Partner and Associate Director of Data Science at BCG Gamma. In her academic career, Beth is famous for discovering a new class of galaxies, the first of which became known as Willman 1. She’s completed multiple post-doctorial fellowships and professorships from institutions such as NYU, the ​​Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, and Haverford College, an institution that focuses on the liberal arts. Throughout her career, Beth has made sure to make changes based on her own goals rather than the expectations of others. She’s also a prolific mentor and still keeps in touch with many of her ex-students to this day. Beth is incredibly passionate about inclusion and diversity and is always looking for new ways to encourage more people into astronomy.Join us every episode with hosts Suchi Srinivasan & Corin Lines from BCG to hear meaningful conversations with women in digital, technology, and business.

Anjana Susarla is the Professor of Responsible AI at Michigan State University - Eli Broad College of Business. In this episode, she talks about her journey to becoming one of the leaders in her field, her work advocating for more inclusive AI models, and how she successfully juggled family and work during the pandemic.Anjana’s story is truly remarkable. After suffering financial hardship, Anjana’s parents moved her family to a village in rural India, away from their home in Kakinada. She had dreams of studying in the US. and eventually made them happen through talent and persistence. Anjana’s academic career has put her on the very cutting edge of AI research. She believes that one of the ways we can tackle bias in AI is to recruit more women into the creation and coding of AI.Join us every episode with hosts Suchi Srinivasan & Corin Lines from BCG to hear meaningful conversations with women in digital, technology, and business.

Why is it so important to have a seat at the table? Sirisha Kadamalakalva shares how she’s straddled the worlds of investment banking and technology to become DataRobot’s first Chief Strategy Officer.Sirisha began her career in tech as a software engineer at Oracle but decided to pursue a path in investment banking after completing her MBA at the University of Chicago, Booth School of Business. Beginning with a summer internship at Merrill Lynch, she rose through the ranks to become the first and only female Managing Director of Software Investment Banking in the entire company. Sirisha made the decision to have children early in her career but believes that her industry has become more accommodating of parents and family life.Sirisha believes that there is still a lack of female role models in investment banking. Despite efforts to recruit more women into the industry, few are retained in senior positions. Join us every episode with hosts Suchi Srinivasan & Corin Lines from BCG to hear meaningful conversations with women in digital, technology, and business.

 We’re kicking off Season 2 with our new co-host Suchi Srinivasan, an AI and digital expert and Managing Director and Partner at BCG Platinion. In this episode, Suchi takes us on the journey that led her to the top of a field that's straight out of science fiction.Suchi grew up with a dad who worked as an engineer, and vividly remembers the tech he brought home with him from work. After her studies, she went on to work as a software engineer at the former Bell Telephone Laboratories, moving on to Microsoft during a time of huge change and innovation in the company. Suchi is passionate about using technology as a way to solve some of our world’s most complex and pressing challenges such as climate change. In 2011 Suchi became one of the founding members of the Cleanweb Hackathon, a non-profit community-building event for global entrepreneurs and software developers. The goal was to drive IT-powered innovation and large-scale climate change impact. The event grew into an organization that boasted over 10,000 members across 25+ countries.Suchi is also an advisor and sponsor for Women In Cloud, a community-led economic development organization taking collective action to generate $1B in new net economic access for women entrepreneurs and professionals by 2030.Join us every episode with hosts Suchi Srinivasan & Corin Lines from BCG to hear meaningful conversations with women in digital, technology, and business.

We’re back for Season 2 of In Her Ellement, a podcast from BCG!Join AI and digital expert Suchi Srinivasan and product designer Corin Lines for meaningful and vulnerable conversations with women leaders and allies in business, digital, and technology. In Season 2 you can expect more deep dives into the often difficult journey to the top, more demystification of the barriers women face in their careers, and more celebrations of the joy they find in their everyday work.Episode 1 of In Her Ellement Season 2 is out now. Listen on your favorite podcast app.

Deciding to move on can be challenging. Andrea Gallego, formerly Managing Director and Partner at BCG Gamma makes her career transitions based on where she can make the most impact. In this episode, we say goodbye to our co-host as she shares a little about her career trajectory.Andrea began her career as a freshman intern at Lehman Brothers, moving on to the Simons Foundation after the bank’s collapse in 2008. She then moved on to senior roles at Booz Allen, McKinsey & Company, and then finally onto BCG. Throughout her career, Andrea has found joy in working with dynamic teams and diverse talent. She believes that manifesting and visualizing your goals drives success. In this episode, Andrea mentions another BCG alumni, Martin Kon, who now acts as Youtube’s CFO. Join us every episode with hosts Andrea Gallego & Corin Lines from BCG to hear meaningful conversations with women in digital, technology and business.

What can we do to invite more diverse talent into our field? Astera Schneeweisz, Partner and Director of Engineering, Information Security and Compliance at BCG Digital Ventures thinks that celebrating curiosity, cultivating a kind listening ear, and demystifying your field are critical elements of active allyship.Like many in tech, Astera started their journey by taking things apart and putting them back together. This curiosity led them into the field of cyber security. They began their career at the Austrian internet provider Nessus, eventually going on to be Head of Security at Soundcloud. Astera thinks that the cyber security world has an equitable gender balance, but that there is still more to be done to encourage fresh talent into the field. They also highlight the importance of groups and support networks as a way to feel connected in their work and private life.Join us every episode with hosts Corin Lines & Suchi Srinivasan from BCG to hear meaningful conversations with women in digital, technology and business.

How can you succeed in tech if your background is nontraditional? Kalina Nikolova has worked in the advertising industry for over 25 years and now acts as VP of Business Operations & Strategy at Yahoo. In this episode, Kalina talks about her mission to champion a diverse range of talent.How can you succeed in tech if your background is nontraditional? Kalina Nikolova has worked in the advertising industry for over 25 years and now acts as VP of Business Operations & Strategy at Yahoo. In this episode, Kalina talks about her mission to champion a diverse range of talent.Originally emigrating from Bulgaria to pursue an MBA at New York University, Kalina believes that her unique perspective as a first-generation immigrant has benefitted her throughout her career. As a passionate mentor, Kalina advocates for more inclusion in tech and sees workplace flexibility as a way to promote equity. Kalina is also the mother of three girls and credits her success, in part, to the support she has received along the way in both her personal life and her career.Join us every episode with hosts Andrea Gallego & Corin Lines from BCG to hear meaningful conversations with women in digital, technology, and business.

How can employers keep talented women engaged for the long haul? In this episode, Debika Bhattacharya, Chief Product Officer at Verizon Business reflects on how her supportive and dynamic company has kept her excited about the telecom industry for over 25 years.As a child, Debika had an aptitude for science and technology. This eventually led her to study electrical engineering and physics at MIT. Beginning her career at Verizon as a frontline engineer, she has risen all the way to the top, keeping her feet firmly planted in both the technical and business sides of the company. Debika is a passionate advocate for employees setting boundaries around their lives outside of work. She also feels strongly that companies should support and care for their employees when they experience challenges in their personal lives.Join us every episode with hosts Andrea Gallego & Corin Lines from BCG to hear meaningful conversations with women in digital, technology, and business. Debika is also a member of a number of groups that support women in their careers, including:Society of Women EngineersInstitute of Electrical and Electronics EngineersChiefMIT Society of Women Engineers