Atalanta Diaries Breakthrough Women in Conversation with Enma Popli

Rachna Singh former Principal Commissioner Income Tax is a multifaceted professional whose expertise spans across literature, finance, and writing. She authored notable books on economic matters, including 'Penny Panache: Piecing the Economic Puzzle' (2016), 'Financial Felicity: Making Sense of Money Matters' (2017), and 'Myriad Musings' (2016), a compilation of her publish...

Dusica H. Lukac is Partner and Managing Director of DL Capital Partners. She crossed from Money Street to Tech Street after decades in investment banking and millions under management and M&A deals. Dusica has worked with multiple PE/VC funds and other institutional investors, technology companies in growth stage, founded her own companies, invested as an angel; as well as Non Executive Direct...

Bhavani Vadlamudi, a visionary in the field of Information Technology, is known for her expertise in ERP transformations and her innovative approach to business challenges.  Originally from the small town of Guntoor in India, Bhavani began her professional journey as a computer teacher at Aptech Computers. Driven by her passion for technology and a desire to make a broader impact, she pivoted into...

Runsi Sen is the Founder, President, and CEO of Ovarcome, a leading global advocacy organization dedicated to raising awareness, funding research, and providing financial, psycho-social, and informational assistance to empower women and their families in “Ovarcoming” ovarian cancer. Runsi lost her beloved mother to ovarian cancer, and in her memory—and with her inspiration—she founded Ovarcome. Wi...

Roshena is the Deputy Lord Mayor of Melbourne, a commercial barrister, and a mother to four young children. She was elected as a Melbourne City Councillor in 2020 and elected as Deputy Lord Mayor in 2024. She has portfolio responsibilities for planning, tourism, and events. She is particularly passionate about making Melbourne a magnet for global headquarters and small businesses, and the easiest...

 Adirupa (Adi) is Group Chief Executive of Common Purpose. She has been with the organization since 2001 and has held a variety of roles over the years, including CEO of Common Purpose Asia-Pacific, during which time she started a global hub out of Singapore and grew it to be a major player in the leadership field in Asia-Pacific.  Adi has a passion for developing talent and connecting people from...

Nishtha Mehta is the founder of CollabCentral, a platform built to move people from working in silos to co-creating meaningful outcomes—because collaboration, when done well, is a force for real change. She is an Innovative Leadership Coach and Change Facilitator with over 22 years of experience across China, India, Europe, and the U.S. Based in Shanghai, Nishtha works with global organizations an...

General Masiello retired as a three-star general of the U. S. Air Force in 2017.  She was the Director of the Defense Contract Management Agency, where she led a team of nearly 12,000 civilians and military personnel and oversaw worldwide contracts totaling more than $2 trillion. A former assistant professor at the Air Force Institute of Technology, Gen. Masiello held a variety of systems acquisit...

Sabeena Narula Singh is the first woman to serve as Chief Architect of the Uttar Pradesh Public Works Department (PWD). Born in the small township of Talwara, Punjab, Sabeena’s early life was shaped by simplicity, focus, and quiet ambition. After ranking second in the Punjab board exams, she was selected on merit to study at Chandigarh College of Architecture—one of the most prestigious architectu...

Diane Goyette is a Child Development Specialist, Master Registered Level Trainer, Child Care Health Consultant, and keynote speaker with over 30 years of experience in early childhood education. She has taught in public schools, university labs, faith-based programs, and childcare centers, and has trained countless educators through her work as a professor, trainer, and founder of Early Childhood...

Rachna Singh, former Indian Revenue Service officer and acclaimed author of Phoenix and Flames, Penny Panache, and Raghu Rai: Waiting for the Divine, shares her journey of reinvention. She discusses the leap from government service to literature, the emotional toll of grief, and how writing became both refuge and rebellion. As the founder of The Wise Owl literary magazine, Rachna has interviewed l...

Dr. Jennifer Shepard is a globally recognized HR strategist and organizational psychologist with over two decades of experience across the U.S., the Middle East, and Europe. With a PhD in Industrial and Organizational Psychology, she spent over eight years at Saudi Aramco, leading enterprise-wide performance and talent initiatives and advising senior leadership on aligning people strategy with bus...

Dr. Barbara Wallace is a Princeton graduate and licensed clinical psychologist who made history as the first African American woman to earn tenure at Teachers College, Columbia University—later rising to Full Professor of Health Education. She is the Founding Director of the Research Group on Disparities in Health and has mentored over 145 diverse doctoral scholars while pioneering online educatio...

Baljeet Kaur, an accomplished mountaineer from Solan, Himachal Pradesh, has etched her name in history with remarkable achievements. As the first Indian woman to conquer Mount Pumori Peak (7161m) and Mount Dhaulagiri Peak (8167m) in Nepal, Baljeet set a precedent. In 2022, she accomplished an unprecedented feat by becoming the first Indian to summit seven peaks above 8000m, achieving five of them...

UN SDG Changemaker Srishti Bakshi walked 3,800 kilometers across India to spotlight gender inequality, women’s safety, and the cultural codes that shape them. What began as a personal reckoning with privilege became a movement powered by storytelling, community, and action. Her journey is captured in the award-winning documentary Women of My Billion (WOMB) , produced by Priyanka Chopra Jonas and d...

Kim Kirkconnell, Vice President and Head of Global Digital Supply Chain and Finance at Kimberly-Clark—a Fortune 500 company and the parent of iconic brands like Kleenex®, Huggies®, Scott®, Kotex®, WypAll®, KleenGard®, and Kimtech®—shares a compelling journey shaped by bold decisions, career pivots, and leadership resilience. From her early days in academia to pioneering expert systems in manufactu...

Dr Monalisa Sur is a  Professor in the department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine and an associate member of Department of Oncology, Juravinski Cancer Centre and Hospital in Ontario, Canada.  She is a Practising Diagnostic Anatomical Pathologist with expertise in Gynaecological Oncologic Pathology and Malignant Hematopathology and is the Chair of the Mentorship Committee in McMaster University...

Instead of slowing down at 60, Dona Kay Rule charged ahead into professional rodeo, proving that audacity and a growth mindset are key ingredients for achieving greatness at any age.  Dona Kay Rule is a cowgirl, wife, mother and grandmother and now she is among the top barrel racers in the world and has qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR) four times.  Dona Kay travels with her h...

Archana Chandra is Board Member & CEO of Jai Vakeel Foundation & Research Centre, one of the oldest & largest NGOs serving those impacted by intellectual disabilities. She is a Trustee of SRCC, which operates the largest super speciality paediatric hospital in the country in partnership with Narayana Hrudayalaya.  She is also a member of the Advisory Board of Annamrita, one of the larg...

Lisa Robinson’s journey has been anything but conventional. She started as a musician, deeply inspired by the art of conducting and legends like Leonard Bernstein. While her path eventually led her away from music, the skills she honed—bringing people together, setting the pace, and orchestrating success—became the foundation of her leadership approach. Today, as CEO of OnBoard, Lisa has expanded...

Hasleen Kaur is an actor, former Miss India 2011, and a successful entrepreneur with a career spanning fashion, film, and advertising. She has been featured on major platforms like Netflix and Sony, walked for India’s top designers, and appeared on the covers of Femina, GQ, and Harper’s Bazaar Bride. As a model, she has represented global brands such as L’Oréal, Perfectil, and Vaseline. Beyond the...

In this episode of Atalanta Diaries, Enma explores three interrelated themes—Taking Chances, Challenging the Status Quo, and Pushing Comfort Zones—each contributing to a larger success factor that has helped her Atalantas succeed. Through the stories of five remarkable Atalantas, she uncovers the courage it took for them to step into the unknown, embrace uncertainty, and forge new paths. These tra...

Manisha Girotra is Chief Executive Officer of Moelis & Company in India. She was previously Chairperson and Country Head for UBS in India, with a career spanning 30 years with UBS in Hong Kong, Mumbai, Delhi and London and with Moelis in India. She was the youngest CEO of a global investment bank in India at the age of 32.  Manisha has advised over US$ 500 Bn of mergers and acquisitions and eq...

Amrita Bahl is the Chief Education Officer at the GD Goenka Group, where she leads innovation in pedagogy, curriculum development, and academic strategy. An alumna of Columbia University and a certified Climate Reality Leader trained by Vice President Al Gore, Amrita has spent over two decades driving transformative education and social reform. In 2020, she joined the Education Research Center at...

Denise Mannix is a pioneering leader in DEI, renowned for her expertise in leadership, talent, and transformation, with a deep commitment to advancing gender equity and inclusion. Her passionate interest in difference and gender equity has seen her find Equity in Leadership purposed to achieve executive and board equity for women and to be President of Lean In Network Energy a global, nonprofit de...