Trista Engel, CEO of Paragon Legal, and Jessica Markowitz, President & COO of Paragon Legal, share their journey from the 2008 Wall Street Financial Crisis to raising money to buying Paragon Legal and now successfully growing the business. Listen to this inspiring journey. What were and how did they overcome the Gender Stereotypes and challenges they faced raising money and in pitching VCs? Why did they select Paragon Legal and how has the flex talent changed and encouraged diverse ...

In this episode, we are joined by Tonya Mitchem Grindon, a trailblazing Partner at Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC, as she shares her remarkable journey to equity in the corporate world. From her humble beginnings in rural Alabama to assuming the helm of the business department, Tonya's narrative epitomizes ambition, resilience, and triumph over biases. Reflecting on her experiences, she explores the significance of seizing opportunities, cultivating networks, and embra...

In this episode, we shine a spotlight on Nancy Del Pizzo, Partner at Rivkin Radler LLP, as she shares her remarkable journey from the publishing industry to the legal profession, with a focus on intellectual property law. Nancy offers candid insights into her career transition, discussing the challenges she encountered in publishing, the appeal of intellectual property law, and the pivotal moments that shaped her path. Emphasizing the importance of organizational culture, Nancy advises listen...

In this podcast episode, Jenna Gabay, a seasoned attorney and partner at Rivkin Radler LLP, unfolds her journey through the legal profession, placing a spotlight on her interplay between motherhood and career ambitions. Jenna provides nuanced insights into her distinctive legal practice, seamlessly navigating the realms of commercial litigation and trust and estates litigation. She also candidly recounts her early experiences, juggling family life while ascending the corporate ladder, and det...

In this episode Colleen Sweeney, Jennifer Andres, Janet Hamilton, and John Mielitz from TCDI discuss the unique challenges faced by military spouses that can make it difficult for them to pursue their personal and professional goals. Frequent moves, deployments, and the demands of military life can make it difficult to build a stable career or find a supportive community. TCDI is committed to providing resources and support to navigate through these challenges. We discuss persona...

Building a Foundation for Success This episode highlights the career journey of Eva Heintz, Chair of The Board of Directors at Solvay GGF. Eva initially trained as a chemist, and therefore, understands the advantage that comes with being exposed to science at a young age. This goes doubly so for women and traditionally underrepresented groups. As an Asian woman, Eva learned how to leverage that background in order to move her career forward. She is now in a position to offer inva...

We can all do something to become better. In this episode, Desiree Wolfe, Senior Director at Salesforce, highlights the importance of intentionality in our processes towards progress. She emphasizes that as leaders, peers, colleagues, and professionals, it is imperative that we all be transparent in recognizing the areas of our workspaces and mindsets that need to be transformed. She tells her audience that every opportunity is one to learn, develop, and advocate. As a woman of color and the ...

Honoring Commitments to Others While Honoring Commitments to Yourself In this episode, Noreen Kelly, Partner at McGuireWoods, shares her career development from a junior associate to a partner while being a single mother of two. The key to her success is getting clear with what she wants and actively advocating for herself. Her stories reveal the same struggles many working moms have with balancing their professional and personal life. This especially holds true in the legal profession. As a ...

Taking Affirmative Steps Towards Inclusivity In this episode, Deborah Solmor, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at TCS Education System, shares her journey up the legal ladder. She highlights her interest in and passion for the general counsel culture and also provides a perspective that usurps misconceptions and assumptions of her role. Deborah emphasizes that in all spaces, diversity is needed, but we must identify our why. She pulls inspiration from her experiences and exposure to ot...

Using your Power to Empower In this episode, Nicole Kelsey, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary at Amyris, Inc., shares how we can all step up to the plate by using our compounded experiences to adjust, adapt, and aid in advancing ourselves and others through advocacy. Nicole shares how her familial upbringing stemmed her interest in justice and equity at an early age. Realizing that the systematic structures in place can permit the marginalization of certain groups, she decided she would focus...

How Women of Color Can Self-Advocate In this episode, Sabria A. McElroy, Partner at Boies Schiller Flexner, shares her perspectives on the challenges women and people of color face in the legal industry. She offers her insights on how firms and clients can create change by understanding the importance of the ROI of DE&I. She knows that gaining confidence and overcoming internal struggles were part of her path to success. Sabria also realizes that having the support from senior leadership ...

Being Purposeful in Progress In this episode, Indhira Arrington, Managing Director and Global Chief Diversity Officer at Ares Management, gives us valuable takeaways on how to succeed in the corporate space. She highlights that success is always accompanied with support and shares how her support team and sponsors have equipped her with the needed skills, attributes, and attitude to climb up the corporate ladder. As a DEI lead, Indhira emphasizes how her compounded experiences have given her ...

Show Up For the Job You Want Not the Role You Have In this episode, Courtney Statfeld, Principal at McKool Smith, addresses the importance of confidence, preparation and staying true to yourself as you progress in your career. Early on, she stayed open to different experiences which eventually led her to the law. Her passion for her work and competitive spirit has been instrumental in propelling her forward. As a result, she is recognized as a top-notch litigator of large-scale, comple...

Creating a Culture of Belonging This episode highlights the career journey of Kyle Lewis, Senior Counsel, Safety & Insurance Litigation, US East at Uber. Here, Kyle discusses the importance of cultivating a diverse talent pool. He also talks about vulnerability in leadership and its impact on company culture. Being open creates a forum for your team to fully express themselves, and this in turn, creates a sense of belonging so essential for retention. At the same time, this must be balanc...

Cultivating a Sense of Belonging In this episode, Cassandra Labbees, Firm Member at Epstein Becker & Green, P.C., shares the importance of creating a culture of belonging. As a child of Haitian immigrants, Cassandra highlights her unique experience of integration into American culture. Having gone to a primary school that celebrated her ethnic roots, Cassandra developed a strong sense of identity and had a clear example of inclusivity at its fullest. As Cassandra climbed her way up ...

Moving Past Passion and Utilizing Strategy In this episode, Natalie Edwards, Global Chief Diversity Officer at National Grid, highlights the impact of expertise in DEI initiatives. Her insights on DEI prompt change agents to examine their current inclusion strategy and ask the important question: “What does diversity mean and look like for our company?” Natalie encourages Chief Diversity Officers to become experts in their field and understand that diversity is not a box to be checked, ...

Listen to All Voices but Trust Your Own This episode highlights the career journey of Marla Sofer, Financial Services Lead, Industry Solutions CTO at Microsoft. She has followed her passion through various sectors including Wall Street and Fintech. Marla emphasizes the significance of understanding your strengths and positioning them to evolve into new opportunities. Self-evaluation, commitment, and personal experiences are invaluable when crafting your story so that it aligns with you...

The Price and the Rewards of Pursuing Growth In this episode, Tamara O’Neill Moreland, Shareholder at Larkin Hoffman, discusses her journey from young attorney to making partner, and the difficulties women must overcome to make their voices heard. Tamara provides a candid perspective on the challenges of recruiting and retaining diverse candidates, calling out micro-aggressions, and developing personal resilience. Tune in for insights on: • Making your voice heard in a mal...

Creating a Culture of Acceptance and Belonging In this episode, LeeAnn Jones, Partner at Taylor English Duma LLP, shares her thoughts on the recruitment and retention of diverse attorneys. With so much emphasis being placed on front-end recruiting, long-term impact is bound to fail if the follow-up back-end process, diversity retention, isn’t equally as effective. LeeAnn has experienced this first-hand as both a woman and a member of the LGBTQ community. She knows how it feels to be to...

Creating Opportunities to Change our Behavior In this episode, Janine Jansen, Global Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Lead at Organon, shares what it means to be authentic in our equity journeys. Janine explains how we all have the opportunity to change our behavior, but real change happens in our hearts and minds. This is what leads to true allyship and advocacy for those impacted by inequity. She highlights how the lack of representation in spaces she has occupied motivated...