Aarna's News | Inspiring and Uplifting Stories of Women In STEM

In this episode of Aarna’s News, host Aarna Sahu sits down with Julia Ochinero, a full-stack marketing leader and founder of JMO Consulting, to explore how startups can go from zero to traction with the right go-to-market strategy. With experience spanning 6 startups (including multiple exits), leadership at a Series D unicorn, and senior roles at Accenture, top PR agencies, and a Fortune 50 $2B b...

On this episode of Aarna’s News, host Aarna Sahu speaks with Natasha Henry, an entrepreneurial leader and AI innovator driving real-world impact in women’s health and healthcare technology. Natasha shares her journey from academic experiences at NYU and executive education at Oxford to founding MyoCurrent, where she develops AI-powered solutions to close care gaps for women. Listeners will gain in...

In this episode of Aarna’s News, host Aarna Sahu sits down with Oksana Kovalchuk, founder of a leading UI/UX design agency and Techstars mentor with over 18 years of experience helping startups succeed. Oksana, who wrote her first line of code at just five years old, shares her journey from launching the largest app ever built on the Parse platform to guiding over 200 startups with her rare blend...

In this episode of Aarna’s News, host Aarna Sahu sits down with Margot Gerritsen, a renowned computational scientist, engineer, and co-founder of Women in Data Science (WiDS) Worldwide, to explore the power of curiosity, lifelong learning, and embracing multiple passions instead of limiting yourself to one subject. Margot shares her inspiring journey from earning a PhD in Computational Mathematics...

In this episode of Aarna’s News, host Aarna Sahu sits down with Manail Anis Ahmed, a global leader in emerging technologies, AI governance, and biotechnology entrepreneurship, to explore how technology convergence is transforming business, society, and education. With over 20 years of experience building educational institutions and shaping human capital development strategies across the Middle Ea...

In this episode of Aarna’s News, host Aarna Sahu sits down with Dr. Annie Kritcher, one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2023 and a global leader in nuclear engineering and fusion energy. Annie led the world’s first successful fusion ignition and target gain experiment, a historic breakthrough in the race for clean, sustainable energy. She shares her journey from earning her Ph. D...

In this episode of Aarna’s News, host Aarna Sahu sits down with Alexandra Reid, a creative wellness coach and former medical device QA/RA specialist, to explore how women in STEM can prevent burnout and thrive by embracing both scientific rigor and creative expression. With nearly a decade of experience in the medical device industry—from early-stage research to FDA submissions—Alexandra now empow...

In this episode of Aarna’s News, host Aarna Sahu interviews Eleni Sommerschield, CEO of OnTrack Agent—the leading web-based coaching and e-learning platform for real estate professionals. Eleni shares her journey from proptech executive to CEO, discussing how OnTrack Agent is transforming real estate education by connecting agents with top trainers to tackle industry challenges like low inventory...

In this episode of Aarna’s News, host Aarna Sahu sits down with Karen Smiley — AI ethicist, data strategist, and innovator with 14 U.S. patents — to explore the powerful intersection of inclusion, interdisciplinary learning, and ethical tech. With decades of experience leading diverse teams across startups and large corporations, Karen shares her insights on how embracing different perspectives fu...

In this episode of Aarna’s News, host Aarna Sahu sits down with Janice Levenhagen, a former computer engineer turned social impact leader, to explore the realities of being a woman in tech—and what it takes to change the system. Janice shares how her challenging experiences in the tech industry led her to found ChickTech, a global nonprofit dedicated to empowering girls and women in technology, an...

In this episode of Aarna’s News, host Aarna Sahu sits down with Dr. Salima Bhimani, a global leader in Responsible AI, inclusive technology, and moonshot innovation. As Alphabet’s (Google) first Chief Strategist and Director for Responsible and Inclusive Technology, Salima played a pivotal role in shaping billion-dollar ventures like Waymo, Wing, and X through ethical and inclusive design. With ov...

In this episode of Aarna’s News, I sit down with Gina Wilson — executive coach, healthcare strategist, and author of Silicon Valley East — to explore the power of empathy, soft skills, and mindset in STEM. From her early days in software development to her current role coaching high-level leaders, Gina shares what it means to lead with authenticity and human connection. We discuss how behavior sci...

In this episode of Aarna’s News , we sit down with Wing Commander Jaya Tare , a first-generation Indian military aviator , decorated veteran, and aerospace pioneer leading the world’s first all-female space mission, Mission ShakthiSAT , set to launch in 2026. With 3,500+ flying hours , expertise as an Aircraft Accident Investigator , and a historic role as the first female Flight Liaison Officer t...

In this episode of Aarna’s News , host Aarna Sahu sits down with Nicole Leffer , a seasoned marketing leader and generative AI expert , to explore how AI is transforming marketing strategies, workflows, and business outcomes . With 3.5+ years of hands-on AI experience , Nicole has helped marketing and revenue teams integrate tools like ChatGPT and generative AI to boost efficiency, enhance creativ...

Curious about how AI is transforming cybersecurity, policymaking, and global security ? In this must-listen episode of Aarna’s News , I sit down with Tiffany Saade , a Stanford master’s candidate and AI & Cybersecurity Policy Fellow , to uncover the hidden risks of AI in cyberattacks, election misinformation, and international conflict resolution . Tiffany has briefed NATO leaders, the U.S. Se...

In Episode #105 of Aarna’s News, I sit down with Pubali Sen, a Generative AI & ML Specialist at Google, to explore how enterprises are adopting AI, ML, and cloud computing at scale. With 14+ years of experience in AI-driven solutions across GCP, AWS, and EC2, Pubali shares insights on building cost-effective, high-performance cloud strategies, collaborating with tech executives, and investing...

In this episode of Aarna’s News, host Aarna Sahu sits down with Natalie Pan, an engineer manager turned executive coach and founder of Not Too Crazy, a coaching business dedicated to supporting startup founders. Natalie is passionate about empowering women in STEM, self-acceptance, and taking action. She shares insights on leadership, navigating the tech industry, and the challenges of fundraising...

In this episode of Aarna’s News , host Aarna Sahu sits down with Mrinal Karvir , Senior Cloud Software Engineering Manager at Intel Corporation , to discuss her groundbreaking work in AI innovation, ethical AI practices, and women’s leadership in STEM . With awards from CES and The Edge AI and Vision Alliance , Mrinal leads cutting-edge AI solutions and champions responsible AI development. As an...

In this episode of Aarna's News , I’m excited to welcome Reshmi Krishna , a trailblazer in the tech industry and leader of Enterprise Solutions Architecture at GitLab , where she drives innovation on their AI-powered DevSecOps platform . With over 20 years of experience in engineering, AI, cloud-native technologies, digital transformation , and DevSecOps , Reshmi shares her journey of tackling...

In Episode 101 of Aarna's News , host Aarna Sahu welcomes the remarkable Dr. Keli Christopher, Founder and CEO of STEM Greenhouse , to discuss her groundbreaking work in STEM education for students of color. As the third Black woman globally to earn a Ph. D. in Agricultural Engineering, Dr. Christopher shares her inspiring journey, from overcoming barriers to advocating for systemic change in...

In our special 100th episode of Aarna's News , we are joined by the inspiring Limor Gross, a former Director of Engineering at DigitalOcean with over 20 years of experience in the tech industry. Now a career coach for ambitious women in tech, Limor helps her clients break barriers, think bigger, and achieve their career goals through a results-driven coaching process. In this episode, Limor shares...

In Episode 99 of Aarna's News , host Aarna Sahu sits down with Ana Malhotra, co-founder and CEO of Rome, an innovative tech startup revolutionizing the way dog parents book private, safe spaces for off-leash play. Ana shares her inspiring journey from earning her degree in Computer Engineering with a Cybersecurity minor at Virginia Tech, to her impressive 5-year tenure at Amazon as a cloud securit...

In Episode 98 of Aarna's News, host Aarna Sahu welcomes Jill Avey, a leader in women's empowerment, who helps women advance to Director and VP levels through her SisterSmart Leadership Programs. Jill shares her expertise on how women can develop their strengths, enhance their influence, and improve team performance while navigating the complexities of gender bias. With a foundation in rese...

In Episode 97 of Aarna's News, host Aarna Sahu invites listeners into the dynamic world of gaming and trans-media innovation with special guest Shelby Moledina. With over two decades of experience and a portfolio spanning 30+ titles, Shelby shares her journey from gameplay programmer to co-founding Double Loop Games and launching Glowy Pixels Entertainment in 2024. Hear Shelby's insights o...

Welcome to Episode 96 of Aarna's News! In this episode, join host Aarna Sahu as she sits down with Parna Sarkar-Basu, a renowned tech evangelist and strategic advisor. Parna shares her journey from transforming tech startups to advising industry leaders on navigating the digital era and achieving sustainable growth. As the founder of Brand and Buzz, Parna dives into the importance of business...