Linda Aiello | DraftKings | Chief People Officer

In this special HumanizeHer live episode from SXSW, we dive deep into the lived experiences and bold voices of two remarkable women reshaping the landscape of sport, identity, and advocacy: Lizzi Smith, Paralympic swimmer and 3x medalist, and Erin Crownover, PhD candidate and Voice In Sport Foundation researcher. From the loneliness that often accompanies the pursuit of excellence to the sisterhood they found in each other, Lizzi and Erin open up about what it truly means to belong—both in and beyond the game. Lizzi shares the emotional journey of growing up with a disability in competitive swimming and what she wishes someone had told her as a young girl not seeing herself reflected in her sport. Erin takes us through her passion for sports history, the evolving portrayal of women athletes in media, and how her PhD work is reframing narratives around beauty, ability, and what sells in women’s sports. Together, they unpack the pressure to “hack the system” for visibility, the critical role of mentorship through Voice in Sport, and how brand partnerships can become vehicles for social change when wielded authentically. ✨ Topics we cover: Finding power in vulnerability: redefining what it means to be a woman athlete Representation in Paralympics and the reality behind media exposure What we still get wrong about disability in sport—and how to fix it Navigating identity beyond performance The message Lizzi wants every mom of a child with a disability to hear Why Erin believes the real revolution in women’s sports is still ahead The loneliness of ambition—and how friendship makes the journey bearable This is a conversation about fire, fatigue, friendship, and fierce advocacy. If you’ve ever felt unseen, unheard, or underestimated, this one’s for you. 🎧 Tune in. Be moved. HumanizeHer.

Live from SXSW! 🎙️ We sat down with Oscar-nominated director Cindy Lee & actor Avumile Qongqo to chat about their powerful film, "The Last Ranger." by Kindred Films This intimate conversation, held within the bustling energy of the SXSW Expo Hall, provided a unique opportunity to delve into the heart of the film's creation and its profound message.    Cindy and Avumile shared insights into the deeply personal nature of "The Last Ranger," a film that tackles the urgent issue of rhino poaching in South Africa. They discussed the importance of authentic storytelling, highlighting women rangers. The discussion explored the universality of the film's themes, particularly motherhood and the fight for survival, resonating with a global audience. The interview also touched upon the challenges and triumphs of filmmaking in South Africa that Cindy Lee is trying to bring awareness to. Avumile shared her experience preparing for her role, emphasizing the emotional and physical demands of portraying a ranger. Both discussed the unique experience of working with child actress Liyabona Mroqoza, who also made a special appearance during the live recording. Cindy's perspective as a woman director was a significant focus, with both guests addressing the importance of female representation on set. The conversation highlighted the need to move beyond simply acknowledging "woman directors" and towards a space where gender is not a defining factor. Throughout the interview, Cindy and Avumile emphasized the film's impact on rhino conservation and their commitment to representing African culture with authenticity.  This live HumanizeHer interview at SXSW was more than just a discussion about a film; it was a celebration of resilience, creative passion, and the power of storytelling to inspire change. It provided a platform to humanize the filmmaking process and amplify the voices of women making a difference in the world #HumanizeHer #Podcast #WomenEmpowerment #WomenInBusiness #Inspiration #Storytelling #RealTalk #AuthenticConversations #FemaleLeaders #WomenSupportingWomen #PodcastInterview #shortfilm #Liveactionfilm #southafrica #oscars #oscars2025 #KindredFilms #SXSW #SXSW2025 #RhinoConservation #Actress #Director

Join us in this deeply insightful and vulnerable conversation with Erica Lockheimer, CEO and Founder of the HumanizeHer podcast and ex-VP of Engineering at LinkedIn. Erica opens up about her remarkable career journey from being the first person in her family to graduate from college from San Jose State University to sharing the highs, lows, and pivotal moments that shaped her path. From navigating the complexities of the tech industry from the early Dot-com days, mobile era to championing diversity and inclusion, Erica's story is one of resilience, leadership, and the power of authenticity. Discover the challenges she overcame, the lessons she learned, and the advice she has for aspiring leaders, especially Women in Tech. Erica's candid sharing of her experiences will inspire you to embrace your own vulnerability and pursue your passions with courage. Whether you're a seasoned professional, a budding entrepreneur, or simply someone looking for inspiration, this interview is a must-watch. Tune in and be empowered by Erica Lockheimer's incredible journey.

Get ready to be inspired! We have a true force of nature joining us today: Aishwarya Srinivasan! Currently she heads Developer Relations and Growth at Fireworks AI.   She was previously at Microsoft as a Senior AI Advisor to help Y Combinator startups build machine learning solutions leveraging Microsoft’s core OpenAI products. Prior to this, Aishwarya was working as a Data Scientist in Google Cloud and an AI & ML Innovation Leader at IBM. She’s a Columbia Data Science post-grad, and an advocate for open-source technologies and is a contributor to Deepchecks, Lightning AI and Scikit Learn Her accolades? Trailblazer of the Year by Women in AI and a Woman of Influence by the Business Journal, both in 2022! She received the EB1A Green Card for her AI contributions, has been spotlighted as a LinkedIn Top Voice for Data Science and AI and has over a half a million LinkedIn followers.

We're diving deep into the world of company culture and talent with a true leader in the field - Linda Aiello Linda is the Chief People Officer at DraftKings, where she leads all aspects of the employee experience for the online sports entertainment and gaming giant. She's responsible for finding and growing top talent, developing future leaders, and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace – which is a crucial element for any successful company. Linda has an incredible track record of success in the HR world. She's held CPO roles at major companies like Qurate Retail Group and Stitch Fix, and spent years leading employee success initiatives at Salesforce, Uber and Louis Vuitton.  She's also been recognized as a top HR professional by the National Diversity Council.  We'll also hear about her personal journey and how she's overcome adversity to achieve incredible success. Please join Erica Lockheimer and Elizabeth Wedorf-Bloesser as we dive into Linda's insights on building winning teams and creating a thriving company culture.   

Pam Kostka, a seasoned executive with nearly 30 years of experience driving growth at enterprise startups and building successful companies. Pam's career spans across various leadership roles, including CEO, CMO, and currently sits on multiple boards, is an advisor and executive in residence.   As an executive-in-Residence at Magnify Ventures, Pam is focused on the "care economy" – a sector that's revolutionizing how we support families, care for aging populations, and manage our households.  Prior to Magnify, Pam was the CEO of All Raise, a non-profit dedicated to increasing the representation of women in venture capital.They've supported thousands of female and non-binary founders and funders, and significantly increased the number of women checkwriters in venture capital. Please join us as we dive into Pam's insights and learnings from scaling multiple startups all through her vision for a more equitable and inclusive ecosystem.

Amy Wong, founder of Always On Purpose is an executive leadership coach, author, and keynote speaker who has worked with some of the most influential organizations and individuals, including Salesforce, PWC, Berkshire Hathaway, LinkedIn, and universities like Stanford and Berkeley. Amy draws upon a diverse range of disciplines and practices, integrating them into a unique approach that focuses on three key lenses: Self, Relationships, and Results. Her book, "Living On Purpose," was honored with the 2022 Book of the Year award by The Magic Pen. Get ready to gain valuable insights and practical tools that can enhance both your professional and personal life. And bonus, Hosts Erica Lockheimer and Elizabeth Wendorf-Bloesser both have had the privilege of experiencing Amy's transformative workshops firsthand, and witnessed the profound impact of her work.  This episode feels like a live workshop session you will not want to miss.  https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyelizawong/ https://www.alwaysonpurpose.com/   #AmyWong #AlwaysOnPurpose #LivingOnPurpose #Leadership #KeyNoteSpeaker #workshop  

Wheels are a girl’s best friend, right?  We’re sitting down with Adriana Boas, one of Bentley’s award-winning sales liaisons - but she didn’t start out in the sales industry.  Adriana was born in Brazil with degrees in journalism and holistic medicine, and when she migrated to the US, she gets real about going from food stamps to a six-figure commission-based gig. She’s earned multiple awards under Bentley's prestigious, banner and notably holds this distinction of being the only female to receive a perfect score on Aston Martin's rigorous test about cars. With her, charming accent in three languages, Adriana's success is as undeniable as her magnetic personality.  www.instagram.com/highheels_and_wheels/ https://www.losgatosluxcars.com/

Is the way we work working?  In this episode, we’re sitting down with Stacey Gordon, MBA who is a leader in the diversity, equity, and inclusion space - or as she prefers to describe DEI:  the Disrupt, Evolve, and Innovate space.  She shares her first-hand experience of witnessing bias which led her to becoming the Founder and CEO of Rework Work - a company that does DEI differently on their mission to reduce bias in global talent acquisition and management and creating workplace cultures where employees feel they belong.  She touches on the power of mentors and dives into the frameworks she uses to help companies become better at creating an inclusive environment, relearn how to hire with intention, and realize the importance of flexibility in work.   Stacey Gordon ReworkWork.com Booking on Being UnBias Unconscious Inclusion  

What does it take to be on the Forbes “100 Most Powerful Women in the World” list?  In this episode, we’re sitting down with Padmasree Warrior as she shares her experience of being an executive in technology and her journey of becoming a renowned businesswoman.  Formerly holding roles in the C-suite at Cisco Systems, Motorola, and NIO USA, she took her corporate experience and decided to follow her passion - motivated to find a way to apply data and machine learning to focus on mental wellness.  This led her to her current role as Founder and CEO of Fable, a social and AI discovery platform for content.  She shares her perspective on the commonalities of being in corporate versus leading a start-up - and her approach to leading teams and building trust.  Padma expresses the beauty of not putting yourself in a box and starting a business at a later age by utilizing experience and learnings to your advantage to build something beautiful to share with the world.   https://www.linkedin.com/in/padmasree-warrior-9917a26b https://fable.co/