The 'Digitalization & Diversity' Podcast
Adya Kumar @the.dd.podcast
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The 'Digitalization & Diversity' Podcast is a show that shares insights, personal stories and digital journeys of diverse people.
During each episode, host Adya Kumar, a tech enthusiast, engineer, strategy consulting professional and a podcaster, explores the cross-roads of "Digitalization" & "Diversity". She engages in a conversation with people from diverse backgrounds following unconventional paths to understand the power of technology and digitalization to improve diversity, and vice versa the role of diversity in accelerating digitalization and innovation.
Through this platform, Adya brings new ideas on how you can personally contribute to a more diverse and digitalized world, how you can better use technology to your advantage, and how to bring a digital mindset that affects both your personal and professional life.
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Listen in to find out how diversity and digitalization is being redefined today!!
https://adyakumar.com/links/
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You can find more details about the podcast on Adya's personal blog:
https://adyakumar.com/podcast/
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Stay tuned for latest updates by subscribing to the Instagram page:
https://www.instagram.com/the.dd.podcast/
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Connect with Adya on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/adyakumar/
Available episodes
Newest first
Oldest first
Dec 18, 2022
S2 Ep 10: FemTech and female health at work, with Nandhini Gopal
How can digitalization and technology be better leveraged in healthcare, especially for women? How can employers support women’s health? What kind of work policies and support systems are needed in professional environments?
The final episode in Season 2 of “The Digitalization & Diversity Podcast” features my very unfiltered conversation with Nandhini Gopal, a top 500 FemTech personality of 2022.
In this episode, we open the dialogue on female health and how to address the topic in the context of professional environments. We talk about how women have learnt or been conditioned to silently navigate female health issues. This could include, for example a pregnancy, a pregnancy loss such as a miscarriage or an abortion, a fertility or hormonal treatment, menopause, or a chronic issue related to female health.
When two women engineers talk, you can expect facts and figures (and yes, some numbers are shocking). In our conversation, we dig deeper into the data gaps in healthcare analytics for women. We attempt to destigmatize the topic and discuss ways to address female health issues at work and how employers can play their part in this. We talk about 'menstrual leave policies', 'health officers' and the kind of support systems that are needed today.
Listen and discover how you, regardless of your gender, can personally contribute to the advancement of femtech!
To learn more about the topic, visit the home page.
Disclaimer: The content of this episode refers to 'women' as a generic demographic and includes non-binary and trans people in the applicability of insights.
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About Nandhini Gopal:
Nandhini is an avid advocate for harnessing the power of technology to further research in female health. She founded Femcy, a femtech company that offers personalized, data based solutions for better menstrual health. Femcy was acquired in 2021 by Eve World, a Web3 based social community platform exclusively for women.
In her previous avatars, she was a marketing and strategy expert with over 10 years of experience at global technology giants and high-growth consumer start-ups.
Currently, she’s on a sabbatical and practicing minimalism as she prepares to move across the world later this month. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening and reading history.
About Adya Kumar:
Adya is a tech enthusiast, engineer, project manager, and an inhouse consultant for a leading logistics company. She has a passion for solving problems through the use of technology and is a strong supporter of digitalization as an enabler to grow and sustain diversity in businesses. In 2021, she founded “The Digitalization & Diversity Podcast” with the mission to create engagement and raise awareness on the power of Digitalization to improve Diversity. Through this platform, Adya shares insights, personal stories and digital journeys of diverse people. The podcast has been downloaded in over 50 countries across Spotify, Apple and Google Podcasts.
Adya has lived and worked in diverse environments in India, France, USA, UK and Germany and traveled to 40+ countries. Today, she calls Bonn (Germany) her home of choice.
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Links and mentions:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nandhinigopal/
Instagram: @i.am.nandhini
Book recommendations:
Invisible Women: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41104077-invisible-women
Lies our mothers told us: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61541273
Listen to the podcast on other platforms: https://adyakumar.com/links/
Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adyakumar/
Connect with me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the.dd.podcast
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Oct 31, 2022
S2 Ep 9: Digitalization for inclusive learning in corporate, with Heinrich Rusche
Is Digital Learning more inclusive and needed in corporate? Why should we adopt more digital upskilling? How can companies improve their digital learning platforms?
The latest episode (S2 Ep 9) of “The Digitalization& Diversity Podcast” features my conversation with Heinrich Rusche, the creator of Firm learning, a YouTube channel on Consulting and Career with 150k+ subscribers, where we discuss the topic of 'Digitalization for inclusive learning in corporate'.
In this episode, we share our personal experiences with growing digital presence and creating content while balancing the responsibilities of our respective day jobs. Heinrich shares how digitalization and the use of technology has helped him to grow his channel and how he prioritizes creating content on different digital platforms to grow his brand.
We dig deeper into the topic of digital learning and upskilling. The ways of consuming content today are changing and organizations are increasingly adopting digital learning into their training curriculums which traditionally have been rather classroom-based. We address this trend in our conversation and further discuss the ‘Future of Powerpoint’ as a meeting facilitation medium and business tool in organizations.
Heinrich shares his experiences from his time in consulting at McKinsey and we close the episode talking about some of the diversity challenges within consulting, work-life balance and hybrid work models.
Listen and discover how digitalization can be leveraged as a learning tool by professionals, and facilitate the accessibility of career advice.
To learn more about the topic, visit the home page.
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About Heinrich Rusche:
Heinrich Rusche is the creator of Firm learning, a YouTube channel on Consulting and Career with 150k+ subscribers. Through this channel, Heinrich shares learnings and experiences from his time in consulting at McKinsey, and his subsequent career in industry and start-up. Heinrich also offers corporate trainings on communication and helps young consultants to become successful in the first years of their careers. Heinrich holds an MBA from INSEAD, a Masters in Accounting and Finance from LSE, and Bachelor degrees in Business Administration and Philosophy.
About Adya Kumar:
Adya is a tech enthusiast, engineer, project manager, and an inhouse consultant for a leading logistics company. She has a passion for solving problems through the use of technology and is a strong supporter of digitalization as an enabler to grow and sustain diversity in businesses. In 2021, she founded “The Digitalization & Diversity Podcast” with the mission to create engagement and raise awareness on the power of Digitalization to improve Diversity. Through this platform, Adya shares insights, personal stories and digital journeys of diverse people. The podcast has been downloaded in over 50 countries across Spotify, Apple and Google Podcasts.
Adya has lived and worked in diverse environments in India, France, USA, UK and Germany and traveled to 40+ countries. Today, she calls Bonn (Germany) her home of choice.
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Links and mentions:
FirmLearning: https://www.youtube.com/firmlearning
Listen to the podcast on other platforms: https://adyakumar.com/links/
Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adyakumar/
Connect with me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the.dd.podcast
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Sep 5, 2022
S2 Ep 8: Millennial workforce, career diversity, and the Future of Work, with Lilly Sheng
What are the challenges millennials face in their careers today? How can employers better support the new generation entering the workforce? Will the Great Resignation seize post the pandemic?
In S2 Ep 8, I discuss with Lilly Sheng, a data and technology professional based in Canada on the topic of “Millennial workforce, career diversity, and the Future of Work”.
In this episode, Lilly shares her experience of quitting a job she liked, and switching career roles in the midst of the pandemic. We discuss relevant aspects of career diversity within an organization with regards to seniority, experience, age and functional expertise beyond the primary diversity dimensions. Lilly talks about her view on diversity as a Chinese Canadian woman identifying as a millennial. We further explore the role of digitalization in reducing the barrier of entry for information sharing.
The pandemic has changed the way the new generation who are already entering the workforce are viewing career development and job fulfilment. The “Great Resignation”, a term coined by psychologist Anthony Klotz is the tipping point of a nearly decade-long trend of employment dissatisfaction. Many employees particularly Gen Z and Gen Y are leaving jobs or switching careers in this ongoing economic trend. In our conversation, we unpack some of the challenges that millennials face and the increasing expectations of the new generation from their workplaces. We share our ideas on how employers can better support the new generation entering the workforce. We close the podcast episode by addressing the topic of The Great Resignation and sharing viewpoints on whether this trend will cease post the pandemic.
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About Lilly Sheng:
Lilly Sheng is a data and technology professional with experience in the public sector, financial services, and consulting industries. She specialises in the delivery of large-scale transformation projects related to data and systems change. In addition to her day job, she is an aspiring writer and chef. Lilly is based in Toronto, Canada.
About Adya Kumar:
Adya is a tech enthusiast, engineer, project manager, and an inhouse consultant for a leading logistics company. She has a passion for solving problems through the use of technology and is a strong supporter of digitalization as an enabler to grow and sustain diversity in businesses. In 2021, she founded “The Digitalization & Diversity Podcast” with the mission to create engagement and raise awareness on the power of Digitalization to improve Diversity. Through this platform, Adya shares insights, personal stories and digital journeys of diverse people. The podcast has been downloaded in over 50 countries across Spotify, Apple and Google Podcasts.
Adya has lived and worked in diverse environments in India, France, USA, UK and Germany and traveled to 40+ countries. Today, she calls Bonn (Germany) her home of choice.
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Links and mentions:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lillysheng
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/lillyreadsbooks
Listen to the podcast on other platforms: https://adyakumar.com/links/
Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adyakumar/
Connect with me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the.dd.podcast
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Aug 29, 2022
S2 Ep 7: Female mentorship, startups and corporate careers, with Julia Stadler
How does offering mentorship promote diversity? How does mentorship empower both mentees and mentors? Why should both men and women especially mentor young women?
In S2 Ep 7 of “The Digitalization & Diversity” podcast, I had the pleasure to chat with Julia Stadler, a Berlin-based entrepreneur and the founder of FemStory, a mentorship platform for women, to dig deeper into the topic of “Female mentorship, startups and corporate careers”.
In our conversation, Julia explains the concept of FemStory, the operating model of this digital platform, and the need for a diverse team and perspectives to create a digital product today. Julia also shares how she and her team used a lot of digital freeware to get started and launch the platform.
We talked about the creation of mentoring experiences that actually empower women and how the startup is improving diversity. We discussed how men can use the platform to empathise with younger women professionals, understand their challenges and how these challenges might differ from their own.
We close the episode with some reflection on corporate careers versus entrepreneurship and the importance of being agile and quickly getting into the “doing” mode in the digital space.
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About Julia Stadler:
Julia Stadler is an entrepreneur based in Berlin. She co-founded a company called Weitergründer, which is a matchmaking platform for company succession. As she is very passionate about female entrepreneurship, she co-founded the non-profit organization FEMSTORY as well. FEMSTORY is a mentoring network in which female mentees are matched with mentors of any sex.
About Adya Kumar:
Adya is a tech enthusiast, engineer, project manager, and an inhouse consultant for a leading logistics company. She has a passion for solving problems through the use of technology and is a strong supporter of digitalization as an enabler to grow and sustain diversity in businesses. In 2021, she founded “The Digitalization & Diversity Podcast” with the mission to create engagement and raise awareness on the power of Digitalization to improve Diversity. Through this platform, Adya shares insights, personal stories and digital journeys of diverse people. The podcast has been downloaded in over 50 countries across Spotify, Apple and Google Podcasts.
Adya has lived and worked in diverse environments in India, France, USA, UK and Germany and traveled to 40+ countries. Today, she calls Bonn (Germany) her home of choice.
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Links and mentions:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliastadler/
FemStory: https://www.femstory.co/
Weitergruender: https://www.weitergruender.de
Listen to the podcast on other platforms: https://adyakumar.com/links/
Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adyakumar/
Connect with me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the.dd.podcast
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Aug 22, 2022
S2 Ep 6: Black in Tech, gender outlaw, and gender discrimination, with Sarah Borda
How can equal representation in tech help to shape the future for tomorrow? Is it better to stand out or to fit in? How can organizations and community networks help in integration of People of Color?
In S2 Ep 6 of “The Digitalization & Diversity” podcast , I had the pleasure to have an open dialogue with Sarah Borda, a Project Manager at SAP Women in Tech and an Equal Rights Advocate, on the topic of “Black in Tech, gender outlaw, and gender discrimination”.
In our conversation, we go beyond the diversity dimension of gender to talk about the intersectionality of gender and race, the outlook of Black in Tech and Women in Tech initiatives and the challenges in addressing the topic of diversity authentically today. We talk about the root cause for underrepresentation in tech (and no, it’s not a pipeline problem!). We also discuss how organizations could facilitate and support diverse people to face their unique challenges and better integrate in societies where they are a minority today.
Sarah opens up and shares their thoughts on what being a ‘gender outlaw’ means and experiences from their own past where they have encountered discrimination. We end the episode with a reflection on the power of technology and necessity of community networks to improve diversity of all forms.
In this episode, two People of Color use the podcast to unpack many topics that are not so openly spoken about - “inequality”, “microaggressions”, “racism”, “discrimination” and more. Listener discretion is advised.
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About Sarah Borda:
Sarah is from Tanzania in East Africa where they grew up before moving to the UK and then Germany for university. Sarah currently lives In Germany and works as a project manager at SAP. Their passions have always been people topics, being a woman made them a target for negative gender discrimination growing up, and being black, Sarah is a minority in both the industry they work for, and the country Sarah lives in today. Sarah knows the struggle, and wants to spend their life making sure one day no one has to deal with that struggle.
About Adya Kumar:
Adya is a tech enthusiast, engineer, project manager, and an inhouse consultant for a leading logistics company. She has a passion for solving problems through the use of technology and is a strong supporter of digitalization as an enabler to grow and sustain diversity in businesses. In 2021, she founded “The Digitalization & Diversity Podcast” with the mission to create engagement and raise awareness on the power of Digitalization to improve Diversity. Through this platform, Adya shares insights, personal stories and digital journeys of diverse people. The podcast has been downloaded in over 50 countries across Spotify, Apple and Google Podcasts.
Adya has lived and worked in diverse environments in India, France, USA, UK and Germany and traveled to 40+ countries. Today, she calls Bonn (Germany) her home of choice.
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Links and mentions:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-borda-1b65a6190/
Listen to the podcast on other platforms: https://adyakumar.com/links/
Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adyakumar/
Connect with me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the.dd.podcast
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Jul 31, 2022
S2 Ep 5: Diversity in data science, big tech and Google, with Prasiddhi Menon
How can technology help to make workplaces more fair, equitable and diverse? How can we better use the Google suite of products to improve our personal lives? How can Gen Z prepare for a career in tech and data science?
In S2 Ep 5 of “The Digitalization & Diversity” podcast , I had the pleasure to catch-up on the show with my best friend from engineering school, Prasiddhi Menon who today works as a Data Scientist for Google. In this episode, Prasiddhi talks about digital platforms and the role of LinkedIn in helping her land her current job at Google. She also shares her transition from engineering into data science, and the differences between regional focused and global teams from a diversity and inclusivity point of view.
We talked about how we can better use the Google suite of products to improve our own personal lives, while being mindful about data privacy and data protection issues when it comes to adopting and using a digital tool or application. We closed the episode with some advice for Gen Z citizens who are looking to start a career in tech and data science.
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About Prasiddhi Menon:
Prasiddhi is a Data Scientist at Google with over 9 years experience in Machine Learning, Statistical Modeling, Business Intelligence and Consulting. Prior to joining Google, Prasiddhi worked as a senior data science consultant with Ernst and Young focusing on Financial Crime and specializing in Anti-Money Laundering. She also worked as a Data Scientist at Deloitte and co-founded a marketing analytics start-up earlier in her career. Prasiddhi is from Bangalore, India and she will be transitioning to NYC soon.
About Adya Kumar:
Adya is a tech enthusiast, engineer, project manager, and an inhouse consultant for a leading logistics company. She has a passion for solving problems through the use of technology and is a strong supporter of digitalization as an enabler to grow and sustain diversity in businesses. In 2021, she founded “The Digitalization & Diversity Podcast” with the mission to create engagement and raise awareness on the power of Digitalization to improve Diversity. Through this platform, Adya shares insights, personal stories and digital journeys of diverse people. The podcast has been downloaded in over 50 countries across Spotify, Apple and Google Podcasts.
Adya has lived and worked in diverse environments in India, France, USA, UK and Germany and traveled to 40+ countries. Today, she calls Bonn (Germany) her home of choice.
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Links and mentions:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prasiddhi
Listen to the podcast on other platforms: https://adyakumar.com/links/
Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adyakumar/
Connect with me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the.dd.podcast
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Jul 14, 2022
S2 Ep 4: Coaching, mentoring and remote leadership, with Dr. Carolina Kleebaur
How diverse is the coaching space? How does coaching differ from mentoring and sponsoring? In the Future of Work, what is critical for remote leadership?
In S2 Ep 4 of “The Digitalization & Diversity” podcast , I had the pleasure to welcome Dr. Carolina Kleebaur, an executive coach, leadership trainer and top management advisor to dig deeper into the topic of coaching and remote leadership. During this episode, Carolina demystified many buzzwords used in the context of coaching - "leadership coaching", "mindfulness coaching", "success coaching", "life coaching", "systemic business coaching" and more. She also explained the concepts of mentoring and sponsoring and how she approaches coaching clients with diverse backgrounds, diverse ways of thinking and different personalities.
We discussed deeper into the key struggles female managers and leaders in particular seek coaching for, and what is particularly important for remote leadership in the "Future of Work'.
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About Dr. Carolina Kleebaur:
Dr. Carolina Kleebaur has over 20 years of experience as executive coach, leadership trainer and top management advisor with functional focus on good leadership, organizational excellence, reorganization and transformation. As a former Senior Manager in Consulting, she led international projects and teams all around Europe, Russia and the Middle East in various industries. Dr. Kleebaur has studied Sociology, Psychology and Communication Science and she did her doctorate in Organizational Sociology and Personal Psychology. Today, she incorporates this profound know-how to facilitate state-of-the art leadership trainings, systemic business coaching and effective team workshops.
About Adya Kumar:
Adya is a tech enthusiast, engineer, project manager, and an inhouse consultant for a leading logistics company. She has a passion for solving problems through the use of technology and is a strong supporter of digitalization as an enabler to grow and sustain diversity in businesses. In 2021, she founded “The Digitalization & Diversity Podcast” with the mission to create engagement and raise awareness on the power of Digitalization to improve Diversity. Through this platform, Adya shares insights, personal stories and digital journeys of diverse people. The podcast has been downloaded in over 50 countries across Spotify, Apple and Google Podcasts.
Adya has lived and worked in diverse environments in India, France, USA, UK and Germany and traveled to 40+ countries. Today, she calls Bonn (Germany) her home of choice.
Links and mentions:
Website: https://www.ckc-coaching.de/
Listen to the podcast on other platforms: https://adyakumar.com/links/
Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adyakumar/
Connect with me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the.dd.podcast
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Jun 5, 2022
S2 Ep 3: Career development, digital networking and diversity in the Silicon Valley, with Giselle Galper
How can you leverage technology for career development? Why is digital networking important? How can a digital app improve diversity?
In S2 Ep 3 of “The Digitalization & Diversity” podcast , I had the pleasure to chat with Giselle Galper, a Silicon Valley based entrepreneur on the topic of “Career development, digital networking and diversity in the Silicon Valley".
Giselle is the founder of Chea Seed, a digital application that aims to make expert career help accessible for diverse groups of people. In this episode, Giselle shares best practices on leveraging technology and digitalization to plan your career, to set career goals and seek mentors and sponsors. We discuss how internal and external biases and socialization experiences drive the differences between how men and women approach career development. We share why networking in the digital space is getting important especially as we enter into a new chapter of the pandemic, and some tips and tricks on forming valuable connections through digital networking.
We close the episode with thoughts on existing diversity in the Silicon Valley and where there are still gaps in terms of gender, age and diversity of backgrounds.
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About Giselle Galper:
Giselle Galper aims to make expert career help accessible: quick, easy, and low-cost. As the daughter of an Argentine immigrant, who went to college while Giselle was growing up, Giselle saw firsthand how difficult it could be for a Latina woman to advance in her career. While a General Counsel and balancing the life of mom and professional, Giselle started giving talks to groups of women about how to negotiate their pay and navigate through and around bias. Frustrated that there was no way to give people encouragement and additional learning after her talks, Giselle started looking for a career app to solve the problem. Unable to find one, Giselle embarked on the journey of learning how to build a career app to do just this.
Now she is the founder of chea seed, a career fitness tracker that helps users up their career game with small 1 to 2-minute personalized actions. Chea seed is available now in the App Store and Google Play.
About Adya Kumar:
Adya is a tech enthusiast, engineer, project manager, and an inhouse consultant for a leading logistics company. She has a passion for solving problems through the use of technology and is a strong supporter of digitalization as an enabler to grow and sustain diversity in businesses.
In 2021, she founded “The Digitalization & Diversity Podcast” with the mission to create engagement and raise awareness on the power of Digitalization to improve Diversity. Through this platform, Adya shares insights, personal stories and digital journeys of diverse people. The podcast has been downloaded in over 50 countries across Spotify, Apple and Google Podcasts.
Adya has lived and worked in diverse environments in India, France, USA, UK and Germany and traveled to 40+ countries. Today, she calls Bonn (Germany) her home of choice.
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Links and mentions:
Website: www.cheaseed.com
IG: @cheaseedapp
Listen to the podcast on other platforms: https://adyakumar.com/links/
Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adyakumar/
Connect with me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the.dd.podcast
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Apr 19, 2022
S2 Ep 2: Authentic diversity, professionalism and ending performative allyship, with Dr. Monica Cox
What does being a “real” ally mean? Is professionalism a social construct? What kind of diversity measures, budgets and roles are needed in organizations?
In S2 Ep 2 of “The Digitalization & Diversity” podcast , I had the pleasure to discuss with Dr. Monica Cox, a distinguished professor, entrepreneur, and diversity expert on the topic of “Authentic diversity, professionalism and ending performative allyship”.
In July 2021, Dr. Cox made a diversity quote on Twitter that went viral with more than 4 million views and explosive sharing across all social media platforms.
The quote said “Instead of showing me your diversity statement, show me your hiring data, your discrimination claim stats, your salary tables, your retention numbers, your diversity policies, and your leaders’ public actions against racism. End performative allyship”
In this podcast episode, we dig deeper on what triggered this quote. Monica shares how she approaches the basics of understanding the topic of diversity, what is real allyship, and if authentic diversity can really be coached. We talk about the kind of measures companies and organizations should start focusing on to enable diverse employees to be their authentic selves. We also delve into the kind of diversity targets that need to be setup, if organizations should set up dedicated budgets for diversity and the purpose of formal diversity roles in the organization.
We close the episode with insights on how digitalization, the use of technologies, and digital media affect diversity.
This podcast episode has been a truly insightful session for me packed with learnings, messages and knowledge. If you are new to “The Digitalization & Diversity podcast”, looking to learn about DEI topics or just looking for a podcast episode to get started with, I recommend listening to the full recording.
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About Monica Cox:
Monica F. Cox, Ph.D., is a disruptor, trailblazer, change agent, and leader who believes in living an authentic life even if it makes people uncomfortable. She grew up an only child in rural southeast Alabama, where she was raised by her educator parents to persist in the face of personal and professional adversity. As a coach, she guides clients in areas of career development; business strategy; and diversity, equity, and inclusion. A distinguished professor and entrepreneur, Dr. Cox's inquisitive nature contributes to her passion for educating others and sharing what she has learned via her experiences.
About Adya Kumar:
Adya is a tech enthusiast, engineer, project manager, and an inhouse consultant for a leading logistics company. She has a passion for solving problems through the use of technology and is a strong supporter of digitalization as an enabler to grow and sustain diversity in businesses.
In 2021, she founded “The Digitalization & Diversity Podcast” with the mission to create engagement and raise awareness on the power of Digitalization to improve Diversity. Through this platform, Adya shares insights, personal stories and digital journeys of diverse people. The podcast has been downloaded in over 50 countries across Spotify, Apple and Google Podcasts.
Adya has lived and worked in diverse environments in India, France, USA, UK and Germany and traveled to 40+ countries. Today, she calls Bonn (Germany) her home of choice.
***
Links and mentions:
Website: www.drmonicacox.com
Twitter, IG, TikTok handle: @drmonicacox
Listen to the podcast on other platforms: https://adyakumar.com/links/
Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adyakumar/
Connect with me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the.dd.podcast
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Apr 4, 2022
S2 Ep 1: Mental health, adulting and using digitalization to manage personal finances, with Thamina Stoll
How can we better tackle mental health and well-being issues? What do people most struggle with while adulting? How can you use technology to better manage your life and personal finances?
In S2 Ep 1, I talk with Thamina Stoll, a digital native and vocal feminist, who helps young female professionals navigate the transition from college to the the real world. We talk about the most basic things that people struggle with while adulting and raising issues with mental health and personal well-being. We ponder on what organization and companies can do more to support employees beyond corporate well-being programs. In this episode, we dig deeper to explore the gaps when it comes to tackling the issue of diversity and inclusion in 2022.
We close the episode with insights on how technology and digitalization can help in different ways from increasing awareness to managing personal milestones and finances.
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About Thamina Stoll:
Thamina Stoll works in Digital Advertising as a Client Solutions Manager at a well-known social media platform in New York City. In 2020, Thamina launched her own podcast the “Femme Hive” to help young female professionals navigate the transition from college to the the real world. She is particularly passionate about sharing Personal Finance related content as she believes that economic empowerment is a crucial step towards gender equality. Thamina is a proud graduate of Duke University and a Bayern Munich fan.
About Adya Kumar:
Adya is a tech enthusiast, engineer, project manager, and an inhouse consultant for a leading logistics company. She has a passion for solving problems through the use of technology and is a strong supporter of digitalization as an enabler to grow and sustain diversity in businesses.
In 2021, she founded “The Digitalization & Diversity Podcast” with the mission to create engagement and raise awareness on the power of Digitalization to improve Diversity. Through this platform, Adya shares insights, personal stories and digital journeys of diverse people. The podcast has been downloaded in over 50 countries across Spotify, Apple and Google Podcasts.
Adya has lived and worked in diverse environments in India, France, USA, UK and Germany and traveled to 40+ countries. Today, she calls Bonn (Germany) her home of choice.
***
Links and mentions:
@Thamina Stoll: LinkedIn
@Femme Hive: Instagram, Spotify, Apple Podcasts
Listen to the podcast on other platforms: https://adyakumar.com/links/
Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adyakumar/
Connect with me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the.dd.podcast
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Mar 13, 2022
S2: Trailer – The DD podcast
The first episode for Season 2 is launching on April 5th 2022 on Spotify, Apple and Google Podcasts.
The guests on the show will provide insights on how they use technology and digitalization to grow their passions, which diversity dimensions they contribute to, and how they see the topics of digitalization and diversity converging in their work and in their personal lives. The new season will be focusing on more unfiltered conversations, new energy, discussions on more controversial and challenging topics, and diverse perspectives on socio-economic issues that are not so openly spoken about.
Make sure to follow the DD podcast on Instagram and LinkedIn for latest updates.
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Jan 13, 2022
S1 Ep 10: Microaggressions, colorism, and diversity in the cosmetics industry, with Shweta Aggarwal
How diverse is the cosmetics industry? Does digital media fuel colorism? How should one react to microaggressions?
In the finale of Season 1 (Ep 10), I chat with Shweta Aggarwal, an anti-colorism activist, on the issue of colorism globally. Shweta shares her experiences with colorism across the world. We discuss how skin-tone bias can affect opportunities and potentially trigger other unconscious biases. In this episode, we break down microaggressions, how they look and feel, and the need for using more inclusive language in our daily lives.
We dig deeper into the root causes, and further talk about diversity in the cosmetics industry when it comes to producing diverse products. We discuss the change that is needed today, the role of industry in producing more accessible and affordable products, whether digital media is actually fueling colorism, and how digitalization could potentially help the cause.
Shweta is an anti-colorism activist with a colorful life. Born in India, raised i…
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Oct 28, 2021
S1 Ep 9: Diversity in fashion, gender-neutral clothing and challenging societal norms, with Stephane Bonutto
What does diversity in fashion mean? Does clothing have gender? How do you empower people to live their true self especially in the corporate work environment? How can you use digital media to educate and inspire?
In S1 Ep 9 of “The Digitalization & Diversity Podcast", I talk with Stéphane Bonutto, a finance manager at an industrial company, a diversity coach, speaker and a diversity model, about his journey towards embracing gender-neutral clothing.
We discuss his personal story, the events that led him to challenge the societal norms both in his private life and in the work environment, and how he brings his most authentic self to work today.
Stéphane shares the unconscious biases and reactions of people to him and what diversity means to him. We talk about the extent to which diversity needs to be fostered and challenged especially at the workplace when it comes to fashion and clothing. Stéphane had some great ideas on how we can ensure that the work environment is adapted t…
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Aug 10, 2021
S1 Ep 8: The impact of digital platforms, social media and personal branding on diversity, with Sarona Wolter
What is personal branding? Why is it important today? How do digital platforms improve the inclusion of diverse perspectives? Should you use social media platforms, start a blog or a podcast, or get on one of the TikTok trends?
In S1 Ep 8 of “The Digitalization & Diversity Podcast”, I collaborate with Sarona Wolter, host of “Hypewomen_the podcast” to discuss the impact of different digital platforms and social media on diversity.
We talk about personal branding, using social media and getting over the Imposter Syndrome when starting out. We discuss how digitalized communication today is affecting the inclusion and participation of different groups, and all the opportunities that are being created for diversity.
We get “real” about the kind of stereotypes and biases that People of Color face, and how do you answer the common question “Where are you from?”!! We talk about how people today can be more aware and conscious of diversity related topics and biases. We end…
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Jul 24, 2021
S1 Ep 7: Women in tech, age diversity at the workplace, and entrepreneurship in Mexico, with Ilse Alejo
How diverse is the tech sector when it comes to diversity of age? What factors discourage women and girls from a career in tech? How can we improve the representation of women in a growing digital economy?
In this episode, I chat with my close friend Ilse Alejo on her story and how she started her own business at a very young age, drawing inspiration from leading women in her life. We talk about the challenges stemming from the perceived stereotypes in the professional environment, the reasons for underrepresentation of women in a growing digital economy and the age diversity gap in the tech sector.
We discuss diversity trainings and the need for more empathy and personalization to make them effective. We end the conversation with Ilse’s favorite pieces of technology that improve her life, the importance of having a network of women to learn from their experiences, and future plans for her professional career.
Ilse Alejo is from Mexico and now lives in California. She is a softw…
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Jul 18, 2021
S1 Ep 6: The ESG trend, digitalization in sustainable development and diversity learnings from Finland, with Milla-Mari Vastavuo
How will the ESG trend impact diversity in the future? How can digitalization foster sustainable development and change diversity in our society? How digitalized are companies in Finland?
In this episode, I chat with Milla-Mari Vastavuo on her journey into the field of sustainability and her current work in the biofuels industry based in Finland. We talk about the ESG trend, the regulatory changes in the EU, and how it will impact diversity in the future. We talk about the important of balancing all three aspects of Environment, Social and Governance factors when prioritizing sustainable development goals, having transparent discussions and communication about targets.
We also discuss the challenges in measuring social targets, whether quotas foster real equality or not, how digitalization helps to communicate with diverse groups of people, and ultimately how do we make the diversity movement sustainable. We end the conversation on some reflection on career paths, goals and individua…
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Jul 11, 2021
S1 Ep 5: Diversity in consulting and how diverse mindsets foster digital innovation, with Jiya Chadha
How does digitalization influence diversity in the consulting sector? How can diversity benefit digital innovation? How can we better make use of technology today?
In this episode, I chat with Jiya Chadha to understand the diversity dimensions of the consulting sector. We talk about her journey and how her childhood curiosity led her to pursue a degree in electronics engineering and later move into the consulting sector.
We discuss how digitalization is an inclusive topic and presents a level playing field for those who are curious and strive to be innovative. This also applies to the consulting sector, providing greater flexibility and enabling more opportunities for people with diverse profiles to get into the field. We also discuss how important it is to have diverse teams, with different backgrounds and mindsets to encourage innovation and how we can better harness the value of data and technology today. We end the conversation on some food for thought on how can we better contri…
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Jul 9, 2021
S1 Ep 4: Digitalization in the public sector, digital maturity across countries and diversity targets, with Christoph Wegener
How advanced is digitalization in the public sector? Why are some countries more digital than others? Why are diversity targets important?
In this episode, I discuss with Christoph Wegener the digitalization trends within the public sector. We discuss the differences in digital maturity across countries, the importance of diversity in development cooperation, and the initiatives that companies should undertake to improve diversity.
We also talk about the benefits of implementing diversity-related standards, the impact of gender quotas, and how companies can measure targets. We end the conversation on some reflection on how we can be more diverse and diverse-minded today.
Christoph Wegener currently works in consulting for the public sector in Germany. He has a background in development economics and tourism management, and has lived in the UK, Netherlands, South Africa, Korea and Thailand for study or work. Christoph is excited about new technologies and eager to prepare and stren…
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Jul 8, 2021
S1 Ep 3: Digital trends in sales, networking apps and mindful communication, with Risha Malhotra
How have corporate functions like Sales and Marketing evolved with the trend of digitalization? How can we better use digital tools for networking? How can we keep up with Gen Z?
In this episode, I chat with Risha Malhotra to understand the digitization trends within the corporate functions of Sales & Marketing. We talk about her early career and how today she helps companies leverage data analytics effectively. We also talk about her passions from being an artist to setting up her personal brand ‘Mindful Businesswoman’.
We discuss how we can better communicate with diverse age groups, how we can feel more comfortable with data being shared through the use of digital tools and apps, and how we can become more data-driven. We end the conversation on some useful tips on better leveraging networking platforms like LinkedIn and her venture into the digital artwork space.
Risha Malhotra is passionate about mindfulness and living with intention. She currently helps companies use analy…
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Jul 2, 2021
S1 Ep 2: Using digital tools in HR, and improving diversity to create an impact, with Julieta Barrientos
Do Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) initiatives create an impact? How can the latest digital trends improve diversity? How can we better interact with diverse age groups?
In this episode, I discuss with Julieta Barrientos the invisible barriers that might exist at the workplace "the glass ceiling effect", how D&I initiatives have evolved and how they affect the workplace, and how the latest digital trends are creating an inclusive environment. We also talk about the benefits of digitalization in the HR function, and the impact of using different technologies and solutions. We end the conversation with some advice from Julieta for Gen Z who are already entering the workforce on how they can redefine diversity.
Julieta has a background in Business administration with a strong interest in psychology and she been working for 5 years at one of the leading dairy companies in Mexico, with experience in HR transformation and Organizational Development. She is passionate about helping people disco…
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Jun 23, 2021
S1 Ep 1: Blockchain Technology and breaking stereotypes to sustain the diversity movement, with Chaitanya Konda
What is blockchain and cryptography all about? Is the blockchain sector a role model for diversity today? How can we make the diversity movement sustainable?
In this episode, I talk to Chaitanya Konda to understand the diversity of the niche sector of blockchain. We talk about her journey and how her work on her master thesis led to a full-time career in blockchain, the advantages of being a tech generalist versus a specific technology expert, and how digitalization helps diverse groups of people attain more financial literacy today.
We discuss the importance of breaking stereotypes in professional lives to make the diversity movement sustainable and how we see different sectors already taking initiatives to become more diverse *Victoria Secret getting rid of its angels*! In the conversation, we also reflect on the boundaries of personal life and digital life, and how we might already be quite digital today!!
Chaitanya is a blockchain and cryptography researcher based out of Lon…
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Jun 15, 2021
S1: Trailer – Welcome by Adya Kumar
This episode is a trailer for what this podcast is all about. My name is Adya and I am the host of this show. In this episode, I will tell you a bit more about myself, my inspiration to start this podcast, and what you can expect from the podcast series.
Listen to the podcast on other platforms: https//adyakumar.com/links
Connect with me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the.dd.podcast
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