Women on the Move Podcast

Michelle De La Isla bridges the tech talent gap through inclusivity

Michelle De La Isla, CEO of Hack.Diversity, is committed to empowering young people from underrepresented communities to succeed in the tech industry. Her personal journey, marked by resilience and gratitude, includes overcoming homelessness and single motherhood, serving as mayor, and graduating from Harvard. In this episode of the Women on the Move podcast, with host Sam Saperstein, Michelle shares her story and vision for Hack.Diversity.

 

Raised by her grandparents after her mother fled to Puerto Rico, Michelle's life has been shaped by those who believed in her potential. She married, graduated from Wichita State University, and moved to Topeka, KS where she became involved with organizations like the Mexican American Women's National Association, advocating for Latina women. She co-founded a mentorship conference to inspire young women of color to pursue higher education.

 

Michelle's civic engagement led her to the Topeka City Council and eventually to the mayor's office, where she served during challenging times, including the COVID pandemic. Encouraged by her daughter, she ran for mayor and won. After her term, she pursued further education at Harvard and transitioned to a venture philanthropy role in Cambridge, MA.

 

In September 2023, Michelle became CEO of Hack.Diversity, an organization that bridges the gap between tech firms and overlooked talent. The organization offers fellowships to individuals who have the skills to succeed in tech but lack connections. The program empowers fellows with training and partners with host companies to improve inclusivity.

 

Disclaimer: The speakers’ opinions belong to them and may differ from opinions of JPMorgan Chase & Co. and its affiliates. Views presented on this podcast are those of the speakers; they are as of December 17^th , 2024 and they may not materialize.

Cheryl McKissack Daniel talks the future of diversity in the construction industry

Cheryl McKissack Daniel, CEO of McKissack & McKissack, discusses the future of diversity in the construction industry in this episode of the  Women on the Move podcast with host Sam Saperstein. As the leader of the oldest minority- and women-owned construction firm in the U.S., Cheryl emphasizes the importance of diversity in all project phases. Her firm, with roots dating back to 1790, has a rich history of overcoming racial and gender barriers. Cheryl's great-grandfather, Moses McKissack III, and his brother Calvin became the first Black licensed architects in the United States in 1920.

Cheryl's journey began with degrees in civil engineering from Howard University, followed by experience at Weidlinger Associates and Turner Construction in New York City. Her mother, who took over the family business after Cheryl's father suffered a stroke, taught her the importance of relationship-building and embracing her identity as a woman in a male-dominated industry.

Cheryl commuted between New York and Nashville to learn from her mother, gaining insights into business development and staff management. She stresses the value of maintaining long-term relationships and being true to oneself as a woman leader. Cheryl is proud of the progress women have made in leadership roles across various sectors and believes their influence has positively changed business practices.

 

Disclaimer: The speakers’ opinions belong to them and may differ from opinions of JPMorgan Chase & Co. and its affiliates. Views presented on this podcast are those of the speakers; they are as of December 10^th , 2024 and they may not materialize.

Diana Rodriguez, co-founder and CEO of Pride Live, talks getting comfortable with the uncomfortable

Diana Rodriguez, co-founder and CEO of Pride Live, is a prominent LGBTQ+ activist dedicated to making a difference through fundraising and advocacy. In this episode of the Women on the Move podcast, with host Sam Saperstein, she discusses her journey and the impact of Pride Live, which supports marginalized LGBTQIA+ organizations and initiatives like the Stonewall National Monument and Stonewall Day concert.

 

Her career includes fundraising roles at the Clinton and Jackie Robinson Foundations before co-founding Pride Live. Diana emphasizes the importance of learning from every opportunity, whether positive or negative. Her tenure at renowned non-profit organizations taught her about the necessity of being prepared and resilient.

 

She stresses the need for women, especially women of color, to possess these qualities and embrace discomfort. Transitioning from working behind the scenes to leading Pride Live was challenging, but Diana embraced the discomfort of being the organization's face and voice.

Today, Diana thrives in her role, supported by a talented team, compassionate board, and engaged funders. She believes in creating opportunities for others and continues to push for greater awareness and support for the LGBTQ+community.

 

Disclaimer: The speakers’ opinions belong to them and may differ from opinions of JPMorgan Chase & Co. and its affiliates. Views presented on this podcast are those of the speakers; they are as of December 4^th , 2024 and they may not materialize.

From the Basketball Court to the 76ers’ Front Office: Lara Price on Leadership and Collaboration

Lara Price, COO of the Philadelphia 76ers, has been a trailblazer for women in sports leadership. Starting as the director of marketing in 1996, she rose to COO in 2019. In this episode of the Women on the Move podcast, she discusses with host Sam Saperstein her journey in a male-dominated industry and her collaborative leadership style that has contributed to the 76ers’ success.

 

Lara's passion for basketball began early, with dreams of playing professionally. Instead, she started at the NBA League Office, eventually joining the 76ers. Working with the franchise was a milestone, allowing her to experience the strong community impact of sports teams. Despite the lack of female role models early in her career, Lara benefited from supportive male mentors. "When I started, there were not many women," she says. "I had good male mentors who championed my cause."

 

Lara credits her sports background for her leadership qualities, emphasizing teamwork, communication, and curiosity. She believes in the power of sports to unite people and feels a responsibility to lead by example.

 

Disclaimer: The speakers’ opinions belong to them and may differ from opinions of JPMorgan Chase & Co. and its affiliates. Views presented on this podcast are those of the speakers; they are as of November 26^th, 2024 and they may not materialize

Joy Robins, Global Chief Advertising Officer at The New York Times, discusses the evolution of the media advertising industry.

Joy Robins, Global Chief Advertising Officer at The New York Times, discusses the evolution of the media advertising industry.

 

With a distinguished career in advertising and media, including senior roles at The Washington Post and Quartz, Joy Robins shares her insights on the Women on the Move podcast with host Sam Saperstein. She reflects on how her experiences have shaped her leadership style and her approach to driving change in the advertising industry. Joy also outlines her vision for the future of advertising at The New York Times and her strategies for ensuring the organization continues to innovate in a rapidly changing environment.

 

Joy joined The New York Times in 2023, during a period of significant transformation. "It's impressive to see how this company has evolved into a digital-first, subscription-first organization," she says. "We've had the opportunity to educate advertisers on the changing landscape and how brands can effectively engage with consumers." Since joining The Times, she has focused on building a team of strong leaders and collaborators.

 

Joy's initial career aspirations did not include reaching the top of the media advertising world. She started off as an athlete and wanted to be a social worker. Her fascination for people and competitive nature, led her to the realization that she was passionate about media and advertising. Empathetic and results-driven she is committed to creating a team of people who are just as passionate as she is.

 

Disclaimer: The speakers’ opinions belong to them and may differ from opinions of JPMorgan Chase & Co. and its affiliates. Views presented on this podcast are those of the speakers; they are as of November 19^th , 2024 and they may not materialize.

Alison Moore of Comic Relief US on working to eradicate poverty, one Red Nose at a time

In this episode of the Women on the Move Podcast Alison Moore, who excelled in media and technology leadership, discusses her journey to becoming CEO of Comic Relief US. She joins Women on the Move host, Sam Saperstein, to share how her passion for the creative arts led to a varied career. Alison has championed innovative ways to engage audiences and amplify social impact, and she remains committed to community empowerment.

 

After earning a political science degree, Alison nearly pursued a career on Capitol Hill but chose a job at Turner Broadcasting in Atlanta instead. This decision launched her "media journey," with roles at HBO, DailyCandy, NBCUniversal, and as Chief Business Officer at Condé Nast, overseeing brands like Glamour and Allure. She later joined SoundCloud, driven by her love for creativity.

 

Despite the varied roles, Alison sees a common thread: a desire to support creativity and connect the dots in business operations. While initially hesitant about joining the non-profit sector, she saw how her creativity could be leveraged to support the mission of creating a world free from poverty through activations such as Red Nose Day. Comic Relief US leverages entertainment and joy to inspire change, using humor and levity to engage people in meaningful ways.

 

Disclaimer: The speakers’ opinions belong to them and may differ from opinions of JPMorgan Chase & Co. and its affiliates. Views presented on this podcast are those of the speakers; they are as of November 12^th, 2024 and they may not materialize.

Girls With Impact CEO Jennifer Openshaw on her passion for empowering girls

In this episode, the Women on the Move podcast host Sam Saperstein talks with Jennifer Openshaw, CEO and Founder of Girls With Impact, an online business education platform for young women. Jennifer shares how her diverse experiences across Silicon Valley, Wall Street, and Main Street have shaped her leadership style and passion for empowering the next generation of women leaders.

 

Inspired to Empower

Jennifer was raised by a  single mother who worked two jobs to support her family. By age 7, she was already taking on caregiving responsibilities at home,  babysitting her siblings until midnight. At 12, she realized she wanted to achieve financial mobility. Starting as a motel maid at 14, she put herself through college, learning from role models outside her family about succeeding in business.

 

Before founding Girls with Impact, Jennifer worked in politics, asset management, and Silicon Valley. She served as press secretary to Kathleen Brown, helped her win the California State Treasurer office, and became a leader in financial education, later authoring her books  "The Socially Savvy Advisor" and "The Millionaire Zone."

 

Success Story

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Jennifer was inspired to focus on training the next generation of women leaders. She envisioned a "mini MBA" program to equip young women with essential skills and confidence.

This vison led her to create Girls With Impact, offering small live online classes based on Harvard Business School concepts. Her goal was to reach young women who might not have access to in-person meetings and level the playing field for women of all backgrounds.

Girls With Impact has empowered 16,000 young women so far. Jennifer believes the business world is eager for women at all levels, and Girls With Impact fills a crucial gap by providing ready talent from day one.

Disclaimer: The speakers’ opinions belong to them and may differ from opinions of JPMorgan Chase & Co. and its affiliates. Views presented on this podcast are those of the speakers; they are as of November 12^th, 2024 and they may not materialize

Li Haslett Chen of Howl on how her tech platform helps people earn money doing what they already do

Li Haslett Chen is the founder and CEO of Howl, a technology platform that democratizes access to retail's next frontier, social commerce. Under Li's leadership, Howl has been named one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies, and one of the Most Promising AI Companies by Forbes. Li has been recognized as a retail disruptor by the Financial Times, a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer, and included on Ad Age's 40-Under-40. In this episode of the Women on the Move Podcast, Li sits down with host Sam Saperstein to discuss her career journey.

 

Three passions

Li says she has three passions that drove her early career (and later inspired her to start Howl): content, retail, and data science. She also loves systems-based thinking, she says, and throughout her career she’s focused on helping creatives who are passionate about retail to build their businesses. Growing up in Beijing in the early 1990s was instrumental. “That's when China really opened to the world,” she says. “I remember being five years old, and us getting our first refrigerator. I think all of that made me feel so in awe of products, and services, and how it really changes our lives. So I always knew I wanted to be in this industry, and at the same time, I never imagined I would be an entrepreneur.”

 

It was a combination of math, science, and creative industries that allowed Li to approach problems in a different way, she says. “I studied biochemical engineering, but I also grew up in a family of creatives,” she tells Sam. “And while I was [attending] Columbia University, I also did a lot of internships in [New York City] that was very grounded in the creative industries.”

 

Li was running the marketing at an e-commerce startup when one of the VC investors asked her if there was something that she wanted to build. “I think the reality is he saw some of those tendencies, in terms of the way that I would attack problems, or think about building technology within this company,” she tells Sam. “And within a year of him asking me that question, we had our first check, started building our first company, and that was really the pathway that made all of this possible.”

 

Entrepreneurial bug

The first company that Li founded was Narrativ, a business that connected large publications with other businesses that could help them better monetize their shopping recommendations. “It was my first foray as a startup,” she says. “It was really exciting, in terms of really the initial success that we had right out the gate.”

 

In fact, she almost didn’t launch Howl, due to the big success of Narrativ. “But, at the back of my head, there was always this thought of, what if we could give more people access?” she recalls. “What if it wasn't just the largest publications and companies in the world? What about other content creators and creatives who also have a perspective on what people should buy, and what they love, and they want to share it, and make money from it? Could we bring a lot of the technology, and the insight that we've developed at Narrativ, to a much larger ecosystem?”

 

Howl

Li describes Howl as a marketplace that connects people with something that they want to talk about, promote, and share with their community and with the brands that make those products and services. “So it could be that I'm obsessed with my three-pound laptop, because I am walking around all over the city taking meetings and I need something light,” she explains. “It could be a creator that loves this sunscreen that doesn't leave a cast, because she has darker skin. It could be sneakerhead discords, or folks on YouTube talking about the latest Samsung Galaxy launch.”

 

In general, she says, it’s about the products you want to “howl” about to your friends and family. The platform gives people the chance to make promoting those goods and services. Li says most creators on Howl are able to make a real living, earning tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars a year from promoting and working with brands they already love to talk about.

 

As a leader, Li is committed to helping other women. “I am a big believer that what you send out into the universe is received,” she says. She notes that 75 percent of Howl’s leadership team are women, as is more than 50 percent of the company as a whole. “I think it's very rare in the technology industry,” she says.

 

Disclaimer: The speakers’ opinions belong to them and may differ from opinions of JPMorgan Chase & Co. and its affiliates. Views presented on this podcast are those of the speakers; they are as of October 29^th, 2024 and they may not materialize.

Empowering Parenthood: How Bobbie CEO Laura Modi is Reducing Guilt and Expanding Choices for American Parents

In this episode of the Women on the Move Podcast, host Sam Saperstein sits down with Laura Modi, CEO and co-founder of the organic infant formula brand, Bobbie. From her early days as a first-time mom navigating formula options in a drugstore to founding Bobbie, Laura's journey reflects her commitment to revolutionizing the infant formula industry.

 

Born from motherhood

Laura says her journey to founding Bobbie began in trauma: as a new mother excited to do everything possible for her baby, she suffered from mastitis and found herself unable to breastfeed. “Here I am doing something I wished and I hoped and I wanted to do so badly and I wasn't anatomically able to feed my child,” she tells Sam.

When she went to shop for formula, things got worse: “I'm in the middle aisle of a pharmacy, a place that you go for a medical solution, not food,” she says. “It didn't feel natural. Even worse, I had to ring a button to get someone to open up. So now you almost feel like you're asking for permission in a way that you felt shamed.“

She also remembers seeing ingredients she wouldn’t feed herself: corn syrup, palm oil, and “ingredients or words that I'd never even heard of.” She felt shame and guilt, but also she knew there should be a better option. She and her husband were astounded that the baby formula industry seemed to be stuck at least 40 years in the past. That’s when she started dreaming of disrupting the industry, and creating the formula she wanted.

 

An ounce of naivety

Before founding Bobbie, Laura was the director of host operations at Airbnb, and she drew on her experiences there when she created her own business. And when it came time to select a partner and co-founder, Laura turned not to a food scientist or a technologist, but someone who she had worked with at Airbnb, someone who she knew she wanted as her “work wife.”

As for actually formulating the baby formula they wanted to make, Laura says that she was nearly clueless. “An ounce of naivety is probably the secret sauce to succeeding,” she tells Sam. “You learn on the go and then you go, ‘Oh God, if I knew that I probably wouldn't have gotten this far.’"

With her partner Sarah, Laura started with a global standard review, looking for the best infant formulas in the world and researching breast milk and how they could get as close as possible to breast milk in the most natural way possible. “And by no means was I trying to find a world where I was replacing breast milk or creating something ‘better’ than breast milk,” she says. “I wanted to create something that I felt could get as close as possible in the most natural way, so that in absence of not being able to breastfeed, you don't feel guilty.”

Managing growth

In 2020, just as the pandemic unfolded, Bobbie got FDA approval, the green light to launch. At the time, two baby formula companies were producing 80 percent of the nation’s formula—and not long into the pandemic, there was a nationwide shortage of available formula. Bobbie’s customer count doubled overnight. As a start-up founder, Laura had to make the difficult decision to uphold their commitment to their existing subscribers and not take new orders. The company took some flak for the decision, but as a result, Laura says, Bobbie was the only baby formula company at the end of the shortage that was able to continue to feed its customers.

For the next two years, Bobbie had to manage a growing waitlist, balancing what they knew they could deliver with the fast-growing demand from new parents. Today, the formula is available in major retailers but still focuses on its subscription service. Laura says it’s a model that makes sense, since formula is an ongoing, measurable need. And it’s important to her that customers have an option to avoid the drug-store trips. She wants people to be “able to wear Bobbie loud and proud on a sweater, even if they've never been a parent, they've never used the product, but they are so connected to our mission and what we stand for that they're willing to wear it on their chest.”

 

Disclaimer: The speakers’ opinions belong to them and may differ from opinions of JPMorgan Chase & Co. and its affiliates. Views presented on this podcast are those of the speakers; they are as of October 22^nd, 2024 and they may not materialize.

From Incarceration to Advocacy: Dr. Topeka K. Sam on leading Ladies of Hope Ministries for justice-impacted women and families

In this episode of the Women on the Move Podcast, Dr. Topeka K. Sam sits down with host Sam Saperstein to discuss her journey from incarceration to nonprofit founder. Topeka is the founder and executive director for The Ladies of Hope Ministries and the co-founder of Hope House NYC, a safe housing space for women and girls. She's a pioneer in the fight for the decriminalization and decarceration of women and girls and works relentlessly to provide resources and support for those transitioning back to society.

A new start

After spending three and a half years in federal prison and seeing all of the disparities and harms that women and girls had faced, Topeka came home determined to be a voice for those still incarcerated. “I knew when I came home because of the support services, the family, community that I had, that I could do anything, but the sisters that I left behind would not,” she tells Sam. “And so as God would have it, I was really just moved to start my organization, The Ladies of Hope Ministries, while I was incarcerated. And when I was released in 2015, I hit the ground running.”

Topeka says two things drove her mission: to provide safe housing for women after incarcerations, and to create platforms for women to be able to use their voices. “I felt that if we saw the faces of women who were incarcerated and heard their voices, that there would be no woman or girl in prison or jail,” she says. “I'm a firm believer that you can hold people accountable by healing them, and prisons and jails don't do that.”

 

Expanding and looking to the future

85 percent of incarcerated women are mothers of dependent children and heads of households, and 95 percent have experienced some type of sexual trauma or violence. In addition, 90 percent have mental health challenges. “There are drivers that lead to incarceration,” she explains, citing some alarming statistics for incarcerated women who have experienced some form of abuse, violence, trauma or mental health challenges. “As we know, women often are the most marginalized, the most vulnerable population and have the least support and services, no matter what industry you're in. And so going into prison, it's the same harms and the same drivers, but yet we come home and there's not enough organizations [to support] or opportunities when we come home.”

Since starting her nonprofit in New York, Topeka has expanded to several additional states. Together with United States Department of Housing and Urban Development Rapid Re-housing program, they are now helping families get their own apartments in New York, in Prince George's County, Maryland, and in New Orleans, and helping them pay rent for a year. They also have a workforce development initiative, which includes certification programs in digital marketing, project management, IT, and AI.

Topeka is also a co-founder of a FinTech company, EPIC Financial  that focuses on making sure that justice-impacted people have financial education on savings and banking. “It’s about building the community,” she stresses. “Because if our families are strong, then it also helps that person who is reentering to become strong.”

Being a role model in the community, and in particular demonstrating that a criminal record doesn’t have to define you, is extremely important to Topeka.  “When you come from a limited resource community, you can't see that you can have more unless you see someone who's lived that experience,” she says. “So that for me is the greatest gift, to be able to show women that it doesn't matter where we come from or what we've experienced that we can be and do it whatever it is that we want.”

As far as inspiring other women, Topeka offers some simple advice. You have to believe in yourself and give yourself permission to follow your dreams and your ambition. “Know that many of us are incarcerated before we even go to a prison,” she says. “You can be living in a prison in your mind, in your community, before you've even gotten through what I've been through. You can change that today. Each day, God gives us grace. We can get up every morning and we can decide.”

 

Disclaimer: The speakers’ opinions belong to them and may differ from opinions of JPMorgan Chase & Co. and its affiliates. Views presented on this podcast are those of the speakers; they are as of October 15^th, 2024 and they may not materialize.