In this season finale, the mic gets flipped on Kayla-Megan Burns, the brilliant mind behind Podplistic and the production of this very podcast. A former biomedical student, climate activist, and New York Times debate guest, Kayla takes us through their incredible journey: from selling podcast services as a side hustle to pitching AI-driven software to global news giants.

We talk tech, identity, burnout, purpose and how it feels to be a non-binary founder navigating the startup world (and the women's founder ecosystem) in 2025. It’s warm, honest, smart, and a perfect wrap-up to the series.

You’ll laugh, cry, and probably Google “Dunning-Kruger effect” halfway through.

In this episode of the AccelerateHER podcast, Elizabeth sits down with Alison Gray, founder of Skillfluence — a woman with a passion for people, potential, and (unexpectedly) antique doorknobs.

Alison shares her journey from managing mental health care homes to empowering researchers and academics with entrepreneurial skills. With warmth and wit, she reflects on side hustles, building a mission-driven business without external investment, and what Aussie Gold Hunters has to do with downtime.

We also tackle a brilliant “Ask AccelerateHER” question: how do you shift from doing it all yourself to leading a team and letting go?

Whether you're a founder, educator, or just someone figuring out the next step — this one’s packed with gems.

In this episode, we meet the brilliant duo behind My SMASH Media — Fiona Gillis and Christine Hartland. These two powerhouse producers are shaking up the film and TV industry with a platform designed to make matchmaking between creators and decision-makers as easy as swiping right.

They share how their own frustrations in the industry led to the creation of SMASH, the joys and challenges of building a startup as co-founders, and the lessons learned from raising investment — including one pitch so disruptive it caused visible outrage on an industry panel!

We also tackle a real-life founder dilemma: how to network confidently when you're an introvert. Expect honest advice, plenty of laughs, and a healthy dose of “we’ll just do it ourselves, then” energy.

Whether you’re in the creative industries or building something from scratch, this one is packed with insight and inspiration.

Topics we cover:

From actor to entrepreneur: Fiona’s unconventional journey

Finding the right co-founder (on a train!)

Disrupting a traditional industry with tech

Pitching under pressure

Honest truths about investment as female founders

Building confidence in networking

Why founders make great producers — and vice versa