“I didn’t chase telecom out of passion — I chased it out of necessity... But somehow, telecom became the nicest devil I could have sold my soul to!” ✨

— Polina Gardo, Roaming Wholesale Manager at Rakuten Mobile, in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal

From studying analytical philosophy, logic, and existential risks…

To navigating roaming wholesale at Rakuten Mobile…

To finding grounding through nature, running, and the intimacy of Argentine tango…

Polina’s journey is anything but ordinary!

In this episode of Humans of Telecom, Polina opens up about:

🧠 How game theory, moral calculus, and long-term risk analysis unexpectedly shaped her telco mindset

🌍 Her global, nomadic life across Latvia, the UK, Vienna, Venice, Cape Town & Georgia

🔥 Why her first telecom event became a crash course in courage, honesty, and wearing the right shoes

💛 The experience of burnout — and the power of a team that gives you space to heal

🎶 Her secret life as a trained musician, logic nerd, and former national-level wakeboarding athlete

💃 And why Argentine tango teaches more about vulnerability, trust, and human connection than any classroom ever could!

Polina’s story is a reminder that telecom isn’t just about roaming agreements or routing tables — it’s about resilience, curiosity, community, and the courage to keep trying, even when life gets overwhelming!

🎧 Listen now on your favorite podcast platform, and follow Humans of Telecom for more extraordinary voices shaping the industry and inspiring the human spirit!