F5 Collective Presents Women in Business

Joanna Wiesinger spent years as a PhD inorganic chemist — until life forced a different question. After the loss of her first son and years at home with her three children, she came back to the workplace to find her resume no longer fit who she had become. "Chemistry no longer held my heart. People did." Today she's the founder of Thrive With Strengths and a Gallup-Certified Clifton Strengths Coac...

Nancy Gale will tell you she's never had one mentor—she's had thousands. "I get into an Uber and start a conversation… it's not one person that's mentored me, it's many people, and it's conversations." In this episode, the founder and designer behind JAMAH—an American-made, ultra-luxury bespoke handbag brand crafted entirely in the USA—shares how staying open to everyone shaped a career built over...

Anna Cheniuntai is the Co-Founder and CEO of Apis Cor, the deep-tech company building robots that 3D print full-scale houses on site. By 23, she'd already run a multi-million-dollar Olympic infrastructure contract in Sochi. Then she and her husband Nick sold the house, sold the luxury cars, and put everything into building a robot that didn't exist yet. "You are the main resource. Every startup ne...

After a 2013 car accident left her with a traumatic brain injury that ended her decades-long career, Debbie Slavkin found her way back through beads, color, and creativity. In this episode of F5 Collective Presents: Women in Business, Debbie shares how jewelry making became her medicine — and how she built Made by Mimi Designs on her own terms. In this episode, Debbie shares: ✨ The spark: the bea...

Jade Diep didn't plan to become an entrepreneur — at 22, starting her own company was the only legal way to stay in Beijing. Today she's the co-founder and CEO of Dr Glitter, the makers of a world-first, patent-protected technology that turns supplements into beautiful, tasteless crystals you sprinkle straight onto your food. In this episode, Jade shares the unexpected path from the Chinese film i...

In 1990, Nan Young was told her two-and-a-half-year-old daughter — who has cerebral palsy — couldn't attend the same elementary school as her brother. The school wasn't accessible. There was no ADA. So Nan made a deal: an arts program in exchange for a ramp and a rail. The principal agreed. Her daughter became the first physically disabled child to attend a public school in the Conejo Valley Unifi...

Iona Morris-Jackson is an actor, director, producer, and host of The Vision is Possible. She's spent decades in entertainment, but the most transformative moment didn't happen on set—it happened in a linen store. "Who am I? Not what mommy wants, daddy wants, what my friends want—but what do I want? And it just changed everything for me in that moment." In this episode, Iona shares: ✨ The linen st...

Symone Opara was a Principal Director in Engineering at Microsoft with 11 directors reporting to her across the world. She had five kids, a demanding job, and wanted to cook from-scratch meals every night. "How do I work for Microsoft and we don't have a technical solution for this?" So she and her husband built LeCuckoo—a platform for home cooks to share recipes and get paid. Then she made the le...

Ashley Bradley turned a gap in the eyewear market into Palma Eyewear—all while raising young kids and working from her kitchen table. In just one year, she's built a thriving brand that prioritizes quality, intentional growth, and community over going viral. In this episode, Ashley shares: ✨ Why she started from her kitchen table with a 5-month-old (and why you can too) ✨ How to work with Chines...

Trish Church-Podlasek spent decades as a creative director for craft magazines. She and her husband dreamed of opening a store together since before they were even married—coming up on their 45th wedding anniversary. Then illness struck. "Once I finished through that process, I said, 'If we're going to do this, it's time.'" Now Cuorebella is a peaceful haven in South Carolina where Trish creates w...

Vicky Pasche went from casino marketing director to fashion entrepreneur with zero fashion background. When she finally found clothes that fit her masculine-presenting body, everything changed. Now Dapper Boi—the inclusive clothing brand she co-founded with her wife—is saving lives. A parent once reached out to say their suicidal 14-year-old started smiling again after seeing a Dapper Boi ad, know...

Peggy Curry spent 17 years searching for answers. She had severe panic disorder and agoraphobia. Her husband had debilitating migraines. All four of their kids were chronically sick. No doctor could help them. Then one client said, "Get tested for gluten intolerance." Within a month, their entire family's lives changed. Now Peggy is the Co-Founder of Curry Girls Kitchen and author of "Damn Good Gl...

Erica Keith spent 18 years at Hallmark Cards, collaborating with Dr. Maya Angelou and Jill Scott. Then she took a leap of faith into entrepreneurship. When her seven-year-old son Kingston ran crying to the backyard after seeing George Floyd's death, everything changed. That moment sparked Black Forward—a brand celebrating Black culture, representation, and positive messages for the Black and brown...

0:00 Opening: The Algorithm is Bullshit 0:30 Introduction: Creative Director to Handbag Designer 1:30 Growing Up Creative: Movies & Family 2:06 The Bangkok Buying Trip 2:45 Finding the Sparkly Recycled Material 3:21 The Sustainability Story 4:00 Deciding to Make Bags, Not Suits 5:00 Late Night Birthday Conversation 5:37 Creating Film Scripts for Each Bag 7:00 Storytelling Over Product Shots 8:...

0:00 Opening: I Declined Celebrity Clients 0:44 Introduction: DeyThaMUA & Shine by Dey 1:53 Growing Up: Always Into Art 2:08 Drawing on Her Shirt at Age 4 2:39 Creating Shine by Dey Cosmetics 4:00 Chi Arts: Chicago High School for the Arts 6:33 Imposter Syndrome Still Exists 8:39 Discovering Makeup Through YouTube 10:58 Charging the First Client 11:41 Starting Makeup in Her Dorm Room 12:42 Whe...

0:00 Opening: I Got Funded 3 Weeks After I Quit My Job 0:46 Growing Up: Always Interested in Math & Science 1:09 Seeing Math Come Alive in Science 1:53 Rocket Engineer Cousin & Choosing MIT 2:21 Plasma Physics: Energy from the Sun 3:27 How Food Became the Focus 3:52 NASA & The Apollo Space Program 4:09 How Do You Feed Astronauts on Long Space Journeys? 4:43 Using Cultures Like Yogurt t...

0:00 Opening: From Front Runner to Bottom of the Pile 0:28 Introduction 1:25 Three Elite Sports: Trampoline, Beach Volleyball, CrossFit 1:39 Parents Met on a Trampoline 2:17 17 Years of Trampoline: 12x National Champion 2:37 Making a List of Sports You Can Peak in at 30+ 3:16 Starting Beach Volleyball from Zero 3:38 Tragically Awful with All Balls 4:29 How CrossFit Happened Accidentally 5:17 100 P...

0:00 Opening: Only 10% of Your Time is Your Passion 1:31 Growing Up Creative: Grandmother, Opera Singer Mom 2:46 Learning Art from Grandmother 3:13 Fashion: The Perfect Mix of Art & Engineering 4:23 Navigating the Intense Apparel Industry 5:18 Finding Your Unique Strengths in Fashion 6:06 Fantasy Erotica: Discovering a Hidden Passion 7:06 Luis Royo & The Cambrian Explosion 8:19 She-Ra &amp...

0:00 Opening: You Have to Be Comfortable with Not Knowing 0:43 Introduction 2:10 Entrepreneurial Background & Family 3:40 Landing in TV Production 6:03 How Yoga Changed Everything 7:36 The Decision to Teach Yoga 8:15 Opening the First Studio 10:51 Expanding to Multiple Locations 13:01 Managing 26 Teachers 17:55 Work-Life Balance & Setting Boundaries 20:06 Writing "Finding Home" & The J...