Our latest edition, Inspiring Women Business Leaders Making a Difference 2021, is all about such determined and dynamic women who were unfazed by both the troubles and success that came their way. These women business leaders are not only making a difference in society and the industry but are also inspiring aspiring businesswomen. Everyone has a story, a struggle, and challenges.
4. ormer award-winning broadcast journalist and
Fpresent entrepreneur helping organisations
identify and eliminate gender biases, Michele
Ruiz, once said – If people are doubting how far you
can go, go so far that you cannot hear them anymore.
Indeed, nothing could have been more apt for women
business leaders than this iconic statement.
Women business leaders no longer come as a surprise.
They have transcended that phase of being
stereotyped. They have been instrumental in the
fundamental reform of beliefs, rather myths, across
the society. Entrepreneurship is a strong tool of
empowerment for women since it provides flexible
ways to manage work and family commitments.
Though gender disparity is no longer as strong as it
was in the past, women do face challenges.
Sometimes, they have to go that extra mile to assert
their contributions, as compared to their male
counterparts.
The brighter side is that things have changed, and they
continue to change while women keep proving their
talent in the business world. Today’s women business
leaders are trusted and respected, more because of
their own hard work than changed mindsets. In fact,
their hard work has changed the perception of the
world about businesswomen. They are unstoppable
EDITOR’S DESK
They inspire, they lead,
they make a di erence.
www.insightssuccess.com
Catherine Heald
INSPIRING
Women
LEADERS
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
2021
VOLUME-05
ISSUE-04
2021
Catherine Heald
#EqualEverything
5 ways to educate
employees about
workplace discrimination
The Roots
The impact of women
participating in
STEM studies
CO-FOUNDER
& CEO
5. and have been successful in eliminating the age-told
stereotypical tags.
Pressures and expectations have been many like the
pressure to be like a man, the pressure to be in charge of
their emotions, the pressure to be balanced and the pressure
to never be wrong. Paving their way through the
treacherous paths to success in a corporate or business
world has been anything but smooth. While it may not be
exactly easy to set their foot firmly in business, it is not
impossible either. And today, the challenges are more or
less the same for male and female entrepreneurs.
The world that once mocked upon the feminine qualities
and considered these as roadblocks to be leaders or
entrepreneurs, is now realising the importance of the
emotional quotient for successful leadership, of empathy,
compassion and a balanced work and personal life. Women
had it in them all the while and these inherent qualities are
the secret to the success of women in business. In addition,
women are excellent managers and multi-taskers.
Women from different, ethnicities, socio-economic
backgrounds, social and geographical areas have made a
mark in their respective fields. In general, women
entrepreneurs in corporate sectors and businesses
worldwide are making tremendous strides and leaving deep
impact.
Our latest edition, Inspiring Women Business Leaders
Making a Difference 2021, is all about such determined and
dynamic women who were unfazed by both the troubles
and success that came their way. These women business
leaders are not only making a difference in the society and
the industry but are also inspiring aspiring businesswomen.
Everyone has a story, a struggle, and challenges. Not every
woman had a smooth ride. But they have been the game
changers, and this is their story. We celebrate the success of
such women who continue to inspire generations across
genders.
We hope you find this edition interesting. Have an inspiring
read!
Sumita Sarkar
6. COVER
STORY
Catherine Heald
Catherine Heald
Catherine Heald
Leading Optimistically in Challenging Times
Articles
08
#EqualEverything
Five Ways to Educate
Employees about
Workplace Discrimination
The Roots
Impact of women
participating in
STEM studies
32
18
7. 22
Ellen Voie
Pioneering Gender Egalitarianism
in Transportation Space
Marina Tognetti
Empowering Professionals
through Digital Language
Training
28
36
Nicole Rodrigues
Reimagining PR & Marketing,
Driven by Innovation
16
Dr. Celeste
Fralick
Pursuing her Passion for
Data with Perseverance
C
O
N
T
E
N
T
S
9. ad3
Brief
Company Name
Remote Lands
remotelands.com
Ellen Voie
President and CEO
Anne Glover
CEO
Elaine E. Bedel
CEO and Owner
Catherine Heald
Chairman and CEO
Amadeus Capital Partners is a global technology investor and has
backed more than 130 companies and raised over $1bn for
investment.
Remote Lands provides meaningful personalized travel throughout
Asia. The company's purpose, through its knowledge and experience
in the region, is to help clients connect to the people and places of
Asia.
Bedel Financial Consulting, Inc. is a comprehensive, fee-only
wealth management firm, dedicated to helping clients achieve
financial clarity and security.
Women In Trucking Association is a non-profit organization with
the mission to encourage the employment of women in the
trucking industry, promote their accomplishments, and minimize
obstacles faced by women working in the industry.
Amadeus Capital
Partners
amadeuscapital.com
Bedel Financial
Consulting
bedelfinancial.com
Women In Trucking
Association
Inc womenintrucking.org
Marie Weijler
Investment Manager
Lea Bidder
Co-founder and CEO
Ava is the first and only FDA-cleared wearable device that is
clinically proven to identify both the opening and closing of the
fertile window.
Cottonwood Technology Fund is an early-stage venture capital
fund investing in Key Enabling Technologies.
Ava
avawomen.com
Cottonwood
Technology Fund
cottonwood.vc
Nicole Rodrigues
Founder and CEO
NRPR Group is a strategic positioning agency located in
Beverly Hills, CA that helps businesses, celebrities,
entertainment companies, consumer products and more.
NRPR Group
nrprgroup.com
Marina Tognetti
Founder and CEO
mYngle offers the possibility of teaching or receiving live
one-on-one lessons from the comfort of your home or office.
myngle
myngle.com
Management
Isabelle de Cremoux
CEO
With over €660m in assets under management as of the end of
2016, Seventure Partners is a leading venture capital firm in
Europe.
Seventure Partner
seventure.fr
mcafee
mcafee.com
Celeste Fralick
Chief Data
Scientist and Senior
Principal Engineer
McAfee is a global organization with a 30-year history and a brand
known the world over for innovation, collaboration and trust.
INSPIRING
Women
LEADERS
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
2021
12. T
he global travel industry has
been challenged in 2020.
Companies who had debt to
pay off or negative balance sheets
were the hardest hit, and many have
a long road to go. With different
safety standards in place, a lot of
travel itineraries have changed for a
lot of people. People, especially
those who travel for business and
have their livelihood circled around
the travel and tourism industry.
Fortunately, Catherine Heald, the
Co-founder & CEO of Remote
Lands had some excellent years
recently, so she was able to save for
a rainy day like this pandemic, and
that cushion has helped her get
through 2020. “When business
returns in 2021, we will be stronger
than ever and in an even more
powerful position to dominate our
niche of ultra-luxe Asia travel and
private jet expeditions,” says
Catherine.
A Distinguished Personality
Catherine enjoys her work daily and
it is very important for her to dive
into the little things and simple
pleasures of life. “I have a ‘glass half
full’ attitude and I am always striving
to find the silver lining in everything,
even during this terrible pandemic,”
she says. She looks up to the great
explorer Sir Ernest Shackelton and
reveres him as her hero. What
astonishes her the most is how his
Antarctica expedition in 1916 was a
success and none of his men died,
against all odds, due to his superb
leadership.
“Like Shackelton, I hope my genuine
eternal optimism, even during a
depressing time like this, has a positive
effect on the team and the whole office
environment,” shares Catherine.
Talking about the big changes in the
travel and tourism industry due to
the pandemic, she portrays her
opinion about the world borders to
be opened so that the people can
travel safely. “Vaccines are coming
soon, but it will take some time before
they are widespread,” Catherine
expresses.
The thing that needs to be put into
practice right now is rapid, accurate
testing to be performed almost
everywhere, from airports to
restaurants to stadiums to wedding
and party entrances. All people
permitted inside will have been
tested negative for the virus, so
everyone will feel safe and
comfortable. “After 911 we all got
used to new security rules at airports,
and this will be yet another new modus
operandi that we will all accept,” she
conveys.
She expects that in the long term,
people will need to have a more
thoughtful and reflective approach
towards life after emerging out of
this pandemic. People around the
world have had time during
quarantine to do some real soul
searching and thinking about what
and who is really important in their
lives. They will seek deeper meaning
in everything, and this will be
reflected in the types of travel
experiences they seek.
Sharing Her Wisdom
Guiding aspiring and emerging
women entrepreneurs, Catherine
explains, “Figure out what it is you
absolutely love doing, that you are
really good at doing, and more than
happy to do seven days a week.” She
had spent over a decade in the
technology industry and started
three software companies, but
technology was not actually her
calling in life. She did not realize
what her actual calling was until she
stepped into her early 40’s when she
combined her lifelong passion for
Asia along with her love for planning
extraordinary luxury travels.
Catherine used to do the planning
for her family. This excited her the
most which led to Catherine’s
Eureka moment and evidently, the
“
“
14. birth of Remote Lands. Since co-
founding the company in 2005, she has
worked seven days a week and has
always remained enthusiastic about
her work by starting at her computer at
daybreak. “Despite the hard work, I have
a well-rounded and balanced life with
many interests and friends and an active
social life,” describes Catherine proudly.
She doesn't place ‘boundaries’ between
her work life and personal life and
believes that many of the people who
are happiest in life do work that blurs
the separation between professional
and personal.
Enabling Bespoke Journeys
Remote Lands facilitates an experience
where the clients find serenity in a
journey that fits their pace and follows
15. their heart by accommodating any diversion
effortlessly.
The team of Remote Lands say, “Seek the
remarkable. Seek it in the world you know. But
also, in a world that you don’t - Asia.” The
company under the guidance of Catherine,
provides various services that spell luxury in
a different way. The enhanced premium
experience makes the customers’ travel
plans so fantastic, that they always choose
Remote Lands as their trusted travel partner
for Asia.
In brief, Remote Lands’ travel itinerary
includes more or less a distant, idyllic
archipelago, explored by luxury yacht, or
unforgettable landscapes viewed from a
private chopper in palatial hideaways on
secret shores. You might find yourself in the
natural habitats of the world’s most famous
wildlife parks or in the lap of most welcoming
remote mountain ranges among the oldest
villages and ancient communities.
Remote Lands provides a journey not only
for the body and mind, but also for the soul. It
creates an opportunity for deeper, prevailing
connection with different places and people
for you and the people close to you including
the ones you meet along the way. “Seek the
soul of Asia with Remote Lands,” invites
Catherine, to have an ever-lasting
experience in a memorable way.
“
“
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17.
18. ong before Data became the gold that it is today,
Lthere were people who were trying to mine it,
process it and transform it into comprehensible
content. It is their intense focus that the omnipresent data
today is being utilized to develop solutions in almost every
industry.
Dr. Celeste Fralick, Chief Data Scientist and Senior
Principal Engineer, McAfee, is surely one of them. Her 40
years of professional journey began as a Quality &
Reliability (Q&R) Engineer at Texas Instruments. Her first
assignment was to develop statistical process control (SPC)
where she became enamored with statistics and data.
Additional Q&R positions at Fairchild Semiconductor and
Medtronic continued to fuel her data-science on-the-job
training. She then joined Intel, and stayed with the spin-out,
McAfee, where she works today as Chief Data Scientist and
Senior Principal Engineer.
McAfee LLC is a device-to-cloud security company that
provides many state-of-the-art solutions in both enterprise
and consumer segments. Our products can be mixed-and-
matched to provide the right solution to any customer. With
over a billion sensors across multiple threat vectors around
the world there’s a LOT of data to move and analyze in
milliseconds.
Read on as Dr. Celeste Fralick speaks her mind and heart
out on matters that are close to her.
• How do you keep yourself motivated? Please tell us
about what inspires you and who do you look up to.
I am most impressed with our leadership team, including
our CTO (Steve Grobman), and VP of Enterprise
Engineering (Lynda Grindstaff) who were long-time Intel
employees – it is not trite to say I followed them to
McAfee! I was able to hire a wicked smart team that
inspires me daily, and I am surrounded by techies who
want to catch the bad guy and seamlessly protect us. It is a
very mission-oriented market – like medical, where people
feel driven to help and serve, and the air is electric with
their passion. I keep myself motivated by learning daily
from each of them.
• Share with us the most memorable and remarkable
moment of your life, in a professional scenario. Also
share with us the lowest phase of your life or the
toughest deal to crack.
There have been many! Being selected by Forbes in 2018
as one of the America’s Top 50 Women in Tech, presenting
the keynote with McAfee CTO Steve Grobman at the 2019
RSA conference, creating a medical product group at Intel,
leading a 150-member company technical engineering
committee, and changing the culture for data and women
at each company – well, every instance was incredibly
memorable. As a lower-middle class kid from small-town
Alaska, I consider myself quite lucky, but I have worked
very hard to earn my stripes.
My toughest challenge was realizing I was blind to a
particular leadership pillar (“enabling others to act” per
the book “The Leadership Challenge” by Kouzes and
Posner) that was limiting my success. You can’t fix what
you don’t know is wrong. It was very difficult but,
following my projects and “awakening”, I was not only
awarded the “most improved” trophy but my projects were
so successful, I was promoted shortly thereafter.
• State us your major achievements and your company’s
achievements under your leadership.
Data is the lifeblood of our company and we are
embracing its leading-edge science and positive impact to
our customers’ experience. We lead our industry in the
DR. CELESTE
FRALICK
PURSUING HER PASSION FOR DATA WITH PERSEVERANCE
16 | May 2021 | www.insightssuccess.com
19. Dr. Celeste Fralick
Chief Data Scientist &
Senior Principal Engineer
study of Adversarial Machine Learning (“Model Hacking”),
Deep Fakes, and Explainable Artificial Intelligence, to
name just a few. Our translational research in security
analytics as well as the creation of an Analytic Center of
Excellence enable our products to be innovative with a
minimum of false positives and false negatives. I’d like to
think we have enabled McAfee to be a data-driven
company with industry-best security analytics, and it is
reflected in our industry recognized high ratings.
• How do you ensure that there’s a healthy culture at the
work space?
As a Stage 4 breast cancer patient, I emphasize to anyone
who will listen to get a mammogram. It saved my life, as
does the every-three-week chemo that I endure to stay
alive. While I am in remission (beyond five years), the
constant chemo does wear me out and I have unique side
effects that are often debilitating. So, health comes first.
No stress, no negativity – stay happy, stay healthy. Enjoy
your work, live every day like it’s your last. I try to ensure
that everyone I connect with – even though I work virtual
– feels the same way.
• What would you advise to the budding and aspiring
entrepreneurs?
Never, EVER, believe anyone when they tell you that you
can’t do something. Stay tenacious and focused, go after
what you want. If you’ve failed, pull up your big-girl
pants and go after it again.
• What are the most important lessons you’ve learned
throughout your career and would like to share?
Build your career on your strengths, not weaknesses.
Lead - don’t manage: inspire, challenge, listen, encourage,
and model the behaviour you expect. Don’t stop thinking
your crazy ideas – just implement them. Be a duck – let
the rain roll off your back, stay calm, but paddle like crazy
to get to where you need to go. Don’t get your knickers
twisted – there are more important things in life. Keep
your body and mind healthy. And, for goodness sakes,
enjoy the journey.
The Journey in a Nutshell
Dr. Fralick found herself engrossed with all things
statistical as soon as she began her career. She considers
herself fortunate to learn from the best (like the late Dr.
Joseph Juran); however, in 1992 she became restless to
formally learn. She began an MS in Biomedical
Engineering, focused on statistics, Design of Experiments,
and bioelectricity while still working full-time and raising
two young boys.
She recalls her Intel interview as a ‘why-not?’, winging-it,
unplanned interview. She was able to influence a much
larger company while she finished her Biomedical
Engineering Ph.D. focused on neuroscience, statistics, and
neural networks (NN), a technology which had suffered a
bad reputation for years but has become incredibly
fashionable. Dr. Fralick was fortunate to be on the leading
edge of their comeback and transfer her academic learning
to her daily work. At McAfee, her role is to provide
company-wide data strategy as well as lead the McAfee
Advanced Analytics Team to translate research of
state-of-the-art security analytics into products.
“ “
Inspiring Women Leaders Making a Difference 2021
17 | May 2021 | www.insightssuccess.com
20. W
omen have had huge contributions in the
society since the beginning of time, but
historically they’ve been kept away from the
noble domain of STEM studies. This is the direct negative
impact of the social bias that exists in the society which
views STEM fileds as masculine till today.
Although there have been several restrictions on women in
the society, they have still managed to get past the obstacles
and make significant addition to the STEM field. Women
have fought through the discriminative culture and emerged
as effective leaders to literally change the face of the world
and we have many examples to prove the same.
Florence Nightingale, a visionary designer who served in
the Crimean war as a nurse, designed hospital systems in a
way that brought down the death rate from 42% to 2%.
Another such example is Grace Hopper, an American
Impact of
participating in
studies
Women
18 | May 2021 | www.insightssuccess.com
22. exceptional innovation to the table. Women inherit unique
perspective of looking at the world and hence promote
innovation in the work place. The skill set and talent of
women have the potential to speed up the process of global
advancement in technology and innovation.
The participation of women in Science, Technology,
Engineering and Mathematics also has the potential to
address the world’s pressing issues like environmental
damage, poverty, food security, clean water, renewable
energy and more. This is because women understand
sustainability which stems from their inherent feminine
traits.
A global transformation is not very far away with more
inclusion of women in the STEM field.
Role of empathy in the field
Women have inborn empathy in them which makes them
highly capable in the roles of providing care. In times like
the ongoing pandemic, women have tirelessly served in the
medical sciences field to deliver medical assistance to the
population. In addition to their active participation in the
research of the COVID vaccine, women have also
effectively helped to curb the spreading virus.
Even after all these years it's still not a cake walk for
women working in the field. Their exceptional
achievements have definitely made a statement in such a
short span of time but they still struggle with the biases that
exist in the STEM domain.
Evils like gender disparity still linger over the field after all
these years as STEM still has the reputation of being a male
dominated domain of studies.
The structure of society stereotypes women to be inclined
more towards the Arts but it is slowly changing with more
emerging female role models in the field. This accounts for
a promising future for women in STEM.
computer scientist who was a key inventor of COBOL
(COmmon Business Oriented Language), a widely used
computer language.
We can find many such examples in the field, let's look at
the wider impact that women participating in STEM studies
have made.
Breaking the stereotype
The larger impact that women have made by participating
in STEM studies is that it has helped break the myth that
women lack a scientific and mathematical aptitude and are
limited to Arts and other fields. The unique caliber that
women possess has proved it time and again that they’re
here to conquer.
The gender disparity in STEM studies is slowly being
curbed with women coming in into leadership roles that are
highly demanding and proving their worth by successfully
delivering to the challenges that come along with the
responsibility. Women also prove to be better in leadership
roles as they lead by example which stimulates
productivity.
Inclusive product designs
Women are known to have higher emotional intelligence
which enables them to be sensitive to others’ needs. This
also reflects in the process of designing inclusive products.
When women participate in the designing of products, they
are aware of the needs of the minority genders. Gender
inclusive designs are curated when women are engaged in
the designing of products. The observations that women
make in the society mirrors in the way they design a
product or service which makes the world a more
empathetic and functional place.
Having a higher emotional intelligence translates into
women being more sensitive product designers which also
further increases the demand of the product or service.
Facilitates innovation and global progress
Representation of women in STEM studies brings a lot of
20 | May 2021 | www.insightssuccess.com
25. Ellen Voie
Pioneering Gender Egalitarianism in Transportation Space
During the '80s, when boys
could take shop class while
girls were only allowed to
learn home economics, Ellen
Voiebelieved herself to be lucky to be
encouraged by her mother to do what
she liked. Her mother encouraged her
when Ellen took shop class and learned
woodworking, welding, drafting, and
auto mechanics.
After completing her studies, Ellen was
hired in a steel fabrication plant in
1978.From there, her manager
encouraged her to complete the Traffic
and Transportation Management
Program and later promoted her as a
Traffic Manager.
With her years of working in the
transportation business, Ellen realized
that there was no strong association for
women in this industry and founded
Women In Trucking Association ins
2007.
Since then, as the President and CEO,
Ellen has been leading the organization
to encourage and support women in the
transportation space helping resolve
their issues and building a gender-
equal environment.
Read the following interview where
Ellen shares how she was inspired to
found Women In Trucking
Organization and has been driving
gender egalitarianism in the
transportation industry.
Brief our audience about your
journey as the President and CEO at
Women in Trucking Association.
I started my career by working in the
drafting department of a steel
fabricating plant designing material
handling equipment. Year after when I
was ready to move on my manager
encouraged me to pursue 'Traffic and
Transportation Management' program
and was later promoted as Traffic
Manager.
I was responsible for bringing the raw
materials into the plants and for
shipping the completed products out to
our customers. I also oversaw hiring,
firing, and managing thedrivers for the
trucks owned by the company.
After over twenty years of working in
the trucking sector, I was hired for the
position of Executive Director of
Trucker Buddy International where I
led the program for six years. Then, I
was recruited by Schneider National to
lead their retention efforts.My job was
to initiate corporate-level programs
designed to attract and retain non-
traditional groups, such as women.
At the time, I was completing my
pilot's license, and I belonged to an
organization for female pilots. It struck
me that there wasn't a similar group for
women in the trucking industry; so, I
started one.
That was in 2007 when the Women In
Trucking Association was formed. I
took a lot of inspiration from the
female pilot's organization, also tapped
into the people who supported this
mission. I had a great team who shared
my passion, and we put together a
fantastic staff, board, and support
group.Here we are, nearly twelve years
later, with a success story I could never
have imagined.
Enlighten us on how you have made
an impact in the transportation
industry through your stronghold in
the industry.
At the Women In Trucking
Association, our mission is to
encourage more women to enter and
succeed in careers in the supply
chain.We believe our high renewal rate
reflects the importance of what we
offer to anyone who joins.
To promote gender diversity in the
trucking industry, we had to find a way
to measure desired outcomes and
provide best practices for companies
looking for greater diversity. We
partnered with Carriers Edge to create
a Diversity and Inclusion Index to
measure and set benchmarks for all
areas of inclusion. This is an ongoing
project to recognize those companies
who are achieving more balance in
their hiring and promoting practices.
To continue the networking and
educational opportunities, we are
creating WIT Chapters so you can meet
in your local or regional area.
23 | May 2021 | www.insightssuccess.com
26. Another way one can stay involved
right now is to participate in the online
Engage Platform on our website.It's a
way to learn, connect, and find others
who share similar experiences.We are
spending a great deal of time and
resources to make this program more
user-friendly and interactive.
A long-term goal has been to have a
Driver Ambassador Program.We hired
Kellylynn McLaughlin, a training
engineer at Schneider, Inc.Her
company agreed to brand her tractor
and to allow her to work for WIT one
week each month.Walmart donated a
trailer which is currently being
retrofitted into a mobile display for
educational and professional visits to
schools and events.
Walmart also approached us about
recognizing top female drivers, so in
2020 we created a female driver of the
year program.Our first recipient was
Susie DeRidder who has four decades
of experience as a professional driver
and is based in Canada. We are
currently looking for the next
Female Driver of the Year, so visit
our website to submit a
nomination.
Being an experienced leader, share
with us your opinion on how the
adaptation of novel technologies in
your niche market has transformed
the industry and what more could be
expected in the near future?
The interior cab of today's truck
resembles your car more than you
realize.First, the truck has been
designed to be more ergonomically
correct for all body sizes, which means
women are now more comfortable in
the driving seat than in the past.
Today's trucks are also safer. The
opportunities are endless to provide
technology to reduce driver error by
relying on these devices.From personal
safety to safety on the road, there are
more opportunities to make our roads
safer for all of us.
Personal safety is also a concern.
Instead of experiencing worker's comp
claims from cranking dollies or pulling
the hood open to inspect the engine, we
now have devices that raise and lower
the landing gear with the push of a
button. There is hydraulics that opens
the massive hood and even cameras the
show whether your kingpin has been
secured or not.
The technology removes much of the
physical strength needed to operate a
tractor-trailer in the past.This allows us
to attract and keep more women as
well as men who prefer a less
physically demanding job.Even the
burden of loading and unloading the
cargo has been automated, and the
responsibility has typically been
transferred to the shipper and receiver
instead of the driver.
The trucking industry has adopted
advanced technology; not only to
comply with government regulations
but to reduce its footprint on our
ecological resources as well as make
the job much safer.
Taking into consideration, the
current pandemic, and its impact
on global economies, how are you
driving your organization to
sustain operations and ensuring
the safety of your employees at
the same time?
Last January, before we knew
that a pandemic would
forever change our industry
(and the world!) we
initiated some programs to
advance our mission in
the coming years.
We intend to
make the trucking
industry a more
diverse and
inclusive
environment
“ “
Inspiring Women Leaders Making a Difference 2021
24 | May 2021 | www.insightssuccess.com
27. Because of the pandemic, our drivers
were experiencing both physical and
emotional challenges on the roazd. We
partnered with ESPYR to offer our
drivers free 24/7 access to mental
health counselors and health coaches to
keep them safe and healthy while
alleviating some of the stresses they
were experiencing. Amazon and Total
Transportation of Mississippi
graciously funded these services.
As the pandemic progressed into the
summer and fall, we decided to
accelerate towards our mission by
transforming the conference and Expo
into a virtual event.This was not an
easy task, but with hundreds of
participants,we received a positive
response. However, if the
circumstances allow,we plan to see
these and many more participants in
person this year in Dallas, Texas in
November.
Currently, we are working with the
CDC to provide information to our
members on everything from COVID-
19 and what to expect, how to protect
yourself and your family.We are also
giving our members information about
vaccination. Additionally, we help
shippers better understand how to
accommodate professional drivers who
enter their facilities.
What is your opinion on adopting
gender egalitarianism from a
leadership perspective?
We are currently creating a Diversity
and Inclusion Index so our members
can learn best practices and use the
data for benchmarking. Ultimately, we
want to use the annual index to honor
the industry organizations that promote
diversity and inclusion.
For that reason, the board of directors
at the Women In Trucking Association
determined that we need to know if we
are making a difference in this industry.
So, we decided to create our own WIT
Index.
First, we paired with the National
Transportation Institute (NTI) which
graciously added a question to their
quarterly wage surveys. They asked
carriers for the percentage of female
over-the-road drivers.
For those who responded to the NTI
survey, the average percentage of over-
the-road drivers who are female was
7.13% in 2017 and increased to 7.89%
in 2018.
In 2019, we partnered with
Freightwaves to conduct a survey to
determine the industry's participation
of women as technicians, safety
directors, managers, and professional
drivers.
Overall, the respondents reported that
women make up 10% of all over the
road drivers. We also learned that only
4% of diesel technicians are women
and that about 38% of fleet safety
professionals are women.
In the United States, women currently
comprise 7.4% of all CEOs in Fortune
500 companies and about 26% of all
board seats, despite recent legislation
to establish diversity quotas.
The Freightwaves survey found that
female executives in trucking make up
36% of the leadership in transportation
and just over 45% of non-executive
employees.
Each year we also examine the
publicly traded trucking companies by
partnering with Memphis University to
conduct the research. In 2020, of the
fourteen publiclytraded carriers'
women comprised 22% of the board
director seats, but only 9% of the
leading executives.
Wehave reinforced what we learned to
encourage the employment of women
in the transportation industry, to
address obstacles, and to celebrate the
successes of the women who have
become visible and influential.
Now that we can monitor the data, our
goal is to see the numbers increase in
all areas.We intend to make the
trucking industry a more diverse and
inclusive environment.
Where do you envision yourself to be
in the long run and what are your
future goals for your company?
Our goal is to have one year's
operations budget in reserve. A third
party maintains all our accounts
payable and receivable activity, and an
annual audit ensures third party
reviews all figures.
We had a third party conduct a market
assessment, and more recently, we
completed a member communication
survey. We interviewed current,
potential, and lapsed members to
understand better how we can both
attract and retain both corporate and
individual members.
The goal is to communicate and then
listen.We want to hear from our
members, and we want to make the
association better based on that
feedback.
Another area of focus is member
value.The number one reason people
join is for the opportunity to network
and to meet other women (and men)
who have similar roles in other
companies. One interesting fact is 6%
of our members said they joined
because 'Ellen motivated them' to
become a member.
The final concern of the board is the
WIT brand. We've always heard the
comment that people assume the
organization is for female drivers. We
represent all women who work in the
trucking industry. In fact, drivers are a
very small part of our organization in
numbers, despite being a significant
focus in creating change in the
industry.
25 | May 2021 | www.insightssuccess.com
31. Marina Tognetti
Empowering Professionals through Digital Language Training
Adecade ago, no one would
have thought that the whole
world will have to adopt
everything-digital over traditional –
from grocery shopping to banking to
education. However, the ongoing
COVID-19 pandemic has certainly
accelerated the impending digital
transformation, compelling both
consumers and businesses to accept the
online brand presence.
While learning and adopting this new
normal was a tougher task for many,
gradually people started to realize the
advantages of digital platforms to meet
their needs and enhance their skills
during the pandemic. Considering that
the sudden digital transformation was
tougherfor many brands, few were
already a step ahead by adopting a
technological approach at the right
time.
mYngleis one such company that has
been by par with its customized
language training programs through
video conferencing in 45 different
languages anytime, anywhere. The
company's virtual classrooms enable
learners to take classes 24/7. The one-
on-one lessons with highly qualified
native coaches and related to the
learner's job position have been
another key factor in the company's
growth in a short period.
Marina Tognetti, theFounder, and
CEO of mYngle, explains how the
platform has helped learners climb up
the career ladder by honing their skills.
“mYngle is the solution for busy
professionals who need language
training to be successful in their
international business and for
Companies that want great learning
results and a transparent and
controllable learning process to make
their investment a success,” says
Marina.
Read the following interview where
Marina shares her journey of being an
entrepreneur, how the company has
survived through the ongoing COVID-
19 pandemic, also her views on gender
equality in the tech-entrepreneurial
world.
Brief our audience about your
journey as the founder and CEO of
mYngle.
I am a tech entrepreneur, founder of
myngle.com, but the passion for
entrepreneurship came later on in my
career.
When I graduated from University it
was an era when entrepreneurship was
not very common for academics. I built
first a successful career by large
multinationals, Procter & Gamble,
Philips, Sara Lee, The Boston
Consulting Group, and eBay; living
and working in different Countries and
got an MBA from INSEAD.
It was when working as a consultant on
a project on internet strategy that I first
saw the potential of the internet to
disrupt entire industries and change
forever the way we buy/sell/interact. I
had to be part of that!
Enlighten us on how you have made
an impact in the eLearning space
through your expertise in online
language learning?
When we started, we were pioneering,
amongst the first to provide one-to-one
teaching of all languages over the
internet. Now COVID-19 has
completely changed the world as we
know it, causing major disruption to
many businesses. While many of the
traditional offline players have been
challenged by this sudden shift,
mYngle was already in the 'right place'.
We built on years of experience and
know that migrating existing classroom
training programs to digital is not just
the mere application of existing
technology solutions. Rather, it
requires a more fundamental rethinking
of the total learning experience, from
trainers to content, to the blended form.
That is where mYngle is making an
impact, keeping ahead in this digital
transformation by constantly
innovating and pursuing the best
possible quality and results, educating
29 | May 2021 | www.insightssuccess.com
32. the market on the difference between
improvised solutions and years of
expertise.
Being an experienced leader, share
with us your opinion on how the
adoption of novel technologies in
your niche market has transformed
the eLearning industry and what
more could be expected in the
future?
Even before COVID, the (language)
training market was already in the
transition from offline to online, the
shift accelerating in the past years. This
age of quarantines, social distancing,
and remote working fast-tracked the
trend, online education became in
many cases the only possible way of
learning.
Now customers are discovering the
advantages of virtual education
compared to the traditional ones in a
physical classroom. It offers the same
results, but significantly more
convenient in terms of flexibility- with
lessons available 24/7 and flexible
scheduling - as well as the possibility
of benefitting of skills of teachers that
are not located in geographical
proximity. These benefits go beyond
the short-term limitations of the
lockdown, modernizing the world of
education.
I believe that the adoption of online
solutions will continue post-pandemic
and that online learning will accelerate
over the next months or years. L&D
budgets will shift from offline to
online, and learners who embrace
online learning during these difficult
circumstances may stick to it after the
pandemic has passed. Online learning
will be an intrinsic part of the new
normal.
Taking into consideration, the
current pandemic, and its impact on
global economies, how are you
driving your organization to sustain
operations and ensuring the safety of
your employees at the same time?
Overall, for our staff, work did not
change much while moving to remote
working. Many of our key processes
were already done at distance so, as a
company, we are used to managing
remote teams.
CRM and programming have always
been offshore, and our sales staff has
always covered different geographical
markets from one central location. I
used to say when building our
organization: “If our customers can
learn a language at distance, we
should be able to also run a company
at distance.” So, in that respect, we
were at an advantage compared to
many other companies operating more
traditionally.
What got amplified now with the
lockdowns, is that employees' well-
being is even more vital, and
encouraging and supporting employees
through this time is almost more
important than productivity. It's about
support, empowerment, empathy to
keep a sense of belonging, let our
people know that we are in this
together.
This means having a steady stream of
communication, from the managers
and between team members,to keep
people updated on a current situation
and further strengthen virtual
connectivity and culture.
What is your opinion on adopting
gender egalitarianism from a
leadership perspective?
It is well known that women have a
great capacity for leadership and
gender-diverse boards have a positive
impact on different measures of firm
performance. Yet, men still occupy
adisproportionate number of leadership
positions.
The same can be seen in tech
entrepreneurship. Women are as
innovative and companies run by
women are as successful, yet only 5%
of tech start-ups are owned by
women.This leaves wondering what is
keeping women from these roles.
In both tech entrepreneurship as well
climbing the corporate ladder, one of
the main issues is that women often do
not take the first step. I believe that the
main reason is lack of confidence,
which translates into unconscious 'fear
of failure'. By showing examples of
true stories and the 'how', we can make
it more accessible.
That is why I aim to be a role model
for other women in tech, but an
accessible one, trying to give a genuine
picture of what it takes to be a leader
and an entrepreneur, the ups and downs
that we all have but few want to share.
What would be your advice to
budding entrepreneurs who aspire to
venture into the eLearning industry?
In this era of rapid technological
evolution and, more recently, COVID-
19 pandemic challenging all the status
quo, entrepreneurs in the eLearning
space must redefine their roles and
draw on different sets of skills to be
able to face the challenges ahead.
This means having a strong vision to
set the direction but at the same time
be able to adapt and change to keep the
business successful, anticipating and
navigating challenges of a rapidly
evolving segment.
It also means being able to understand
what is needed to provide a good user
experience, the way the training is
delivered, the teaching, content, as well
as interaction. In response to the
increase in demand for online training,
many traditional players have been
rushing to find a quick fix, moving
their existing solutions online.
Inspiring Women Leaders Making a Difference 2021
30 | May 2021 | www.insightssuccess.com
33. Good remote training, however, is not
just a matter of adding a tech solution
for the virtual classroom and moving a
teacher from a physical classroom to a
computer, but it requires a whole new
set of expertise and capabilities
different from those of offline
education.
How do you envision scaling your
company's operations and offerings
in 2021?
I believe that the integration of
information technology in education
will be further accelerated and online
education will eventually become an
integral component of education.
For mYngle, this means that we need
to keep on innovating and pursuing the
best possible quality and results, also
educating the market on the difference
between improvised solutions and
years of expertise, so that we can keep
on being ahead in this digital
transformation.
We built on years of experience and
know that migrating existing classroom
training programs to digital is not just
the mere application of existing
technology solutions. Rather, it
requires a more fundamental rethinking
of the total learning experience, from
trainers to content, to the blended form.
We will keep on improving this while
aligning with this growing market
trend.
The key to our success is aligning with
what customers want. Constant focus
on customers and their needs are one
of our key strengths and what will
allow us to differentiate from the new
players that still have to prove their
value.
In this era of rapid technological evolution
and, more recently, COVID-19 pandemic
challenging all the status quo, entrepreneurs in
the eLearning space must redefine their roles
and draw on different sets of skills to be able
to face the challenges ahead
“
“
31 | May 2021 | www.insightssuccess.com
35. Discrimination is an unethical practice of
prejudicing others based on gender, race, religion,
color, or age. It's considered harmful for the
society. Once someone has undergone discrimination or
harassment, it generates feelings of humiliation, distrust,
mortification, embarrassment, shame, indignity, disgrace.
People often get isolated and start to live in solitude.
Awareness is rightly complying with education. We obtain
education to work in good companies, and crave for upright
reputation, standard of living and income. Employees are as
important as a product of a company. Many people are
discriminated way too before they join their first job.
The decrease in employment rate has increased the
discrimination rate into the workplaces in organizations. As
people are getting less job opportunities, and once they get
a job then they judge them according to their skills or
experience. Because of ‘competitive diversity’ in every
aspect people witness workplace discrimination. It has
become a sensitive topic to discuss. One should make
people aware about this growing dilemma.
Following is a list of aspects on which the discrimination is
carried out.
Based on Retaliation – When an employee protests for
employers' wrongdoing. They are discriminated because
they have raised voice against the higher authority. This
factor ranks at the top in terms of workplace employee
discrimination. When an employee opens up about what he
has been facing, the stereotypical image is formed for that
particular person.
Based on Sex - Gender discrimination can be seen in
workplaces where males are still in dominant position than
females. There is competition in the workplace, when a
The Roots
33 | May 2021 | www.insightssuccess.com
36. as they used to, because they have the feeling of
embarrassment. They should be informed about the effects
of harassment, then the further step should be training.
Gather qualified trainers and appoint them to instruct about
all the things an employee must do or know about
workplace.
2) The employees should receive weekly newsletters
informing about the rules and regulations, and to abide
them thoroughly. Those updates should be discussed
concisely in the workplace. Conducting interactive
discussions about human suffering.
3) Television programs, documentaries or short films should
be shown, describing the above discussed aspects in a
structured storyline video. Humans are able to connect
emotionally when they see visuals along with sound. There
is a more realistic chance of learning and understanding the
issues on deeper level.
4) Real-life example stories should be discussed in the
workplace. When employees get aware about the real-life
examples of the people who suffered with discrimination,
then they get to know it better. Also, they can share the
outcomes or experiences of people who were once a victim
of discrimination.
5) HR plays an important role in identifying the difficulties
faced by the employees, they should educate them with the
help of soft skills training. Soft Skills are the attributes
which help a person to develop skills on how to interact
effectively. Having this skill taught, many get the idea about
how to duly regard their colleagues. Asking them to report
any kind of mis-treatment that they experience in the
workplace, and complaining it to the organization’s
complain section.
Discrimination and harassment can be done by the
employees working together or the higher authorities
associated with the profiles. It can be seen not only in the
workplaces but in public places, events, meetings, etc.
Discrimination is deeply rooted into the human society. The
diversity is such that large groups of societies have different
perceptions over others, hence creating scope and chances
for discrimination. If the employees as well as the people in
that environment are well acquainted with proper education
and training, then we can definitely see better treatment and
equality among them all. The world could be a better place
leaving no place for grating.
woman or a man competes well enough, others start holding
him/her over. Gender discrimination is widely witnessed all
over the globe.
Race – People belonging to diverse cultures, come to work
at a same place. People reflect attitudes, behavior and
morals based on where they belong. Employees are still
judged based on their race. When a native of eastern
country works in western countries, then the people around
that area typecast them, just because they belong from east.
Color – There has inevitably been a constant scrimmage
when considering blacks and whites. Discrimination based
on color is experienced by the employees.
Age – The middle-aged, experienced employees think that
they know more about the work than the less experienced or
freshers. On this basis they try harassing the new
employees.
National Origin – On the basis of national origin people
frequently make assumptions and judgements depending
upon the country’s reputation worldwide.
Religion – It is one of the controversial factors. The
employees generally face discrimination depending on their
religion, caste, creed, sect, or group they belong to.
The above factors are the main reasons for discrimination
across the institutions worldwide. Here is the anti-
discrimination law.
'The Civil Rights Act, the Age Discrimination in
Employment Act, and the Americans with Disabilities
Act prohibit discrimination in employment on the basis
of race, color, sex, ethnic origin, age and disabilities'. But
still, they are victims of discrimination.
There is a strong need for employees to get aware about the
workplace bias. It is necessary that they should know what
to do when such things are happening around them. How to
raise voice when they are harassed. Everyone is born equal.
Here are five ways to educate employees about workplace
discrimination:
1) Making them aware about the consequences, harms
when one undergoes discrimination by others. Everyone
possesses feelings, when being harassed the employees feel
humiliated. Subsequently the next time they do not interact
34 | May 2021 | www.insightssuccess.com
39. Ambition—the essential catalyst that enables an
alignment between passion and expertise—is what
drives any individual towards accomplishing
whatever they aspire for.
We’ve always read, heard, and watched stories of people
and companies who’ve accomplished great things. But have
you ever been curious to know about those storytellers
who’ve been striving to make these stories reach the right
people?
Well, this story here is about one such teller of tales –
Nicole Rodrigues, the Founder and CEO of NRPR
Group.
Since the start of her career, Nicole has been passionate
about reimagining and redefining how the art of public
relations is done in the modern era, which led her to launch
her very own strategic positioning firm out of Beverly Hills
in 2014.
Fast forward to June of 2021, NRPR Group is celebrating
its seventh anniversary, a true milestone, considering the
number of businesses (especially self-funded, female-
owned startups) that fail in their early years and/or during
challenging times like the pandemic.
“We’ve accomplished this benchmark success by
continually rooting ourselves into the most disruptive
approaches, emerging technologies, resilient thinking and
industry-first service offerings that grant our clients best-in-
class support, strategy and results,” says Nicole.
As CEO, Nicole considers her role to more closely mirror
that of a game-winning coach and mentor, who pushes her
A-team to be the best of the best and win top-tier coverage
trophies on behalf of the clients.
She works closely with them, day in and day out, to help
enhance their critical-thinking, solution-minded strategies
and help cultivate an expert-level understanding of the
industry, clients, media members, and the target audiences
they are supporting.
NRPR fosters a work culture that is challenging,
empowering, and enjoyable while delivering powerful
results and exceeding client expectations through its highest
standards of excellence. “We’ve always operated within our
core values of transparency, integrity, and tenacity which
has consequently elevated our agency’s reputation to that of
an innovative industry leader (as evidenced by the
multitude of awards the team has received from prestigious
I consider my role to
more closely mirror
that of a game-winning
coach and mentor, who
pushes my A-team to
be the best of the best
and win top-tier
coverage trophies on
behalf of our clients.
“
“
37 | May 2021 | www.insightssuccess.com
40. organizations such as Hermes Creative Awards, the Stevie
Awards and the Ragan and PR Daily Award programs),”
adds Nicole.
Redefining Benchmarks
Having served marquee leaders across industries from
startups to Fortune 500 companies, NRPR offers industry
disruptive, end-to-end marketing and public relations
services, including strategic messaging development,
integrated marketing communications and campaigns,
digital/social media marketing activities, influencer
relations, executive thought leadership development and
video creation/distribution services for its entire client
roster.
The company’s most recent branded business venture,
NRPR Business Productions (Biz Pro™), is the first
offering of its kind within the public relations space to
provide clients with comprehensive business development
services, including full concept-to-close launch support,
legal entity creation, brand identity, design and
investor/partner matchmaking and management (among
many other services outlined within its portfolio).
NRPR has scaled to where it is today through its readiness
to evolve, adapt and elevate alongside changing industry,
consumer, and media trends – and has actively expanded its
services portfolio/offerings to meet client needs, increase
their visibility, impact the industry, and positively disrupt
how the art of public relations is done in the modern era.
Overcoming Adversities
When asked about the challenges that NRPR faced due to
the pandemic, and how they managed to triumph these
challenges, Nicole says, “The pandemic brought challenges
and opportunities, in equal measure, to NRPR and our
clients.”
“When COVID-19 first hit us like it hit the world, we were
able to get gritty and creative in the face of the unknown,
rather than allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by the
collective stress and uncertainty we were facing.”
“We helped our clients adapt powerful brand messaging and
pivot their offerings to reflect the ‘new normal’, rather than
advising them to stand still until the crisis passed. Since
NRPR has also been an early adopter of work-from-home
policies and solutions that enable seamless collaboration
from anywhere, the mid-pandemic transition to 100%
remote work across dispersed locations was as effortless as
possible.”
“Even though every single team member had to
simultaneously muscle through the pandemic’s impact on
his/her personal life, they each led by example and helped
make 2020 one of NRPR’s most standout, successful and
scaled years to date (and against all odds), including several
clients, service, staff, and award wins.”
“Whenever we do return to our Beverly Hills office for in-
person operations, the team will remain committed to the
safety of themselves and of others by practicing all possible
precautions and protocols while working to help our clients
meet/exceed their outlined business goals,” adds Nicole.
Opinions that Matter
When asked for her opinion on how the adoption of novel
technologies has transformed the PR and Marketing
industry, and what could be expected in the future, Nicole
explains, “NRPR represents and supports several
cutting-edge organizations that are propelling innovation
across the industries of technology, medicine, finance, NFTs
and digital entertainment, amongst others. As such, our
team works tirelessly to stay on top of emerging
technologies, platforms and resources that enable us to
match pace with our clients’ innovation and reflect it as
powerfully as possible to the market. We’ve been early
adopters of integrated tech tools (such as Onclusive, Cision,
Meltwater, Slack, Zoom, Monday.com and others) that
enable us to communicate, identify, track and analyze
industry data and results garnered for clients, which many
other agencies of our size do not yet leverage.”
When it comes to advocating gender egalitarianism from a
leadership perspective, as a self-funded, solo female
business owner of Latin American and Middle Eastern
descent, Nicole has always held inclusion, representation,
and diversity as core values, both personally and
professionally.
“I also believe that gender-role stereotypes can hold people
back from achieving their true, inherent potential – and
thus, I have proudly built a diverse, multidimensional team
of top-tier talent that spans the cultural, religious and
gender gamut. We recognize and value the unique strengths,
skills, backgrounds and experiences each person brings to
the NRPR table, knowing we can all learn from every
single differentiator,” she adds.
Bequeathing Keys to Success
In her advice to budding entrepreneurs aspiring to venture
into the PR and Communications niche, Nicole says,
“Aspiring entrepreneurs within the PR & Communications
Inspiring Women Leaders Making a Difference 2021
38 | May 2021 | www.insightssuccess.com
41. sector must realize a few key things
before embarking on the journey: First,
realize that nothing truly valuable ever
comes easy. Your success will match
the amount of effort, energy, hard work
and sacrifice you are willing to put into
your work. Second, educate yourself
on every single task and/or role of the
company you are building, so you can
more meaningfully train and empower
those who will take on those roles after
you. Third, even business owners need
mentors and trusted advisors. Fourth,
leverage your ‘free time’ to dig deep
into research and self-education about
your industry, competitors, value
proposition and differentiators to
strategically position yourself in the
market and develop meaningful
messaging to tell your story well.”
“Truly, one of the most important
qualities of successful entrepreneurs in
any industry is the enthusiastic
willingness to forever continue
learning and improving, understanding
that you do not know everything but
can learn anything,” Nicole expresses.
On a Constant Journey Forward
Talking about her vision for scaling
NRPR Group’s operations and
offerings in 2021, Nicole states,
“NRPR will continue to evaluate
markets/trends and look for software
tools that will help us to serve clients.
We will add services as needed to help
clients to fulfill their public relations,
social media, digital marketing, and
brand development requirements and
meet business goals.”
“In 2021, we have already added seven
new clients and five new team
members. I envision NRPR as
continuing our commitment to clients,
media professionals, and our team
members to create a mutually
beneficial scenario, where all parties
are satisfied with the interaction and
results,” concludes Nicole.
39 | May 2021 | www.insightssuccess.com