She Sparks Tech

Hey She Sparks Tech community! As 2023 wraps up, Casey here with some news— She Sparks Tech is taking a break in 2024 after three fantastic years. It's not a goodbye but a chance for Casey to dive into new opportunities and projects. She's pumped about some exciting prospects, especially after relocating to a thriving tech hub. The decision to step back is a nod to change and growth. Thank you to all of you for making community one of incredible support. Some other great podcasts about Women in Tech: Women Tech Charge Women in Tech with Ariana Nightingale: Navigating your STEM Career More Than Graphics Podcast SFTP (Successful Females in Tech Podcast) Stay in Touch with Casey on LinkedIn

Michelle Cherian is a Product and Go To Market Expert helping companies and established online entrepreneurs transition their IP into SaaS products and apps so they can scale their business, while growing their impact in the world. After working with big companies like Adobe, Yahoo! Intuit and lots of VC backed startups she’s now turning her focus to help entrepreneurs build meaningful products that serve their communities. Michelle has a background in design, has been a founder herself and loves guiding zero to one product development. She believes continuous communication and community building with your customers is a key driver to success. She lives between Brooklyn and the Catskills with her husband and 2.5yr old French Bulldog, Loki. When she’s not helping women tech founders create and launch their products she’s getting messy in her studio painting candy colored landscapes and planning her next trekking adventure. 5 Unfair Advantage Online Entrepreneurs Have In SaaS Website: www.michellecherian.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michellecherian_ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-cherian/ Follow along with Casey & She Sparks Tech: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/casey-bertelsman/⁠ ⁠https://www.instagram.com/shesparkstech/⁠

Mariana Padilla is the co-founder and CEO of KIKrr. She is a self-described smasher of status quos and there’s nothing she hates more than being told “this is the way we’ve always done it.” This mentality is what led her to sign as a co-founder of KIKrr. KIKrr is the disruptive software sales platform of the future. Their unique model allows buyers access to immersive demos so they can try before they buy with cybersecurity software. Mariana’s strengths include storytelling, team building, and operations. Mariana previously founded Red Lab Marketing, a social media marketing agency committed to elevating the stories of brands making the world a better place. Mariana is passionate about social justice and keeping it real about business. In her spare time, you can find Mariana exploring Chicago, walking her dogs, or eating croissants at her favorite patisserie. Connect with Mariana & KIKrr kikrr.co redlabmarketing.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/heretoshakeshitup/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/kikrr/ Follow along with Casey & She Sparks Tech: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/casey-bertelsman/⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/shesparkstech/⁠⁠

Ioanna Mantzouridou Onasi is an ambitious and purposeful Community Builder, Talent Development Strategist, and Applied AI Evangelist. She is the Co-founder & CEO of Dextego. Dextego is an AI Coaching Platform for reducing top talent attrition by half via personalized soft skills training. Ioanna is passionate about utilizing the power of technology as a tool to help people hone their essential skills and tap into their inner brilliance. Before co-founding Dextego, she was the VP of People & Chief of Staff at Aptivio, a B2B SaaS Revenue AI startup in NYC, building the Aptivio Ecosystem. Ioanna is an inspirational Gen Z leader devoted to building a community of lifelong learners. Connect with Ioanna: https://dextego.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannemantzouridou/ Follow along with Casey & She Sparks Tech: https://www.linkedin.com/in/casey-bertelsman/ https://www.instagram.com/shesparkstech/

Sasha Yablonovsky is a trailblazing executive and a passionate advocate for gender diversity in the technology industry. As the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Loanspark, a fintech startup revolutionizing business lending, Sasha has not only redefined her career but is also reshaping the tech landscape. Her journey is a testament to the power of technology to drive personal and professional growth. With a background that spans senior leadership roles in established corporations like CareerBuilder, Sasha's transition into the dynamic world of fintech startups embodies the spirit of embracing technology for career transformation. Her leadership at Loanspark has been marked by innovative solutions that ignite customer engagement and drive revenue growth for SMBs. Through co-branded lending products, she's not only empowering businesses but also fostering inclusivity within the tech sector. Sasha's dedication to continuous innovation ensures that Loanspark remains at the forefront of the fintech field, creating opportunities for businesses to flourish. Sasha's visionary leadership isn't just transforming her company; it's setting new standards for excellence and diversity-focused innovation in the tech and finance sectors. Sasha Yablonovsky's story is an inspiration, demonstrating how embracing technology can lead to a fulfilling and impactful career. She embodies the mission of "She Sparks Tech," inspiring women to embrace technology, pursue unique career paths, and contribute their diverse voices to the tech industry. Her journey serves as a beacon of hope, showing that anyone can thrive in tech and helping all women envision a place for themselves in this dynamic field. Connect with Sasha: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sashayablonovsky/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/loanspark/ https://www.loanspark.com/ Follow along with Casey & She Sparks Tech: https://www.linkedin.com/in/casey-bertelsman/ https://www.instagram.com/shesparkstech/

Selma Hadzic is a freelance data science tech lead with 10 years of experience building end-to-end data products in production in the Energy, Digital Marketing and Logistics industries. She has 5+ years of experience leading and scaling teams of international data scientists, analysts and machine learning engineers in fast-paced hyper growth environments. Additionally, Selma is a professional coach and diversity & inclusion consultant, guiding tech companies to close the gender gap. Connect with Selma: www.selmahadzic.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/selma-hadzic-9630625b/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/selma-hadzic-coaching-consultancy/ Follow along with Casey & She Sparks Tech: https://www.linkedin.com/in/casey-bertelsman/https://www.instagram.com/shesparkstech/

Sugandha Talwelkar is an Electrical Engineer with a Masters Degree in Power and Control Systems. She has rich experience in the clean energy sector and has worked with the North American distribution utilities to modernize the electric grid. Her latest stint as a product manager building wholesale energy market products has given her deeper insight into the overall grid operation. As a climate activist, she has been leading a zero-waste life (imperfectly as she puts it) and if determined to neutralize her individual carbon footprint. She even coaches people to reduce their daily carbon footprint and lead a more sustainable lifestyle. She was in love with New York City and moved to the United States 9 years ago to live her dreams. As an immigrant, she had some interesting experiences which would love to share with everyone. Apart from tech and product stuff, Sugandha loves to read fiction and write poems and short stories. She is currently working on her first novel "Tara - a star in making" which is the journey of a immigrant, brown girl in the United States. Connect with Sugandha: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sugandhatalwelkar/  Energy Blog: https://oorja.substack.com/  Blog: https://anuttybiscotti.substack.com/ Follow along with Casey & She Sparks Tech: https://www.linkedin.com/in/casey-bertelsman/https://www.instagram.com/shesparkstech/

Nicole Coustier is a veteran medtech advisor, consulting on innovative products for over 20 years to align incentives to embrace and scale disruptive technologies. She currently specializes in clinical evidence development for AI/machine learning applications in medtech, and she is an executive coach for tech leaders with a focus on high stakes/ high consequence decision making. Connect with Nicole: coustieradvisory.com linkedin.com/nicolecoustier Aureliancoaching.com Follow along with Casey & She Sparks Tech: https://www.linkedin.com/in/casey-bertelsman/https://www.instagram.com/shesparkstech/

Sarah Ing coaches women in tech - leveling up their career & confidence to feel belonging. Previously, she was a career changer, going from English major to senior software engineer to engineering manager at a number of startups and consultancies. She is passionate about empowerment, building communities, and believes everyone can learn to code. Connect with Sarah: Website: sarahingcoaching.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahing/ Twitter: @sarah_ing Follow along with Casey & She Sparks Tech: https://www.linkedin.com/in/casey-bertelsman/ https://www.instagram.com/shesparkstech/

Mace Cheng is a geneticist turned product manager. She started her career as a scientist, performing biological and neuroscience research for over 10 years before going into industry. Since then, Mace has spent her career working at the intersection of healthcare, tech and data. She has worked at all scales, from small 8-person startups to companies that went public while she was there. She has focused on bringing innovative products to market from bench to bedside. She has worked on tools to help biologists design their experiments more effectively, tools to help doctors determine if patients have depression or anxiety, and software for non-technical commercial teams to sell to very technical customers. She has a PhD in Genetics from Stanford and a BS in Biology from MIT. She is an active speaker and mentor for PM Dojo, an accelerator that helps professionals break into product management. Connect with Mace: linkedin.com/in/macecheng Follow along with Casey & She Sparks Tech: https://www.linkedin.com/in/casey-bertelsman/ https://www.instagram.com/shesparkstech/