Sheventures

From a cooking blog to the future of the gig economy and a contingent workforce, what Nikita Gupta has accomplished in 23 years is remarkable. She first realized her love for computer science when her dad fostered her entrepreneurial spirit by helping her set up her own cooking site. Now, with a bachelor’s in computer science from Cornell University, and a coveted internship at Apple under her belt, Gupta co-founded, and is currently CTO of, Symba — an online platform for virtual internships. A strong advocate for #GirlsInSTEM, listen to her story on this episode of SheVentures.

Data and analytics matter for a company to succeed, and Andrea Amaraggi is a ninja with data analytics. Her career pivots are based on where she has used them, from financial auditor to technical trainer, business consultant, kosher caterer, analytics consultant, and cannabis consultant. Amaraggi has done it all and has the wisdom to prove it. Now, with her consulting firm Cohere Insights, Amaraggi uses her 20 years’ experience to help businesses get data and analytics right whether they’re start-ups or Fortune 500 companies. On this episode of SheVentures, get free consulting advice that will change the way you look at your own company.

After being diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome — a hormonal condition rendering her prediabetic and making it difficult to conceive, Charlene DiPaola hit a wall. Dissatisfied with her career in digital marketing, DiPaola knew she needed to pivot — both in her career and lifestyle.  The answer for DiPaola laid in the joy of dance, so she created Hip Shake Fitness: an online, on-demand dance studio with workouts tailored to your taste and fitness level. Whether your thang is Tone N Twerk, KPop Dance Party, or Burlesque Burn — you will find hundreds of dance routines. Find out how she morphed from marketer to dancer extraordinaire, inspiring women to take charge of their health through customized dance fitness.   Sign up now for a 60-day free trial using code: sheventures.

How do you handle the demands of the real world while also coping with the tiny human you just birthed? From executive editor at Glamour magazine to author of The Fifth Trimester — all about the birth of the working mom — and mentor for working mothers everywhere, Lauren Brody has learned her worth, and can help you find yours. On this episode of SheVentures, learn how U.S. maternity leave sucks, how you as a new mom can navigate the working world, and how as a business owner you can make it easier for your postpartum employees.

After spending years as a financial advisor for Merrill, Shannon McLay grew tired of working solely with the wealthy — the majority of whom didn’t need her help in the first place. Realizing that 78 percent of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, McLay found her true calling: helping the everyday person get financially fit. And so the Financial Gym was born. McLay sought to provide a service that didn’t prioritize selling products over people. Money is emotional, and the brick-and-mortar Financial Gym provides a welcome change of scenery for one of the most taboo subjects of all: personal finance. You’ll get all that and more on this episode of SheVentures.

Imagine leaving your dogs in the care of someone you trust, only to return to find her feigning death just to avoid paying you back your $150. No, really. This actually happened. Shocked at the level to which this dog sitter went to evade her, Jenny Thompson was left to ponder how she could’ve been more careful. Leaving a 20-year career in the health supplement industry behind, Thompson ventured out into the world of detailed background checks. Find out more about her product, SafetyPIN, and how it can help you, on this episode of SheVentures.

Unhappy with her senior management positions at ABC and The Oprah Network, Danielle Vincent had a “fuck it” moment that couldn’t have come sooner. Leaving the big bucks and job security behind, Vincent went out on a limb and opened her own handmade soap company, Outlaw Soaps.   Imagine a lone cowboy or cowgirl wandering into a new town with a fistful of dollars and the accompanying swagger to boot. That’s what Vincent is selling — and to date, she has 20,000 customers to show for it.

Tired of going on crappy dates, deleting one dating app after the next in the quest to find ”the one”? Lily Womble, former matchmaker turned dating coach has been there. Despite being a top matchmaker at a large firm in the U.S., Womble was disappointed with her clients’ level of success — and grappling with her own toxic romance. By speaking to hundreds of women and getting personal, Womble discovered techniques and tools that led her to create Date Brazen — a date-coaching community. On this episode of SheVentures, find out what the heck a dating coach does and how she can help.

Frustrated with her 13-year career in corporate marketing, Irene Fehr longed for something more fulfilling. When she left her sexless marriage feeling there was something wrong with her, Fehr found herself on a journey of self-discovery. Since then, she has worked as a sex and intimacy coach, helping hundreds of couples get their sexual mojo back by working on their intimacy issues. On this episode of SheVentures, listen as Fehr discusses the plethora of ways women are affected by all the incorrect sexual information out there.

If you look up “pivot” in the dictionary, Marisa Ricciardi’s picture should be front and center. From an intern at a white-shoe financial services firm to a business development and marketing executive, Ricciardi climbed the ladder one hard-earned step at a time. Now, as founder and CEO of the Ricciardi Group in New York, she discusses company acquisitions, being competitive with yourself, and the ways in which the marketing world has changed in the post-digital era.

Do you want to be a bad bitch with a power pitch? That’s what Precious L. Williams is selling — helping women (and only women!) have the confidence to pitch and build their businesses. Williams pivots include: from attorney to founder and CEO of Curvy Girlz Lingerie to a killer pitch master and professional speaker with 13 pitch competition wins under her belt — including an enviable appearance on Shark Tank. Despite her battles with alcoholism, mental disorders, and homelessness, Williams embraces her past trauma to fuel her current success. Listen as she gets real about stigmatization and self-confidence, and as she provides, well, killer tips for public speaking, all on this episode of SheVentures.

Laura Rebell Gross’s parents instilled female empowerment in her from a young age. Now she is shaping the lives of countless underserved, low-income young women as the Managing Director of Girls’ Education at Student Leadership Network, overseeing five all-girls public schools (The Young Women’s Leadership Schools) in NYC and 15 affiliate schools nationally.  Listen as she talks about female-focused events, Oprah Winfrey and Michelle Obama, and what she has learned from her students.

Tara Langdale-Schmidt is no stranger to pain. When sex became impossible for her and her then-fiancé, and doctors were flummoxed, Langdale-Schmidt knew she had to take matters into her own hands. Find out how she created, tested and brought her sexual therapy product to market on this episode of SheVentures.

Imagine representing not one, but two consecutive Grammy-nominated (including one Grammy winner) clients before you even hit 30? For Lydia Liebman, that became a reality this year when she saw herself at the Grammys for the second year in a row. Born to two successful musicians, Liebman was immersed in the jazz scene from the get-go. She took jazz vocal lessons at age 10, but quickly realized that a life working her magic behind the scenes was more up her alley. Liebman began her PR career by helping friends and musicians in college, and she’s never looked back. She is dedicated to amplifying female jazz musicians in a male-dominated industry. Find out how she makes it all happen on this episode of SheVentures.

Growing up in Durham, North Carolina, D’Shawn Russell was no stranger to racial tensions and prejudices. Her great-grandmother and grandmother were huge influences on her life, and she still applies their values to her business today. After a 22-year stint as a math teacher, Russell realized it wasn’t the path she was meant to embrace. So she did what many of us wish we could do: She turned her hobby into her full-time job. Russell founded Southern Elegance Candle Company — where candles throwback to a simpler time and are made using locally sourced products — and hasn’t looked back since. Each candle represents a place that has meaning to her in the South. Find out how she dealt with racism and sexism on a regular basis as she grew her company from the ground up. You’ll get it all on this episode of SheVentures.

It’s Financial Literacy Month, and national student loan debt has reached a menacing $1.6 trillion. Yep. Trillion. Talitha Oliveri, businesswoman turned high school teacher, is seeking to combat the debt culture that is so prevalent in the U.S. today. How? By providing stellar financial literacy education at her school in Hopedale, Massachusetts. With 20 years of experience under her belt, Oliveri has seen it all, and realizes that sharing her personal experience with finance growing up is one of the best ways to get students to learn. Since recording, Oliveri was named 2019 Massachusetts Business Teacher of the Year. She will work with the Worcester County District Attorney’s office to bring a financial literacy program to the entire county! Oliveri believes that if we teach personal finance from an early age, we will improve lives and outcomes as well as the economy.

Let’s face it. With a $1.6 trillion national student loan debt issue, it’s no wonder parents want to know how to save for their kids’ education. Enter Ksenia Yudina, who has created an app called U-Nest, which simplifies the college savings process. Originally from Russia, Yudina is a certified financial planner with an MBA from the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) and a mom of three. Her mission is to raise financial literacy by making saving for college as easy as downloading an app. Yudina’s vision is to demystify 529 college savings plans and ensure no one ever feels intimidated about setting one up. U-Nest is a free download from Apple’s App Store. The small $2.95 management fee is being waived for three months for anyone who enrolls by May 29, 2019.

Tired of the lack of female role models in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) field, Sarita Menon, Ph.D. in cancer biology, decided to take matters into her own hands. With a multitude of amazing women in the sciences, Menon is featuring them on a platform where science doesn’t normally shine — glossy magazines. Smore, a bimonthly glossy for girls aged 7-12, features promising female scientists on the cover and throughout. Her inspiration? After arriving in the U.S. from India to complete her higher education, Menon was shocked that more women weren’t encouraged to go into STEM and realized that more emphasis was needed earlier on in their lives, by showing them female role models today. You’ll get it all on this episode of SheVentures.

Finance often has a way of controlling our lives, whether we want it to or not. But what if you were already two steps behind before the financial race began? Cait Howerton, financial coach and CFP candidate, turned her “mess” into her “message,” and is speaking openly about the pitfalls that the LGBTQ+ community faces in the financial sphere. Howerton, who talks in detail of her difficulties coming out to her family, is channeling her experiences into knowledge and leadership for the LGBTQ+ community and the financial community alike. On this episode of SheVentures, we get real.

After losing her husband to cancer around the same time she herself was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, an incurable blood cancer, you might think a woman left to raise three teenagers on her own would crumble. But Sally Kalksma took her anger out on, well, stairs. She channeled her emotions into stair-climbing competitions, racing up some of the world’s most notable buildings like the Empire State and the Eiffel Tower. She is also writing a book called Life Gets in the Way about her trials and her ability to see humor in anything, including her own circumstances. Listen to Kalksma’s infectious energy as she takes you through how to cope with loss, cancer, and 600 floors’ worth of stairs on this episode of SheVentures.