Bold Women Collective Backstory

In this episode of Bold Women Collective Backstory, host Jolene Levin sits down with Dr. Rachel Moya, CEO and Founder of Scale Strategies, Inc., for an honest and inspiring conversation about leadership, purpose, and designing a life and career on your own terms. Dr. Moya shares her unexpected journey into education policy and leadership, what it really means to show up confidently in spaces where...

In this episode of Bold Women Collective Backstory, host Jolene Levin sits down with Kristen Brooks, educational technology consultant and founder of Kristen Brooks for Edu, for a powerful conversation about voice, creativity, and leadership in education. After spending 30 years serving the same Georgia school district she once attended as a student, Kristen shares her journey from elementary clas...

In this episode of Bold Women Collective Backstory, host Jolene Levin sits down with Tabitha Branum, Superintendent of Richardson ISD, a Texas district serving more than 37,000 students, for a powerful conversation about leading with grace, resilience, and heart. From growing up as an Air Force child living abroad to discovering her calling in education, Tabitha shares the experiences and mentors...

In this episode of Bold Women Collective Backstory, host Jolene Levin sits down with Deb O’Riley, Education Consultant and International Director for Learning Environments Australasia, for a powerful conversation about how learning environments shape belonging, wellbeing, and possibility. With 35 years of experience spanning classroom teaching, principalship, and school-design leadership, Deb shar...

In this episode of Bold Women Collective Backstory, recorded live at EDspaces, Darlene Akers sits down with Hila Stern, Principal of HSB Architecture, for an inspiring conversation about how neuroscience and empathetic design can transform learning environments. Together, they explore how science-informed school design influences emotion, focus, connection, and overall student wellbeing. Hila shar...

In this episode of Bold Women Collective Backstory, host Jolene Levin sits down with Dr. Rachel Edoho-Eket, Principal of a National Blue Ribbon School in Howard County, Maryland, and President of the Maryland Association of Elementary School Principals, for a powerful conversation about boundaries, authenticity, and sustainable leadership in education. Dr. Edoho-Eket shares how her leadership jour...

In this episode of Bold Women Collective Backstory, host Jolene Levin sits down with Kelsey Jordan, Associate Director of PreK–12 at Legat Architects, for a powerful conversation about how empathy, purpose, and design shape the future of education. Kelsey shares how her journey in architecture prepared her to blend art, science, and heart to create learning environments where all students and educ...

In this episode of Bold Women Collective Backstory, host Jolene Levin sits down with Karyn Richmond, Wellness Coordinator for the Sun Prairie Area School District, for a powerful conversation about transforming wellness from a “nice to have” into a measurable strategy for thriving people and sustainable results. Karyn shares how she built a culture of care that prioritizes both wellbeing and perfo...

In this episode of Bold Women Collective Backstory, recorded live at NeoCon, Darlene Akers sits down with Nora Fenlon, Chief Commercial Officer at Via Seating, for an inspiring conversation about workplace wellness, inclusive design, and leading with aligned purpose. From her journey from Ireland to America to a life-changing encounter with active seating, Nora shares how science, empathy, and mov...

In this episode of Bold Women Collective Backstory, host Jolene Levin sits down with Dr. Christine Counts, and Kate Forcucci, Chief Education Strategist at PD by MiEN, for an energizing conversation about courage, curiosity, and reimagining learning environments. Together, they share how their journeys as educators and leaders prepared them to design spaces that empower every student, build authen...

In this episode of Bold Women Collective Backstory, recorded live at NeoCon, Darlene Akers sits down with Heidi Grinde, Director of Category Management at Global Industrial, for a dynamic conversation about bold leadership, strategy, and breaking barriers. From her transition out of pharma into industrial leadership, Heidi shares how grit, resilience, and fearless decision-making shaped her path....

In this episode of Bold Women Collective Backstory, host Jolene Levin sits down with Heather Durkac, Chief Innovation Officer at Gaggle, for an inspiring conversation about innovation, tenacity, and building leadership through bold choices. Heather shares how stepping into roles others avoided shaped her career and strengthened her ability to transform challenges into opportunities. Together, they...

In this episode of Bold Women Collective Backstory, recorded live at the Leadhership Network for Women Conference 2025, Jolene Levin and Dr. Deb Kerr sit down with Dr. Atiya Perkins, Superintendent of Linden Public Schools, for an inspiring conversation about community-rooted leadership and authentic impact. From substitute teacher to leading the very district where she once studied, Dr. Perkins s...

In this episode of Bold Women Collective Backstory, host Jolene Levin sits down with Christa Samaras — former Princeton lacrosse star, USA National Team athlete, entrepreneur, and founder of Brave Enterprises — for an energizing conversation about bravery, resilience, and transforming fear into forward momentum. Christa shares how setbacks shaped her growth and how curiosity became her most powerf...

In this episode of Bold Women Collective Backstory, Darlene Akers, Dr. Deb Kerr, and Jolene Levin sit down with Cheryl Durst, EVP & CEO of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA), for a powerful conversation about curiosity, storytelling, and transformative design leadership. Cheryl shares how her journey prepared her to bring the power of language and narrative into the world of...

In this episode of Bold Women Collective Backstory, Jolene Levin, alongside cohosts Dr. Deb Kerr and Darlene Akers, sits down with Bethany Smith of Meteor Education and Emily Islip of Smith System for a powerful conversation about how former educators are shaping the future of learning environments. Recorded following EDmarket’s BWC live virtual event, Bethany and Emily share how their classroom e...

In this episode of Bold Women Collective Backstory, host Jolene Levin sits down with Dr. Lisa Schleer, Superintendent of Sandyston-Walpack Consolidated School District, to explore her journey from special education teacher to district leader. Dr. Schleer shares how her upbringing, family values, and early experiences shaped her calling to education. From launching her own consulting firm to streng...

In this episode of Bold Women Collective Backstory, Jolene Levin sits down with Doreen Bonde, wellness specialist at a high school in Cupertino, California, for an insightful conversation about how intentional wellness spaces are transforming education. Doreen shares how creating dedicated reset spaces gives students — and staff — practical tools to manage stress, regulate emotions, and return to...

In this episode of Bold Women Collective Backstory, Jolene Levin sits down with Sophie Leah Smith, CEO, and Leah Guesman, COO and co-founders of College Contact, for an inspiring conversation about risk-taking, youth entrepreneurship, and transforming college and career advising. After turning a viral TikTok into a powerful platform, Sophie and Leah built a fast-growing mentorship model that conne...

In this episode of Bold Women Collective Backstory, host Jolene Levin sits down with Amy Dujon — Vice President at DA Leadership Institute, author, and former award-winning educator — for a powerful conversation about authentic leadership, instructional change, and the courage to ask the hard questions. From musical theatre major to district leader, Amy shares how embracing risk, curiosity, and se...

In this episode of Bold Women Collective Backstory, recorded at the AASA National Conference on Education, Jolene Levin sits down with Dr. Melissa Sadorf, former Executive Director of the Arizona Rural Schools Association and current leader of the National Rural Education Association (NREA), for a powerful conversation about rural education leadership, mentorship, and possibility. From classroom t...

In this episode of Bold Women Collective Backstory, Jolene Levin sits down with Lisa Schmucki, founder and CEO of EdWeb.org, for an inspiring conversation about redefining professional learning and building community at scale. From early career experiences in accounting firms and ad agencies to a pivotal porch conversation with her daughter, Lisa shares how intuition, persistence, and deep listeni...

In this episode of Bold Women Collective Backstory, Darlene Akers, President of Akers Business Solutions, sits down with Laura Carlson, Director of the Architectural Division at My Resource Library (MRL), for a compelling conversation about career growth, industry evolution, and coming full circle. From managing a physical catalog library early in her career to now leading the architectural divisi...

In this episode of Bold Women Collective Backstory, Jolene Levin sits down with Christine Feenstra, Executive Director of CUE, for a thoughtful conversation about bridging the gap between people, ideas, and opportunity in education. Christine shares what it truly means to lead in ways that connect communities, amplify diverse voices, and create space for meaningful collaboration. Together, they ex...

In this episode of Bold Women Collective Backstory, Jolene Levin is joined by Colette Ferch, Suzanne Sasaki-Hartstein, and Monique Swihart of HMC Architects for an energizing conversation about mentorship, collaboration, and lifting others as you rise. Together, these powerhouse designers share the lessons they’ve learned throughout their careers — from the advice they wish they’d received early o...