female leaders – Dov Pollack Executive Coaching

February 7, 2022February 7, 2022

Dr. Elizabeth Ruzzo PhD, Founder and CEO of Adyn, On: Why Precision Medicine Is the Future, Choosing a Start-up Over Academia, and the Future of Birth Control

Dr. Elizabeth Heinrichs Graham

Dr. Elizabeth Ruzzo is an expert in genetics, an innovator in the birth control field, and is the Founder of Adyn. The company aims to match people with the most suitable birth control for their unique biology. Her scientific background includes a doctorate from Duke University in genome sciences and postdoctoral research at UCLA. While there, her findings helped illuminate the genetic etiology of the autism spectrum disorder. She also conducted research at the University of Washington, where she received her bachelor’s degree.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

What is Adyn, and how does it help women with birth control?
Dr. Elizabeth Ruzzo’s journey to starting her own business
Combining the different mindsets of science and entrepreneurship
The approach Dr. Ruzzo takes to leadership and mentorship
What’s the mission and the common experience behind Adyn
How Dr. Ruzzo gives feedback and hires employees
Adyn’s future and where the company is heading

In this episode…

There are plenty of businesses with a purpose, but how many have a meaningful mission?

Not every company has a higher calling, but there is incredible value in those that choose to do more. Outside of charities, there is still a need for companies to contribute to the pressing problems of our time. Behind these companies are leaders that seek to create tangible change and fill holes that the marketplace has left empty.

A business that fits that exact criteria is Adyn. Recently established in January 2020, Adyn helps people find appropriate birth control through science rather than guesswork. They received tremendous support out of the gate, due in no small part to its founder. Now that founder shares the story of her company and the mission behind it.

In this episode of Next Wave Leadership, Dov Pollack speaks with Dr. Elizabeth Ruzzo, the Founder of Adyn, to discuss the state of birth control and how her company seeks to help. They start with Dr. Ruzzo’s own experiences and her journey of starting Adyn. They then walk through various topics from hiring to mentorship to science and more. The two also discuss where the company is heading in the future.

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Founded by Dov Pollack, Next Wave Leadership is an executive coaching firm focused on helping CEOs, executives, and emerging leaders to deepen their executive presence, differentiate their voice, and embrace the plot and promise of their story.

To know more about what we can do to help you grow as a leader, visit our website at NextWaveLeadership.com or send us an email at dov@nextwaveleadership.com.

January 31, 2022January 31, 2022

Tracie Hlavka, the EVP Engineering at Flyhomes, On: Having the Confidence to Be Wrong, Managing Humans, and Building Culture Remotely

Tracie Hlavka

As a technology leader with a focus on people, Tracie Hlavka enjoys the process of enabling a team while also developing her company’s tech. She is the EVP of Engineering at Flyhomes, which makes home buying and selling easier. The majority of her career was spent at Blue Nile and Porch, serving on all levels of both company’s technological engineering teams. For her education, she received her bachelor’s from the University of Washington and a master’s in computer science from Florida State University.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

Tracie Hlavka’s first position as a typist and how it’s directed her career
How Tracie’s family and background has influenced her leadership
Teaching people how to drive change
Why it’s essential to hire the right people for your company
The keys to building a culture of collaboration and empathy
Mentoring your employees and how to do it the right way
Tips and recommendations for building culture through remote work

In this episode…

We have seen the importance, especially with the rise of remote work, of building a cohesive team and culture within a company. Making sure everyone is united in purpose and process is essential for taking your business to the next level. There’s no substitute for a team that’s on the same page. Every leader has a different approach, but it helps when you’ve filled the same shoes as your employees.

Tracie Hlavka has had a long career in technology, methodically advancing through positions to her current role as EVP of Engineering at Flyhomes. She has developed her knowledge of the tech as well as team-building one step at a time, giving her the insight that some managers don’t have. So how does she approach leadership with all that experience?

In this episode of Next Wave Leadership, Dov Pollack sits down with Tracie Hlavka, the EVP of Engineering at Flyhomes, to talk about building culture and managing humans in the corporate world. They go through her career and the events that shaped her outlook. Then, the two go into depth on subjects such as remote work, building a culture of collaboration, and the importance of hiring the right people. Stay tuned for all this and more!

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To know more about what we can do to help you grow as a leader, visit our website at NextWaveLeadership.com or send us an email at dov@nextwaveleadership.com.

January 24, 2022January 24, 2022

Maril Gagen MacDonald, the Founder and CEO of Gagen MacDonald, On: Navigating an Oil Spill Response, Turning Navistar Around, and Changing the World One Dysfunctional Company at a Time

Maril Gagen MacDonald

Maril Gagen MacDonald is an awarded leader in PR and a pioneer for disciplines that promote corporate collaboration and employee engagement. She is the Founder and CEO of Gagen MacDonald, a strategy execution firm that is intent on connecting the corporate office to frontline employees. Since its foundation in 1998, they have become an award-winning firm that’s worked with notable names such as ADP, Allstate, and McDonald’s.

Maril’s background is primarily in communications, having learned many of her skills from leading companies, including Navistar and Bayer.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

How to change the world through one dysfunctional company at a time
Maril Gagen MacDonald’s upbringing and learning how to define yourself
What Maril learned at Standard Oil Company
Looking at Maril’s experience in male-dominated industries
Improving the company from the ground up
How to focus on what matters when fixing problems within a company
The three components that can transform a business
Women helping other women in business

In this episode…

What’s the best way to transform a company?

There are layers to the question, from the company’s actual performance to the culture to its public perception. Each one is important to the business’ overall health, but it can be hard to pull it all together. The only real answer is to start where you are and redefine the company from your position of leadership.

Maril Gagen MacDonald has had to do this for multiple companies. From Navistar to Bayer to Standard Oil, she’s helped guide these businesses towards higher functioning and greater results. Now her firm does this for some of the largest companies in the world, sharing her expertise with those willing to listen.

In this episode of Next Wave Leadership, Dov Pollack speaks with Maril Gagen MacDonald, the CEO and Founder of Gagen MacDonald, on transforming companies and improving business results. They talk about her time at Standard Oil and Navistar and how she helped direct those companies towards a better image and improved strategy. They also go over corporate culture and what it’s like to be in a male-dominated industry.

Resources Mentioned in this episode

Sponsor for this episode…

To know more about what we can do to help you grow as a leader, visit our website at NextWaveLeadership.com or send us an email at dov@nextwaveleadership.com.

January 3, 2022January 3, 2022

Alexa Binns, a Partner at Halogen Ventures, On: The Two Sides of Venture Capital, Partnering With Founders To Build Their Culture, and Making Decisions With Imperfect Info

Alexa Binns

Alexa Binns is an investor with an eye for consumer trends and new technology. She is a Partner at Halogen Ventures, an early-stage venture capital fund that focuses on women-led businesses. She has an extensive background in startups, working as a Sr. Associate at Maven Ventures and a Partner at Borden Binns. Her earlier work was in business development and digital media. She helped launch the Cheeky brand at Target and public health campaigns with MTV, Walgreens, and the NBA.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

How Alexa Binns’ first job with Target guided her career
Knowing how to invest early with a little capital
What it’s like being a woman in the tech industry
Building a successful brand by using YouTube
The role of diversity and gender in work culture
Advice for young women getting into venture capital

In this episode…

Venture capital is a field that requires an immense amount of leadership. It takes confidence, intelligence, and communication to turn investments into successful, profitable businesses. If done right, venture capital can be an incredibly beneficial proposition between the fund and the startup. Additionally, it can serve as an opportunity to invest in companies that may be overlooked. This has been the approach for Halogen Ventures.

Halogen is an early-stage venture capital fund that specifically helps women in the consumer technology industry. Not only does it promote diversity, but it’s proven to be a successful model for them. Alexa Binns is one of their partners, supporting startups on all fronts and helping them thrive in a crowded market. Now she explains just how she does it.

In this episode of Next Wave Leadership, Dov Pollack sits down with Alexa Binns, a Partner at Halogen Ventures, to discuss venture capital and how to promote diversity in the field. They talk about her work with Cheeky and Target and how it taught her how to invest in companies. They then touch on various topics such as YouTube, building a great workplace culture, and advice for women in venture capital.

Resources Mentioned in this episode

Sponsor for this episode…

To know more about what we can do to help you grow as a leader, visit our website at NextWaveLeadership.com or send us an email at dov@nextwaveleadership.com.

November 15, 2021November 15, 2021

Gabrielle Kluck, the Director of Ombudsman and Mediation Services at the United Nations World Food Programme: On Fostering Change Within Large Global Organizations, Humanizing the Workplace, and Thinking Seven Generations Ahead

Gabrielle Kluck

Gabrielle Kluck is the Director of Ombudsman and Mediation Services at the United Nations (UN) World Food Programme. Gabrielle has had a robust and storied career in both the public and private sectors, serving in several roles at the UN, including Regional Ombudsman and Field Administration Officer. Before the UN, she worked for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in leadership positions.

Gabrielle has also honed her expertise for global businesses such as Shell, KSG Berenschot, and MDF Training & Consultancy. Her extensive education also covers many fields and specialties. She has her MScBA in Business and Administration from the University of Groningen and studied psychology at the Institute for Applied Integrated Psychology.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

What Gabrielle Kluck does as an ombudsman
Gabrielle shares her journey, from changing her school to working at the UN
Unlocking new thinking within established organizations
The most important aspects of mediation
What is gender washing and why does it need to be addressed?
Choosing humanity in the workplace in the face of conflict
How the UN works to keep the peace around the globe
The key to creating real change in the world

In this episode…

How do you create lasting change in the world?

It’s a lofty question without an easy answer. So many people try and fall short of improving lives on the scale they hope for. However, it’s not impossible. Deep change is not only possible but necessary for progress. Change is also a cumulative effect, happening very slowly and only with the right circumstances. It takes inspiring leaders to take us to that next level, one step at a time. Gabrielle Kluck is trying to improve the world around her by doing just that, and now, she shares that vision with you.

Dov Pollack sits down with Gabrielle Kluck, Director of Ombudsman and Mediation Services at the United Nations (UN) World Food Programme, to discuss fostering change and mediating conflicts. The two talk through what it looks like to unlock new thinking in large organizations and how it can transform their work. They also go into humanity in the workplace, the UN’s work in the world, and the issues with gender washing. Hear it all on this episode of Next Wave Leadership!

Resources Mentioned in this episode

Sponsor for this episode…

To know more about what we can do to help you grow as a leader, visit our website at NextWaveLeadership.com or send us an email at dov@nextwaveleadership.com.