Materials.Business Newsletter ⚙️ July 25th, 2024
Podcast Guest: Gayathri Shukla
Video in English you can add subtitles in any language - see below to learn how!
Get ready for a treat, Materials Business community! We’re excited to unveil a surprise episode featuring Gayathri Shukla, a true trailblazer in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI). As the world celebrates a historic moment in diversity with the 2024 Paris Olympics, we’re bringing you an exclusive conversation with Gayathri—just in time to dive into the real meaning of inclusion on the global stage. Don’t miss this inspiring discussion as we explore the intersection of sports, representation, and transformative leadership!
Gender Parity: A Milestone at the 2024 Paris Olympics
The 2024 Paris Olympics have kicked off with a powerful message: equal representation matters. For the first time, we witness a balanced participation of women and men across various sports.
LeBron James and Coco Gauff proudly carry the American flag during the opening ceremony, symbolizing unity and progress.
The power of representation: A nursery in the Olympic Village
The credit goes to Allyson Felix. Allyson, the most decorated track and field athlete in history, is making a significant impact beyond her athletic achievements. Recognizing the challenges faced by athlete moms, Felix has teamed up with Pampers to create the first-ever Pampers Nursery in the Athletes Village. This nursery provides a space for Olympic moms to bond with, nurse, and care for their babies, alleviating some of the pressures of competition. As a mother of two, Felix understands firsthand the difficulties of competing at the highest level while balancing motherhood. Her advocacy for athlete moms exemplifies the importance of representation and support for women in sports. This is why representation matters! A huge shoutout to the #OlympicGames2024 committee for setting the gold standard in diversity and a heartfelt thank you to Allyson Felix for embodying grace and inclusion!
I just knew how difficult it was to compete at the top level after I had my daughter, and some practical things were really hard. And so when I joined the Athletes Commission of the IOC, I really wanted to be that voice for athlete moms, and just take away one less thing for them to worry about in the pressure of competition - Allyson Felix
The landmark gender parity achieved at the 2024 Paris Olympics underscores the importance of equal representation, a theme that resonates deeply with our podcast guest, Gayathri Shukla. As a champion of EDI (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion), Gayathri’s journey from engineer to entrepreneur exemplifies how inclusive leadership can drive transformative change. Her work with Campfire Kinship emphasizes the power of diverse perspectives and storytelling in fostering empathy and innovation within teams.
Another woman in STEM now leading change
Representation, as showcased by the balanced participation at the Olympics and Allyson Felix’s groundbreaking Pampers Nursery, is not just about numbers—it's about creating spaces where all voices are heard and valued. Gayathri’s approach aligns with this vision, advocating for environments where diverse experiences are leveraged to unlock greater potential and performance. Her personal experience as a minority within various sectors enriches her understanding of the challenges and opportunities that come with true inclusion.
Gayathri Shukla’s journey from engineer to leading her own company, Campfire Kinship, is a testament to the power of pursuing one’s passions and finding your voice. Her path—marked by diverse roles from engineering to business management, and now as an entrepreneur—highlights the importance of following your dreams and staying true to your unique strengths. Gayathri discovered her voice through various avenues: her book
Landed: Transformative Stories of Canadian Immigrant Women,
the impactful Campfire Kinship workshops, and her engaging podcast, Hearth 2 Heart. Each of these endeavors reflects her commitment to empowering others and advancing inclusive leadership. Her story inspires us to explore our own passions and use our voices to drive meaningful change. Bonus, the podcast was recorded in a professional studio, so you get a treat of quality at the same time - all the channels to listen are listed below!
Ready to question yourself?
As we celebrate these strides towards equity, diversity and inclusivity, we invite you to reflect on how diverse perspectives can enhance your own teams and projects, to explore how embracing diversity can lead to more innovative and effective leadership. Thank you for being part of our community, and we look forward to continuing this important dialogue with you.
Are you missing out on the potential of a diverse team? How many growth opportunities are slipping through the cracks? Imagine the enhanced performance and innovation you could achieve by truly listening to voices beyond the mainstream.
Curious to explore how these insights can revolutionize your leadership approach? Dive into our workshops designed for technical leaders and discover how embracing diversity can drive exceptional results.
Want to learn more? Drop me a note! And follow us for top-notch content on leadership and personal growth #InfinityGrowth #materialsbusiness ❤️
Gayathri Shukla holds an electrical engineering degree from the University of Calgary and an Executive MBA from Queen’s University. After 17 years of engineering and leadership experience in the energy sector, Gayathri pivoted her career to start Campfire Kinship in 2020, a social enterprise building inclusive cultures through training, advisory, and storytelling. She is certified in an innovative method of storytelling called guided autobiography. As a coach and facilitator of this method, she empowers individuals to discover their authentic strengths, while building empathy skills. She has since trained over 1000 leaders in various sectors and published a bestselling anthology using this method, Landed, Transformative Stories of Canadian Immigrant Women. You can also catch Gayathri on her radio-hosted podcast Hearth 2 Heart. Gayathri is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee medal in recognition of her community leadership.
Listen on Apple podcast, Spotify or Youtube and make sure to Follow US!
If you are watching the episode on YouTube, you can translate to almost ANY language, here is how:
- Open any video on YouTube.
- Click the CC button so it is underlined in red.
- Click the Settings (Gear) Button.
- Click Subtitles.
- Click Auto-translate.
- Choose a Language.
Thank you to the Arty Finch - Business Maturity Podcast that featured Monica, in an episode called: "Solutions and Leadership Lessons from Metallurgical Industry Expert | Podcast With Monica Hernandez" - watch it here!
Looking for a job... try the ones below:
Next Podcast Episode !!!
Industry events on the lookout !!!
Click on the image for further information about the events!
We partnered with North West WOMEN in STEM - ever since speaking with Saba (co-founder) we couldn't resist putting #SDG17 in action once more. Have you listened to her podcast yet? https://youtu.be/fLP7yX1Bd7c?feature=shared
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