Techsetters

On our season one finale of Techsetters, Sam and Jenny interview Soraya Darabi. Featured by FastCompany as one of their “Most Creative People in Business”, Soraya is a cornerstone of the New York City startup scene. Responsible for helping the NYTimes adopt social media, Soraya is a 2-time entrepreneur, and has been named both a Mentor of the year by TechStars and a Young Global Leader by the World economic Forum. Today, she is the founder and general partner of Trail Mix Ventures, and is dedicated to leveling the playing field, as only 2.2% of VC dollars are invested in female founders. In this episode, Soraya talks about taking risks, investing in resilient founders, and betting on the future of living well. Techsetters is Executive Produced by Kode With Klossy and made possible by If / Then. This episode was recorded in May 2020.

If you’re listening to today’s episode of Techsetters, you can thank Peter Boyce! Peter introduced Jenny and Sam when they were both in college and the rest is history.  He is a Partner at General Catalyst and the founder of Rough Draft Ventures, a Harvard based organization with a student team building and empowering the largest network of student founders. Peter’s interests extend beyond Venture Capital, he sits on the boards of The Shed and New Inc, both non-profit institutions that foster innovation at the intersection of art and technology. Did we mention he hosts wine tastings over zoom?  Even with his busy calendar, he continues to find time to advise and inspire the next generation of founders. On today’s episode, Peter gives incredible insight for first time founders, an understanding of what it means to be in venture capital, and by the end of this episode you’ll understand why Peter is such an inspiration! Techsetters is Executive Produced by Kode With Klossy and made possible by If / Then. This episode was recorded in May 2020.

On this episode of Techsetters, co-hosts Samantha Wiener and Jenny Wang interview AAAS / If / Then Ambassador and STEM From Dance Founder, Yamilee Beach.Yamilée has personally experienced the extraordinary benefits of a STEM education and dance. After studying mechanical engineering at MIT and being an avid dancer for 21 years, she switched gears to teach high school algebra in an under-served community in East New York, Brooklyn through Teach For America. As a teacher, her eyes were opened to the multitude of opportunities her students didn’t have access to; there was an abundance of potential that would never be unleashed. Therefore, she set out to provide students with something greater than what the school system could provide. She started STEM From Dance with the hope that a strong dance and STEM supplemental education would help to increase the number of under-represented minority high school girls across the nation who pursue a STEM undergraduate education. Techsetters is Executive Produced by Kode With Klossy and made possible by If / Then. This episode was recorded in May 2020.

On this episode of Techsetters, co-hosts Samantha Wiener and Jenny Wang interview Brenda Darden Wilkerson. Brenda is a pioneering thought leader working on the urgent need for intersectional equity in technology. She leads AnitaB.org as the CEO and President, working as an unwavering advocate for access, opportunity, and social justice for underrepresented communities in technology. AnitaB.org is a nonprofit organization working to shape public opinion about issues of critical importance to women technologists in academia, industry, and government. Brenda founded the original Computer Science for All program, building computer science classes into the curriculum for every student in the Chicago Public Schools system, and serving as the inspiration for the Obama administration’s national CS4All initiatives. Techsetters is Executive Produced by Kode With Klossy and made possible by If / Then. This episode was recorded in September 2020.

On this episode of Techsetters, co-hosts Samantha Wiener and Jenny Wang interview Camille Fournier.  Camille, currently managing director at Two Sigma, a hedge fund, shares  thoughtful advice on leadership on engineering culture, how tech transforms industries and the importance of understanding data.  Before joining Two Sigma, Camille was CTO at Rent the Runway, where she spearheaded the technology to rent clothing from a “closet in the cloud”. Camille has published two books on management. The Manager's Path: A Guide for Tech Leaders Navigating Growth and Change, and her most recent book 97 Things Every Engineering Manager Should Know. Camille doesn’t just talk about management tips, she shares advice that you can use wherever you are in your career. Techsetters is Executive Produced by Kode With Klossy and made possible by If / Then. This episode was recorded in May 2020.

On this episode of Techsetters, co-hosts Samantha Wiener and Jenny Wang interview Dr. Deborah Berebichez, PhD.  Debbie is the first Mexican woman to graduate from Stanford University with a PhD in Physics, and she uses her education and background to make science approachable to a wide range of audiences. Debbie co-hosts Discovery Channel’s Outrageous Acts of Science TV show,  is the Chief Data Scientist at Metis where she leads the creation and growth of exceptional data science training opportunities, and complete two postdoctoral fellowships at Columbia University's Applied Math and Physics Department and at NYU's Courant Institute for Mathematical Sciences where she carried out research in the area of acoustic waves. She has recently been recognized as an AAAS IF/THEN Ambassador for inspiring and empowering young women to learn science and to improve the state of STEM education in the world.  Did we mention she has worked in TWO Nobel Peace Prize Labs? Techsetters is Executive Produced by Kode With Klossy and made possible by If / Then. This episode was recorded in May 2020.

On this episode of Techsetters, co-hosts Samantha Wiener and Jenny Wang interview serial entrepreneur, Carol Reiley.  Nicknamed "The Mother of Robots," Carol has brought artificial intelligence and robotics into the mainstream.   Currently the CEO of her fourth startup (her previous one drive.ai sold to Apple), Carol shares her vision for the future of family planning, how robots and humans can work together and learn how creative thinkers can apply engineering skills to disrupt traditional industries. Did we mention Carol is part of the Young Global Leaders selected by the World Economic Forum, Forbes Top 50 Women In Tech, model, and to top it off, the creative advisor of San Francisco’s Symphony? Techsetters is Executive Produced by Kode With Klossy and made possible by If / Then. This episode was recorded in April 2020.

On this episode of Techsetters, co-hosts Samantha Wiener and Jenny Wang interview Brooklinen Co-Founder and CCO, Vicki Fulop.  After sleeping on a luxurious, but very expensive set of sheets while on vacation, Vicki and her husband, Rich, sought to fill a gap they saw in the marketplace and Brooklinen was born! With Brooklinen now valued at over $100M, Vicki shares her journey as a first time founder, from using Kickstarter as her original source of funding to drawing marketing inspiration from former boss, Tory Burch. Techsetters is Executive Produced by Kode With Klossy and made possible by If / Then. This episode was recorded in March 2020.

On this episode of Techsetters, co-hosts Samantha Wiener and Jenny Wang interview NASA Astronaut, MIT Graduate and former resident of the International Space Station, Dr. Cady Coleman.  On today's episode, Dr. Coleman shares how Dr. Sally Ride inspired her to pursue a career as an astronaut, the high stakes of catching your food supply in space with a robotic arm and the advice she gave Sandra Bullock at the Gravity premiere.  Techsetters is Executive Produced by Kode With Klossy and made possible by If / Then. This episode was recorded in April 2020.

On this episode of Techsetters, co-hosts Samantha Wiener and Jenny Wang interview Third Love Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Heidi Zak. After founding Third Love in 2013 with the mission of building a better bra, Heidi has been named among Fortune's 40 Under 40.  On today's episode, Heidi discusses using data to create a better product, the importance of fostering inclusivity in company culture and using innovation to challenge the status quo. Techsetters is Executive Produced by Kode With Klossy and made possible by If / Then. This episode was recorded in April 2020. 

On this episode of Techsetters, co-hosts Samantha Wiener and Jenny Wang interview Carbon's Chief Marketing Officer, Dara Treseder. In 2020, Dara was elected as a Board of Director to PG&E, and named to Business Insider’s “25 Most Innovative CMOs in the World”.  On today's episode, Dara discusses the influence of communication technology in her hometown of Ibadan, Nigeria, staying true to herself and leading Carbon's rapid response to the Covid 19 crisis using 3D printing technology. Techsetters is Executive Produced by Kode With Klossy and made possible by If / Then. This episode was recorded in April 2020.

On this episode of Techsetters, co-hosts Samantha Wiener and Jenny Wang interview supermodel turned entrepreneur, Karlie Kloss.  Karlie discusses her very first coding class at Flatiron School, the inception of a cookie delivery drone and founding Kode With Klossy, now in its biggest summer. Techsetters is Executive Produced by Kode With Klossy and made possible by If / Then.  This episode was recorded in April 2020.

In the kick off episode of Techsetters, co-hosts Samantha Wiener and Jenny Wang speak with Joy Buolamwini.  A trailblazer beyond trailblazer, Joy founded the Algorithmic Justice League, an organization that looks to ensure racial justice includes algorithmic justice.  In today's episode, Sam, Jenny and Joy discuss racial bias in AI, fairness in facial datasets, and why code is poetry - featuring lines from her spoken word poem, “AI, Ain't I A Woman?” If that wasn't impressive enough, Joy is a Rhodes Scholar, Fulbright Scholar and Computer Science PhD student at MIT. Techsetters is Executive Produced by Kode With Klossy and made possible by If / Then.  This episode of Techsetters was recorded remotely in April 2020. 

Welcome to Techsetters!  Techsetters is hosted by Sam and Jenny are two millennial engineers on a mission to uncover the stories and secrets of techsetters everywhere; hearing guests’ career defining moments, and unconventional paths in the world of STEAM. Spotlighting these leaders not only lets the audience celebrate these badass trend-setters and leaders; it shows listeners everywhere that there’s a permanent seat at the table for them in the world of tech...it’s just not always where we expect it to be. Techsetters is a Kode With Klossy podcast, powered by If / Then.