What does it take to step into spaces where few people look like you - and then help create a pathway for others?

In this episode of the Tech Beyond Gender Podcast, Meena Satishkumar and Satish Kumar speak with Priyanca Radhakrishnan, New Zealand’s first minister of Indian origin, about her journey from growing up in Singapore and moving to New Zealand as an international student, to working in women’s rights and eventually entering Parliament.Priyanca shares how her early work supporting women experiencing domestic violence shaped her commitment to social justice, systemic change and inclusive leadership.

She also speaks openly about imposter syndrome, self-doubt, mentorship and the responsibility that comes with being the first.

Priyanca reminds us that being invited into the room is only the beginning. True inclusion means creating an environment where different perspectives, lived experiences and voices can genuinely influence decisions.

AI agents are already changing how we work, automate processes and solve complex problems. But how do they differ from generative AI, and how much autonomy should we give them?

In this episode of the Tech Beyond Gender Podcast, Meena Satish Kumar speaks with Jyothi Madan Lal, Solutions Architect at AWS, about the who, what and how of agentic AI.

They explore:

• How AI agents work
• Where organisations are using them today
• Data, integration and security considerations
• Hallucinations, observability and human oversight
• Who is accountable when an agent makes a mistake
• Whether agents will replace people
• How leaders can evaluate agentic AI investments
• The skills professionals need for an agent-powered future

Jyothi also demonstrates how she uses Kiro to support her daily work and how an AWS DevOps Agent can investigate application latency, identify a potential root cause and recommend remediation.

AI agents are here to stay. The question is not simply whether we should use them, but how we can use them responsibly.

Subscribe to Tech Beyond Gender for more conversations about technology, leadership and the future of work.

#AIAgents #AgenticAI #GenerativeAI #ResponsibleAI #AWS #FutureOfWork #TechBeyondGender

What does it take to build a fairer, more connected New Zealand?In this episode of the Tech Beyond Gender Podcast, Meena Satishkumar and co-host Satishkumar speak with barrister, author and Labour Party candidate Max Harris about the experiences and values that shaped his journey into politics.Max shares his thoughts on inequality, pay equity, gender equity, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, representation, AI, leadership and the importance of listening to people living in very different worlds. He also reflects on why meaningful change requires people working both inside and outside our systems.This is a thoughtful conversation about justice, values-driven leadership and the role each of us can play in creating lasting change.Subscribe to Tech Beyond Gender for more conversations with people challenging systems, amplifying unheard voices and creating meaningful impact.#TechBeyondGender #MaxHarris #PayEquity #GenderEquity #Leadership #NewZealand #SocialChange #Politics #Equality