Episodes

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Joané Booth, who is passionate about engaging with communities of color in her work at the Michigan League of Conservation Voters. She entered the government arena not knowing a lot about government. Quickly she understood the impact of policy and she caught the bug. Having now worked at both state and federal levels and on political campaigns, Joané is passionate and driven to make a difference. As a Partnerships Manager, Joané assists with buildi...

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Kristen Valdes who shares lessons she has learned in building her company b.well Connected Health. Kristen Valdes, the founder and CEO of b.well Connected Health (www.icanbwell.com), has dedicated her career to empowering consumers with the data and tools to take control of their health care journey. An award-winning leader and acknowledged visionary, Valdes has pioneered inventive solutions that are pushing the industry forward into the consumer-d...

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Dr. Ying Sun. Dr. Sun is a first-gen, Asian American postdoctoral scholar. She believes people need to see the whole individual to be a good ally. First gens that come from low-income families – they are stressed out about finances; they are intimately tied to their families and communities. Understanding the individual is just as important as putting the systems in place to support each other. Passionate about leadership, fundraising, communicatio...

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Carrie Valiant. Carrie has always been focused on outside interests during her long tenure practicing law. She thinks the best career advice is to stay true to yourself and follow your own star. But she also asks us all to do what we can to promote others, other women, other people of color. We can all make a difference. CARRIE VALIANT is a Member of the Firm in the Health Care and Life Sciences practice in the Washington, DC office and co-chairs t...

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Valerie Sullivan who is a big believer in practice, practice, practice. She also believes you have more power than you think and tells us to not give it away! Valerie Sullivan, PRESIDENT AND CEO Valerie Sullivan brings significant experience in the pharma, digital health and pharma services industries to her role as President and CEO of etectRx. Innovative and forward thinking, Ms. Sullivan is passionate about creating meaningful, cost-effective s...

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Nancy Ham who has been leading and growing companies for years. If you are hesitating in your career, Nancy has some advice for you – Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and get in the game! Nancy Ham is the CEO of WebPT, the country’s leading rehab therapy software platform for enhancing patient care and fueling business growth. Nancy joined WebPT in 2016, bringing with her a wealth of experience in successfully establishing, developing, growing, ...

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Diane Adams. Diane’s life work has been focused on culture. And by embracing the hard, she also believes you can make the world better for everyone. Culture and talent expert Diane K. Adams has devoted her career to building and studying the role of culture in a company’s success. Whether she’s at the helm of a Fortune 500 Human Resource organization or independently coaching and consulting chief executives of smaller organizations, and nonprofits,...

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Dr. Nicole Neal, who pursued additional degrees while still focusing on her career, community and family. She also aims to help other women with her new non-profit H.E.R. – Heal, Empower, Reclaim. Nicole F. Neal, PhD, MA Nicole is the director of data management & operations at the American Medical Association (AMA). She leads the team responsible for procuring, adding value to, and ensuring the accuracy of the professional credentialing data for ...

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Rebecca Marks, a Senior Finance Manager at Grainger headquartered in Chicago. Becca has been at Grainger for nearly ten years in a variety of positions in Finance, currently, as a Senior Finance Manager supporting Sales Operations. Her team’s responsibilities are to provide strategic financial decision support, insights, and key deliverables relating to pricing strategy, sales coverage, sales compensation, seller effectiveness, sourcing, and contra...

Do not be distracted. Maritza Diaz wants her kids to be proud of Mommy. She is busy creating jobs and doesn’t have time for doubters. Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Maritza Diaz. Maritza Diaz, Chief Executive Officer of ITJuana Maritza Diaz is a talented and seasoned technology executive with over 25 years of experience in IT and Software Engineering. She brings a wealth of expertise with particular strengths in areas such as engineering excellence, digital transformation, agile/...

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Dr. Suzet McKinney, who shares her best advice for how to handle and break through roadblocks. Dr. Suzet McKinney, a nationally recognized public health expert, serves as Principal and Director of Life Sciences. In her role, Dr. McKinney leads the strategy to expand Sterling Bay’s footprint in life sciences nationwide, pursue grant programs for laboratory incubation and graduation space and advance the work of various Sterling Bay life sciences ini...

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Susan Gross Sholinsky, an expert on those workforce issues that still exist and really matter. Susan Gross Sholinsky gives employers the tools they need to make smart decisions about their workforce challenges. She is a sharp, versatile partner to executives, human resources, and in-house legal teams who seek her out for her straight-forward advice and access to boots-on-the-ground resources, regardless of location. Susan also helps employers ensur...

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Nancy Gunzenhauser Popper, attorney and new mother who talks about the importance of her network and a supportive work environment. NANCY GUNZENHAUSER POPPER is a Member of the Firm in the Employment, Labor & Workforce Management practice, in the New York office of Epstein Becker Green. Ms. Popper: Counsels clients on compliance with EEO laws, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, worker classification issues, and...

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Gavriella Schuster, a veteran executive with ideas and a plan to solve gender equity. Gavriella describes her BeCOME framework and urges all of us to take action now. Gavriella Schuster, Corporate Vice President, One Commercial Partner As a C-level Microsoft executive and thought leader, Gavriella leads a global portfolio of channel partners that has influenced over $1 trillion in ecosystem revenues. She brings over 20 years of leadership in digita...

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Amy Christensen, one of private equity’s Most Influential Women of Today and Tomorrow. Amy Christensen is a Partner and founding member of The Vistria Group, a Chicago-based, middle-market private equity firm that invests in healthcare, education, and financial services companies. She is responsible for the sourcing, due diligence, execution and portfolio management of Vistria’s healthcare investments. Ms. Christensen is also a board member of Beha...

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Katie Melbourne, systems engineer and astrophysicist, ultra-marathoner, and PhD to be. Katie Melbourne is a Systems Engineer at Ball Aerospace working on the James Webb Space Telescope commissioning team. Developing an interest in science and space at a young age, Katie graduated from Yale University with a Bachelor of Science in Astrophysics in 2019. Her undergraduate thesis and main astronomy research focus was on M dwarf stars – small, dim stars...

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Sumi Pitroda, an attorney with the AMA with a clear vision that supporting women is key to growing her own career while building her network for success. Sumi Pitroda, JD “Convene, understand, amplify, elevate.” Professional Bio: Sumi Pitroda is Senior Assistant General Counsel at the American Medical Association. She practices within the area of corporate transactions, specializing in data privacy matters. Sumi completed her B.S. degree at the Uni...

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Dr. CV Harquail, author of Feminism: A Key Idea in Business and a lifelong advocate for feminism. CV Harquail, PhD, Author, Feminism: A Key Idea in Business, Co-Founder, Feminists At Work CV Harquail, PhD, is an author, management scholar, consultant, writer, and tool maker. Her new book, Feminism: A Key Idea in Business and Society (Routledge, 2020), is the first to analyze business from a feminist perspective and to propose a feminist business pr...

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Dr. YiDing Yu, practicing physician, executive, serial entrepreneur, YiDing Yu, MD, Chief Medical Officer Dr. YiDing Yu, MD, is a practicing physician and serial entrepreneur passionate about transforming the way we imagine and deliver healthcare. Named woman entrepreneur of the year in 2018 by the Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards, YiDing is a skilled business operator and passionate public speaker who has launched and scaled innovations across t...

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Donna Thompson, RN, MS, CEO of Access Community Health Network, one of the largest FQHC networks in the country serving 180,000 patients across its 35 health centers in Chicago. Donna Thompson, R.N., M.S., Chief Executive Officer For more than 30 years, Donna Thompson has been on the front lines of patient care delivery. When Donna first joined Access Community Health Network (ACCESS) as Chief Operating Officer in 1995, she was very familiar with ...

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Caitlin Fleming, Chief of Staff at Transcarent. Caitlin Fleming is Chief of Staff at Transcarent where she leads strategic initiatives and advises on growth and operations. Prior to joining Transcarent, she built and managed value-based health and social services at Haven, Optum, Social Finance, and the White House. While at Haven, she developed and launched innovative care models that spanned navigation, primary care, behavioral health, and speci...

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Dr. Barbara Levy, a lifelong advocate for women’s health. Barbara Levy, M.D., FACOG, FACS, is a lifelong advocate for advancing the quality of women’s health. Dr. Levy has co-founded Prenome and is president of UroShape, LLC, medical device companies that focus on women’s health issues and alleviating pelvic pain. She was elected as the first female president of AAGL in 1994-1995. Dr. Levy was in private practice in comprehensive holistic women’s h...

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Kelsey Prestesater who discusses how she forces herself to pursue new opportunities even when that means facing the uncomfortable. Kelsey Prestesater is a Senior Consultant at Ernst & Young where she provides strategic guidance to organizations seeking to modernize their finance operations, with a focus on automation and costing. Kelsey has an MBA with concentrations in Business Analytics and Consulting from the University of Notre Dame, where she ...

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Ning Mosberger-Tang, an activist and community organizer. Ning has a background in computer science and has worked for a number of years in the tech industry, including a few years as a technical lead in Google during its early years. Since 2006, she has focused on conservation and environmental education, climate change mitigation, community organizing, and policy advocacy. She does her work through a private foundation, a social welfare non-profi...