65 - Don't Stay in Your Cocoon: Garima Agrawal on Backend Engineering, Immigration, and Community

"Come Out of Your Cocoon": Garima Agrawal on Java, Nike, and Building a BrandGarima Agrawal is a backend software engineer with a decade in Java development, having worked at Tavant Technologies, TCS, and Nike's India Technology Center. In this episode, she talks about landing in Java by chance rather than choice, freelancing in Tanzania, and moving to the US alone only to learn she was pregnant weeks later. She shares what it took to navigate a new country, a new healthcare system, and H-1B visa pressure while raising a young child, plus her honest take on AI's impact on developer jobs. She closes with why she started building a public brand two months ago and a letter to her 10-year-old self.Topics discussed:From Tavant to TCS to Nike: a decade in JavaMoving to the US alone and finding out she was pregnantH-1B visa pressure and navigating layoffs in techMicroservice architecture and cloud work at NikeWhy deep Java knowledge still matters in an AI-heavy marketBuilding a personal brand and joining Java community leadershipListen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7aZRzRG0jFs0i8hLrmpG2R#SheTalksTech #WomenInTech #GirlsInSTEM #AfricaTech #JavaDevelopers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emerging Tech Voices Ep. 11: Career Growth and BoundariesShe Talks Tech | Emerging Tech VoicesHosts Hlulani, Murendeni, and Nhlamulo sit down for a candid roundtable on what career growth actually looks like once you're in it, and why "boundaries" isn't just a buzzword but a survival skill. From imposter syndrome after a non-traditional entry into data science, to the real cost of overworking for validation, this episode unpacks how growth, burnout, and boundary-setting are more tangled together than most career advice admits.In this episodeHow career growth definitions shift over time, from chasing promotions and titles to defining growth as sustainable delivery and self-trustStarting a data science career through an online certificate instead of a university degree, and the pressure to "prove" ownership of the titleWhy growth isn't linear, and unlearning the instinct to plan promotions on a fixed timelineThe early-career trap of overworking to be seen as relevant, and what that costs long-termTurning performance reviews and check-ins into a personal habit, not just a company policy, including weekly one-on-ones and informal "coffee chat" alignment sessionsKnowing when to hold boundaries firmly versus when the season of the business calls for flexibility (e.g. close to a launch or deployment date)The moment of realizing that consistently overdelivering (finishing 5-day tickets in 2 days) sets an unsustainable expectationWho really benefits when someone has no boundaries: the individual, the employer, or bothPractical boundary tactics: blocking calendar time for lunch and focus work, communicating workload feasibility upfront, and understanding "what time it is" in the business before deciding where to push backPull quotes"I'm only learning now that growth is not linear.""Boundaries work well when you have priorities.""Who actually benefits the most when you don't have boundaries? ... It's both.""It's not sustainable, but it did help me earlier on in the career."Connect with us🎧 Listen: She Talks Tech on Spotify☕ Support the show: buymeacoffee.com/shetalkstechShare your own definition of career growth and how you set boundaries at work — tag us using #SheTalksTech. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Age Should Not Hold You Back: Jacqueline Berger on changing careers at 35, from drilling engineering to AI and cyber defenseWhat does it take to walk away from a career you've already conquered and start over? Hlulani talks to Jacqueline Berger, who spent six years as a directional driller on oil rigs, including a seismic field internship in the Sahara, before reinventing herself at 35 as a data scientist now working in AI and cyber defense.Inspired by Michelle Obama's Becoming, Jacqueline went back to school for a computer science degree as the oldest in a class of twenty-somethings. She talks about why motherhood, not the work, became her breaking point, and the part-time fight that followed. She also challenges the "AI or die" narrative head-on, making the case for small language models, for protecting junior developers, and for the diversity that guards against the blind spots behind faulty facial recognition.And in a letter to her 10-year-old self, she lands on the line that gives this episode its heart.In this episode: Vienna childhood and the chemistry lesson that started it all, the Sahara shock, life on the rigs, motherhood as the turning point, going back to school at 35, breaking into tech, challenging the AI hype, and a letter to her younger self.Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7aZRzRG0jFs0i8hLrmpG2RFollow us on Instagram @she_talks_tech_podcastSupport the show: buymeacoffee.com/shetalkstech Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

63 - Hard Work and Focus: Silvia Gonzalez on 27 Years in Industrial Automation, Global Leadership, and Paying It ForwardSilvia Gonzalez has spent 27 years in industrial automation, moving from her first role at GE Fanuc in Mexico City to her current position as Global Head of Software Business at Emerson, where she holds global P&L responsibility and sits on the board of directors of Progea SRL. Hers is a career built on learning fast, staying curious, and refusing to be defined by the rooms she walked into alone.In this conversation, Silvia takes us through the full arc of her journey: from tearing apart radios as a child in Mexico, to training sales forces on PLC programming before she felt ready, to developing critical control solutions for some of the largest oil and gas companies in Latin America, to leading global software teams across multiple time zones and cultures. She is direct about the moments she doubted herself, the leaders who believed in her before she did, and what it took to eventually believe it herself.This is a conversation about what it actually looks like to build a career over decades, not overnight.What we coverGrowing up in Mexico with an engineer father and a brother who pushed her to compete, and how that shaped her early driveWalking into her first job at GE Fanuc without feeling ready, and what she learned from getting up to speed fastBuilding the critical control business across Latin America, working with Pemex, Petrobras, and PDVSASpending over a decade at GE across multiple restructures, and when she first started thinking of her work as a career rather than just a jobThe move to Baker Hughes and why she said yes to a role that took her outside everything she knewThe shift from individual contributor to global leader, and how the narrative changes when it stops being about youOwning a global P&L for the first time and what it feels like from day oneSitting on a board of directors and learning to communicate from the driving seatLeading across time zones and why she does 6 AM calls without complaintBeing a woman in industrial automation, what has changed, what has not, and how she approaches mentoring the next generationThe leaders throughout her journey who saw something in her before she saw it in herselfHer blueprint for anyone building a long career with integritySupport the showIf She Talks Tech has added value to your life, consider buying us a coffee. It helps keep the stories coming. buymeacoffee.com/shetalkstechFind us on Spotify open.spotify.com/show/7aZRzRG0jFs0i8hLrmpG2R Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

62 - Show Up and Do It Well: Sinah Legong on Ecosystems, mLab and Staying the CourseSinah Legong is someone Hlulani has known since the early days — back when they were both finding their footing at mLab in Pretoria, surviving on noodles and showing up to every event that had free food.Today Sinah is at the forefront of one of South Africa's most enduring tech ecosystem builders. She has opened provincial offices, managed partnerships at executive and grassroots level, walked startup founders through their first business registrations, and sat with them when the wheels fell off. She has been doing this work quietly, consistently, and without stopping.In this episode they catch up properly — and the conversation covers a lot of ground.From growing up in a household where entrepreneurship was just survival, to stumbling into computer science because a university application arrived too late, to becoming the person who holds the ecosystem together when everyone else is chasing the next big event.In this episode:Growing up in a family where business was a daily necessity, not a career choiceHow a missed application deadline redirected Sinah into computer scienceWhat mLab actually is and why it is the only one of five African labs still standingWhy big tech companies are still treating youth programs as KPI tick boxesWhat early stage startups consistently get wrong — and where the real drop happensThe hidden cost of working in silos across South Africa's innovation hubsWhat it takes to build an ecosystem that people actually trustWhy she still shows up, even in rooms where she was told she did not belongSupport the show buymeacoffee.com/shetalkstech#SheTalksTech #WomenInTech #GirlsInSTEM #WorkCulture #AfricaTech Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Go to the Ground: Precious Lesupi on Accessibility, Neurodivergence and Building for the MarginsPrecious Lesupi is back. Cybersecurity specialist, accessibility advocate, BRICS gold medallist, and one of the most honest voices to sit across from Hlulani on this platform.This time they are in the same room, and the conversation goes everywhere.From getting dirty in a primary school in Welkom teaching kids to use AI for grief support, to facilitating cybersecurity training for human rights defenders at the UN, Precious is doing the kind of work that does not make the LinkedIn highlight reel but changes lives anyway.They talk about what corporate spaces get wrong about neurodivergent employees, why Precious stopped trying to change the rooms that would not listen, and what it actually looks like to build inclusive tech from the ground up rather than waiting for permission.In this episode:Why accessibility advocacy only made sense once Precious went hands-on in communitiesWorking with UN Women to protect human rights violation records safelyCompeting solo at the BRICS Skills Competition in Russia and taking third placeWhat corporates get wrong about autism and ADHD in the workplaceWhy Precious stopped advocating in implementation rooms and went straight to policyDocumenting African art and knowledge before it disappearsBuilding a virtual reality fitting room for wheelchair usersSupport the show buymeacoffee.com/shetalkstech#SheTalksTech #WomenInTech #GirlsInSTEM #WorkCulture #AfricaTech Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Systems Create Behaviour She Talks TechIn this episode, we sit down with Palesa Sibeko, co-founder of Better Work and Girls Invent Tomorrow, for a conversation that goes well beyond the buzzwords. Palesa has spent over a decade asking a deceptively simple question: what would it take to make work more human? From the digital agency frontier of early social media in South Africa, to building custom PCB hardware through Signal, to coaching leaders navigating change, her career is a masterclass in following curiosity without apology.We talk about why systems create the behaviour we complain about, what it really means to listen in an organisation, and why fixing culture in a two-hour workshop is a fantasy. We also get into Girls Invent Tomorrow, the girls in STEM organisation she has poured her heart into for over 14 years, and what it will actually take to change the numbers.What we coverGrowing up in Soweto, reading everything in sight, and how curiosity became a careerThe early days of social media for brands in South Africa and pioneering digital engagement on MxitWhy systems create behaviour and how Better Work approaches change from the inside outThe gap between an organisation's intent and what employees actually experience every dayReturn to office, trust, and why one-size-fits-all workplace policy rarely worksSignal: building custom hardware, PCB boards, and gesture-controlled experiences, until COVID ended itGirls Invent Tomorrow, what has shifted for girls in STEM and what stubbornly has notThe invisible barriers in the home that shape what young girls believe is possible for themWhat Palesa would tell her 10-year-old selfSupport the showIf She Talks Tech has added value to your life, consider buying us a coffee. It helps fund guest research, production, and keeps the stories coming. buymeacoffee.com/shetalkstechAlso follow us on instagram @she_talks_tech_podcastConnect with us #SheTalksTech Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Finding Your Voice in Rooms That Make You Feel SmallHave you ever walked into a room and immediately questioned whether you belonged there? In this episode of Emerging Tech Voices, your hosts Hlulani, Modeni, and Lanni get candid about the moments their voices trembled, faded, and eventually found their footing in professional spaces.From boardrooms to consulting firms, the trio reflects on the universal experience of imposter syndrome and what it actually takes to speak up when everything in you wants to stay quiet.In this episode, we cover:The first time each host felt small in a professional spaceWhat "having a voice" really means and how it evolves over timeHow upbringing and birth order shape the way we show up in roomsThe role of community, mentorship, and relatability in building confidenceWhy identifying gaps and taking ownership can amplify your voice in techPractical advice for anyone who has shrunk for too long and wants to start speaking up againKey takeaway: You were chosen for the room you're in. The moment you truly believe you belong, everything changes, including your voice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Creators, Not Consumers: Lisle Jenneke on the Future of AI in Africa and BeyondIn this episode, we sit down with AI consultant and technology leader Lisle Jenneke, whose career journey spans continents, industries, and roles. From falling into tech by accident to founding Love Africa, Lisle brings a refreshingly human lens to one of the most rapidly evolving fields of our time.She shares her thoughts on what leaders get wrong about AI adoption, why diversity is a business performance issue and not just a values conversation, and why keeping humans at the centre of AI decision making is non-negotiable.You'll also hear about:The ethics and bias embedded in AI systemsWhy she coined the term "experts in the loop"How vibe coding platforms are democratizing innovation in AfricaWhat she would tell her younger self about leadership and uncertaintyAlso follow us on instagram @she_talks_tech_podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Guest: Inez PatelEpisode theme: UX, inclusive design, leadership, and building communities that help women thrive in design and tech.Episode summaryIn this in-person conversation in South Africa, Hlulani sits down with UX leader Inez Patel to unpack her “accidental” path into UX, what UX really is beyond pretty screens, and how user research shapes better products. Inez also shares her leadership journey, the realities of managing people, and why inclusive design matters… plus the impact work behind She Can Do and Girls Invent Tomorrow, and her involvement with One Young World.What you’ll hear in this episodeHow Inez went from a general BA and media studies into UX through an unexpected internship opportunityThe moment she realised UX is about empathy, research, and designing for real human needsWhat a UX designer actually does day-to-day… research, wireframes, testing assumptions, and translating insights into usable experiencesThe gap between what’s taught and what industry expects, and why UX education evolves so quicklyConsulting vs freelancing vs permanent roles… what she learned from each pathThe shift into leadership… and why managing people can be harder than design workBuilding impact outside a 9-to-5… She Can Do, Girls Invent Tomorrow, and creating pathways for womenRepresentation, intersectionality, and why uncomfortable conversations are necessaryAI and UX… why human understanding is still the core skillAbout Inez PatelInez Patel is a UX leader and Design Director with experience across agencies, consulting, fintech, banking, and healthcare.She is also the CEO of She Can Do, a nonprofit empowering women in design and tech through training programs, mentorship, research, and community events.She is a co-director at Girls Invent Tomorrow, supporting high school girls through exposure to careers in tech and design.Inez is also part of the One Young World global leadership community.Organisations mentionedShe Can Do… nonprofit empowering women in design and techGirls Invent Tomorrow… nonprofit supporting high school girlsOne Young World… international leadership community and annual global summitMemorable moments“UX is like scientific design”… backed by research, not just aesthetics“Users don’t read”… but context always mattersLeadership is not just a title… community building is leadershipInclusive design is not optional if you truly care about impactListener takeawayIf you’re entering UX… focus on understanding humans deeply. Tools will evolve. AI will change workflows. But empathy, communication, and inclusive thinking remain your strongest advantages.Also follow us on instagram @she_talks_tech_podcastAnd connect with She Talks Tech Podcast on LinkedIn for episode updates and guest highlights. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.