To kick off our Blast From The Past Series, Marie Wiese is joined by Rani Pendse, Partner Development Manager at Microsoft Canada. Tune in to hear this exciting episode, originally released in 2019, where Rani and Marie discuss the power of perseverance, the importance of unlearning, and the transformative power of doing good for others.
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Connect with Rani:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ranipendse/
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About the Podcast 🎙
In this episode of Women Talk Tech, hosts Marie Wiese and Maddie Yule reflect on the podcast's five-year journey and introduce their new series, Blast from the Past. They discuss the origins of the podcast, aimed at advancing women in the tech sector, and invite guest Rani Pendse, a partner developer manager at Microsoft, to share her diverse journey into tech and her insights on diversity and inclusion in the startup ecosystem.
Key Takeaways 💡
Marie Wiese started Women Talk Tech out of frustration with the slow progress in advancing women in the tech sector, aiming to find a more empowering approach.
Rani Pendse, with a diverse background from India, the Middle East, and Australia, shares her journey from biotech to the tech industry, highlighting the versatility of tech careers.
Pendse emphasizes the importance of diversity and inclusion in startups, suggesting that it leads to more innovative solutions and caters to a broader customer base.
Tech companies are encouraged to examine their recruiting practices, seek talent from unusual sources, and create a safe environment for employees to express ideas.
Diversity and inclusion extend beyond gender balance to include accessibility, allyship, and collective progress, with a focus on creating a supportive environment for women and people from different cultures.
Pendse's action item for 2020 is unlearning, aiming to challenge biases and preconceived notions about career paths to create the job she wants.
The discomfort of unknowing is discussed as an important aspect of growth, emphasizing the need to be comfortable with uncertainty.