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Episodes
Welcome to the Women in Data Podcast, where every other week your host, Karen Jean-Francois interviews some of the most inspiring women working in data. Through each episode, they share their invaluable experience and knowledge. Leaving no stone unturned, the WiD Podcast series will provide you with information on the use of data in various industries, plus helpful tips for career development. More importantly, it will enable you to become the data professional you want to be.
Episodes

Wednesday Jan 25, 2023
Ep74 Cathy Herbert - How to build products that make customers lives better
Wednesday Jan 25, 2023
Wednesday Jan 25, 2023
This week, Karen is joined by Cathy Herbert, EVP of Customer and Partner Enablement at Arria NLG. Integrity is important to Cathy and because of this, she is passionate about building win-win solutions. In this episode, she describes her approach to ensuring the development of useful products that won’t get shelved. She highlights the importance of communication and good design, and talks about how to make a great first impression, as well as sharing what makes the difference between building a product that makes customers' lives better, and one that doesn't.
Enjoy!
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Show notes:
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Cathy’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathy-herbert-616846/
She recommends to follow:
Simon Sinek – How great leaders inspire action https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action?language=en
Geoffrey Moore - http://geoffreyamoore.com/

Wednesday Jan 11, 2023
Ep.73 Diana Akanho - How to figure out your next step
Wednesday Jan 11, 2023
Wednesday Jan 11, 2023
This week, Karen is joined by Diana Akanho, Managing Consultant - Data and AI Advisory at Capgemini. Before moving to Capgemini, Diana was feeling stuck in her career. She wanted to change roles, but was unsure of what she wanted to do next. With the help of a mentor, Diana took a pragmatic and structured approach to dealing with the issue. In this episode, she reflects on her journey to ‘getting unstuck’ and finding her next role: from experimenting outside of her day-to-day to having an ‘aha!’ moment when she understood the skills that naturally come to her.
Enjoy!
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Show notes
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Diana’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-akanho/
She recommends:
HBR: https://hbr.org/
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/
Karen recommends: https://www.amazingif.com/listen/exploring-and-applying-for-a-new-job/

Wednesday Dec 07, 2022
Ep.72 Lizzie Harris - Inefficiencies when recruiting data professionals
Wednesday Dec 07, 2022
Wednesday Dec 07, 2022
This week, Karen is joined by Lizzie Harris for the last of this two-part episode covering redundancy and looking for a new job. In this conversation, they talk about the recruitment processes they went through, and how they believe they can be improved. Hiring processes are expensive, and data professionals are sparse. Can we fix inefficiencies and processes that are not inclusive?
Enjoy!
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Show notes:
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Lizzie’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-harris-a1499a16/
Ep.33 on salary negotiation: https://womenindata.co.uk/women-in-data-podcasts/#item7879

Wednesday Nov 23, 2022
Ep.71 Lizzie Harris - Redundancy and job-hunting experiences
Wednesday Nov 23, 2022
Wednesday Nov 23, 2022
This week, Karen is joined by Lizzie Harris for the first of a two-part episode covering redundancy and job searching. In this conversation, they share their respective experiences of going through redundancy earlier this year. They talk about what happened, how they felt, how they reacted and what they did to help cope with the stress and anxiety. They then move on to discuss job hunting, including writing their CVs with a view to encourage forward-focused conversations, rather than what they had done in the past. Thus allowing them to pitch themselves at the right level, in a market where job titles are all over the place.
Enjoy!
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Show notes:
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Lizzie’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-harris-a1499a16/
Ep.1 on Furlough fear: https://womenindata.co.uk/women-in-data-podcasts/#item7784

Wednesday Nov 09, 2022
Ep.70 Jena Zangs - How to stay attractive to the market
Wednesday Nov 09, 2022
Wednesday Nov 09, 2022
This week, Karen is joined by Jena Zangs, Deputy Chief Data Officer & Director of Institutional Data, Analytics & Reporting at the University of St. Thomas (MN). In a field that is constantly evolving and where job hopping is becoming the norm to upskill and get promoted, Jena chose to stay and grow in her organisation. In this episode, she shares the challenges and fears brought by this decision as well as how she has overcome them. You will hear her thoughts on "not having enough time", how she stays up to date with the latest tech development and how she is upskilling herself and teammates to stay attractive to the market.
Enjoy!
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Show notes:
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Jena’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenaz/
She recommends:
Invisible Women: https://carolinecriadoperez.com/book/invisible-women/

Wednesday Oct 26, 2022
Ep.69 Sadiqah Musa - Improving inclusion in data teams
Wednesday Oct 26, 2022
Wednesday Oct 26, 2022
This week, Karen is joined by Sadiqah Musa, Lead Analyst at TrustPilot, and cofounder of Black in Data. While DEI has been making the headlines for a while now, Sadiqah highlights the fact that, with only 3% of data professionals being Black, the work on diversity has barely started. In this episode, she talks about the impact the lack of diversity has on employees’ confidence, as well as their ability to be themselves in the workplace. People of colour will find tips to become more comfortable in a non-diverse environment, and organisations will hear about how they can become more inclusive.
Enjoy!
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Show notes:
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Sadiqah’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sadiqah-musa-9b169495/
Black in Data: https://www.blackindata.co.uk/
Sathya Bala’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sathya-bala-mystory/

Wednesday Oct 12, 2022
Ep.68 Itoro Liney - Tackling algorithmic bias
Wednesday Oct 12, 2022
Wednesday Oct 12, 2022
This week, Karen is joined by Itoro Liney, Data Science Manager at Principality Building Society, and AI Ethics Researcher, to discuss one of the most important issues in our field: algorithmic bias. In this episode, Itoro uses a simple, yet powerful example to highlight the impact of biased data, especially when amplified by Machine Learning algorithms. You will also hear practical advice on how data scientists can gain clarity on possible bias in their data, and how to account for it.
Enjoy!
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Show notes:
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Itoro’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisliney/
She recommends reading:
Radical Candor: https://www.radicalcandor.com/
The five dysfunctions of a team: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Five-Dysfunctions-Team-Leadership-Lencioni/dp/0787960756

Wednesday Sep 28, 2022
Ep.67 Candace Ohm - Succeeding against the odds
Wednesday Sep 28, 2022
Wednesday Sep 28, 2022
This week, Karen is joined by Candace Ohm, Director of Product Analytics at Cardlytics. Being a first-generation college student, Candace faced a number of challenges in her journey to become a leader in data science. In this episode, she shares a story of self-discovery and of overcoming limiting beliefs that were stopping her from feeling like she belonged in a career in data. But most of all, she shares a story of courage.
Enjoy!
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Show notes:
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Candace’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candaceohm/

Wednesday Sep 14, 2022
Ep.66 Shikta Das and Dr Tazeen Rizvi - Towards more inclusive HealthTech solutions
Wednesday Sep 14, 2022
Wednesday Sep 14, 2022
This week, Karen is joined by Shikta Das, Associate Principal Scientist at AstraZeneca, and Dr.Tazeen Rizvi, Clinician, and Entrepreneur, to talk about the state of data and technology in healthcare. These two experts in their field bring a different perspective on the topic, Shikta, coming from the viewpoint of a data scientist, and Tazeen, that of a digital health expert. In this episode, you will hear about the role of data-driven technologies in creating accessible, more inclusive, and efficient care delivery models. They also highlight the critical opportunities that need to be addressed to unlock the value of data and digital tools to ensure that diagnostics, digital solutions, and treatments are adequate for every segment of the population. They talk about bridging the data gap, the impact of biased data on research and diagnosis, how decentralised clinical trials can help address these issues, and much more.
Enjoy!
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Show notes:
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- Shikta’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shiktadas/
- Tazeen’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drtazeenrizvi/
They recommend:
- The Genetics Society: https://geneticsunzipped.com/
- Patient Rising: https://www.patientsrisingpodcast.org/
- Mind The Gap: https://anchor.fm/mindthegap-edu
- UC Science today: https://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/m773n-50f1c/UC-Science-Today-Podcast
- Tazeen’s podcast: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-pulse-podcast/videos/?viewAsMember=true

Wednesday Aug 31, 2022
Ep.65 Adriana Beal - Taking ownership of your career in data
Wednesday Aug 31, 2022
Wednesday Aug 31, 2022
This week, Karen is joined by Adriana Beal, Lead Data Scientist at Slalom. If you’re looking to take ownership of your career, or mentor someone who is, this episode is for you. In this conversation, Adriana shares her best advice to data analysts and data scientists who want to take the driving seat. You will also hear about why she prefers working as a consultant rather than as a full-time employee, and how to translate a business problem into a data science project.
Enjoy!
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Show notes:
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Adriana’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrianabeal/
She recommends:
- Deep Questions Podcast: https://www.calnewport.com/podcast/
- Behavioral Grooves Podcast : https://behavioralgrooves.com/
- Find your T shape: https://bealprojects.com/resources/finding-your-t-shaped-strength/