Beyond the Leaky Pipeline: Redefining Success and Keeping Women in STEM with Cassie Leonard

The episode of Multiple Hats, hosted by Angelique, addresses why women leave STEM,.

Citing a global survey where 50% leave due to burnout and lack of support, 40% for greater fulfillment, and 30% because of bias in career advancement, the authors of beyond the pipeline argue that the real challenge is retention rather than recruitment.

The host introduces a three-episode series on the “leaky pipeline” with authors of Beyond the Pipeline, a collaborative book carrying insights from 25 women in STEM worldwide and grounded in lived experience.

Guest Cassie Leonard, an aerospace engineer who left a senior management role at Boeing, discusses her identity shift in decoupling self-worth from paycheck and title, her FIRE-based financial choices, and how the book rejects the outdated pipeline metaphor in favor of a Rubik’s-cube model of complex, non-linear careers, organizing chapters around values/thriving, drivers of attrition, and solutions, and building an ongoing community via LinkedIn and Slack.

00:00 Why Women Leave STEM

00:46 Beyond Cupcakes Real Support

01:24 Series And Guest Preview

03:25 Meet Cassie Leonard

03:50 Why Write Beyond Pipeline

05:15 Rethinking Leaky Pipeline

06:54 Leaving Boeing Identity Shift

09:05 Redefining Success And Money

12:29 How 25 Authors Wrote Together

16:56 From Pipeline To Rubiks Cube

18:48 Community And Book Tour

20:01 Biggest Attrition Factor Bias

21:26 Ideal Worker Parent Paradox

24:17 Closing Takeaways Next Episode

Want to craft a career story that opens doors?

I help STEMM professionals speak with clarity, confidence, and purpose and show up as thought leaders —so the right opportunities find you.

📬 Let’s connect: angeliquegreco.com.au | LinkedIn

⭐️ Help More People Reinvent Their Careers

If you enjoyed this episode, please:

• ✅ Leave a quick ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify 🙏
• ♻️ Share it with a friend who's questioning their path in STEM

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.