• On the Fence to On The Ballot: How She Should Run’s Erin Loos Cutraro is Working to Put More Women in Office
    Nov 7 2024
    Welcome to B The Way Forward: Interludes - a mini series of special episodes and conversations that stand apart from our regular season, but are just too good not to share. Last night was election night in America, and as we publish this episode today (November 6th, 2024) we can say that it was historic - but not because the US elected its first female president. Once again, the highest glass ceiling was cracked but not shattered. Kamala Harris wasn’t the only woman on the ballot this election. According to the Center for American Women and Politics, 289 women ran for the House, Senate, and Governorships and hundreds more ran in state and city elections. And yet, CAWP’s analysis shows that women made up only about 27% of candidates this cycle. That’s actually down 2% from 2020. How can our government represent us all when 51% of the population isn't equally represented in public office? And in our current era of intense polarization and heated political rhetoric, how do you even convince women that running for office is worth it? On this episode of B The Way Forward, Brenda sits down with She Should Run Founder and CEO Erin Loos Cutraro to unpack those questions. They talk about the forces stacked against women who might otherwise run, how they can be overcome, and how to respond to the bad faith arguments leveled at attempts to diversify public office. “I couldn't get over the fact that the research, and it's still true today, shows that when women run for office, they win at the same rate as men. And I couldn't stand the fact of knowing there were so many women who weren't even in this space to consider their own leadership and that we just needed some kind of effort that would speak to them.” --- At AnitaB.org, we envision a future where the people who imagine and build technology mirror the people and societies for whom they build it. Find out more about how we support women, non-binary individuals, and other underrepresented groups in computing, as well as the organizations that employ them and the academic institutions training the next generations. --- Connect with AnitaB.org Instagram - @anitab_org Facebook - /anitab.0rg LinkedIn - /anitab-org On the web - anitab.org --- Our guests contribute to this podcast in their personal capacity. The views expressed in this interview are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology or its employees (“AnitaB.org”). AnitaB.org is not responsible for and does not verify the accuracy of the information provided in the podcast series. The primary purpose of this podcast is to educate and inform. This podcast series does not constitute legal or other professional advice or services. --- B The Way Forward Is… Hosted and Executive Produced by Brenda Darden Wilkerson. Produced by Avi Glijansky Associate Produced by Kelli Kyle Sound design and editing by Ryan Hammond Mixing and mastering by Julian Kwasneski Additional Producing help from Faith Krogulecki Operations Coordination for AnitaB.org by Quinton Sprull. Creative Director for AnitaB.org is Deandra Coleman Executive Produced by Dominique Ferrari, Stacey Book, and Avi Glijansky for Frequency Machine Podcast Marketing from Lauren Passell with Tink Media in partnership with Coley Bouschet at AnitaB.org Photo of Brenda Darden Wilkerson by Mandisa Media Productions For more ways to be the way forward, visit AnitaB.org
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    48 mins
  • Announcing B The Way Forward: Interludes
    Nov 1 2024
    The B The Way Forward team is hard at work on Season 2, premiering in December 2024. But you won't have to wait until then for more of the the honest, insightful, and inspiring conversations you’ve come to expect from this feed. Introducing B The Way Forward: Interludes - special episodes and conversations that stand apart from our regular season, but are just too good not to share. First up, two interludes focused on ways that our democracy is working at a time when many of us are scared it's on the verge of becoming irreversibly dysfunctional. The first is a special conversation - taped live at Grace Hopper Celebration 2024 - with the United State’s Chief Information Officer of the White House, Clare Martorana and the Senior Advisor to the Chief Information Officer, Noreen Hecmanczuk [Heck-min-zek]. Clare and Noreen share how the OFCIO is using technology to transform the way we interact with our government, and make it easier for citizens to participate. Then, a conversation with Erin Loos Cutraro the founder and CEO of She Should Run, a national non-partisan organization working to drastically increase the number of women considering a run for office. And this first min-series of Interludes wraps up with two more episodes taped live at GHC24. Both focuson how we can create innovation that makes the world a more equitable place - and despite what some folks may say - do it while also creating successful businesses. So if you haven’t already, follow B The Way Forward wherever you listen, or watch video versions of these episodes at anitab.org/podcast.
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    2 mins
  • Transforming Government: Innovation, AI, and Human-Centered Policy with Clare Martorana and Noreen Hecmanczuk
    Nov 1 2024
    Welcome to B The Way Forward: Interludes - a mini series of special episodes and conversations that stand apart from our regular season, but are just too good not to share. A lot of things probably spring to mind when you hear the words “Federal Government.” “Innovation, understanding, adoption, and regulation of new technology” is likely not one of them. More likely, citizen-facing government technology brings to mind websites that feel outdated - like something still stuck in the era of dial up. But in this special episode of B The Way Forward, recorded live at Grace Hopper Celebration 2024, Brenda speaks to two incredible leaders working to change that - Clare Martorana, the President’s Federal Chief Information Officer and Noreen Hecmanczuk, the Senior Advisor to the Federal Chief Information Officer. Together with the rest of the staff of the OFCIO, Clare and Noreen are doing so much more than merely pushing for the adoption of new technology. They’re working to save taxpayer dollars, make sure that it’s easier for all of us to interact with our government, and streamline citizen participation. In this conversation, Clare and Noreen talk about the challenges and opportunities of driving digital transformation in government, from navigating complex agency processes to ensuring AI governance. Plus, how they harness talent - maybe even talent like you - to deliver more efficient, secure, and user-friendly government services. “We have federal employees doing extraordinary things. We not only need to meet our federal employees and make it easier for them to do their jobs, but we also owe it to the American public for us to be able to use the incredible technology - that we've mostly invented in America - to benefit the public. Like that is the most simple thing. So to me, digital transformation is just inherently American. And it is something that we can continue to advance and streamline. But what it takes, is people like you joining.” --- At AnitaB.org, we envision a future where the people who imagine and build technology mirror the people and societies for whom they build it. Find out more about how we support women, non-binary individuals, and other underrepresented groups in computing, as well as the organizations that employ them and the academic institutions training the next generations. --- Connect with AnitaB.org Instagram - @anitab_org Facebook - /anitab.0rg LinkedIn - /anitab-org On the web - anitab.org --- Our guests contribute to this podcast in their personal capacity. The views expressed in this interview are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology or its employees (“AnitaB.org”). AnitaB.org is not responsible for and does not verify the accuracy of the information provided in the podcast series. The primary purpose of this podcast is to educate and inform. This podcast series does not constitute legal or other professional advice or services. --- B The Way Forward Is… Hosted and Executive Produced by Brenda Darden Wilkerson. Produced by Avi Glijansky Associate Produced by Kelli Kyle Sound design and editing by Ryan Hammond Mixing and mastering by Julian Kwasneski Additional Producing help from Faith Krogulecki Operations Coordination for AnitaB.org by Quinton Sprull. Creative Director for AnitaB.org is Deandra Coleman Executive Produced by Dominique Ferrari, Stacey Book, and Avi Glijansky for Frequency Machine Podcast Marketing from Lauren Passell with Tink Media in partnership with Coley Bouschet at AnitaB.org Photo of Brenda Darden Wilkerson by Mandisa Media Productions For more ways to be the way forward, visit AnitaB.org
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    35 mins
  • How Humans and AI can Work Together with BCG’s Suchi Srinivasan
    Oct 17 2024
    On this episode of “B The Way Forward,” host Brenda Darden Wilkerson is joined by AI and digital technology expert, Suchi Srinivasan. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, Suchi is extremely sought after for her expertise and knowledge and is currently managing director and partner at Boston Consulting Group. Suchi sits at the helm of the artificial intelligence space where she is passionate about using technology to solve some of the world’s most complex problems. Suchi tells Brenda about her personal career journey and how her own engineer father inspired the path she’s on today. Together, they chat through their tech industry experiences and why we need more representation in the building of AI technology. Suchi gives listeners critical advice for familiarizing yourself with new AI technology and how she keeps an optimistic view for the future of emerging technologies. Brenda and Suchi also reminisce on their shared experiences as podcast hosts and the importance of sharing these stories. You can find Suchi co-hosting Boston Consulting Group’s “In Her Ellement” Podcast, showcasing women at the vanguard of business, digital, and technology. “Tech has to make our human existence better. It's not the other way around. And it's really important for us to remember that and bring that perspective into whatever our job is. Whether we're a designer, whether we're a software engineer, whether we're a business decision maker, it doesn't matter. But it's all in service of humanity.” For more, check out Sushi and Boston Consulting Group... On LinkedIn - /boston-consulting-group & /bcg-X On X - @BCG & @bcgx_ On Instagram - @bcg & @bcgx_ On Facebook - /BostonConsultingGroup And listen to Suchi's podcast, In Her Ellement --- At AnitaB.org, we envision a future where the people who imagine and build technology mirror the people and societies for whom they build it. Find out more about how we support women, non-binary individuals, and other underrepresented groups in computing, as well as the organizations that employ them and the academic institutions training the next generations. --- Connect with AnitaB.org Instagram - @anitab_org Facebook - /anitab.0rg LinkedIn - /anitab-org On the web - anitab.org --- Our guests contribute to this podcast in their personal capacity. The views expressed in this interview are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology or its employees (“AnitaB.org”). AnitaB.org is not responsible for and does not verify the accuracy of the information provided in the podcast series. The primary purpose of this podcast is to educate and inform. This podcast series does not constitute legal or other professional advice or services. --- B The Way Forward Is… Produced by Dominique Ferrari and Paige Hymson Sound design and editing by Neil Innes and Ryan Hammond Mixing and mastering by Julian Kwasneski Associate Producer is Faith Krogulecki Executive Produced by Dominique Ferrari, Stacey Book, and Avi Glijansky for Riveter Studios and Frequency Machine Executive Produced by Brenda Darden Wilkerson for AnitaB.org Podcast Marketing from Lauren Passell and Arielle Nissenblatt with Riveter Studios and Tink Media in partnership with Coley Bouschet at AnitaB.org Photo of Brenda Darden Wilkerson by Mandisa Media Productions For more ways to be the way forward, visit AnitaB.org
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    51 mins
  • Trishala Pillai’s Toolkit for Competence, Confidence, and Advocacy
    Oct 9 2024
    On this episode of “B The Way Forward,” host Brenda Darden Wilkerson talks with multi-tasker extraordinaire Trishala Pillai. Outside of Trishala’s day job as senior product manager of supply chain innovation and automation at Walmart, she also serves as a board member at AnitaB.org and a producer at the media company she founded called Jugaad Community. Together, Brenda and Trishala talk through how to bring creativity to your career and how to find new opportunities in emerging technologies. Their conversation is sure to get your creative juices flowing and Trishala offers helpful advice for anyone looking toward the next chapter of their career. “A lot of the time, it's not that you don't have the skills to be impactful in a new role, it's that you don't know the story to tell around your experiences and your career so far. So, when I speak with folks who reach out to me for conversations, the second thing I tell them after orienting themselves and understanding what the landscape looks like is: connect the dots in your own experience, and not just your professional experiences, but also your personal experiences.” For more, check out Trishala and her work... On LinkedIn - /trishalapillai On Instagram - @_trishalapillai One YouTube -@_trishalapillai/videos --- At AnitaB.org, we envision a future where the people who imagine and build technology mirror the people and societies for whom they build it. Find out more about how we support women, non-binary individuals, and other underrepresented groups in computing, as well as the organizations that employ them and the academic institutions training the next generations. --- Connect with AnitaB.org Instagram - @anitab_org Facebook - /anitab.0rg LinkedIn - /anitab-org On the web - anitab.org --- Our guests contribute to this podcast in their personal capacity. The views expressed in this interview are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology or its employees (“AnitaB.org”). AnitaB.org is not responsible for and does not verify the accuracy of the information provided in the podcast series. The primary purpose of this podcast is to educate and inform. This podcast series does not constitute legal or other professional advice or services. --- B The Way Forward Is… Produced by Dominique Ferrari and Paige Hymson Sound design and editing by Neil Innes and Ryan Hammond Mixing and mastering by Julian Kwasneski Associate Producer is Faith Krogulecki Executive Produced by Dominique Ferrari, Stacey Book, and Avi Glijansky for Riveter Studios and Frequency Machine Executive Produced by Brenda Darden Wilkerson for AnitaB.org Podcast Marketing from Lauren Passell and Arielle Nissenblatt with Riveter Studios and Tink Media in partnership with Coley Bouschet at AnitaB.org Photo of Brenda Darden Wilkerson by Mandisa Media Productions For more ways to be the way forward, visit AnitaB.org
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    55 mins
  • From College Capstone to Tech Startup: How JusticeText Increases Equity in the Criminal Justice System
    Oct 2 2024
    Devshi Mehrotra and Leslie Jones-Dove join host Brenda Darden Wilkerson on this inspiring episode of “B The Way Forward.” Devshi and Leslie are the CEO and CTO, respectively, and co-founders of JusticeText, an MIT and Google-backed startup that is building technology to better improve the criminal justice system. They talk Brenda through the mission of their company – to hold law enforcement accountable and ensure that low-income criminal defendants get their chance at an equal and fair trial. JusticeText started as a college capstone project and has now grown into a successful California-based startup. Devshi and Leslie explain how their program takes media files and evidence and creates transcriptions that help public defenders analyze data before trials. They share personal and emotional stories with Brenda about the positive impact that JusticeText has had on public defenders, their clients and families. Plus, they share business insights into how they started their company and what it’s been like to fundraise, work with investors, and build their brand. Devshi and Leslie’s passions to improve the criminal justice system shine through this episode and you will leave the conversation feeling motivated to pursue dreams that can make the world a better place. “I think there's no excuse in this day and age for our government systems to be relying on such inadequate technology systems. So, I think there's a lot for us to be wary of when it comes to facial recognition, gang databases, things like that, but I think we should also just focus on: how do we build tools for the people who are advocating for everyday people?” --- At AnitaB.org, we envision a future where the people who imagine and build technology mirror the people and societies for whom they build it. Find out more about how we support women, non-binary individuals, and other underrepresented groups in computing, as well as the organizations that employ them and the academic institutions training the next generations. --- Connect with AnitaB.org Instagram - @anitab_org Facebook - /anitab.0rg LinkedIn - /anitab-org On the web - anitab.org --- Our guests contribute to this podcast in their personal capacity. The views expressed in this interview are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology or its employees (“AnitaB.org”). AnitaB.org is not responsible for and does not verify the accuracy of the information provided in the podcast series. The primary purpose of this podcast is to educate and inform. This podcast series does not constitute legal or other professional advice or services. --- B The Way Forward Is… Produced by Dominique Ferrari and Paige Hymson Sound design and editing by Neil Innes and Ryan Hammond Mixing and mastering by Julian Kwasneski Associate Producer is Faith Krogulecki Executive Produced by Dominique Ferrari, Stacey Book, and Avi Glijansky for Riveter Studios and Frequency Machine Executive Produced by Brenda Darden Wilkerson for AnitaB.org Podcast Marketing from Lauren Passell and Arielle Nissenblatt with Riveter Studios and Tink Media in partnership with Coley Bouschet at AnitaB.org Photo of Brenda Darden Wilkerson by Mandisa Media Productions For more ways to be the way forward, visit AnitaB.org
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    1 hr
  • Embracing your Roots: How Yai Vargas is Growing and Empowering the Hispanic Community
    Sep 25 2024
    Host Brenda Darden Wilkerson is joined by speaker, author, founder, and DEI advocate, Yai Vargas, in this episode of “B the Way Forward.” Yai’s big belief that “women are the heart and soul of an organization” rings true in everything she does and stands for. Yai tells Brenda about her personal journey as a woman from the Dominican Republic who immigrated to the United States at an early age and realized quickly how important it was to connect with her Latin roots. After landing what she thought was her dream job, Yai opens up about her disappointment when noticing the gap of diversity in her workplace. She tells Brenda that executive roles need to be more representative of the US population – only about 5% of corporate board positions are held by Hispanics. This experience led Yai to make a professional career change, pivot entirely to the world of DEI, and build “The Latinista,” a national network for professional Latinas and women of color invested in skills development and career mobility. Yai is known as the “LinkedIn Networking Ninja” and together, Yai and Brenda discuss the importance of community and how to use your own network to bring people together. “We all start from somewhere. And even though some corporations have been around for 150 years, it's our journey of figuring out how our business is evolving with the inclusion of what demographic is going to work with us, in our community.” For more, check out Yai and the Latanista ... On LinkedIn - /yaivargas On the Web - www.TheLatinista.com | www.YaiVargas.com --- At AnitaB.org, we envision a future where the people who imagine and build technology mirror the people and societies for whom they build it. Find out more about how we support women, non-binary individuals, and other underrepresented groups in computing, as well as the organizations that employ them and the academic institutions training the next generations. --- Connect with AnitaB.org Instagram - @anitab_org Facebook - /anitab.0rg LinkedIn - /anitab-org On the web - anitab.org --- Our guests contribute to this podcast in their personal capacity. The views expressed in this interview are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology or its employees (“AnitaB.org”). AnitaB.org is not responsible for and does not verify the accuracy of the information provided in the podcast series. The primary purpose of this podcast is to educate and inform. This podcast series does not constitute legal or other professional advice or services. --- B The Way Forward Is… Produced by Dominique Ferrari and Paige Hymson Sound design and editing by Neil Innes and Ryan Hammond Mixing and mastering by Julian Kwasneski Associate Producer is Faith Krogulecki Executive Produced by Dominique Ferrari, Stacey Book, and Avi Glijansky for Riveter Studios and Frequency Machine Executive Produced by Brenda Darden Wilkerson for AnitaB.org Podcast Marketing from Lauren Passell and Arielle Nissenblatt with Riveter Studios and Tink Media in partnership with Coley Bouschet at AnitaB.org Photo of Brenda Darden Wilkerson by Mandisa Media Productions For more ways to be the way forward, visit AnitaB.org
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    56 mins
  • Empowering Kids through EdTech with Encantos CEO Susie Jaramillo
    Sep 18 2024
    On this episode of “B The Way Forward,” host Brenda Darden Wilkerson has a powerful conversation with Susie Jaramillo, an Emmy nominated director, artist, storyteller and entrepreneur who uses the power of media to introduce diverse cultures to children. Influenced by her Venezuelan roots, Susie noticed a lack of inclusive representation in storytelling for her two young kids. According to the US Census, Gen Alpha will be the most diverse generation in history, yet they remain severely underrepresented in the media. Susie hopes to change that as the Co-founder and CEO of Encantos, a children’s entertainment company that tells purpose-driven stories inspired by cultures all over the world. Encantos features books, puzzles and games, and an app called Canticos, which allows children to learn both English and Spanish through vibrant storytelling and songs. As the first Latina CEO of a children’s entertainment company, Susie shares how storytelling can inspire, teach and help us understand other cultures. Through her work, Susie is encouraged to unite families through culture, and draw together communities. “It's so rich. It's so fun. It's the spice of life. And so, I kind of have made it my mission to really just showcase how gorgeous all the different aspects of our culture are and to use that in media, and in children's media.” For more, check out Susie and her work on... Instagram - @sujaramillo & @canticosworld X - @sujaramillo & @canticosworld TikTok - @sujaramillo & @canticosworld LinkedIn - /susanjaramillo --- At AnitaB.org, we envision a future where the people who imagine and build technology mirror the people and societies for whom they build it. Find out more about how we support women, non-binary individuals, and other underrepresented groups in computing, as well as the organizations that employ them and the academic institutions training the next generations. --- Connect with AnitaB.org Instagram - @anitab_org Facebook - /anitab.0rg LinkedIn - /anitab-org On the web - anitab.org --- Our guests contribute to this podcast in their personal capacity. The views expressed in this interview are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology or its employees (“AnitaB.org”). AnitaB.org is not responsible for and does not verify the accuracy of the information provided in the podcast series. The primary purpose of this podcast is to educate and inform. This podcast series does not constitute legal or other professional advice or services. --- B The Way Forward Is… Produced by Dominique Ferrari and Paige Hymson Sound design and editing by Neil Innes and Ryan Hammond Mixing and mastering by Julian Kwasneski Associate Producer is Faith Krogulecki Executive Produced by Dominique Ferrari, Stacey Book, and Avi Glijansky for Riveter Studios and Frequency Machine Executive Produced by Brenda Darden Wilkerson for AnitaB.org Podcast Marketing from Lauren Passell and Arielle Nissenblatt with Riveter Studios and Tink Media in partnership with Coley Bouschet at AnitaB.org Photo of Brenda Darden Wilkerson by Mandisa Media Productions For more ways to be the way forward, visit AnitaB.org
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    52 mins