What Happens When Women Step Into the Boardroom. Sajna Samad x Richa Shahaney.

Описание: Women’s leadership has the power to shift workplaces, families and societies, yet many barriers still prevent women from stepping into decision-making roles.

In this episode, Richa Shahaney opens up about her journey as a digital transformation and AI leader, her role as founder of She Advises and Rising Chairs, and the personal turning points that shaped her commitment to building spaces where women rise together.

Richa reflects on raising her daughter inside real work environments, the identity shift that came with motherhood, the bold move to the UAE that pushed her into reinvention, and the realities women face when returning to work or trying to access leadership positions.

This conversation explores the stereotypes around women leaders, the power of empathy and emotional intelligence, why networks and sponsorship matter, and what must change in education and workplaces if we want the next generation of women to lead confidently.

If you care about women in leadership, equitable systems, or real stories of resilience and growth, this episode brings clarity and inspiration.

Episode Highlights
• Why women’s leadership is still limited by outdated systems
• What inspired Richa to create She Advises and Rising Chairs
• The impact of motherhood on identity and career
• How taking children into professional spaces shapes confidence
• Why financial independence is non-negotiable
• The truth about career breaks and returning to work
• The role of networks in shaping opportunities
• The mindset women must build to lead in tech and AI
• How community-driven support accelerates women’s leadership

Chapters
00:00 Women, leadership and the gap we must bridge
04:00 Richa’s daughter, early exposure, and the power of observation
08:00 Childhood experiences, empathy and early acts of leadership
12:00 Motherhood, career breaks and reclaiming identity
16:00 The move to UAE, uncertainty and rebuilding from the ground up
20:00 Underrepresentation, nurturer stereotypes and leadership misunderstandings
25:00 Real experiences of invisible labor and the strength women carry
30:00 Redesigning education, early leadership skills and financial literacy
36:00 Gender parity, sponsorship and collective responsibility
41:00 Rapid fire: inspiration, purpose and breaking myths about women leaders

Connect with Sajna Samad & Lead2Impact.
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LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/icRdn
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Instagram of Sajna Samad: https://shorturl.at/egRYf

Bio: Sajna Samad is a purpose driven leadership coach, enterprise AI leader, TEDx speaker, and author of the upcoming book “Are You the One? Decoding Habits of Successful Women Leaders”. She brings a rare blend of people centric leadership and deep experience in Cloud and AI driven digital transformation. Her work spans guiding organizations through complex technology shifts and helping women break self doubt, strengthen their voice, and lead with intention.

Instead of separating tech and humanity, she uses both. Emotional intelligence, data informed thinking, and real world transformation experience shape her approach to leadership. On this podcast she pushes past surface level motivation to host candid conversations where AI, empathy, and personal growth converge, giving listeners clear strategies to lead with clarity, courage, and substance in a tech shaped world.

Additional Reading/Listening:
LinkedIn Articles: https://shorturl.at/ZueE7
Catalyze Your Career Newsletter: https://shorturl.at/hjinP
Audio Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/78TgfJ5lAx5Z