WeTalk: Recent Episodes
Women in Technology and Business UTD
WeTalk is a podcast that sheds light on existing situations and new developments through a business/tech lens. Our main purpose is to encourage the students at UT Dallas to broaden their intellectual horizons and enhance their professional development. We will be bringing in a variety of individuals ranging from corporate professionals to students with insightful academic experiences.
Our last episode for this season of WeTalk is WITB's very own former president, Niharika (Nikki) Dasari! As a recent alumnus from UTD, she shares her journey as an ITS major, experiences being a part of and as a board member for WITB, and advice for current undergraduate students seeking opportunities.
This week's episode is all about student-led organizations! Rahul Madhugiri from E-Club and Aleena Hassan from the UX Club both come on to speak their respective org. They talk about their focus and mission, events to look forward to, and the challenges they faced during virtual semesters, and the transition back to campus life.
Welcome to the season 3 premiere of WeTalk! This week's special guests are Xylia D. Castillo from Integrated Human Capital and Lauren Stevens from State Farm, who will share their insights into the recruiting process and advice for those seeking job opportunities.
At the end of the second season of WeTalk, we bring on the brains behind the operations. The podcast team, Anusha, Aayushi, and Lily, all give their final thoughts about their time with virtual schooling, working within WITB, and updates on the transitions for resuming on-campus activity.
Amanda Nevels, co-founder and co-owner of Championship Martial Arts, shares her story on why she embarked on a new career path and the journey that it took for her to achieve the level of success her business has today. Anusha Mittal, WeTalk's co-host, is one of CMA's senior instructors who describes what it is like working there as well as why she chose to pursue a minor in entrepreneurship.
CEO of MNK InfoTech Neha Kunte talks about her experiences as a businessperson, her daily responsibilities, and how she mentors newcomers in the entrepreneurship field. Also joining us are the founders of Reallos: Akshat Sharma and Mario Flores. They discuss how their automated technology allows people to buy homes in the digital age and how they were able to start a company while being college students.
Francisca Li, one of WITB's officers, kicks off the theme of entrepreneurship with how she co-founded her impactful clothing venture, Orenda Change. She gives details about managing the business amid a pandemic, her ongoing leadership in numerous clubs, and her guidance for people curious about pursuing their own business. Lastly, WeTalk's hosts, Anusha Mittal and Aayushi Choudhary, both come on for a very special segment with a mid-semester check-in. They reflect on the podcast's guests and progress, opinions on virtual learning, and enthusiasm for returning to campus in the future semesters.
Incoming designer at Capital One and UT Dallas alumni Sumayah Abdulla speaks about her background in graphic design and how it evolved into her passion for UX. She describes her involvement in on-campus extracurriculars and how she developed the necessary skills. Vice President Aarifa Gowani from the UX Club talks about her previous academic journey, why she's studying for a second degree, and how her organization helps students get connected and engaged.
Katie Naiser, a UX Designer at Toyota, provides a different perspective on what UI/UX is and the specific aspects of her job responsibilities. She also shares resources for those interested in building their skill set for the field, as well as networking tips and advice for those who want to expand their connections. Furthermore, board member Arunima Mittra comes on to talk about her UX internship experience at State Farm, where she worked as a front-end developer.
Jasmine Kim, a UX Researcher at AT&T, discusses the type of work she currently performs in her role as well as her background and mindset when she was choosing a career path during undergraduate and graduate school. We also had two members from the UX Club, President Vidhi Mehta and Social Media Coordinator Hiba Hashmi, who explain what UI/UX means and the opportunities and events their organization offers to students.
As a recent graduate from Michigan State University, Tia Fowlkes entered the tech industry to explore her passion for customer satisfaction and fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion. She currently works at Google as a program manager, describing her new full-time role while being virtual as well as her internship experience during her undergraduate studies. From the IT Systems Leadership Council, officer Praneetha Pratapa talks about her ITS journey at UTD and advice for those on the same path.
Anshul Pardhi, a current graduate student in computer science, has a vast professional work history, including LinkedIn, Morgan Stanley, and Oracle. Not only does he describe his time and experiences as an intern at those companies, but also how he is assisting other students at UTD with their job search. Moreover, Cady Baltz, Vice President of Internal Affairs at Society of Women Engineers (SWE), shares how she was able to obtain two internships with Apple and Facebook as a sophomore.
Spardha Gupta dives into the current uses of automation and artificial intelligence and predicts how they will impact the future. She also offers pointers regarding beneficial methods to prepare undergrad students seeking positions in the IT field. Additionally, Rushi Surampudi, a director from the UT Dallas Artificial Intelligence Society (AIS), talks about how their team bridges the gap between people's awareness and the world of AI.
Founder of FAANGPath Nikita Gupta shares her journey starting with computer science in India, moving to Singapore, and fast-forwarding to now, working in Texas, as she shifted her career to become an entrepreneur. Her experiences give a very insightful look into methods for effectively utilizing LinkedIn, building on a resume, and the importance of professional business networking. Board member Bianca Chandwani also shares her experiences with internships in the IT field as well as tips and general advice for those actively seeking one.
To start off the new year, we are back with the second season of WeTalk! Our new hosts, Anusha and Aayushi, are joined by WITB's own President Shloka to discuss how the structure of the podcast is changing, what upcoming and exciting events are being planned, and overall, how they are continuing to navigate being virtual again this semester.
We're at the finish line! To officially wrap up WeTalk, our lovely podcast team decided to come together on this episode. Arunima, Anusha, and Shloka reflect on everything from the start, progression, and future direction of the podcast. Towards the end, we hear Ginger (Shloka's energetic dog) become excited in the background. Happy listening!
Sparsula Simmons, an Information Security Manager at State Farm, talks about her career progression from being an object oriented Java developer to a leader in information security. She also discusses navigating a traditionally male-dominated field and her advice to other female-identifying students who may pursue a similar path. In the second segment, Shloka and Gayatri discuss having male allies to break the glass ceiling and their thoughts on WeTalk coming to a close for the fall semester.
For the first time this season, WeTalk is proud to feature two guest speakers! In this episode, we hear from Palo Alto Networks systems engineers Johanna Soto and Luiza Klaus as they discuss remote work’s impact on cybersecurity and tips on keeping information safe. During the second segment, Manvy and Nikki share their commentary on our guests' insight from their perspective as soon to be graduating seniors.
Cheenu Chari is vice president of the Austin UXPA chapter and a content contributor for ProjectUX. He shares his process behind user experience research, how his university activities translated into his current career, and his role as a conversational AI strategist. In the second segment, Arunima and Francisca talk about their prior exposure to UX research and its value to organizations.
During this episode, we hear from Debbie Saviano, founder of Women's Leadership LIVE and well known social media design strategist. Debbie elaborates on her journey from the education field to entrepreneurship, the development of Women's Leadership LIVE, and the purpose behind her work. In the second segment, Gayatri and Akshita talk about how their experience as women leaders has impacted their personal growth.
While WeTalk's past guests have slightly touched on the remote work they are currently doing, we thought exploring the topic more in-depth should be our next focus. In general, us university students running this podcast have heard a lot about working remotely from the student perspective. In this episode, Swapna Mohan, Director of Product Management at Capital One, shares her insight from the professional view. During the second segment, WITB board members Anusha and Bianca discuss midterms and the online internship application process.
Dr. Britt Berrett is the Director of the Undergraduate Healthcare Management Program and the Director of the Center for Healthcare Leadership and Management at UT Dallas. In this episode, he shares his perspective on the healthcare industry's reaction to COVID-19 both nationwide and within the state of Texas. He also talks about how the industry is adapting and will continue to evolve from a business and technology lense. In the second segment, we hear from WITB board members Poh Yee and Doris as they offer their commentary.
Ram Ramdattan, specialist leader in cloud engineering at Deloitte Consulting, discusses his career journey in consulting and how his work life has evolved in light of COVID-19. He also provides advice to young people interested in the IT consulting industry, such as skills and knowledge they should be aware of. On the second segment, Nikki and Manvy focus on the concept of networking within your close circles.
DISCLAIMER: All discussion by Ram Ramdattan represents his views entirely and not that of Deloitte Consulting.
Neel Gonuguntla, President of the US-India Chamber of Commerce, discusses the operational challenges and newfound opportunities her organization has encountered during COVID-19. She also talks about her leadership style and maintaining resilience in the face of crisis. On the second segment, Gayatri similarly reflects on how she has been leading WITB in the midst of the pandemic and Shloka offers insight on her commentary.
Loriza Ibarra, founder and creative director of reFIND shopping, talks about the motivations behind starting her retail brand and how she has been developing it. She also shares valuable insight into how she has been managing her business in light of the pandemic and advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. In the second segment, Francisca and Bianca discuss preparing for internship season and upcoming events hosted by WITB to help you succeed.
Dr. Angel Durr, founder and CEO of DataReady DFW, talks about making the tech playing field more equitable and the work her organization is doing to expand data literacy in underserved communities. She revisits her past to discuss how she became an entrepreneur and navigated being a woman of color in STEM. In addition, she highlights the importance of interpreting data as we progress to a more data-driven society.
This week, we're joined by Venus Bhasin, a UTD alumni and entrepreneur, as she discusses her career in Information Technology, the importance of teaching kids to code, and why she started WIZE Computing Academy. In the second segment, Anusha and Akshita discuss their experience with remote learning and tips for students to thrive in the new virtual environment.
Eric Aaberg, founder of Comet Life and Student Director of Esports at UT Dallas, shares how virtual university affects the marketing of campus organizations to new and existing students as well as tips for personal branding.
Welcome, welcome! Join our President Gayatri and our host Shloka as they talk about the goal with WeTalk, their productive summers, birthdays and baking!