Atalanta Diaries Breakthrough Women in Conversation with Enma Popli Enma Popli

Claudia is a lecturer and Deputy Programme Lead at the University of York in London, where she contributes her expertise to the MSc in International Humanitarian Affairs (MIHA). Her research endeavors focus on critically examining learning approaches that empower girls and women from marginalized and rural backgrounds across South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. She engages with ancient wisdom from the Global South, seeking innovative solutions to contemporary challenges, particularly in the realm of climate change.

Central to Claudia's work is the exploration of non-mainstream pedagogical approaches within contexts marked by disasters, conflict, and uneven development. Her efforts extend beyond academia, as she has actively engaged with grassroots initiatives, primarily in Uganda and Colombia, since 2016.

Claudia holds a PhD from the University of York, where her research focused on the role of education (formal, informal, and non-formal) in empowering women from the Global South. She has also completed an MSc in International Humanitarian Affairs and an LLB (Hons) Law Degree. Claudia's multifaceted background underscores her commitment to fostering inclusive and sustainable development, informed by both academic rigor and practical engagement.

 

Key themes emerging out of our conversation:


Challenging the status quo.
Impact of domestic violence.
Education isn't always granted.
Empowerment is an internal quality.
Education can lead to arrogance about knowing more.
Colombia's class disparities and the Medellin Cartel's influence.
Human flourishing and creativity are essential components of education.
African philosophy of Ubuntu and South American philosophy of Ainí.
Adapting personal experiences to shape one's narrative and perspective.
Equal humanitarian platform rather than a missionary approach to charity.
We often focus on differences rather than connecting through shared experiences.
Need for collaborative education, where learners co-create their learning experiences.
The importance of education in emergencies is sometimes prioritized over food and shelter.
PhD fosters critical thinking, personal development, and intellectual growth beyond academia.
Displacement encompasses physical relocation and a loss of cultural connection and belonging.



Connect with Enma Popli on Linkedin: 

>> https://www.linkedin.com/in/enmapopli/

Visit Enma Popli's website

>> http://www.enmapopli.com/

Shaheen was born in Mumbai, grew up in five countries around the world and at the age of eighteen, returned to Mumbai to do something about the unequal opportunities that children have in India. Shaheen founded the first Akanksha (“aspiration” in Sanskrit) centre in 1989 with 15 children. The Akanksha Foundation today runs 26 Akanksha Schools across Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur impacting over 14,000 students and 4,000 student alumni.

In 2008, searching for a way to impact more children and inspired by the Teach For America model, Shaheen founded Teach For India with the audacious vision of providing an excellent education to all children across India by building a movement of leaders. Today, Teach For India impacts 34,000 children through the direct work of over 1000 Fellows. Additionally, the Teach For India Alumni community is 4200+ members strong, impacting 1 million children directly and reaching 50 million children indirectly.

Shaheen is an advocate for student voice and partnership, and has created high-impact initiatives like the Maya Musical, the Kids Education Revolution, and The Greatest Show on Earth which explore student leadership. 

Driven by the need to reach the last child in India, Shaheen started TFIx, which is an incubator for passionate education entrepreneurs who are willing to adapt Teach For India’s model to their context and region in rural areas.

She is the author of the book, Redrawing India and the Miss Muglee children’s books. 

Shaheen serves on the boards of The Akanksha Foundation and the Advisory Board of Museum of Solutions. She has been an Ashoka Fellow, a Global Leader for Tomorrow at the World Economic Forum, and an Asia Society 21 Leader. Among many accolades, she has been a recipient of the Jamnalal Bajaj Award for Development and Welfare of Women and Children in 2019 and the Beyond Business - ET Prime Women Leadership Award for 2020, Niti Aayaog’s Women Transforming India Award. 

Key themes emerging  out of our conversation:


Defining Education.
How Letting go was a Gift.
Love being Central to every Action.
Upholding Values and Pursuing Excellence.
Understanding that as Humans we are all Flawed.
Caring for people, not only as Professionals, but as People.
It's the little things that matter, getting Inspired by tiny steps.
Understanding the needs of the Beneficiaries and Growing from there.
Everybody wants to do Good, often people just don't have that Platform.
Building culture, Hiring  the people who share those core values and beliefs.



Connect with Enma Popli on Linkedin: 

>> https://www.linkedin.com/in/enmapopli/

Visit Enma Popli’s website>> http://www.enmapopli.com/

Katherine has over 30 years of diverse leadership experience across the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors and a strong track record of developing leaders and connecting them across sectors to achieve collective impact.

Katherine is a graduate of Leadership Victoria's flagship Williamson Community Leadership Program, which she celebrates as a pivotal point in her life.

Katherine comes to Leadership Victoria from Youth Affairs Council Victoria (YACVic), where, as CEO, she forged a stronger youth sector and led innovative growth against the challenging backdrop of the pandemic and climate disasters. She previously worked in London as Director of Youth Affairs at the Commonwealth of Nations, where she focused on youth empowerment and leadership policy and programs across 53 countries. 

Earlier, Katherine spent over a decade in the private sector, working both in Australia and internationally in a variety of analysis, strategy, and corporate social responsibility roles.

Katherine holds a Master in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School, a Master in e-Business, a Bachelor of Commerce, and a Diploma of Youth Work.



Key themes emerging out of our conversation:


Putting your hand up.
Being an adaptive leader.
Fair compensation in the social sector.
It's good to know what you're not good at. 
Vulnerability is both an art and a science.
Sharing your ambitions and hopes with others.
Tough experiences build resilience and gratitude 
Intangible rewards of working in the social sector.
Recognizing when you are plateauing and losing your freshness.
Leaders tend to support people who remind them of themselves. 
Recognizing one's strength and understanding others' expectations.
People who bully often have underlying deficits they're grappling with.
Transferring skills from the private sector while preserving its essence.
Recognizing the tendency for leaders to favor individuals who resemble them.
Finding like-minded individuals provides a sense of permission to be authentic.
Strong moral compass instilled by parents, values of social justice and integrity.
Engaging with young people creates a safe environment to appreciate their uniqueness.



Connect with Enma Popli on Linkedin: 

>> https://www.linkedin.com/in/enmapopli/

Visit Enma Popli's website>> http://www.enmapopli.com/

Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger are James Beard and Julia Child award-winning chefs, cookbook authors, media personalities, and entrepreneurs.Trailblazers from the get-go, the culinary grads (Susan from Culinary Institute of America in New York and Mary Sue from Washburne Culinary Institute in Chicago) met in 1978 at Le Perroquet, one of Chicago's best French restaurants as the first women to break into the all-male kitchen. In 1981, they teamed up to open City Café and changed the culinary landscape of Los Angeles forever by introducing eclectic dishes from around the world. With a partnership of over four decades, they are best known for SOCALO, Alice B., BBQ Mexicana, Pacha Mamas, and Border Grill restaurants, catering, and food trucks in Los Angeles and Las Vegas.  

Together, Feniger and Milliken brought their innovative approaches to The Food Network with nearly 400 episodes of the Too Hot Tamales and Tamales World Tour series. They were invited to cook with Julia Child, in her PBS series Cooking with Master Chefs, successfully competed on Bravo's Top Chef Masters, and featured in an episode of the Netflix series The Chef Show.

Community, connection, and giving back have always been at the core of the chefs' values, and that passion is felt throughout the company. Susan is a founding member of the Scleroderma Research Foundation Board of Directors, sits on the L.A. Tourism & Convention Board, co-chairs the board of the Los Angeles LGBT Center, and provides visionary leadership for the Center's Culinary Arts Program, a three-month training program launched in 2019 to prepare LGBTQ youth and seniors from the Center for meaningful employment in the restaurant and hospitality industries. Mary Sue also serves on the Board of Trustees for the James Beard Foundation, the U.S. State Department's American Chef Corps, and is a founding member of Regarding Her, a national non-profit on a mission to advance women-identifying and nonbinary food and beverage entrepreneurs and leaders by way of innovative programs that UpliftHER Business, SupportHER Community, and AdvocateHER Industry.



Key themes emerging out of our conversation:


Yin and Yang in partnership.
The stronger everybody is, the better.
Asking for help is a sign of strength.
Support for one another's passions.
Loyalty and Trust are pillars of the partnership.
Navigating Rifts, sometimes compromising.
Finding strength in uncomfortable moments.
Allowing opportunities to shape the trajectory.
Partnerships: Long-term relationships of any kind are tricky.
Making decisions together and sharing equal responsibility.
Drawing inspiration from Ayn Rand and other powerful women.
Building a Strong Culture across stakeholders, honoring family recipes.
Supporting the community and giving back brings rewards beyond measure.



Connect with Enma Popli on Linkedin: 

>> https://www.linkedin.com/in/enmapopli/

Visit Enma Popli's website

>> http://www.enmapopli.com/

Lulu Raghavan serves as the Vice President for APAC and Managing Director for India at Landor. With over 23 years of experience at Landor, spanning offices in San Francisco, New York, London, and Mumbai, Lulu has held various roles within the company. Under her leadership, Landor India received prestigious accolades, such as the Campaign South Asia Brand Design Agency of the Year 2023 and the Great Place to Work Award 2023.

Her notable awards and achievements include Campaign India Mentor of the Year 2023, Campaign India Woman Shaping Change 2023, IMPACT Top 50 Women in Media, Marketing, and Advertising (2023, 2019, 2015), and serving as a Cannes Lions Design Jury member in 2018. She has also co-authored five business school case studies on branding, which enjoy global circulation, and conceptualized and hosted "Beyond Logo," a TV show for Bloomberg that highlighted the transformative impact of branding on businesses.

As a staunch advocate for women in leadership, Lulu played a pivotal role in establishing WPP Stella in India in 2018 and now guides its scaling up as a member of the Super Council. She frequently teaches branding at various business schools and curated a two-week course on personal branding for second-year MBA students at BITSoM in Mumbai last year. Lulu is also a Trustee for Dignity Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to the well-being of senior citizens in India.

She holds a BA in Economics and Applied Math from Davidson College in the US and an MBA in International Business and Marketing from SP Jain Institute of Management and Research in India. Fluent in five languages, including English, Hindi, Tamil, French, and Spanish, Lulu's diverse background and expertise contribute significantly to her success in the industry.

Key themes emerging out of our conversation:


Discipline and daily rhythm.
The value of Personal Branding.
Importance of formal education.
Balancing left and right brain skills.
Creating a cohesive team environment.
Fostering a positive and high-performance culture.
Fostering deeper connections with linguistic proficiency.
Choosing an industry that isn't a rat race, finding the right fit.
Influence of mentors, the importance of having a support system.
Stepping back and allowing others to take leadership roles, not dominating the room.
Being passionate about the company and the work is a key driver of motivation and success.



Connect with Enma Popli on Linkedin: 

>> https://www.linkedin.com/in/enmapopli/

Visit Enma Popli's website>> http://www.enmapopli.com/

As the Chief Information Officer of GE Aerospace's GE Additive, Dowty, and Unison Industries, Dawn Paquette leads the digital team and oversees technology systems worldwide. She manages three P&Ls, focusing on strategy and solutions for manufacturing 3D additive printers and powders, propeller systems for turboprop aircraft, and gas turbine engine components.

With over 20 years of leadership experience in healthcare, aerospace, and technology, Dawn previously served as a senior leader at Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, where she led business operations and technology with oversight across fourteen states and global offshoring.

Dawn is also the executive sponsor for the Additive and Digital Technologies women's employee resource groups and champions ArtsWave and March of Dimes campaigns for GE Aerospace in Cincinnati, Ohio.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems from Miami University and a Master's degree in Strategic and Organizational Leadership.



Key themes emerging out of our conversation:


Facing rejection, persevering.
Impact of leadership decisions.
Diversifying the circle of mentors.
Pivoting to a completely new industry.
The profound commitment to achieving success.
Mean Girls Syndrome, bullying and manipulation.
How early childhood can play a role in finding purpose.
Shopping carts are a stark indicator of financial disparities.
Switching majors and assessing goals from accounting to MIS.
Treating individuals with respect and acknowledging their worth.
Value and potential are not limited by external factors and can be reaffirmed by faith and resilience.



Connect with Enma Popli on Linkedin: 

>> https://www.linkedin.com/in/enmapopli/

Visit Enma Popli's website>> http://www.enmapopli.com/