Women in Tech Podcast, hosted by Espree Devora

In this inspiring episode, Maha Achour takes us from her beginnings in North Africa to her pivotal role as co-founder and CEO of Kodamai, a company focused on integrating trust and governance into artificial intelligence. She shares her lifelong passion for mathematics, the journey into physics at MIT, and how these foundations shaped her entrepreneurial career.

Explore the conversation

Early Passion for Math & Science

Maha Achour recounts her curiosity as a child, her struggle with limited resources, and her self-driven approach to learning advanced mathematics and physics 

Empowering Girls and Women in STEM

Insights into how Maha Achour mentors girls in math and science, and reframes math as an accessible and fascinating discipline 

AI's Role in Education & the Workforce

Discussion on the importance of engaging young people with AI, navigating the changing job landscape, and how intuition and critical questioning remain vital skills in the age of automation.

Founding Kodamai

Maha Achour explains Kodamai's mission to build trust into AI platforms for enterprise customers and elaborates on how AI agents streamline complex workflows, with real-world examples from manufacturing

Navigating Entrepreneurship

Reflections on integrity in business, making fearless decisions, and placing customer-driven development at the core of building a company 

Overcoming Challenges

Stories of overcoming language and cultural barriers as an immigrant, and lessons learned about separating emotion from leadership

Parenting, Self-Confidence & Lifelong Learning

Perspectives on raising children in a digital world, nurturing inner belief, and balancing ambition with caring motherhood

Book Recommendations & Influences

"The Alchemist" as a must-read, and Maha Achour shares how philosophy—especially Socrates—continues to guide her learning and innovations in AI 

Connect with Maha Achour: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mahaachour/ 

mention you were inspired by the Women in Tech Podcast 

Tools Mentioned

Remarkable digital notebook—combining analog thinking with digital convenience 

Memorable Moments

“You always have to find your passion to empower yourself.”  

“If you don’t fail, you’re not trying hard enough… failure is part of success.” 

“AI is not something we should fear, it’s something we should learn to interact with.”  

Join the Community

Plug into Women in Tech on all social platforms @womenintechshow and visit WomenInTechVIP.com to connect with more inspiring women globally.

Mission: 'If She Can Do It, So Can I'

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, Dr. Elizabeth Hudson shares her remarkable journey from neuroscience researcher to founder and CEO of Ambitious Bio, a company building the data infrastructure layer for the biology AI era. Based in Cambridge, Elizabeth Hudson, PhD discusses her career pivots, the inspiration behind Ambitious, and her mission to revolutionize how AI is applied in biotech by tackling the crucial—and often overlooked—challenge of biological data access.

Dr. Hudson opens up about the risks, challenges, and critical moments that shaped her path, while offering clear-eyed advice on persistence, strategic risk-taking, and the importance of building supportive communities for women in tech.

Key Topics

Ambitious: The Missing Layer in AI for Biology

Learn how Ambitious Bio is making it possible to map the molecular landscape of the human body, providing the essential data needed for breakthroughs in drug discovery, safety, and longevity 01:10.

From Neuroscience to Entrepreneurship

Dr. Elizabeth Hudson reflects on her journey from academia to robotics, tutoring, working at Walmart as a cashier, and ultimately launching her company 04:53.

Catalysts for Change

Insights into how a single decision or brave leader can dramatically improve outcomes, whether in education, health, or tech 00:00 & 40:38.

Building and Scaling as a Woman in Tech

Dr. Elizabeth Hudson candidly discusses the hurdles and stereotypes she faced—and overcame—in both established companies and startups 18:11.

The Power and Challenge of Data in AI

Why the future of biotech and AI depends on generating and sharing robust biological data—and how Ambitious aims to outpace even nation states in this domain 10:46.

Practical Inspiration: Focus, Failure, and Momentum

Advice for staying resilient, the importance of focused effort over innate talent, and how to move "in the direction of warmth and nutrients" when facing setbacks 54:24.

Memorable Moments

“The people who succeed are not the smartest. Sometimes they're not even the hardest working. They're just the people who are able to look at something and say, through the ups, through the downs, through the fear, through the anxiety, I'm just going to keep focusing on this one thing.”

“We have orders of magnitude more data to target an ad to you on Instagram than we do to target a drug and make sure that it goes to the tumor in your lung.”

“All it takes is one person to be a catalyst… and it was a five minute conversation. And it just gets done. Today is the day.”  

Resources & Recommendations

Book: Runnin' Down a Dream by Bill Gurley

Book: Grit by Angela Duckworth

Podcast: Acquired

App: Nessie (context bridge for AI tools)

Podcast: “Don’t Be a Jerk”

Connect with Dr. Elizabeth Hudson

X (formerly Twitter): @CLARKPOLNER

Episode Highlights

The underestimated importance and complexity of building data infrastructure for AI in life sciences

How personal and professional leaps—sometimes inspired by the people closest to us—can create ripples of impact

Why seeing “behind the curtain” reveals opportunities for outsiders and newcomers to shake up even the most established fields

Navigating and reframing obstacles as strengths

Join the Women in Tech Community

Website: womenintechvip.com

Social: @WomenInTechShow

"If she can do it, so can I."

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this inspiring episode, Espree Devora welcomes Anusha Iyer, CEO and founder of Corsha, an identity security company focused on securing and automating machine-to-machine connectivity in operational technology. Anusha Iyer shares her journey from an early fascination with programming in high school to leading a cutting-edge cybersecurity startup protecting industries like manufacturing, robotics, and critical infrastructure.

With over 25 years in technology and a unique background spanning linguistics, cybersecurity, and leadership, Anusha Iyer gets real about pivoting her company, raising funds, building a resilient team, and the importance of self-belief for women in tech.

Topics

Corsha’s mission: Securing the intersection of physical and digital systems, from robots to AI controllers (03:32)

How Anusha Iyer got started in tech and gravitated toward cybersecurity (03:58)

The parallels between digital and physical security: Building trust in the digital era (05:25)

Example use case: Protecting Air Force robots and secure data sharing (09:15)

Navigating an arranged marriage, immigration, and finding her career path by showing up and seizing opportunities (13:37)

Lessons in leadership: From servant to assertive leader, setting boundaries, and building company culture (19:53)

The co-founder journey, pivots, and maintaining strong values and healthy work-life balance (24:18)

Fundraising as a woman in tech: Overcoming rejection, finding the right investors, and learning from "no’s" (32:24)

Advice for younger women and early-career tech professionals: Don’t underestimate yourself, show up with curiosity and drive (41:19)

Favorite resources: "Joy at Work", Lessons in Chemistry, Brene Brown, and practical tech tools like Todoist (42:29)

Takeaways

“Believe in yourself. Everything starts with that belief.” 

“Leadership isn’t about knowing all the answers. It’s about showing more vulnerability and surrounding yourself with people better than you.”

 

Resources & Mentions

Corsha: corsha.com

Must-read book: Joy at Work

Also recommended: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (audiobook favorite with her daughter)

Thought Leader: Brene Brown

Connect with Anusha Iyer

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anusha-iyer/

Website: corsha.com

Join the Community

Connect and collaborate with more incredible women in tech around the world at WomenInTechVIP.com

Follow @WomenInTechShow on all social platforms

"If she can do it, so can I."

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How does authenticity unlock career growth in tech? In this inspiring episode, Priya Ramachandran, Vice President of Engineering for Mixed Signal Group at National Instruments, now part of Emerson Test & Measurement, shares her journey from her early days in India to leading innovation in Austin, Texas. She dives deep into her 22-year journey at the same company, explains how to create opportunities within your organization, and breaks down the myth that job hopping is necessary to progress in tech. Priya emphasizes the importance of building a personal advisory board, embracing growth over perfection, and maintaining your authentic self as you climb the ranks.

Discover actionable insights on mentorship, the role of AI in the workforce, and why the human element will always matter in tech — all aligned with the Women in Tech Show’s mission: “If She Can Do It, So Can I.”

Topics Covered

Priya Ramachandran's background and her rise to VP of Engineering at Emerson/National Instruments 01:10  

How NI/Emerson empowers innovation across industries — from rockets to smartphones 03:29  

Keys to staying at one company for over two decades and making every role an adventure 03:29  

Jungle gym vs. career ladder — creating your unique path 07:48  

How to build your own “board of advisors,” and the difference between mentors, sponsors, and advisors 11:40  

The critical role of authenticity in leadership and public speaking 38:56  

Purpose and progress over perfection — lessons from embracing a growth mindset 35:08  

Perspectives on the rise of AI — opportunity or threat? 18:41  

The irreplaceable value of human connection, empathy, and gut instinct in the age of AI 31:21  

Recommended resources and productivity tools 43:40  

Staying connected: How to reach out to Priya 45:40  

Key Takeaways

"I learned to embrace my authentic self — my background, the culture, and what I bring to the table. That has been such good advice, because otherwise I would have tried to chase something that was not me."  

"Career is a jungle gym, not a ladder. Everybody has to have their own journey."

"Sponsors don’t just get made. You don’t find them — the sponsors find you when you put in the work." 

"Perfection is an illusion fueled by the fear of failure or judgment... Choosing progress and purpose over perfection is key." 

"Authenticity builds more likability than anything else. That is the best strategy." 

"AI will fundamentally change how we work, but as human beings, we have this innate ability to see around corners and solve problems with empathy and gut instinct." 

Recommended By Priya

Must-Follow Thought Leaders: Adam Grant, Brené Brown, and their podcast “Curiosity” 

Must-Read Book: Growth Mindset by Carol Dweck   

Go-To Productivity Tool: Office365's Copilot 

Connect with Priya Ramachandran

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/priya-ramachandran/ 

Join the Conversation

Connect with incredible women in tech  globally:

womenintechvip.com

@womenintechshow across all social platforms

If She Can Do It, So Can I! — Amplifying the stories of inspiring women accelerating their careers in technology, worldwide.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Guest: Sarah Rodrigues, Chief Product Officer, Acre Security

In this episode, we sit down with Sarah Rodrigues, Chief Product Officer at Acre Security, who shares her inspiring journey from growing up in India to leading innovation in the security tech industry in Austin, Texas. Sarah Rodrigues brings a fresh perspective to how diverse experiences, curiosity, grit, and mentorship accelerate women’s careers in technology.

With a dynamic background spanning engineering, lighting design, Amazon, and now security hardware and software, Sarah Rodrigues discusses the art of career pivots, building professional allies, learning through doing, and the real role support systems play in achieving personal and professional growth.

Key Topics Discussed

Redefining what it means to be an engineer in tech 00:00  

How Acre Security keeps people and businesses safe globally 01:28  

Transitioning from Amazon to a leadership role in an entirely new industry 04:38  

The power of curiosity and learning by doing 25:00  

Building a board of life “directors” and mentorship networks 19:56  

Navigating major career shifts and overcoming obstacles 30:12  

Embracing boundaries and self-care for sustainable success 27:37  

Advice for women feeling unqualified or intimidated by new challenges 22:24  

Notable Takeaways

“Everything she has achieved in her life, she has done scared. She’s just gone and done it.” – on lessons from her mother  

“If you look back at the journey, you can see you’ve done harder things and you’ll get through it.”  

"My career didn't follow a plan. Life circumstances shaped my journey." 

“You can combine so many different things, leverage technology—whether it’s art or music. It’s endless.” 

Resources & Recommendations

Book: Grit by Angela Duckworth 34:00  

Productivity Influencer: Ali Abdaal (practical, happiness-oriented productivity) 35:13  

App: Headspace (meditation and mindfulness) 36:10  

Connect with Sarah Rodrigues

LinkedIn: Sarah J. Rodrigues

Mission of the Show

“If She Can Do It, So Can I.”

Inspiring stories and actionable lessons from women accelerating in tech worldwide.

Join the Community

Connect and celebrate more women in tech globally: womenintechvip.com

Follow @WomeninTechShow on all platforms.

Thank you for listening! Don't forget to subscribe and share this episode with anyone who needs a little inspiration to make their next leap in tech.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.