Leading Without Illusions

What does it take to build a culture where people genuinely love coming to work? In this episode of  Leading Without Illusions , Holly Smithson and Jay Connolly sit down with leadership icon and former WD-40 CEO Garry Ridge to explore the principles that transformed a simple household product company into one of the world’s most admired workplace cultures. Garry shares the leadership philosophy th...

In a world shaped by disruption, uncertainty, and accelerating AI adoption, what does effective leadership actually look like? In this episode of  Leading Without Illusions , Holly Smithson and Jaye Connolly are joined by Kaye Foster, Senior advisor at Boston Consulting Group, for a candid, unfiltered conversation on the realities leaders are facing today. From declining employee engagement and br...

Artificial intelligence is moving fast—but is it really as disruptive as it seems? In this episode of  Leading Without Illusions ,  Holly Smithson  and  Jaye Connolly  sit down with  Dr. Carlos Nunez  of  ResMed  to separate signal from noise in the AI conversation. From being in the top 1% of global AI users to leading innovation in healthcare, Dr. Núñez shares a grounded perspective on what AI c...

In this episode of  Athena’s Leading Without Illusions , hosts Holly Smithson and Jaye Connolly sit down with Dr. Stephen Morse, founder of Unchained Solutions, an Australian-based consulting firm focused on modern slavery risk in global supply chains. Sparked by a recent conference in Perth on battery minerals and the growing demand for critical resources in the AI era, the conversation explores...

What happens when traditional leadership models stop working? In this episode of  Leading Without Illusions , Athena leaders Holly Smithson and Jaye Connolly join Reverend Sean Harvey of the Warrior Compassion Institute to explore why many leaders—especially men—feel disconnected, burned out, and constrained by outdated definitions of strength. The conversation reframes compassion as a leadership...

In the launch episode, Holly Smithson and Jaye Connolly welcome Claire Roberts and Antony Roberts, co-founders of Full Fathom five, for a raw conversation on AI’s biggest illusions. They unpack why AI isn’t a panacea, what “hallucinations” really mean, who’s accountable when systems fail, and how bias can scale at speed. The throughline: modern leadership is questions, not certainty and curiosity...

In this episode of  Lifting While Climbing , Holly Smithson sits down with “hug dealer” Angela Pennella to explore the movement behind  Hugs in the Wild.  Angela shares how intentional connection, nervous system awareness, and small acts of kindness can reset our emotional balance and strengthen our relationships. From the science of oxytocin to real stories from her travels, this conversation is...

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month,  Dr. Tina Rinker —co-founder & Chief Scientific Officer of  Syantra Inc. —joins host  Holly Smithson  to unpack a breakthrough approach to early detection: a simple  blood test  that reads the  immune system’s signals  rather than hunting for tumor fragments. Dr. Rinker explains how Syantra’s  15-marker panel can identify breast cancers at  ~1 cm and...

From the slopes of Mount Kenya to the halls of Cambridge and the UN General Assembly, Esther Mutuma, founder & CEO of the Boreka Group , shares how a village girl with a love of math became a banking leader turned climate entrepreneur. In this Lifting While Climbing episode, Esther unpacks her journey from qualifying as an accountant at 22 to building a nature-based solutions company now partn...

In this episode of the Lifting While Climbing podcast, Athena CEO Holly Smithson sits down with Claude Jones, CEO of Do It With AI, for a powerful, perspective-shifting conversation about what it really means to lead with AI. Together, they explore how fear-based narratives around artificial intelligence are stalling progress—and how shaping AI, rather than reacting to it, is the key to ethical in...

In this powerful episode of  Athena’s Lifting While Climbing , host Holly Smissen sits down with biotech trailblazer Dr. Tina Nova for an intimate, candid conversation about resilience, leadership, and purpose. From humble beginnings in Central California to leading multiple publicly traded companies and shaping the field of molecular diagnostics, Dr. Nova shares her remarkable journey with humor,...

As political pressure mounts and corporate DEI efforts are being quietly rebranded or rolled back, Athena’s leadership is standing firm. In this powerful episode, Athena CEO Holly Smithson is joined by Board Chair Susan Poser (Oracle) and Vice Chair Jaye Connolly (RippleNami) for a candid conversation about resilience, global perspectives, and why Athena remains unapologetically committed to advan...

In this month’s Lifting While Climbing podcast, we spotlight the unstoppable  Rijon Charne —a lawyer, cancer warrior, and fierce advocate who turned every obstacle into ammunition for change. Just two days after graduating from law school, Rijon was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Before starting chemo, she tried to freeze her eggs—but her insurance company denied the claim, calling fertility p...

In Athena’s April edition of  Lifting While Climbing , CEO Holly Smithson welcomes Dr. Nima Alamdari, Chief Science Officer at Ritual, as the podcast’s first featured workplace ally. Against the backdrop of today’s politically charged climate, this timely conversation explores how authentic allyship — rooted in action, intention, and abundance — must be an active leadership practice, not just a pa...

In celebration of Women’s History Month, Athena was honored to spotlight powerhouse entrepreneur, marketing strategist, and business reality show host  Misti Cain  on our Lifting While Climbing podcast. And if you missed it—trust us—you’ll want to press play on this episode. Raised in a humble, working-class family in Visalia, CA, Misti’s story isn’t one of a straight path—it’s a testament to the...

Join us for an inspiring conversation with Lara Wynne, co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer of Gate Sciences, on this month’s episode of Lifting While Climbing. Lara shares her remarkable journey from being a stay-at-home mom to leading groundbreaking innovations in orthopedic care, all while balancing motherhood and a thriving career. Discover how Lara’s work at Gate Sciences is revolutionizin...

In this dynamic episode of Athena’s  Lifting While Climbing  podcast, Athena’s President and CEO, Holly Smithson, sits down with trailblazing leader Kiva Allgood for a candid and inspiring conversation. Kiva shares her extraordinary career journey in the technology industry, offering invaluable insights on leadership, perseverance, and breaking barriers. Together, Holly and Kiva discuss the power...

Tune in to the latest episode of Athena’s Lifting While Climbing podcast, where CEO and host Holly Smithson dives into an inspiring conversation with Dr. Manna Semby. Dr. Semby shares her extraordinary journey from a successful career on Wall Street to becoming a naturopathic doctor and functional medicine expert. Motivated by personal challenges, including her children’s autism diagnoses and her...

In this episode of Athena's Lifting While Climbing podcast, Holly Smithson, President and CEO of Athena, sits down with Lifting While Climbing Summit speaker Dr. Sheila Gujrathi.  Dr. Gujrathi shares her inspiring journey from the world of medicine to becoming a leader in the biotech industry. She discusses the importance of listening to one's inner voice, and the core values that guided h...

In the latest episode of Athena’s Lifting While Climbing podcast, host Holly Smithson, Athena’s President and CEO, welcomes Sarah Hassan, Head of Global Diversity & Inclusion at ResMed. Sarah shares her inspiring journey from working in refugee camps to leading DE&I initiatives at global tech giants like Amazon, Qualcomm, and ResMed. The conversation dives into the challenges of breaking i...

In this episode of Athena's "Lifting While Climbing" podcast, Holly Smithson, the President and CEO of Athena, speaks with Kyla Pavlina, Chief People Officer at Scipher Medicine. Kyla, whose career spans roles in law, litigation, and the medical device industry, shares insights into her work and the evolving role of Chief People Officers. Kyla discusses her approach to addressing gen...

The June edition of Athena's Lifting While Climbing podcast, hosted by Holly Smithson, President and CEO of Athena, celebrates International Women's Engineering Day with an insightful interview featuring Apparna Ramadoss, executive engineer at Intuit. Apparna emphasizes the critical need for young, diverse minds in engineering to drive innovation and ensure product relevance. She discusses...

Athena’s Lifting While Climbing podcast kicks off our summer with Rebecca Driscoll, CEO & Founder of Cancer Help Desk. Rebecca’s inspiring journey is a revealing showcase of what an unbreakable spirit and purpose-driven leadership looks like in 3-D. Rebecca shares the genesis of Cancer Help Desk- a nonprofit dedicated to patient navigation in the complex world of cancer care- and describes the...

We're thrilled to have Kassandra Castillo, Partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, joining us this month. As a highly successful corporate partner, providing counsel to life sciences and technology companies at every stage of development, Kassandra shares a unique perspective, and delivers a wealth of concrete strategies and actionable insights including: Expressing your value with co...

We're wrapping up Women's History Month with a powerful message in the Lifting While Climbing studio with Colleen Cormier, Vice President of Enterprise Sales at Commvault. Lighting the pathway for her "big, bold career in tech," Colleen attributes her sponsors and mentors as paving the way to unleash her confidence and ambition. When considering a new career opportunity she expla...