In this special episode of Tech Beyond Gender, host Meena Satishkumar is joined by Noor Syed and Rob Lonie from Microsoft, and Diksha Sandhu from the University of Auckland, for a powerful cross-generational conversation on gender equity in technology.

Together they explore what it really means to move from diversity to true inclusion, the unseen barriers women face from school to senior leadership, and how mentorship, allyship, and curiosity can change the game.

From Noor’s insights on inclusion, to Rob’s reflections on allyship and parenting, to Diksha’s honest university experiences, this episode is a heartfelt look at the pipeline problem — and what it takes to create real change in tech.

🎙️ Hosted by: Meena Satishkumar
🎧 Featuring: Noor Syed, Rob Lonie, and Diksha Sandhu
💬 Produced by: Tech Beyond Gender#TechBeyondGender #WomenInTech #DiversityAndInclusion #Allyship #MentorshipMatters #BreakingBarriers #FutureOfTech #GenderEquity #STEMInclusion #RepresentationMatters #Leadership #NewZealandTech #EmpowerHer #InclusiveInnovation

In this episode of Tech Beyond Gender, host Meena Satishkumar sits down with Wendy Stevenson-Vrame, Engineering Manager at Trade Me, whose career journey spans fashion design, recruitment on Wall Street, and leading tech teams in New Zealand and the U.S.

Wendy shares her inspiring story of adaptability and growth, from winning the U.S. green card lottery to navigating the dot-com boom in San Francisco and returning to Aotearoa to lead cloud and database reliability teams. She opens up about:

• Lessons from thousands of interviews across industries

• How recruitment instincts shaped her people-first leadership style

• Creating inclusive spaces where women and underrepresented voices thrive

• Breaking myths about tech careers and encouraging more women into the sector

• The importance of empathy, community, and paying it forward in leadership

A must-listen for anyone interested in leadership, recruitment, and building inclusive teams in tech.

#TechBeyondGender #WomenInTech #Leadership #Inclusion #CareerGrowth #TechCareers #DiversityInTech #Recruitment #EngineeringLeadership #Podcast

In this episode of Tech Beyond Gender, Meena Satishkumar sits down with Ambica Dixit, Principal Partner for Data, AI, and Robotics at VedArc. With a career spanning India, the US, and New Zealand, Ambika shares her inspiring journey from childhood curiosity in STEM to leading data-led transformation and intelligent automation.

She opens up about:

• Breaking into IT during the outsourcing boom of the early 2000s

• Her transition from teaching computers to strategic tech leadership

• Pioneering AI-driven solutions in both legacy and modern systems

• Advocating for responsible AI with pillars of security, trust, and inclusivity

• The myths around AI “replacing jobs” and why she sees it as a creator of opportunities

Whether you’re curious about digital transformation, the future of AI, or the values that sustain global leadership, this conversation will leave you motivated and informed.

#TechBeyondGender #AI #ResponsibleAI #WomenInTech #DigitalTransformation #Leadership #InclusionInTech #Robotics #DataScience #TechPodcast