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In this episode, Cynthia Plotch shares how running into her boyfriend’s mom while buying a pregnancy test factored into her journey to start a company focused on women’s healthcare. One of Inc.’s 100 Female Founders in 2021, and the co-founder of Stix, she aims to create better experiences and solutions with women’s healthcare products and talks about the challenge of raising funds from male VCs.  Listen for advice on: Getting close to your customers  The importance of building and maintaining resiliency  The extreme optimism and pessimism of being an entrepreneur  Holding yourself accountable when success comes Learn more: Zoia Kozakov (Host): http://www.linkedin.com/in/zoia Cynthia Plotch (Guest): https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthiaplotch/ Women in Innovation: http://www.womenininnovation.co Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Zoia sits down with Jess Houlgrave, who heads up crypto and go-to-market strategy at Checkout.com, an international payments platform valued at over billions of dollars. The conversation touches on how Jess navigates being a leader in an industry that often draws criticism and doubt, while leaning into being at the helm of innovation.  Listen for advice on: How to balance helpful feedback while blocking out the noise Choosing the right team for innovative projects Balancing learning a new industry while knowledge-sharing with others How to have conversations about inclusivity with others Learn more: Zoia Kozakov (Host): http://www.linkedin.com/in/zoia Jess Houlgrave (Guest): https://www.linkedin.com/in/houlgrave/ Women in Innovation: http://www.womenininnovation.co Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we celebrate the 100th episode of the WIN/WIN podcast by bringing back the incredible Enshalla Anderson, who is the Global Head of Brand & Creative at Google Cloud. Enshalla was the very first WIN/WIN podcast guest, and she comes back to discuss her trajectory since the podcast and what she’s learned about the world of innovation through her new role and experiences. Listen for advice on: How to create impact in meetings as an introverted person Building in learning opportunities to develop and learn new skillsets The importance of the customer experience when building technical products Rethinking imposter syndrome at all stages of your career Learn more: Enshalla Anderson (Guest): https://www.linkedin.com/in/enshallaanderson/ Zoia Kozakov (Host): https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoia Women in Innovation: https://www.womenininnovation.co Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Whitnee Hawthorne, Chief Customer Officer of Navan (formerly TripActions) joins the podcast to discuss innovation in the world of travel, and how she’s thinking about it in her current role. Whether it is exploring the consolidation of expense management, travel bookings, and corporate cards or imagining the airport of the future, Whitnee is a multi-faceted leader with tangible and tactical advice on how to succeed in the field. Listen for advice on: How to implement customer insights into features and innovations Prioritizing between the customer and business to reach goals Finding the balance between being authentic and professional Positioning yourself to be considered for innovation roles/projects Learn more: Whitnee Hawthorne (guest): https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitneehawthorne/ Zoia Kozakov (host): https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoia Women in Innovation: https://www.womenininnovation.co Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Zoia sits down with Sharon Gauci, Executive Director, of Design at Global Buick, GMC, and GMC Hummer at General Motors. They discuss Sharon’s career and rise in the world of automotive. They touch on big trends in the electric car industry and how Sharon thinks beyond innovating on a “feature level.” Listen for advice on: Navigating innovating 5-10 years ahead (vs. for the short-term) Working cross-functionally with Engineers, Designers, and Product managers The importance of finding the right mentors How to think about career growth in traditionally male-dominated industries Learn more: Zoia Kozakov (Host): https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoia Sharon Gauci (Guest): https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharon-gauci-0780207/ Women in Innovation: https://www.womenininnovation.co Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Zoia live-podcasts from Las Vegas with May Zabaneh, Vice President of Blockchain, Crypto, and Digital Currencies at PayPal at Money 20/20, the world’s most prominent financial services and payments conferences in the world. May shares what it’s like to lead next-generation payment innovations at a major financial institution and how she thinks about leadership in the space. Listen for advice on: Approaching risk-taking in an innovation career How to get onto 0-to-1 or start-up  teams in large companies What it means to be an innovation leader Measuring success across next-generation initiatives Learn more: May Zabaneh (Guest): https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayzabaneh/ Zoia Kozakov (Host): https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoia-kozakov Women in Innovation: https://www.womenininnnovation.co Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Kat Wang, Head of Product at Jasco Games talks about what it’s like to develop a card game and player experience for one of the most loved anime series in the world, “My Hero Academia.” Kat breaks down how she is building out her team and thinking about innovation simultaneously, and balancing forging ahead.  Learn more about:  Why being a different background and demographic from your customer can help you build better products How to develop complementary and additive digital experiences to physical products  What it means to execute and innovate in a start-up setting How to grow digital communities and garner customer feedback  Links:  Zoia Kozakov (Host): http://www.linkedin.com/in/zoia-kozakov Kat Wang (Guest): https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherine-wang-6760026a/ Women in Innovation: http://www.womenininnovation.co Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, April Koh discusses her journey to starting Spring Health, a precision mental healthcare platform. April is the youngest woman at the helm of a unicorn (Spring Health was valued at $2 billion dollars when April was just 29) and is tirelessly working to innovate mental health in the hopes of breaking all barriers to fixing problems around it.  Listen for advice on: Finding the balance between intuition and tactics when it comes to your MVP How to approach the notion of failure as a start-up founder Thinking about KPIs and scale as it pertains to your company mission Navigating preconceived notions about women in leadership Learn more: April Koh (Guest): https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprilyjkoh/ Zoia Kozakov (Host): http://www.linkedin.com/in/zoia-kozakov Women in Innovation: http://www.womenininnovation.co Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we feature our first ever solo male guest, Chairman and Chief Purpose Officer at co:collective, Ty Montague. Ty sits down with WIN’s very own Global Development Lead, Lizzie Azzolino, to discuss purpose-driven innovation and business models, and opine on what it takes to successfully run and stand up such an organization.    Listen for advice on: How to distinguish between purpose-driven and share-holder-driven firms The role of marketing and communications in innovation Why design is the most critical function in innovation Tactical ways to implement purpose into a company’s operations Learn more: Ty Montague (Guest): https://www.linkedin.com/in/tymontague/ Lizzie Azzolino (Host): https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizzieazzolino/ Zoia Kozakov (Host): http://www.linkedin.com/in/zoia-kozakov Women in Innovation: http://www.womenininnovation.co Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Zoia Kozakov sits down with Jennifer Smith, Founder & CEO of Scribe, who raised over 30 million dollars to battle the innovation antithesis: over-indexing on processes. Jennifer shares her start-up founder journey and her trajectory to building and launching her product, which is used by thousands of companies and users around the world. Listen for advice on: Going from consulting and investing to being an operator How to approach go-to-market while being agile and iterating Why you should build B2B companies to focus on the end-user first Balancing processes at large companies while continuing to innovate Learn more: Jennifer Smith (Guest): https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferreneesmith/ Zoia Kozakov (Host): https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoia-kozakov/ WIN: Women in Innovation: https;//www.womenininnovation.co Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Zoia sits down with the two co-CEOs at Splendid Spoon, Nicole Centeno and Elise Densborn, to talk about what it means to share a leadership role while staying agile in a start-up environment. The two leaders discuss how their own lived experiences have inspired the trajectory of the company and their views on what it takes to make it as a blooming start-up. Listen for advice on: What it means to co-create in positions of leadership  The role of trust in enabling innovation Positioning a multi-faceted company for fundraising The benefits and drawbacks of a D2C company Learn more: Nicole Centeno (Guest): https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolecenteno/ Elise Densborn (Guest): https://www.linkedin.com/in/elise-densborn-597505b/ Zoia Kozakov (Host): https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoia-kozakov/ WIN: Women in Innovation: https;//www.womenininnovation.co This episode is sponsored by frog: www.frog.co Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Zoia sits down with Latoya Tucciarone, CEO & Founder of SustainAble Home Goods and Amazing Women in eCommerce 2022 honoree, and Ruthie Berber, Head of Community at Yotpo and Program Director at Amazing Women in eCommerce. The conversation discusses the current state of affairs in the start-up world, how retail is evolving and changing to keep up with the times, and how women are showing up and innovating in the world of eCommerce. Listen for advice on: Navigating fundraising during a challenging economic and social climate The importance of platforms in eCommerce and true end-to-end customer experiences Why brands must continuously connect to a customer's identity and values How innovating in retention versus acquisition can enable meaningful growth Learn more: Latoya Tucciarone (Guest): https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriayoung/ Ruthie Berber (Guest): https://www.linkedin.com/in/ravimehta/ Zoia Kozakov (Host): https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoia-kozakov/ WIN: Women in Innovation: https;//www.womenininnovation.co Previous Yotpo episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1SffnGYZ4H2Y7xo4TYtG9k Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Zoia hosts Victoria Young and Ravi Mehta, co-founders of Scale Higher, a company reinventing how people learn and grow through its development courses and coaching platform. Victoria and Ravi are both entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs, who have launched and worked on world-class products including Uber Pool, Trip Advisor, Tinder, Facebook Live, and more. Listen for advice on: How to approach your career as an innovation professional Lessons to be transferred from big companies to start-ups Embedding diversity at every stage of a business How to evaluate product-market fit in a new category Learn more: Victoria Young (Guest): https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriayoung/ Ravi Mehta (Guest): https://www.linkedin.com/in/ravimehta/ Zoia Kozakov (Host): https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoia-kozakov/ WIN: Women in Innovation: https;//www.womenininnovation.co Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Zoia sits down with Kirin Sinha, CEO & Founder of Illumix, a leading augmented reality (AR) technology, and media company, focused on developing immersive experiences. They discuss the value of the metaverse and AR and the opportunities for women to create and innovate in hard sciences, and STEM industries. Kirin shares her observations about how women speak to themselves versus men and why she focuses on delivering a quality product over her founder story.  Listen for advice on: Why the metaverse is a natural progression of today’s world The biggest blocker between women and innovation industries  How to weave experimentation and innovation into every stage of your business   Transitioning into STEM as a second or third career Learn more: Kirin Sinha (Guest): https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirin-sinha-791b8828/ Zoia Kozakov (Host): https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoia-kozakov Women in Innovation: https://www.womenininnovation.co Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Zoia sits down with Lizzie Azzolino, the founder of Until Now, a coaching & culture transformation design and consulting practice and WIN’s very own Global Development Lead to talk about all things innovation mindset, actionable takeaways for aspiring (and current!) innovation leaders, and, of course, how to advance and develop your leadership capabilities. Lizzie shares insights and lessons from WIN Relay, a first-of-its-kind program for innovation leaders with 12+ years of experience, and draws from her wealth of experience in the space to give WIN/WIN listeners the latest and greatest on innovation leadership.  Listen for advice on: Why leadership in innovation has an added set of considerations to traditional leadership  The common thread amongst top innovation leaders How to approach the idea of ‘risk’ to succeed in changing and dynamic times What listeners can do to cultivate their own innovation leadership path Learn more: Event Details: https://themindsetofgreatinnovationleaders.splashthat.com/ Lizzie Azzolino (Guest): https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizzieazzolino/ Zoia Kozakov (Host): www.linkedin.com/in/zoia-kozakov Women in Innovation: www.womenininnovation.co Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Cassidy Fein, Director of Product, Enterprise at Vimeo, talks about the power of video and the challenges and opportunities it brings when it comes to balancing launching innovative products to market while maintaining focus on the user. The conversation also dives deeper into pivots, decision-making frameworks, and leadership in innovation.  Listen for advice on: Understanding when incremental innovation can be valuable  How to think about prioritization in a B2B business Leadership in wartime vs. peacetime innovation  The role that video plays in the creator economy and beyond Learn more: Cassidy Fein (Guest): https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassidyfein/ Zoia Kozakov (Host): https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoia-kozakov/ WIN: Women in Innovation: https;//www.womenininnovation.co Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Zoia is joined by Vrinda Gupta, CEO & Founder at Sequin a fintech behind the first debit card to build credit. Vrinda talks about how her mother’s fears around the financial system fueled her desire to build tools to empower women to better leverage and gain access to credit. She shares how she entered a rotational program at Visa, applied for and got rejected from the Chase Sapphire Reserve card — a product she helped build, and ultimately founded her own FinTech company.  Listen for advice on: Why your credit score is the only grade that matters after school  Ensuring that investors align with your mission-driven company  Exploring ways to tackle logistical challenges Navigating the lows of being a company founder Learn more: Vrinda Gupta (Guest): www.linkedin.com/in/vrindag Zoia Kozakov (Host): www.linkedin.com/in/zoia-kozakov Women in Innovation: www.womenininnovation.co Brand Copy by Nicole Beckley Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Tui Allen talks about how adaptability and curiosity created opportunities for her career pivots, moving from consulting at EY and Disney to product management at Blackbaud and Shopify. She shares how growing up in Montreal with an entrepreneurial mother fed her desire to learn, and why she wants to use technology to solve problems in the social good space.  Listen for advice on: Creating trust with stakeholders  How to think about customer pain points  What’s coming next in eCommerce Taking a global view of innovation Learn more: Tui Allen (Guest): http://linkedin.com/in/tuiallen Zoia Kozakov (Host): http://www.linkedin.com/in/zoia-kozakov Women in Innovation: http://www.womenininnovation.co Brand Copy by Nicole Beckley Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Lucie Buisson, Chief Product Officer of ContentSquare discusses her transition from being a Customer Success Manager to heading up Product and the lessons she’s learned along the way. Whether it is immersing herself in qualitative or quantitive research or restructuring company processes at every step of ContentSquare’s scaling, Lucie is quite the expert on consumer-centric innovation and product development. Listen for advice on: Prioritizing innovating consumer behavior over searching for new technologies How to determine whether an idea will work for the majority of customers Creating communities around your product to gather feedback A company’s responsibility in promoting equality in Europe vs. the United States Learn more about: Lucie Buisson (Guest): https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucie-buisson-3195b272/ Zoia Kozakov (Host): http://www.linkedin.com/in/zoia-kozakov Women in Innovation: http://www.womenininnovation.co Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Elyssa Byck shares her path from creating her own roles at Buzzfeed to founding her own company, focused on reimagining corporate leadership training and building values-based communities. She talks about how her entrepreneurial upbringing ignited her to be relentless and scrappy, enter situations with a learning mentality, and embrace vulnerability in professional settings.  Listen for advice on: How to bring your whole self to work authentically  Figuring out what to evaluate in the short term to have a long term impact  Why 2022 will rewrite the leadership playbook with respect to employee happiness  Three questions to ask yourself and your team each week To learn more:  Elyssa Byck (Guest): https://www.linkedin.com/in/elyssabyck/ Zoia Kozakov (Host): https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoia-kozakov/ About WIN: Women in Innovation: https://www.womenininnovation.co Brand Copy by Nicole Beckley Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.