Women in Data Podcast

In this co-hosted Women in Data episode, Karen and Cecilia devote an entire episode to a topic that was key in the special 100th episode: networking. The pair discuss advice for networking, understanding why networking is crucial for career advancement, building skills, and establishing personal connections. They also discuss how to reach out to find mentorship, especially with people who may be very busy.  Karen and Cecilia give practical tips on how to enjoy and gain benefit from networking events including arriving early and having clearly defined objectives beforehand.  This episode is a must listen for people who are keen to develop their soft, interpersonal, and networking skills. Don’t miss it!

This month marks the 4th anniversary of the Women in Data Podcast, featuring a special guest, Megan Lieu, a Data Advocate at Deepnotes, LinkedIn Instructor, and Data Influencer with over 100k followers. In this episode, Megan reflects on her journey from a finance career to Data Science, highlighting her initial obsession with coding before realizing her strengths lay in communication, project management, and strategic thinking.   Karen and Megan delve into the crucial role of Data Advocates in ensuring the usability of data products, emphasizing the importance of understanding user experience and addressing pain points for effective product development.  Additionally, they discuss the provision of valuable resources and interaction with users to facilitate the efficient utilization of products and tools.  They talk about content creation, navigating social media, and the parallels with Megan’s advocacy role. Megan also shares insights on finding support during career transitions without an established network.    Megan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganlieu/ 

In this episode, Karen is joined by Raquel Seville, CEO of Dataffluent Limited. They discuss Raquel’s remarkable journey from a data analyst to an entrepreneur, highlighting her impact as a female leader in the Caribbean tech industry. While the conversation delves into the state of data in Jamaica,  the main focus is on the unique challenges women face in balancing career aspirations with personal life, addressing specific female health challenges that can disrupt career progression.   There is no separation between being a woman and being a professional, and Raquel shares her experience going through myomectomy, severe pre-eclampsia, child loss, and multiple miscarriages. She highlights the fact that black women are much more likely to face life-changing health issues than women of other ethnicities, particularly around fertility. As a data professional, Raquel finds it difficult to just accept these as facts and is determined to discover the why as well as solutions.  Find Raquel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raquelseville/ 

How do you find career clarity in Data? How do you find the right leader? What are the questions to ask to determine that someone is the right leader for YOU? Also, how does a leader stay current after years in a role? If these are questions you ask, this podcast will help you enormously.   Antje Bustamante and Neha Wadhawan share their experiences on how they navigated their careers and eventually thrived, even when leadership wasn’t people-focused. Hear how they quiz leaders to discover if their values align with their own.   Also hear how they would deal today with inadequate leadership or bias that they encountered in the past.  You will hear surprising insights about the utility of vulnerability, openness and information transparency in leadership.   In their roles, Antje and Neha distinguish ‘management’ from what they see as genuine empowerment.  Find out how to establish boundaries and draw your own red lines while seeking out leaders yet, at the same time, taking responsibility for your career.    Find Neha on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/nehawag/ Find Antje on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/antje-bustamante-a44143bb/

The countdown has begun, and we are buzzing with excitement!  In this thrilling episode, Karen is joined by Roisin McCarthy, the founder of Women in Data, and Chole Aboud, Partner Relations Executive for WiD, to provide you with an exclusive sneak peek into the flagship event happening on March 7, 2024. Tune in to discover details about the incredibly inspiring guest speakers, engaging workshops, hackathon, and partnerships for the day!  If you're attending, don't forget to come say hi! See you there! 

If you are wondering about where and how you fit into the world of Data, this episode will provide a great perspective. Anusha Adige moved from India to Scotland, and from Banking specialist to Business Analyst, and now Data and Analytics Manager. Though she came from a non-technical background, she learned to work with programmers to generate powerful business insights. Karen and Cecilia were fascinated to hear about the transferable skills of someone who is a naturally curious person. Discussions between business people and data people often get lost in translation. So, Data needs “really efficient data translators” and stories supported by numbers.  Hear how you can develop in confidence and bring more to the business.  Anusha Adige on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/anusha-adige-474b7287/   

85% of the jobs that will be available in 2030 have not been invented yet! How do we make career decisions today and plan for the future? In this episode, Karen is joined by Sarah Victor, Co-Head of Data Governance, Chief Data Office, Corporate & Investment Bank at J.P. Morgan, who shares strategies that she deployed to navigate an unconventional career path that led to Data. When you move from India to the USA, switch from Engineering to study for an MBA, and start a new role in the Finance sector: what are the risks, and how do you make informed choices? One suggestion is to listen to a diversity of ideas.   Discover more insights as Karen and Sarah cover a range of predictability, from becoming too comfortable in a job, to learning how to get comfortable being uncomfortable.    Sarah Victor on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-victor-a381703 

In celebration of the 100 episodes, Karen and Cecilia invited to the show Alex Smith and Lara Harris, two members of the production team. They dive into the most valuable career advice shared throughout the podcast's journey, focusing on the listeners' favourite topic: navigating a successful career in the world of data. Covering pivotal career phases, from determining your next move to resiliently facing redundancy, this episode extracts wisdom from key moments, including:  Episode 73: How to figure out your next step  Episode 62: Future-proofing your career  Episode 64: Establishing yourself in a new role  Episode 71: Redundancy and job-hunting experiences  As a bonus, join the celebration on LinkedIn for a chance to win a ticket to the highly anticipated Women in Data flagship event in March.    Follow Karen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-jean-francois/  Follow Cecilia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceciliagoliveira/ 

Hear about Wuraola’s veracious appetite for learning and where and how she finds online tools to develop her understanding of data science. In this episode, Karen and Cecilia are joined by publisher and technical instructor, Wuraola Oyewusi, who describes her journey in Data. Two take-aways are ‘curiosity is not language dependent’ and ‘the internet is generous.’ To acknowledge the online sources and teachers who helped her with free content, and to give back to the community, Wuraola publishes inspirational content on Linkedin and YouTube. After listening to her speak here, you will want to explore further to find her videos that range in topic from data visualisation, delivered in Yoruba, to How to Switch to a Tech Career.  Find out how to combine available self-help content and structured courses to enjoy learning and plan your development in Data.  Wuraola Oyewusi on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/wuraolaoyewusi/  Wuraola Oyewusi on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@wuraoyewusi 

In this year-end special, Karen and Cecilia warmly invite you to join them in reflecting on the passing year. They explore the significance of retrospectives, sharing valuable insights and personal strategies for both personal and professional growth. Offering different structures for your own retrospective, they candidly delve into their individual journeys, opening up about mistakes, lessons learned, and memorable moments. Join them for a thoughtful and inspiring discussion as they bid farewell to 2023. 

Ever wondered how transferable skills can shape your career path? Karen spent some quality time with the remarkable Sumathi Thiyagarajan, VP of Business Strategy and Analytics for the Milwaukee Bucks, to discuss this exact topic. Sumathi has lived the reality of transitioning across industries, from healthcare to academia, and finally making her mark in the world of sports and entertainment. In this episode, Sumathi shares her journey and her strategies to build credibility, emphasising the power of transferable skills in data and highlighting the often-overlooked non-technical skills that have proven instrumental in her career so far. The conversation then takes an inspiring turn as Sumathi shares her personal experiences as a woman of colour navigating data and analytics leadership, and how her position at the top allows her to bring diverse talent and perspectives to the organisation. Get ready to be inspired, challenged and empowered.

Does Generative AI have the potential to revolutionise your business strategy? In this episode, Karen is joined by Rehgan Avon, CEO of Align AI and founder of Women in Analytics, to discuss Generative AI and how it is affecting data strategies. Prepare to unravel the pros and cons of the hype cycle surrounding Gen AI, as well as how organisations should navigate this landscape by conducting proofs of concept and tackling the task of educating their teams about this groundbreaking technology. Listen to Rehgan talk about how business and AI strategy should not be separated from each other in order to avoid the pitfalls of impulsive decisions and ineffective data practices. 

Ever experienced a lack of clear expectations about what was required for you to progress at work? You're not alone.  Lack of role definition is a common pain point in the data industry, likely due to its dynamic nature and a general lack of data literacy within organisations. Listen in as Karen and Cecilia explore how this uncertainty can make data teams feel more like a service team than a valued asset, and the critical role of leadership in providing clear career guidance.  Moving forward, they shift their focus to stress management and how a lack of control and support at the workplace can dampen motivation among data professionals. They then share some tried and tested strategies to regain control and chart a way forward. Lastly, they craft a comprehensive personal development plan, emphasising the importance of setting clear goals, involving your manager in the process, and regularly reflecting on your strengths and aspirations. Listen to this episode for these insights and more!   

November will be an incredible month on the Women in Data podcast with 3 new episodes coming out. In this month's update, we talk about where we are at with the mentoring competition and introduce the episodes to come.

Welcome to another captivating episode of the Women in Data® Podcast! Today Karen is joined by two exceptional experts in the field: Michelle Conway, Lead Data Scientist at Lloyds Banking Group, and Sarah Schlobohm, Head of AI and Particle Physicist. Together they discuss the world of Machine Learning Ops.  A central theme of the discussion revolves around the lifecycle of MLOps and the concept of Machine Learning as a "solution to a problem”. Michelle, Sarah and Karen delve into this idea, stressing the importance of identifying the right opportunities for Machine Learning to truly be effective. They discuss how businesses can avoid falling into the trap of implementing ML without a clear understanding of appropriate applications.  They also highlight how Machine Learning doesn't operate in isolation but requires seamless integration with other data departments, such as data governance. This comprehensive approach ensures that ML initiatives are well-aligned with the overall data strategy of the organisation, leading to more successful outcomes.  This episode is a must-listen for anybody looking to learn more about ML Ops and the potential applications of this exciting field. 

In this Women in Data® episode, Karen is joined by Salla Franzén, Investment Manager at Navigare Ventures. Together, they delve into a captivating discussion about the crucial role of leadership in shaping successful data-driven organisations.   Salla and Karen highlight how essential it is to maintain a sense of wonder in the world of data. Salla shares her perspective on finding delight in the intricate web of data work and how cultivating this enthusiasm can lead to innovation and learning. The pair also discusses how to provide an environment that encourages individuals to step out of their comfort zones, enabling them to discover their potential and excel in their roles. Salla stresses the importance of creating an atmosphere characterised by kindness, humbleness, and curiosity – values that not only foster collaboration but also drive continuous improvement.  Tune into this Women in Data® episode and discover how to lead with purpose, infuse joy into data work, and inspire teams to excel in data-driven organisations.   

This month, we're making waves with an exciting competition that could land you a 45-minute mentoring session with one of our industry's finest. In this month’s update, we share the details of the competition, look back at last month’s data conferences we attended in London and South Africa, and talk about what’s to come on the podcast in October. You will hear about Big Data London and BI and Innovation Fest, but also about the upcoming episodes on data leadership with Salla Franzen and ML in the real world with Michelle Conway and Sarah Schlobohm.   Follow Women in Data on LinkedIn to stay updated on the competition.

In this episode, Karen and Cecilia are joined by Abi Aryan, a Machine Learning Engineer and author for O'Reilly book on LLMOps. Throughout the episode Karen, Cecilia, and Abby open up about their personal experiences working in very small teams. They chat about the pros and cons and dive into the obstacles they've come across in these setups. They tackle the reality of having a smaller collective voice and the significant responsibility of being the sole data representative, which can sometimes feel overwhelming. Such challenges stress the resourcefulness and resilience required in technical roles, as data professionals must often rely on their own expertise and problem-solving skills to navigate complex challenges.  Enjoy!

In this episode, Karen is joined by Rianna Kelly, Head of Product Analytics & Data Scientist at ZEPZ, to discuss the intricacies of onboarding experiences within data teams.  While the onboarding period may be relatively brief in one's tenure, its significance is undeniable as it sets the scene for what’s to come. The realm of data work is notably complex, demanding a grasp of technology, data, processes, and business acumen, rendering onboarding in data teams a unique challenge.    Throughout the conversation, Rianna uses her expertise to describe the components of a great onboarding experience and shares practical strategies to make it easier. She emphasises the significance of documentation in efficiently navigating different data products, providing essential tips to streamline the integration process. Karen and Rianna also debate the optimal speed at which to absorb new information and build connections without feeling inundated by the sea of new faces and challenges.      Enjoy!

We are trying something new! In this special episode, Karen and Cecilia engage in a brief conversation about their summer experiences and share some valuable lessons they've learned. They then shift the discussion towards what you can expect on the podcast in September. Enjoy!