The STEMINISTS Podcast

Many transformation initiatives fall short not because the strategy is wrong, but because change never becomes part of how people work every day.   In this episode of The STEMINISTS Podcast, host Phoebe Goh sits down with Jenny Marshall, VP of Global Cloud Acceleration at NetApp, for a candid and practical conversation about what it really takes to make transformation stick.  With AI accelerating...

In this episode of The STEMINISTS Podcast, host Phoebe Goh sits down with Temitayo Sam-Andenekan, Senior Solutions Architect at NetApp, to unpack how virtualization has evolved from a focus on virtual machines to a broader, platform-driven approach. Together, they explore the growing intersection of Kubernetes, automation, and application modernization and why this shift is as much about business...

As developers, citizen coders, and business brains all collide in today’s turbocharged builder ecosystem, the race is on: can your enterprise deliver infrastructure at the speed of innovation without letting governance slip through the cracks?  STEMINISTS hosts Phoebe Goh and Mekka Williams team up with NetApp’s Nitya Gupta to dissect the infrastructure revolution powering the AI age.  Nitya break...

Summer is here, and STEMINISTS is easing into a bi-weekly groove because even sharp minds know when to trade a sprint for a smart summer stride.  You’ll still get the data centric conversations, fresh perspective, and thoughtful updates, now dropping every other week through the end of August. Same smart energy. Just a slightly more sun-friendly schedule.  Follow along so you’re right on time for...

Think legal slows you down? It’s time to find out how your lawyer can be a secret weapon for harnessing the power of AI and navigating regulation.   In this episode, hosts Phoebe Goh and Mekka Williams team up with Shannon Salerno, Senior Product Counsel at NetApp, to reveal how legal minds help tech innovation sprint ahead.  Shannon shares the secrets of treating the EU AI Act and GDPR as a playb...

Checking boxes won’t save you in a real cyber fight.   In this STEMINISTS episode, Phoebe Goh and Mekka Williams join Lindsay Totten, NetApp’s Technical Program Manager and ex-U.S. Air Force pilot, to expose the truth: compliance is just the start. If you want to withstand real attacks, you need more than a checklist.  Lindsay leverages cockpit grit to expose what most orgs miss, resilience forms...

Enterprise software is no longer just built for people; it’s being engineered for digital brains that never sleep.  On this episode of The STEMINISTS Podcast, Phoebe Goh and Mekka Williams invite Christina Storm, Chief Design Officer at NetApp, to spill the secrets of UX design in an AI-powered world. Get ready for a peak into designing slick experiences not just for humans, but also for their sil...

What happens when your customers arrive with their AI sidekicks? It’s not just about pleasing humans, now you must impress their digital plus-ones, too.  On this episode, Phoebe Goh and Mekka Williams dive straight into the future of customer success: AI-powered, customer-focused, and set to disrupt. They welcome Amy Welsh, Chief of Staff for Worldwide Customer Support at NetApp, who shares practi...

What happens when AI’s insatiable hunger for data slams into a global hardware drought?  This week, Phoebe Goh and Mekka Williams go straight to the source with Michelle Blint, the powerhouse behind US State and Local Education sales at NetApp. Michelle takes us into the chaos of the global memory shortage and spells out exactly how AI’s turbo-charged demands are blitzing supply chains from every...

What happens when nations want complete control over their artificial intelligence? With regions like the UAE committing billions to build AI gigafactories, the push for localized, independent technology is transforming the global landscape.  Welcome back to The STEMINISTS podcast! In this episode, hosts Phoebe Goh and Mekka Williams sit down with Avril Cody, Senior Manager for Solutions Engineeri...

Open source and AI are moving fast, so how can we scale these technologies without breaking things?  In this episode of The STEMINISTS Podcast, Phoebe Goh and Mekka Williams sit down with Amanda Katona, Director of Developer and Open Source Engagement at NetApp and a 2026 OpenSearch Ambassador. Together, they explore the massive shift happening right now at the intersection of AI and open source,...

April kicks off our month-long celebration of Earth Day (4/22), and we’re starting with a powerful question: What happens when AI meets sustainability? In this episode of The STEMINISTS, Phoebe Goh and Mekka Williams catch up with Nicola Acutt, NetApp’s Chief Sustainability Officer and get straight to the point! If your data strategy isn’t sustainable, it’s not smart or future-proof. In this conve...

Break out the confetti! The STEMINISTS Podcast has just hit one year, and we’re nowhere near slowing down. For twelve months, we’ve been unapologetically shaking up tech with bold, data-centric takes that refuse to play it safe. And what’s a better way to celebrate than with our hosts Phoebe Goh and Mekka Williams, as they catch us up on the transformation of "builders" in the wild new era of agen...

Dive deep into the engine room of innovation: AI. The incredible Kathy Barboza, Head of Storage Sales at Google Cloud, joins Phoebe and Mekka again for a “must-listen” convo part two.   Kathy breaks down why data is the undisputed backbone of any AI workload and how a unified, enterprise-grade storage approach is critical for success. Discover how top companies are navigating their AI journey by m...

In 2026, the hybrid cloud is the high-voltage backbone of every bold business move, demanding strong strategic partnerships to deliver the speed and reliability modern enterprises need. If you think you can run a company without this resilient tech ecosystem, you might as well try juggling flaming servers blindfolded. Enter hosts Phoebe Goh and Mekka Williams, who are ready to crack open the hybri...

Being a CISO these days feels straight out of Mission Impossible – stopping the Bad Actors - except there’s no self-destructing instructions, no fancy gadgets, and the dangers don’t wait for the dramatic music. While the stakes are sky-high, the task of keeping your organization secure can sometimes seem unimaginable. As AI rewrites the rules of business, security leaders are caught between shrink...

Roses are red, partnerships are great, but TRUE tech alliances will seal your fate. Even though Valentine's Day has passed, who can’t use some relationship advice?   Welcome to The STEMINISTS Podcast, where hosts Phoebe Goh and Mekka Williams prove it's not just romance that calls for commitment. A thriving alliance can shape the future of your enterprise tech. In this episode, sit in on their sha...

In the high-stakes world of cloud technology, the real villain isn’t just runaway budgets or complex software—it’s access management lurking in the shadows. A 2024 report says a staggering 65% of organizations admit that managing access is their top multi-cloud identity management challenge.  In this episode of The STEMINISTS, we plunge straight into the heart of the struggle with Cathi Allen, Sen...

Drowning in data and dazzled by digital smoke and mirrors? Today’s episode of The STEMINISTS podcast cuts through the noise and amplifies the power of Influence in business. Hosts Phoebe Goh and Mekka Williams catch up with Ricarda Rodatus, NetApp’s VP of Influence and Insights, who tells us it’s not about shouting the loudest; True influence is about filtering out the hype, highlighting what’s re...

In this special Super Bowl edition of The STEMINISTS, discover how a football game is more than just a game—it's a data powerhouse. Hosts Phoebe Goh and Mekka Williams are joined by Michelle Rosar, Director of Partnership Marketing for the San Francisco 49ers, to go behind the scenes at Levi's® Stadium.  Still think the magic stops at the end zone? Guess again. The wildest plays are running behind...

What really separates AI hype from AI results? Here’s the million-dollar question at the heart of this episode: What makes a successful AI ecosystem? If you think it’s just about the latest tech, think again. Hosts Phoebe Goh and Mekka Williams team up with Jessica Yeck, SVP of AI Data and Apps at TD Synnex, to decode what it takes to build a thriving, sustainable AI landscape.  Tune in as Jessica...

Think your cloud budget is “bullet proof?” Spoiler alert: It’s not! If your so-called “optimized” spend still leads to a mild panic every month (what nobody tells you about your cloud budget!), you’re part of the 94% club. Relax—you’re in good (and smart) company.  On this lively episode of The STEMINISTS, Phoebe Goh and Mekka Williams bring a special guest to the mic for a candid conversation abo...

How does a business bounce back after a crippling ransomware attack?  In Part 2 of this gripping conversation, discover how the Port of Seattle faced the ultimate challenge: Rebuilding its entire infrastructure from the ground up. Katherine Schwarzauer, Senior Windows Server Engineer, joins hosts Phoebe Goh and Mekka Williams to share the inside story of a recovery mission that rewrote the rules. ...

Imagine getting that call you’ve ALWAYS DREADED – Your company is under attack. Ransomware has locked down your systems and cybercriminals are demanding a ransom.  In those first frantic moments, what do you do? All those conversations about resilience and data recovery are suddenly real.  To kick off 2026, The STEMINISTS brings you an unfiltered, firsthand account of a ransomware attack from Kath...

This week on The STEMINISTS Podcast, there’s no formal episode as Phoebe and Mekka take a holiday break. Instead, they’re here to wish everyone a joyful holiday season and share a sneak peek of their 2026 kickoff episode on surviving a ransomware attack. Happy holidays and see you in the new year!