After trying out variety of different jobs and markets, Adda Birnir, CEO & Founder of Skillcrush, taught herself how to code and design and decided to get into the tech world. What started out as her side project to find a better way to teach women technological skills turned into Skillcrush, her rapidly-growing company. This week, we talked to Adda about how she got started, finding long term opportunities, job stability within the entrepreneurship world and corporate world, as well as the importance of staying customer-focused. Adda also talks about her inspirations and what helped her stay on her feet when starting out as an entrepreneur along with how she took being laid off as a massive opportunity.
A third generation girl scout, Meridith Maskara, CEO of the Girl Scouts of Greater New York is not just passionate about girl scouts, but about supporting the generation of young girls and women who will be the change agents of tomorrow. This week, we talked about inclusivity and diversity within Girl Scouts, their active involvement in legislative decisions, the new programs Girl Scouts is offering including fields of STEM, advocacy, and entrepreneurship and how Girl Scouts are adapting to the fast-paced technological world of today. Meridith also discusses the role Girl Scouts’ program Troop 6,000 plays on girls and women in shelter, how to include men in conversations around equality, as well as teaching girls confidence at a young age.
Growing up in a politically engaged household and having a passion for civic engagement from an early age, Maria Yuan, Founder of IssueVoter, defines herself as someone who is “interested in fixing really big problems”. This week, we sat down with her to talk about how she was able to balance her work life in Finance and Investment Banking setting up IssueVoter, coming up with great ideas and being able to grow them, as well as how her background and her experience in being a Campaign Manager helped her when founding IssueVoter. Maria talks about civic engagement and its importance, how everyone can be civically engaged in different ways, as well as how her rapidly growing non-profit, IssueVoter works.