Listen and get insights into "Mentoring - Meet Them Where They Are" in this talk with Deborah Sgro and Erika Lunceford. Deborah is the founder of Beyond Glass Ceiling and Global Mentoring Director at Women in Big Data, as well as an advisory board member. Erica is leading to transformation and delivery for City National Bank at RBC Capital Markets.

In this episode you will get insight into the impact and success of the Women in Big Data Global Mentoring Initiative, as it marks its 5th anniversary in 2026. The conversation covers the mentoring program's start and the results from its first multi-year study: mentors and mentees profiles, categories, and feedback, and expected program improvements based on lessons learned. Additionally, our guest also share their career insights.

"Technology is gonna change. We've seen it change a lot in our lives. And, it's going to continue to do so. And so it's important to know how to learn new technical skills, but the focus of the mentoring oftentimes needs to be more on the strategy. So that's my favorite part of mentoring, is really helping people step back: look at where they are, and think strategically about where they wanna go, and a plan that fits who they are at that point in time." - Erika Lunceford.

Guest Info

• LinkedIn: Deborah Sgro
• LinkedIn: Erika Lunceford

Mentoring Program - Women in Big Data
Mentoring is essential to success at every stage of a women’s career, both as a mentee and mentor. The many WiBD mentoring programs are open to WiBD members and cover opportunities for junior, mid-career, and senior women in technology. Not yet a member? No worries. By joining a mentoring program, you automatically become a WiBD member. Both membership and mentoring are free of charge.

Website: Women in Big Data Podcast
LinkedIn: Follow - Women in Big Data
Contact us: datawomen@protonmail.com

Listen and get insights into "Data, AI & Business Outcomes" in this talk with Amit Shivpuja and Madhavi Rajan. Amit is the Director of Data & AI Enablement at Walmart, and author of the book: The Data & AI Compass. Madhavi is the Head of Product Strategy, Research & Operations at Rackspace Technology, and she is a Member of the Board of Directors at Women in Big Data.

In this episode you will gain insights into the intersection of AI, Data, and Business outcomes, emphasizing the importance of AI and data literacy in organizations. You will learn that many enterprises, especially within the Fortune 100, are still in the early stages of AI adoption, shifting from hype to practical execution. The conversation highlights the need for categorizing AI initiatives to improve operational efficiency, customer engagement, and product strategies. Central to the dialogue is the emphasis on strong leadership and organizational alignment to effectively navigate the continuously changing AI landscape and drive meaningful business transformation.

"I would say AI isn't a tech in initiator. It's actually a leadership shift. So, we are not just like rolling out the models or the product; it's actually much more than that. It's is values, it's risk, and it's trust. And that takes not just innovation of your product but it takes like alignment, and then the sponsorship and executive courage." - Madhavi Rajan.

Guest Info

• LinkedIn: Amit Shivpuja
• LinkedIn: Madhavi Rajan

Resources

• Book: The Data & AI Compass (Amit Shivpuja)
• Website: https://daicompass.com
• Book: The Thinking Machine (Stephen Witt)

Mentoring Program - Women in Big Data
Mentoring is essential to success at every stage of a women’s career, both as a mentee and mentor. The many WiBD mentoring programs are open to WiBD members and cover opportunities for junior, mid-career, and senior women in technology. Not yet a member? No worries. By joining a mentoring program, you automatically become a WiBD member. Both membership and mentoring are free of charge.

Website: Women in Big Data Podcast
LinkedIn: Follow - Women in Big Data
Contact us: datawomen@protonmail.com

Listen and get insights into "Rebooting Tech Culture" in this talk with Telle Whitney. Telle is a Senior Executive Leader, an Entrepreneur, and a recognized Advocate on Women & Technology. She has over 20 years of leadership experience and was named one of Fast Company’s most influential Women in Technology.

In this episode of the Women in Big Data Podcast, you will learn valuable lessons from Telle's book "Rebooting Tech Culture: How to Ignite Innovation and Build Organizations Where Everyone Can Thrive." You’ll explore and gain insights into Telle's 6 Cs framework—creativity, courage, confidence, curiosity, communication, and community. Tune in to discover how you can apply these 6 Cs to your own Data & AI journey!

In this episode of the Women in Big Data Podcast, we talk about Telle's book "Rebooting Tech Culture: How to ignite Innovation and Build Organizations Where Everyone Can Thrive". We explore and gain insights into Telle's 6 Cs framework - creativity, courage, confidence, curiosity, communication, community. Tune in and discover how you can apply these 6 Cs to your own Data & AI journey!

"The book is Rebooting Technology: How to Ignite Innovation and Build Organizations Where Everyone Can Thrive. And there's 6 Cs. It's built on this framework of 6 Cs, which is creativity, an innovative culture that is truly creative. Finding the courage to take risks. Building a culture of confidence where people speak their mind and speak their ideas. Embracing curiosity, so always figuring out new ideas. Learning to communicate because without communicating your ideas, you're not going to be able to create change. And then ultimately, community, because community is how we nurture ourselves in order to move forward"- Telle Whitney.

• 1:37 - The Why of Telle's book: Rebooting Tech Culture - How to Ignite Innovation and Build Organizations Where Everyone Can Thrive
• 2:33 - Telle's 6 Cs framework - creativity, courage, confidence, curiosity, communication, community
• 5:25 - 6 Cs: the biggest barrier
• 6:23 - 6 Cs: the biggest catalyst
• 7:46 - The business case for culture investment
• 8:46 - Measurements that actually move the needle
• 10:23 - Strategies that can make women in data and AI truly indispensable besides up-skilling and staying current
• 12:37 - AI code without a strong engineer in charge: more problems than solutions
• 13:44 - Courage to take risks: look for startups that are doing interesting things
• 17:06 - Who's a woman in big data and AI that you admire and why?
• 17:34 - What is the best career advice you've ever received?
• 18:06 - What three ingredients go into your career recipe?
• 19:11 - Leaving an organization if it doesn't work for you is really important
• 20:06 - Telle's message for the Women in Big Data Community

Guest Info

• LinkedIn: Telle

Mentoring Program - Women in Big Data
Mentoring is essential to success at every stage of a women’s career, both as a mentee and mentor. The many WiBD mentoring programs are open to WiBD members and cover opportunities for junior, mid-career, and senior women in technology. Not yet a member? No worries. By joining a mentoring program, you automatically become a WiBD member. Both membership and mentoring are free of charge.

Website: Women in Big Data Podcast
LinkedIn: Follow - Women in Big Data
Contact us: datawomen@protonmail.com