Kundra

Et si le congé maternité n’était pas seulement une absence à couvrir, mais un moment clé pour repenser l’organisation du travail ?
Dans cet épisode du Kundra Podcast, Theresa reçoit Maria Rubio, VP des projets stratégiques chez Indy, une entreprise de la French Tech qui accompagne les indépendants dans la gestion de leur activité.
Avant même de rejoindre Indy, Maria savait qu’elle voulait devenir mère, et la culture de l’entreprise sur l’équilibre vie pro / vie perso faisait déjà partie de ses critères de choix.
Quand elle annonce sa grossesse, elle le fait tôt. Non pas par obligation, mais parce qu’elle se sent dans un environnement de confiance. Avec son manager, elle utilise ce temps pour cartographier son rôle, identifier les zones floues, déléguer, clarifier les priorités et accélérer une réorganisation déjà en discussion.
Mais le retour reste difficile.
Maria raconte le choc très concret de rouvrir Slack après plusieurs mois, de passer des couches, du sommeil et du lait à une complexité de projets, de décisions et de responsabilités. Elle parle aussi du vrai sujet derrière le retour : retrouver sa place, redéfinir ses limites, et comprendre comment continuer à avoir de l’impact quand ses priorités ont changé.
Cet épisode explore une idée forte : bien préparé, un congé maternité peut devenir un moment de recul stratégique, pour la personne, pour son manager, et pour l’entreprise.
Dans cet épisode, vous découvrirez :
pourquoi Maria a choisi Indy aussi pour sa culture parentale
comment elle a préparé son départ avec son manager
comment son congé a accéléré une réorganisation d’équipe
pourquoi le retour reste difficile, même dans un contexte favorable
comment elle a transformé son retour en nouveau cycle professionnel
pourquoi le reboarding devrait être pensé comme un vrai moment de design du travail
ce que les entreprises peuvent faire pour aider les parents à revenir avec clarté, impact et confiance
Que vous soyez parent, futur parent, RH, manager ou dirigeant, cet épisode vous aidera à voir le congé maternité non pas comme une parenthèse, mais comme une opportunité de mieux structurer le travail, et de mieux retenir les talents.
Dans cet épisode, on parle :
00:00 Introduction à Maria & son parcours French Tech
02:19 Choisir une entreprise aussi pour sa culture parentale
03:25 Annoncer tôt pour mieux préparer le congé
05:37 Cartographier le rôle : ownership, délégation & zones fragiles
08:13 Le congé comme accélérateur de réorganisation
09:59 Le choc du retour : Slack, rythme & nouvelle identité
18:27 Revenir avec du recul et construire un nouveau scope
About Kundra
Kundra is building the future of parental leave.
We believe ambition and parenthood can thrive together - and companies that embed equity into their foundations today will lead tomorrow.
This podcast is part of our journey: speaking with working parents, business leaders, and HR innovators to surface the truths of career and parenting and the tools that make it work.
We’re now opening up pilot programs for companies ready to rethink parental leave. If you’d like to see how Kundra can support your teams, email [email protected] for a demo.
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Et si l’égalité professionnelle passait aussi par le temps que les pères prennent, vraiment, à l’arrivée d’un enfant ?
Dans cet épisode du Kundra Podcast, Theresa reçoit Benjamin, manager chez Thales, père de deux enfants, qui a vécu deux expériences très différentes de la parentalité : une première naissance au Canada, où il a pu prendre deux mois et demi, puis une seconde en France, où il a combiné congé paternité et congés pour rester présent pendant deux mois.
À travers ce double regard, Benjamin met en lumière un point souvent sous-estimé : quand les pères prennent peu de temps, la charge s’installe très vite de manière déséquilibrée. Et ce déséquilibre ne s’arrête pas à la maison, il influence aussi les carrières, les perceptions du travail et, au fond, l’égalité entre les femmes et les hommes.
Cette conversation va plus loin qu’un simple témoignage. On y parle d’anticipation, de passation, de retour au travail, d’empathie managériale et du rôle très concret de l’employeur dans la normalisation du congé des pères. Benjamin raconte comment il a structuré son absence, préparé l’arrivée d’une alternante, suspendu certains projets sans créer de surcharge excessive, et pourquoi cette expérience l’a rendu plus attentif aux transitions vécues par les parents dans son équipe.
On parle aussi d’un sujet central pour Kundra : tant que les pères ne prennent pas davantage leur place dès les premiers mois, la parentalité continuera d’avoir un coût professionnel disproportionné pour les mères.
Que vous soyez parent, futur parent, manager, RH ou dirigeant, cet épisode vous aidera à comprendre pourquoi soutenir le congé des pères n’est pas un “plus” culturel, mais un levier très concret d’équilibre, de rétention et d’égalité au travail.

Dans cet épisode, on parle :
00:00 Introduction & le parcours international de Benjamin
04:19 Canada vs France : ce que le congé change vraiment
11:30 Ce que le congé change dans le rapport au travail
13:09 Devenir père change aussi la manière de manager
23:52 Préparer son absence : organisation & passation25:31 Pourquoi les pères ne prennent pas tous leur congé
31:42 Le congé des pères comme levier d’égalité

About Kundra
Kundra is building the future of parental leave.
We believe ambition and parenthood can thrive together - and companies that embed equity into their foundations today will lead tomorrow.
This podcast is part of our journey: speaking with working parents, business leaders, and HR innovators to surface the truths of career and parenting and the tools that make it work.
We’re now opening up pilot programs for companies ready to rethink parental leave. If you’d like to see how Kundra can support your teams, email [email protected] for a demo.
Want more from each episode?
Subscribe to Kundra Notes for insights, recaps, and HR toolkits

Follow Kundra on LinkedIn for product updates and thought leadership

Follow Kundra on Instagram for stories, quotes, and behind-the-scenes

What if the moment you fear will slow your business down… is actually the one that makes it stronger?
In this episode of the Kundra Podcast, Theresa speaks with Solène, founder of Process Entrepreneurs, who helps women prepare their businesses for pregnancy and maternity leave.
After a severe and unexpected pregnancy that forced her to drastically reduce her capacity, Solène faced what many entrepreneurs fear most: losing control of her business. But what followed was unexpected.
By cutting non-essential work, delegating more, and simplifying her model, she didn’t just maintain her business, she doubled her revenue after returning.
This conversation challenges one of the most persistent assumptions in the workplace: that parental leave is a disruption to performance. Instead, it reveals how constraint can force better decisions, stronger prioritization, and more resilient business models.
Solène also shares why 72% of women entrepreneurs don’t take full maternity leave, how poor planning can impact up to 12 months of business income, and what both entrepreneurs and companies consistently underestimate about parental leave.
This episode will help you understand:
Why maternity leave impacts far more than just a few months off
How constraint can drive better business and operating decisions
What companies can learn from entrepreneurs about managing parental leave
Why mindset, not just policy, is the real lever for change
This episode is for entrepreneurs, HR leaders, and managers who want to rethink parental leave, not as a risk to manage, but as an opportunity to redesign work.

In this episode, we discuss:
00:00 Introduction & Solène’s background
02:57 The structural problem: motherhood as the main driver of inequality
05:58 The fear, the planning illusion, and loss of control during pregnancy
09:29 Survival mode: forced simplification, delegation, and prioritization
18:09 The hidden business impact of maternity leave (9–12 months reality)
22:00 The turning point: how constraint led to stronger performance
33:31 From risk management to strategic leverage: lessons for companies
About Kundra
Kundra is building the future of parental leave.
We believe ambition and parenthood can thrive together - and companies that embed equity into their foundations today will lead tomorrow.
This podcast is part of our journey: speaking with working parents, business leaders, and HR innovators to surface the truths of career and parenting and the tools that make it work.
We’re now opening up pilot programs for companies ready to rethink parental leave. If you’d like to see how Kundra can support your teams, email [email protected] for a demo.
Want more from each episode?
Subscribe to Kundra Notes for insights, recaps, and HR toolkits

Follow Kundra on LinkedIn for product updates and thought leadership

Follow Kundra on Instagram for stories, quotes, and behind-the-scenes

How do you manage maternity leave when half your team is stepping away - and performance still needs to hold?
In this episode of the Kundra Podcast, Theresa sits down with Valentine, Product Marketing leader and therapist, who shares a rare perspective: how to design high-performing parental leave as a manager who hasn’t experienced it herself.
After witnessing firsthand how poorly managed maternity leave can derail careers and cost companies top talent, Valentine took a radically different approach — turning a high-risk situation into a win for the team, the business, and the individuals involved.
When two of her four team members went on maternity leave simultaneously, she had to make fast, high-stakes decisions: how to structure coverage, justify budget, protect partnerships, and ensure a seamless return.
Inside this conversation, you’ll discover:
From Failure to Framework: What goes wrong when maternity leave is poorly handled - and how to avoid it
Continuity Under Pressure: How to design coverage when capacity drops by 50%
Smart Trade-offs: How to decide between freelancers, hiring, and internal redistribution
Business Case First: How to secure budget by linking leave coverage to revenue and partnerships
Reboarding That Works: Why the first weeks back matter more than the handover
The Human Layer: How a therapist mindset - listening, empathy, and “persona thinking” - transforms outcomes
Whether you’re a manager, HR leader, or future parent, this episode offers a practical and deeply human playbook for turning maternity leave into a moment of growth - not disruption.

In this episode we cover:
00:00 Introduction to Valentine
02:53 Why This Topic Matters: Even If You’re Not a Parent
04:45 The Worst-Case Scenario: When Maternity Leave Goes Wrong
08:36 Managing Two Leaves in a Four-Person Team
09:06 Coverage Decisions: Freelance, Hire, or Redistribute?
15:27 Making the Business Case: Budget, Partners & Performance
21:12 Reboarding Done Right: Energy, Identity & Motivation
25:56 The Manager Playbook: Listening, Personas & Long-Term Impact
About Kundra
Kundra is building the future of parental leave.
We believe ambition and parenthood can thrive together - and companies that embed equity into their foundations today will lead tomorrow.
This podcast is part of our journey: speaking with working parents, business leaders, and HR innovators to surface the truths of career and parenting and the tools that make it work.
We’re now opening up pilot programs for companies ready to rethink parental leave. If you’d like to see how Kundra can support your teams, email [email protected] for a demo.
Want more from each episode?
Subscribe to Kundra Notes for insights, recaps, and HR toolkits

Follow Kundra on LinkedIn for product updates and thought leadership

Follow Kundra on Instagram for stories, quotes, and behind-the-scenes

What if taking three months off work after your child is born made you a better father - and a better professional?
In this episode of the Kundra Podcast, Theresa sits down with Gaultier, Product Marketing Manager at Kolecto, who shares a deeply honest story about becoming a father during a moment of professional transition. After closing his startup and questioning his professional identity, Gaultier chose to take three months away from work to fully experience the early days of fatherhood.
What followed reshaped how he thinks about success, work, and the role fathers play in building the foundations of family life.
Inside this conversation, you’ll discover:
Choosing Presence Over Pressure: Why Gaultier paused his job search after his son’s birth - and how stepping away from work allowed him to truly become a father.
The Hidden Value of Paternity Leave: How early time with his son built confidence, strengthened their bond, and created the foundation for a lifelong relationship.
Fatherhood as Leadership Training: The unexpected professional skills developed through parenting - from empathy and prioritization to sharper focus and better energy management.
The Legitimacy Gap: Why many fathers still hesitate to take longer leave, and how cultural expectations and a lack of role models hold men back.
Reframing Commitment at Work: Why taking parental leave doesn’t reduce ambition - and how companies can recognize parenthood as a meaningful life experience that builds stronger professionals.
This episode is a powerful reminder that taking time for early parenthood isn’t a career risk - it’s an investment in family, leadership, and long-term wellbeing.
Whether you’re a father-to-be, working parent, manager, or HR leader, this conversation challenges the assumptions around paternity leave and shows what becomes possible when fathers give themselves permission to be fully present.
In this episode we cover:
00:00 Introduction & Gaultier’s Story
04:19 Choosing to Pause Work and Take Time With His Newborn
09:07 What Fatherhood Changed About Work and Leadership
15:56 Navigating Career Fears as a New Dad
22:23 Why More Fathers Should Take Parental Leave
About Kundra
Kundra is building the future of parental leave.
We believe ambition and parenthood can thrive together - and companies that embed equity into their foundations today will lead tomorrow.
This podcast is part of our journey: speaking with working parents, business leaders, and HR innovators to surface the truths of career and parenting and the tools that make it work.
We’re now opening up pilot programs for companies ready to rethink parental leave. If you’d like to see how Kundra can support your teams, email [email protected] for a demo.
Want more from each episode?
Subscribe to Kundra Notes for insights, recaps, and HR toolkits

Follow Kundra on LinkedIn for product updates and thought leadership

Follow Kundra on Instagram for stories, quotes, and behind-the-scenes