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HumanizeHer with Erica Lockheimer

HumanizeHer with Erica Lockheimer

HumanizeHer Crew · Erica Lockheimer

43 episodesENExplicit

Show overview

HumanizeHer with Erica Lockheimer has been publishing since 2024, and across the 2 years since has built a catalogue of 43 episodes. That works out to roughly 40 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a fortnightly cadence.

Episodes typically run thirty-five to sixty minutes — most land between 50 min and 1h 2m — and the run-time is fairly consistent across the catalogue. It is catalogued as a EN-language Business show.

The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed 1 weeks ago, with 11 episodes already out so far this year. The busiest year was 2025, with 24 episodes published. Published by Erica Lockheimer.

Episodes
43
Running
2024–2026 · 2y
Median length
58 min
Cadence
Fortnightly

From the publisher

Welcome to the HumanizeHer Podcast where we celebrate and elevate women's voices and share their stories. We are on a mission to cultivate a world where every woman thrives, shattering glass ceilings and redefining success on her own terms. We're so grateful to have you as a listener and member of our community!! 🤩💫

Latest Episodes

View all 43 episodes

Solving Climate Anxiety with Elemental Impact | Dawn Lippert | Shangri La x HumanizeHer

May 6, 202638 min

Visionary Voices of Hawai'i | Shangri La x HumanizeHer IRL

Apr 22, 202645 min

Scaling Hawaiʻi's Economy with Mana Up | Meli James | Shangri La x HumanizeHer

Apr 15, 202628 min

All-Women Team Built a High-Growth Movement: The Story Behind HumanizeHer IRL (In Real Life)

Apr 13, 202635 min

From Dyslexic to HR Legend - Unlocking Your Superpower | Pat Wadors

In this episode, we welcome the legendary Pat Wadors - current Chief Human Resources Officer at Intuitive and former HR visionary at LinkedIn, ServiceNow, and Yahoo. Known for her transformative leadership and for coining the concept of DIBs (Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging), Pat dives deep into her journey of "stumbling" into HR and eventually becoming one of the most influential voices in the field. Episode Highlights: Overcoming Labels: Pat shares her personal story of being diagnosed with dyslexia at age 19, reframing a perceived disability into a "superpower" for pattern recognition and creative problem-solving. Goldilocks Framework: Pat introduces her signature decision-making tool - the "Goldilocks Framework" - designed to help professionals find their "just right" fit by mapping values, motivators, and superpowers. Leading with Humanity: From the "Mary Poppins" philosophy of going where you are needed to the importance of "slowing your roll" through breathwork, Pat provides actionable advice on managing with grace, even in difficult times like layoffs. The Power of Storytelling: Drawing from her book, "Unlock Your Leadership Story", Pat uses folk tales like "The Elephant and The Blind Men" to illustrate the necessity of curiosity and seeing the full ecosystem of a problem. This episode is a masterclass for anyone looking to lead with authenticity, navigate career pivots, and build high-performing, healthy organizations. Listen in and join the conversation with host, Erica Lockheimer and co-host, Elizabeth Wendorf-Bloesser.

Apr 2, 202656 min

Better Allies: Former Adobe VP Shifting Workplace Culture | Karen Catlin

In this insightful episode, Karen Catlin, former VP of Engineering at Adobe with over three decades in the tech industry, shares her evolution from a "declared computer science major who had never touched a computer" to now leadership coach and one of the most influential voices in workplace inclusion as an acclaimed author of the Better Allies book series. Highlights of the Conversation: "Golden Age" of Women in Tech: Karen reflects on graduating in 1985 - a peak era for gender diversity in the field, where 37.5% of computer science degrees in the U.S. went to women (compared to significantly lower percentages in the decades that followed). Birth of an Anonymous Movement: Discover the fascinating origin story of the @BetterAllies Twitter handle. Karen reveals why she spent five years posing as an anonymous man to share inclusion tips, believing the message of allyship would carry more weight if it appeared to come from a male voice. 50 Shades of Privilege: Karen discusses her research-backed "50 Ways You Might Have Privilege in the Workplace," a tool designed to help professionals recognize their inherent advantages - ranging from financial stability and elite education to the absence of caregiving responsibilities. 7 Archetypes of an Ally: Listeners are introduced to Karen's framework for action: the Sponsor, Champion, Amplifier, Advocate, Scholar, Confidant, and the most challenging role - the Upstander. "Archery" Analogy: Addressing the corporate pullback on DEI initiatives, Karen offers a powerful perspective; equity movements are currently like an arrow being pulled back on a bow - a necessary tension before it can fly forward with even greater force. Practical Tools for Inclusion: From "idea hijacking" in meetings to negotiating public speaking fees, Karen provides actionable advice for anyone looking to build a more meritocratic and inclusive workplace. Karen wraps up the episode by "paying it forward" with a curated list of must-read books on anti-ableism, LGBTQ+ allyship, and dismantling white dominant culture - reminding us that being a "better ally" is a modern leadership skill essential for every professional. Better Allies by Karen Catlin White Supremacy is All Around by Akilah Cadet The Anti-Ableist Manifesto by Tiffany Yu The Savvy Ally by Jeannie Gainsburg The Wake Up by Michelle Mijung Kim Listen in and join the conversation with host, Erica Lockheimer and co-host, Elizabeth Wendorf-Bloesser.

Mar 17, 202656 min

1st Japanese American Woman Supervisor | Margaret Abe-Koga

Margaret Abe-Koga (Santa Clara County Supervisor) joins the HumanizeHer Podcast to pull back the curtain on a life dedicated to public service, representation, and resilience. In this episode, Margaret shares the raw and inspiring narrative of an immigrant daughter who became the voice for those who feel voiceless. From an "anchor baby" born at Stanford Hospital to a seasoned policymaker managing a $13.5 billion budget, she discusses the grit required to navigate a career in politics as a self-described "stubborn introvert" and the personal sacrifices made behind the scenes. Key themes in this episode: Immigrant Experience: Margaret reflects on growing up as the translator for her Japanese-speaking parents and how witnessing her father being taken advantage of due to language barriers sparked a lifelong passion for ensuring everyone has a voice in government. "Political Mom": Discover how a chance encounter with Congresswoman Anna Eshoo during a high school "Youth in Government Day" set Margaret on a path to Harvard and eventually into the halls of local and regional power. Beating the Stigma of Illness: Margaret reveals the grueling journey of battling Stage 2 breast cancer while preparing for a political comeback. She discusses the excruciating process of "cold capping" to hide her hair loss, fearing that the public would judge a woman as "unfit for office" if she appeared sick. "Sandwich Generation" Struggle: A candid discussion on the reality of being a "caregiver-in-chief" - managing aging parents at home while simultaneously supporting family through mental health challenges and serving as Mayor during a global pandemic. What a Supervisor Actually Does: Margaret demystifies the role of the County Supervisor, explaining the $13.5B "social safety net" that manages everything from public hospitals to child protective services. Fighting for the Vulnerable: Margaret details Santa Clara County's bold stance against Federal immigration policies, including joining lawsuits to protect civil rights and resisting cuts to essential food and health programs. Redefining Leadership: Through a heartwarming story about a little boy mistaking her "Wonder Woman" costume for the Mayor, Margaret illustrates that leadership doesn't have a single mold and that quiet persistence is often the most effective tool in a policymaker's arsenal. Margaret concludes with a powerful call to action for women to find their passion and run for office: "We need more voices…we have a different way of doing things, and frankly, I think we are better at getting things done."

Mar 3, 202650 min

Traditional Banking to BitGo Crypto IPO | Jody Mettler

In this episode, we get to celebrate a massive milestone with Jody Mettler, the Chief Operating Officer of BitGo and their President of the Trust Company. As BitGo rings the bell on its recent IPO, Jody shares her journey from a 20-year career at Citi to leading the "backbone" of the digital asset industry. This episode serves as both a high-level masterclass in crypto infrastructure and a personal story of how traditional banking expertise is shaping the future of decentralized finance. Inside the Episode: Ultimate Career Pivot: Jody reflects on her transition from corporate accounting and digital transformation at Citi to the world of crypto. She shares the story of how a LinkedIn message led her to become the COO of one of the most respected tech companies in the crypto space. Bitcoin 101: Jody breaks down the digital asset world for beginners, explaining the difference between Bitcoin ("Digital Gold"), speculative alt-coins, and stablecoins (1:1 backed by fiat). "Backbone" of Crypto: Learn about BitGo's role as the institutional infrastructure that powers many of the exchanges we use today. Jody explains the "multisig" security and physical vaults that protect billions of dollars in assets. Reality of Going Public: Jody recounts the adrenaline-filled experience of BitGo's IPO - a first for her - and the rigor required to move a digital asset company into the traditional public market. Pioneering Regulation: A look at BitGo's achievement of a federal OCC Charter and how the company navigates global regulations in Germany, Dubai, Singapore (and more!) to meet clients where they are. Power of Sponsorship: Erica shares a full-circle moment with BitGo CEO Mike Belshe, who was her boss in her 20s. Discover how his early support of Erica's career led BitGo to become the inaugural sponsor of the HumanizeHer Podcast. Jody concludes with a heartfelt "pay-it-forward" to Karen Young, the mentor who changed her life, reminding us that even in high-tech finance, relationships and trust are the true currency. Listen in and join the conversation with host, Erica Lockheimer and co-host, Elizabeth Wendorf-Bloesser.

Feb 18, 202642 min

Startup Founder, Google VP & Stanford Lecturer | Mauria Finley

In this episode of the HumanizeHer Podcast, we sit down with Mauria Finley - a powerhouse entrepreneur, Stanford lecturer, and current Vice President at Google. Mauria shares a deeply personal and strategic look at a career that has oscillated between massive corporate scale and the high-stakes "grit and resilience" of the startup world. From building product spreadsheets in her living room to leading global teams, Mauria offers a masterclass in living a life driven by purpose, joy, and connection. Key themes in this episode include: The Entrepreneurial Leap: Mauria discusses founding Citrus Lane (acquired by Care.com) at age 35 while raising a toddler and an infant, debunking the myth that you have to start young to succeed. Pitching with Conviction: A candid look at the venture capital world. Mauria shares the hard lessons she learned raising Series A funding, including the "Tony Fadell" moment that forced her to fix her intro and why women must pitch the "big idea" rather than a "risk-adjusted plan." The "Beautiful Failure": Mauria reflects on her second startup - a fashion styling business for professional women - which was derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic. She discusses the heavy burden of leading through layoffs and how this "failure" led her to a fulfilling new chapter at Google. Teaching the "Soft Skills" of Engineering: For nearly a decade, Mauria has co-taught a popular class at Stanford's Computer Science school. She reveals what elite students actually want to know: not how to code, but how to negotiate, grow in a job, and navigate the workplace. Perspective through Health Challenges: Mauria shares the jarring story of being diagnosed with breast cancer on the same day she received a text from Erica Lockheimer about a skin cancer diagnosis. She discusses how facing mortality shifted her focus from professional ego to a philosophy centered on joy and health. The Power of Reconnection: After 20 years of distance, Mauria and Erica reconnected, proving that professional relationships can be "reactivated" into deep, vulnerable friendships that provide essential support in midlife. Mauria concludes with a powerful reminder to women: "God only gave you one body - don't be so busy taking care of everyone else that you forget to take care of yourself." Join the conversation with host, Erica Lockheimer and co-host, Elizabeth Wendorf-Bloesser.

Feb 4, 202653 min

PayPal Mafia, eBay, Facebook Marketplace, & Ancestry.com | Deb Liu

From pioneering one of the world's most used digital platforms to taking her first-ever career break, Deb Liu (Former CEO of Ancestry and Former Product Exec at Facebook, PayPal, eBay) joins the HumanizeHer Podcast for a deeply vulnerable and strategic conversation about power, transitions, and the one thing that matters more than a resume: your health. In this episode, Deb shares the mental frameworks that helped her rise through the "PayPal Mafia," navigate life as the only mother in the Facebook product room, and lead a 40-year-old storied company like Ancestry through its next chapter. Inside the Episode: The "Other" in South Carolina: Deb reflects on her upbringing as the daughter of immigrants in a town where few looked like her, and how that sense of being a "foreigner" shaped her drive to find belonging in tech. The 7-Year Pitch for Facebook Marketplace: Deb recounts the persistence required to build Facebook Marketplace—an idea she pitched for years before it was finally greenlit, turning a "mom-group" observation into a global commerce powerhouse. The U-Shape Analogy: A masterclass in career growth. Deb explains why high-impact roles often lead to low learning, and why "hitting the reset button" to enter a new space is essential to avoid stagnation. The "Blank Name Tag Club": After working continuously since 2002, Deb discusses the identity crisis that comes with stepping away from a C-suite title and why she is spending her first-ever year off exploring who she is without a corporate role. A Life-Saving Birthday Request: Deb shares the jarring story of her recent breast cancer diagnosis, caught only because a friend insisted she get a mammogram for her birthday. Deb provides a stark look at the statistics: 13% of women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, and while catching it early leads to a 90% survival rate, waiting even one year can change the prognosis exponentially. Strategic Leadership: Learn about Deb's "30-60-90 Day Plan" and her "Magic Wand Dinners" - practical tools for building trust and synthesizing culture when entering a new organization as a leader. This episode is a must-listen for anyone navigating the "messy middle" of a career while balancing the weights of the sandwich generation. Join the conversation with host, Erica Lockheimer and co-host, Elizabeth Wendorf-Bloesser.

Jan 21, 20261h 4m

Scaling SAP Ariba, LinkedIn, and Uber from the Front Lines | Aarathi Vidyasagar

From the elite lecture halls of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT, Delhi) to the driver's seat of an Uber delivery run, Aarathi Vidyasagar (VP of Engineering and Science at Uber) defines what it means to lead with both technical craft and deep empathy. In this episode of the HumanizeHer Podcast, Aarathi joins former colleagues Erica Lockheimer and Elizabeth Wendorf-Bloesser to share a career journey that is as much about "grit and spunk" as it is about high-level strategy. Inside the Episode: IIT Trailblazer: Aarathi reflects on being 1 of only 11 women in a class of 500 at the Indian Institutes of Technology, navigating a male-dominated world from age 17 and learning to "blend in" before finding her true voice. 17-Year Legacy at SAP Ariba: Discover how Aarathi rose from an entry-level engineer to VP, her pivotal role in Ariba's migration to the cloud, and the moment she realized that "staying quiet" about her ambitions was leading others to make assumptions about her career path. Bridging Enterprise and Consumer at LinkedIn: Aarathi shares her "outside-in" transition to LinkedIn, where she broke unit tests in her first week to earn her "engineering cred" and spearheaded the massive "NRJ" (New Recruiter Jobs) transformation. VP by Day, Delivery Driver by Night: To truly understand the "supply side" of Uber, Aarathi signed up as a delivery driver during her interview process. She recounts the hilarious and eye-opening experience of delivering food to a gated community in the dark to stress-test the app she now leads. Product Innovation for Safety: A deep dive into Uber's "Women's Preferences" feature, discussing the technical and ethical complexities of matching female riders with female drivers to provide choice and safety. The Next Generation: Inspired by her mother—a "rocket scientist" in India—Aarathi discusses her commitment to mentorship, her role as executive sponsor for Women in Tech, and her advice for young women facing imposter syndrome. This episode is a masterclass for any leader looking to balance technical rigor with a human-centric approach to building products. Jump into the full episode and join the conversation.

Jan 7, 202658 min

Lynda.com To LinkedIn To Ace Camps Travel | Tanya Staples & Vida Forrest y Salazar

Join us for a fantastic and nostalgic conversation with Tanya Staples and Vida Forrest y Salazar, the co-owners and managing partners of Ace Camps Travel! This duo, who first met working together at Lynda.com and navigated the acquisition by LinkedIn, share their incredible journey from corporate executives to entrepreneurs redefining success on their own terms. Their LinkedIn Backstory: Tanya details her start as a technical writer in the mid-'90s, transitioning to product management, and eventually becoming a key leader at Lynda.com who helped pioneer the revolutionary concept of video subscription learning. Vida shares how she transitioned her decade-long passion for higher education into a powerful role at LinkedIn, eventually becoming a full-time lead on the external Equity and Opportunity team, focusing on how the platform could drive social change for marginalized groups. Their partnership, forged in the intense environment of the 2015 LinkedIn acquisition, built the deep trust and resilience needed for their next act. The Pivot to Adventure: The episode is a masterclass in finding fulfillment, covering: The Power of the Me Treat: Vida recounts the pivotal moment on a solo ACE Camp trip in Laos where the creative energy and community inspired her to find her new mission. The Second Founder Advantage: Tanya discusses semi-retiring from LinkedIn after leading Trust & Safety to defrost, and the unique appeal of taking an established, purpose-driven business (ACE Camps) to its next level. The ACE Camps Impact: Discover the organization's ethos, which stands for Adventure, Culture, and Education, focusing on small-group, immersive travel that fosters deep community and creativity, often acting as a catalyst for women to start new businesses. This is an inspiring look at how strong relationships, vulnerability, and a shared passion for culture can lead to a meaningful, fulfilling second act in life. Join the conversation with host, Erica Lockheimer and co-host, Elizabeth Wendorf-Bloesser

Dec 10, 20251h 7m

Boys & Girls Club Youth of the Year, First Gen Grad | Xitlali Curincita

Join us for the inspiring and deeply personal story of Xitlali Curincita, a first-generation college graduate, current UC Irvine graduate student, and former 2022 Youth of the Year award winner from the Boys & Girls Club of the Peninsula. Raised in North Fair Oaks, she shares what it felt like growing up between cultures and often navigating spaces where she didn't fully feel she belonged. From first grade, the Boys & Girls Club and the Redwood City Public Library became her second homes. Through Project Read, she learned to read, write, and learned how to smile and feel loved in spaces where she once felt guarded and alone. She talks openly about growing up with caregivers, missing her mom while she worked, and slowly understanding that "mom means sacrifice," especially as she learned more about her parents' journey coming to the United States to build a better life for their family. In high school, Future Grads and College Track helped her navigate culture shock, questions of identity as a Mexican American, and imposter syndrome. With their support, she took her first community college class. Eventually earning enough credits to enter UC Irvine as a junior, serve as student government president at Cañada College, and graduate debt-free with a degree in social policy and a minor in education. This episode highlights the transformative power of youth programs, which provide crucial academic support and a safe community for our youth via after school programs and college preparation guidance. Xitlali reflects on writing her Youth of the Year speech as a love letter to Redwood City, advocating and mentoring the next generation of Youth of the Year candidates, and honoring the women who lifted her. This conversation is a powerful look at turning pain into purpose, finding home between cultures, and using education to open doors for everyone coming after you. Join the conversation with host, Erica Lockheimer and co-host, Elizabeth Wendorf-Bloesser.

Nov 25, 202553 min

Pressure To Be 1st: Scarcity Thinking of a COO | Anu Muralidharan

Join us for a candid conversation with Anu Muralidharan, COO of Expensify, as she shares the deeply personal story of the intense drive and competitive pressure she inherited from her late mother, who taught her that "being second was unacceptable." Anu opens up about how this drive led to debilitating stress and "scarcity thinking," culminating in a rock-bottom moment where she risked it all with the "Seinfeld experiment," quitting her role for an unstructured position at Expensify. Expensify is the financial software company behind the payments and expense management platform that automatically handles billions of dollars in reimbursements and business expenses. With a rigorous technical foundation—an engineering degree from the elite BITS Pilani and an MBA from Cornell University—Anu had the credentials, but she was vulnerable with us and shared that she felt stressed and completely unmotivated at the midpoint in her career. Anu details how working with a career coach helped her navigate this pressure and find her "true north" by shifting her focus from obsessing about the end result to the quality of the input. This new approach paved the way for her to build Expensify's ops and payments infrastructure, lead the company's IPO, and now direct go-to-market strategy while leveraging AI to drive data-led growth. 🎧 Join the conversation with host, Erica Lockheimer and co-host, Elizabeth Wendorf-Bloesser.

Nov 12, 202546 min

SJSU: Silicon Valley's #4 U.S. University | Cynthia Teniente-Matson

In this insightful conversation with Cynthia Teniente-Matson, President of San José State University (SJSU), shares her journey from being a first-generation college student and CFO to leading the oldest public university on the West Coast. She explains how SJSU, often called "Silicon Valley's Public University," is now at the forefront of the AI revolution. Learn about the groundbreaking partnerships with tech giants like Nvidia and Adobe that provide students with essential AI learning labs and digital literacy tools, ensuring every graduate is prepared not just for current generative AI tools, but for the "convergence of technologies" like AI and human-robotic connections, ensuring graduates have the skills needed in the next 5, 10, and 15 years. SJSU was founded in 1857 as the California State Normal School. This makes it the oldest public higher education institution on the West Coast and the founding campus of the entire California State University (CSU) system. In this sense, it was an "original" endeavor—a first in the region for public education. Anchor of Silicon Valley: Located in the heart of downtown San José, SJSU is the public university physically embedded in the capital of global innovation. The "startup" metaphor connects the university's historical capacity for adaptation and innovation (constantly evolving its programs since 1857) with the relentless, disruptive, and entrepreneurial spirit of Silicon Valley today. This episode highlights SJSU's success as a federally designated Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and AANAPISI, serving a profoundly diverse student body. Cynthia reveals the strategic shift to a pipeline-to-a-job model that has resulted in SJSU being ranked the #4 Public University in the Nation by The Wall Street Journal. This is a masterclass in leadership, strategic organizational transformation, and driving equitable change for the next generation of technical leaders. Join the conversation with host, Erica Lockheimer and co-host, Elizabeth Wendorf-Bloesser for a dose of inspiration.

Oct 29, 202549 min

Menopause & Midi Health | Joanna Strober

Join us for a deeply informative conversation with Joanna Strober, Founder and CEO of Midi Health, the pioneering telehealth platform transforming women's midlife health. Joanna clarifies the hormonal chaos of perimenopause (which often starts in your 30s) and the shocking truth behind the decades of fear surrounding Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). She reveals data showing estrogen alone may actually reduce breast cancer risk and improve bone/brain health. We dive into how Midi Health delivers rapid, personalized care from expert Nurse Practitioners, often covered by insurance. Joanna details their focus on comprehensive women's health (sleep, anxiety, weight, and sexual health) and their groundbreaking at-home blood test for truly proactive, personalized medicine. Hear her story of leveraging multiple career pivots to found her "fourth baby" and close a crucial gap in healthcare.

Oct 15, 202548 min

Tiger Sisters / Sisters Matcha | Hitting #1 on Spotify Podcasts

Join us for a lively conversation with Cherie Brooke Luo and Jean Luo, the Tiger Sisters! This dynamic sister duo, both successful tech product managers from LinkedIn and Snapchat, made a radical pivot to earn their MBAs from Harvard Business School and Stanford GSB to then become full-time content creators and entrepreneurs. They pull back the curtain on how they built their brand and business in just over a year, achieving phenomenal success by hitting #1 Business Podcast and Top 3 U.S. Podcasts overall on Spotify! This episode is a masterclass in modern entrepreneurship and personal reinvention, featuring insights on: 🔀 The Power of the Pivot: How they moved from a reality TV show concept to launching their podcast and a physical product, Sisters Matcha. 📸 Startup Mentality in Media: Applying their product management skills (hypothesis testing, fast iteration, and ruthless optimization) to grow their content rapidly. 👩‍💼 The Flow State of Entrepreneurship: The satisfying reality of moving faster and seeing direct impact compared to the corporate world. 💰 Building Community and Commerce: How they created a highly engaged, supportive audience that helped them launch their sold-out matcha brand. 👯‍♀️ Sister Dynamics in Business: The hilarious and honest reality of living and working together—from figuring out who's better at editing to switching from messy text threads to organized Slack channels. The Tiger Sisters' story proves that being intentional, adaptable, and focused on genuine value is the ultimate growth strategy. Join the conversation with host, Erica Lockheimer and co-host, Elizabeth Wendorf-Bloesser for a dose of inspiration.

Oct 1, 20251h 4m

Abigail Hing Wen | Netflix Film Love in Taipei | Author | Ex-Lawyer

💡 "I play in the spaces where tech, storytelling, and entertainment intersect." Author–filmmaker Abigail Hing Wen joins us to talk about her newest universe, The Vale—a novel with a short-film prequel and a companion Roblox experience about a boy navigating an AI-driven virtual fantasy world. We dig into how she builds story worlds with real AI literacy behind them, drawing on years as an AI tech exec and as the Director & former host of Intel's AI Podcast, plus her work on fairness, transparency & accountability in AI policy. Abigail also opens up about the decade before her "yes," the four "buried" novels that taught her craft, and how that persistence led to the breakout book-to-film journey from Loveboat, Taipei to the Netflix movie Love in Taipei. Website: In this episode 🎭 The making of The Vale — novel → short film → Roblox world 🤖 Using AI thoughtfully in creative work — what helps, what harms, and what's hype 🧗‍♀️ Law → tech → author/director — embracing the "jungle gym" career 🎬 Book-to-film realities — what authors actually control ⭐ How fans truly help — preorders + ratings (Amazon/Goodreads/IMDb/Rotten Tomatoes) The Vale is in the home stretch and every order around the country before September 20 is critical! Please support your local booksellers and spread word! NOTES: sales transactions must CLOSE to count. Indie Bookstores: (preferred) Bookshop.org (preferred) Barnes and Noble Amazon CTA: ✨ If this conversation resonates, preorder The Vale, watch Love in Taipei on Netflix, and drop a quick rating/review—those signals make a huge difference. 🙏 Join the conversation with host, Erica Lockheimer and co-host, Elizabeth Wendorf-Bloesser.

Sep 16, 202551 min

Kirthiga Reddy | Facebook India to Verix CEO

Kirthiga Reddy, a trailblazing leader and first female Investment Partner at SoftBank Vision Fund, shares her incredible journey from growing up in India to becoming an influential figure in tech. She details her time as a Director of Engineering at Silicon Graphics and the first employee to launch and lead Facebook (now Meta) in India. This episode is packed with invaluable insights, including: The Power of the "And": How she embraced the "superpower" of having a career and a family, even when societal pressures suggested it was an "either/or" choice The Career Jungle Gym: Why she chose a 40% pay cut to pivot her career and how her impressive (linear-looking) resume actually hides a series of strategic, non-linear moves Guilt Management: Her powerful philosophy on not "overthinking" every decision and learning to manage guilt as effectively as time The "Trust Technology": A deep dive into her new venture, Verix - a company building a verification layer for digital credentials using blockchain, and the pivotal learning that led her to that mission AI Kiran: The story behind her new initiative to spotlight and grow the community of women in AI in India. Kirthiga's story is a testament to the power of a growth mindset, the importance of mentorship, and the courage to take a break and find clarity. Join the conversation with host, Erica Lockheimer and co-host, Elizabeth Wendorf-Bloesser.

Sep 3, 20251h 1m

Nidhi Gupta | Founding SheTO & Building Community

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Join us on The HumanizeHer Podcast for a powerful and candid conversation with Nidhi Gupta, a trailblazing leader with a chemical engineering background who rose to become a Chief Technology & Product Officer - then ventured out to create her own business and become a Co-Founder and CEO! Nidhi shares her incredible journey from growing up in India, where she was one of just a few women in her engineering class, to navigating pervasive biases and microaggressions in the tech industry. She reveals how these experiences fueled her passion to create SheTO.org, a non-profit dedicated to accelerating women's leadership in engineering. This episode is packed with unfiltered insights on: Overcoming adversity: How early experiences of bias shaped her resilience and grit The emotional side of impact: Why she prioritizes supporting one life over just chasing big numbers The unexpected challenges of funding a non-profit: Debunking myths about corporate and investor support for mission-driven organizations Building a thriving community: How SheTO's programs achieve remarkable promotion rates for women in tech A White House invitation: The surreal moment she realized her work is being recognized at the highest level. Nidhi's story is a raw and inspiring testament to creating change, fostering community, and finding soulful fulfillment beyond traditional corporate success. Join the conversation with host, Erica Lockheimer and co-host, Elizabeth Wendorf-Bloesser.

Aug 19, 20251h 1m