Shows
Building compassionate tech, and advocating for diverse voices with Bec Nguyen
For many of my guests, the careers and fields that we're in now didn't exist or were just newly conceived when we were at university. So those indirect paths I often speak about were just a matter of course. Bec Nguyen is the director of Upbeat Digital and a specialist in UX in digital health. Join us as we speak about her winding path to User Experience Design and design thinking as it grew as a space, building compassionate tech, and advocating for diverse voices no matter what industry you're in.
Chasing fireballs and the evolution of our solar system with Professor Gretchen Benedix
We've spoken about indirect career paths, but Professor Gretchen Benedix calls hers the pinball method, starting on a course that could change direction when she strikes something that she'd like to delve more into. This method has served Gretchen well and has given her opportunities to work with Dr Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, chase fireballs over the desert, hunt meteorites in Antarctica, and even get an asteroid named after her. Join us as we speak with Gretchen about her journey to astrogeology, discovering how the solar system evolved, and the Desert Fireball Network.
Veterinary policy and mental health with Dr Lydia Pethick
A common misconception about veterinary sciences is that it’s all about puppies and kittens, but that’s not always the case. Like other care providers, vets can have it tough in the service of the community and there is a lot of active work being done to ensure the vet industry, its people, the community, and not just the animals, can thrive. Join us as we speak with Dr Lydia Pethick, veterinarian, motivational speaker, and television presenter about working in policy and biosecurity as a vet, the state of mental health and wellbeing in the veterinary industry, and the actionable things we can do to positively impact our mindset and prevent burnout.
Plant immune systems and SciArt with Eleonora Moratto
A common thread between the arts and the sciences is storytelling. In both scenarios you’re building worlds, and creating an understanding of the mechanisms that make the system work (or not work), and the relationships within that bubble. Eleonora Moratto is the Biology Ballerina. She is a freelance professional ballet dancer, and is currently completing her PhD in plant pathogen interactions. Join us as we speak about Eleonora’s work exploring electrical fields and plant immune systems, and her journey as a SciArtist.
Growth and sustainability with Dr Sandy Chong
Sustainability is more than just the environment. If you look at the UN Sustainable Development Goals, it's also about accessibility, equity, and inclusion in multiple areas of society, and covers things like the economy, infrastructure, community, and yes, climate and the environment. But they're the kinds of goals that bring everybody up so that no one is left behind. Join us in our conversation with Dr Sandy Chong, founding member of the Sustainable Development Goals Forum in WA, former president of the United Nations Association of WA, and member of the World Economic Forum Expert Network. We speak about the impact of digital inclusion and how the UN Sustainable Development Goals benefit us all, and are for now, not later.
Creating opportunities for work life choices with Sirisha Kuchimanchi
What is your personal worth? From an internal perspective, it's about having confidence in your sense of self and your values. But let's expand on that. Your worth can also be viewed in the connections you have made in your personal or professional communities, be it the kids' soccer parent who knows a job you'd be great for, or the ex-coworker whose passion project is your passion, too. It's also of course your financial position and what you can do to change it. Because growth in all these areas gives you more space to grow as well. Join us as we speak with Sirisha Kuchimanchi, entrepreneur, speaker, and former engineering and manufacturing executive, about navigating her career through economic downturns, and how the different aspects of your personal worth give you more options.
Systems thinking and the future of architecture with Evelyn Lee
Architecture has always struck me as a multidisciplinary field. It draws knowledge from all areas of STEMM into creating the spaces in which we live and work. But that's not always how this profession is perceived and this reflects in the way the industry has and needs to evolve. Evelyn Lee is Head of Workplace Strategy and Innovation at Slack Technologies, and Founder of Practice of Architecture. Join us as we speak about the Evelyn's journey through architecture and tech, the future of architecture, and systems thinking in physical and organisational environments.
The interconnectedness of seemingly disparate things with Laura Langdon
It's not about the destination, it's about the journey. But for today's guest, it's about both. Laura Langdon is a developer advocate who has the pleasure of combining her explorations and experience in theatre, computer science, mathematics, education, and data science into a role that rolls all of that into one perfect package. Join us as we speak of about Laura's experience in education, and the beauty of the interconnectedness of seemingly disparate things.
Bringing compassion back to technology with April Wensel
We could all do with a little more compassion in our lives, and April Wensel is making sure that we bring it to our work as well. April Wensel is the founder of Compassionate Coding helping companies and tech professionals to communicate more *and* effectively, so that we can be better at what we do, better to each other, and better to ourselves. Join us as we speak about April's journey through technology, finding purpose with Compassionate Coding, and putting the humanity back into technology.
Geospatial analysis and making information beautiful with Helen McKenzie
Geographic Information Systems. There, I've lost some of you already. But you're missing out, because GIS is more than about where things are, it's about why they're there, and quite a few of those reasons will be because of how people do people things. Helen McKenzie is a cartographer, data visualiser, and geospatial advocate, who is passionate about finding meaning in complex data and making information beautiful. We speak about her love of maps, and how we can use geospatial analysis to elegantly give more meaning to the way we live in the world around us, and keep our societies ticking away.
Reinvention with humility & embracing innovation with Lan Tran
You have to pivot or reinvent yourself to stay relevant. This idea gets bandied about a lot these days but there are going to be times in your life and in business where it has to happen. Lan Tran is a powerhouse in sales and marketing is no stranger to this concept. She has seen the decline of the paper business directory with the advent of Google ads, the challenges of returning to work after raising a family, and the devastating impact of crypto on a local metaverse game studio. We speak about approaching reinvention with humility, and Lan's observations about innovation and entrepreneurship in tech and Western Australia.
Health and medical research strategy with Professor Moira Clay
Ever thought about asking a member of parliament about how to become prime minister? Moira Clay, a leading research strategist, asked that very question, and she has now cultivated a career helping leaders in health and medical research make an impact both in research and the community. Join us as we speak about Moira's journey in medical research, and developing a holistic and comprehensive approach to cancer treatment.
Science film-making and D&D with Shamini Bundell
Science communication comes in all mediums, from film-making to journalism, even Dungeons and Dragons, and Shamini Bundell does it all. Shamini is an award-winning filmmaker, a writer, and a journalist, working on the Nature YouTube channel, podcast, and magazine online. She is also one of the members of RPGeeks, combining Dungeons and Dragons with science. Join us as we speak about Shamini's journey through science and science media production, her introduction to Dungeons and Dragons, and applying her broad skillset to both science communication and creative arts.
Branding for Connection and FemTech with Ari Krzyzek
Have you ever looked at a business beyond their visual branding and think about who they are, what they stand for, and who their owners are and what they stand for? Branding is more than an aesthetic, it's about connection. Ari Krizek is the CEO and Head of Strategy of see-ka-lo-fîa, a brand agency that helps femtech and women-led brands to solidify their 'why' so they can unlock business opportunities. Join us as we speak about Ari's journey to creating her own brand agency, finding her niche in femtech, and why knowing your why can help you to succeed.
Women and caste in tech in India with Raksha Kumar
Raksha Kumar is an award-winning journalist with a focus on land, forest, and human rights issues. She is also a documentary film-maker, and has written for publications including The New York Times, BBC, and The Guardian. Join us as we speak about Raksha's investigative work into the layered and complex issues of caste and sexism in India's tech industry.
Biomedical to software engineering and paying our experiences forward through mentoring with Krithika Chandramouli
Krithika Chandramouli is a software engineer at Meta who is full bottle on full stack, and passionate about mentoring. Join us as we talk about Krithika's journey from biomedical to software engineering, paying her experiences forward through mentorship, and going from having a love-hate relationship with running, to completing a half-marathon.
The human side of clinical development and re-inspiring curiosity in science with Leah Elson
Leah Elson is a clinical development scientist, author, and science communicator whose research interests cover a wide range of medical fields. Join us as we speak about how Leah is here to help people through clinical development and research, her web series “60 Seconds of Science" where she dispenses accessible answers to scientific questions, and her new book "There Are (No) Stupid Questions… In Science".
Science Entrepreneurship and Turning Waste into Resources with Dr Kandis Leslie Gilliard-AbdulAziz
There's a lot of waste that comes out of industries that keep the cogs turning in our society, but waste not want not. There're a lot of people working on closing the loop by finding ways to turn that waste into new resources. Professor Kandis Leslie GillardAbdul-Aziz leads The Sustainable Lab. Join us as we speak about science entrepreneurship, and how we can engineer sustainable solutions out of waste in industry.
Tech, the Arts, and the Value of Human Interaction with Shirley Yu
Shirley Yu began her journey as a computer scientist, and is an award-winning environmental portraiture and conceptual still life photographer with clients including New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Time. She's also the founder of Choosii, a community app for collectors to curate, share, and acquire their collections, and cultivate connection. Join us as we speak about Shirley's journey from computer science to entrepreneurism, her creative process, and building communities with our collections.
DNA - The Code of Life and Diversity for Innovation with Dr Parwinder Kaur
DNA is cool. It's the code of life and who we are at a biological level. Know what else is cool? Open-source DNA, for animal conservation. Dr Parwinder Kaur, an award-winning scientist, and entrepreneur. Join us as we speak about how Parwinder uses her talents in biotechnology and genetics for conservation, and creating sustainable solutions through interdisciplinary innovation.