In this special International Day of Women and Girls in STEM episode, host Kelly Shungu sits down with three extraordinary conservation scientists from the RSPB who are redefining what it means to do groundbreaking research in some of the world's most remote and challenging environments.

Dr Antje Steinfurth is a penguinologist with over two decades of experience studying seabirds, leading the Gough Island Restoration Project — one of the world's most important seabird breeding site restorations — while working closely with island communities to protect critically endangered Northern Rockhopper penguins in the remote South Atlantic.

Dr Louise Soanes is a Senior Conservation Scientist working across the Caribbean and UK Overseas Territories, where she balances biodiversity protection with climate-smart approaches on low-lying, hurricane-prone islands — navigating both environmental extremes and the challenges of being a woman in remote field environments.

Dr Natasha Constant is a Principal Social Scientist specialising in the human dimensions of conservation across West Africa. She champions participatory methods and local knowledge systems, often as the only female or social scientist in her team, proving that conservation science must include the voices of the communities it serves.

If you've ever wondered what real conservation work looks like beyond the Instagram posts, or how women are leading global STEM research while breaking barriers in male-dominated fields, this conversation will open your eyes.

We dive into:

✨ What a day in the life of a conservation scientist actually looks like — from penguin colonies to tropical forests ✨ How these scientists balance rigorous research with climate change realities and community needs ✨ The unique challenges women face in remote fieldwork and male-dominated STEM environments ✨ Why local knowledge and participatory methods are essential to conservation success ✨ Real stories of conservation wins — from seabird restoration to climate-smart island protection ✨ How their work contributes to closing the gender gap and redefining STEM ✨ One action you can take this week to start or advance a career in STEM or conservation science

Whether you're considering a STEM career, passionate about conservation, or curious about what it takes to do world-changing research in the most challenging environments on Earth, this conversation will inspire you to think differently about both science and impact.

Follow the Women in STEM Podcast:

• Host LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-ann-shungu/
• Podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/women-in-stem-podcast/
• All Links: https://linktr.ee/womeninstem_podcast
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womeninstem_podcast/

What if the future of STEM isn't about choosing between creativity and logic but realising they've always belonged together?

In this special episode, host Kelly Shungu brings you our first-ever live Women in STEM Podcast event — recorded in front of a sold-out audience at Somerset House, London. This panel discussion features three remarkable women who've each been guests on the podcast before, but this time, they're in conversation together.

Joining Kelly are Dr. Sabrya Carim (Editor at Nature Cell Biology, Chair of Springer Nature Muslim Employee Network), İlayda Bakare (Founder of Exhibits, self-taught coder), and Emily Wood (Software Engineering Leader, Code First Girls advocate). Together, they explore creativity, innovation, and unconventional paths in the STEM field.

We dive into:

✨ When creativity becomes essential to solving problems in STEM and why it's not separate from logic

Whether you're considering a STEM career, navigating an unconventional path, or believe that diverse perspectives drive innovation forward, this conversation will remind you that your unique journey is your greatest asset.

This event featured one keynote speaker, a panel discussion, seven hands-on workshops, and was sponsored by Engineering Tomorrow and Girl Dreamer. We have so much more planned for this year!

Follow the Women in STEM Podcast:

• Host LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-ann-shungu/
• Podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/women-in-stem-podcast/
• All Links: https://linktr.ee/womeninstem_podcast
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womeninstem_podcast/

Previous Episodes: Want to dive deeper? Listen to each panellist's individual podcast episode:

Dr. Sabrya Carim: "Is a PhD Right for You?"

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabrya-carim/?originalSubdomain=uk

İlayda Bakare: Building Exhibits and Self-Teaching Code

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ilayda-bakare/

Emily Wood: Media Representation and Making Tech Accessible

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-wood-software-engineer/

What if refusing to "pick a lane" is exactly what makes you unstoppable?

In this episode, host Kelly Shungu sits down with Fionnghuala "Fig" O'Reilly — systems engineer, NASA Datanaut, first woman of colour to win Miss Universe Ireland, CBS Mission Unstoppable correspondent, Broadway producer, and the youngest Honorary Fellow in the 186-year history of Engineers Ireland.

Fig holds a Bachelor of Science in Systems Engineering from George Washington University, worked in NASA's data science program, and has flown in zero gravity as an aspiring citizen astronaut. In 2019, she made history by winning Miss Universe Ireland. In 2021, she shattered another ceiling, becoming the youngest Honorary Fellow at Engineers Ireland. And most recently? She made her Broadway producing debut as Co-Producer for the revival of The Wiz.

If you've ever been told you can't be brilliant and beautiful, technical and creative, or that you need to choose between STEM and the arts, Fig's story will prove otherwise.

We dive into:

✨ What a NASA Datanaut actually does and what it feels like to fly in zero gravity

✨ The decision to compete for Miss Universe Ireland as a systems engineer with NASA on her resume

✨ Navigating the "pick a lane" pressure when people can't reconcile all the parts of you

✨ The actual barriers women of colour face in STEM spaces beyond awards and recognition

✨ How systems thinking and engineering connect to producing a Broadway show

✨ What imposter syndrome looks like at the highest levels and how to handle it

✨ One action you can take this week to start building a multifaceted STEM career

Whether you're constantly told to dim one part of yourself to shine in another, or you're about to walk into a room where you'll be the only one who looks like you, this conversation will remind you that you never had to choose. You can be all of who you are.

🎧 Listen now: [Add podcast link]

Follow the Women in STEM Podcast:

• Host LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-ann-shungu/
• Podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/women-in-stem-podcast/
• All Links: https://linktr.ee/womeninstem_podcast
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womeninstem_podcast/

Connect with Fionnghuala "Fig" O'Reilly:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/figoreilly/?hl=en
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/figoreilly/

What if your biggest obstacle isn't lack of confidence — it's that you're stuck in your own thoroughness?

In this episode, we sit down with Atty Cronin, CPD-certified career coach for women in tech, ex-software developer, and the woman who's allergic to pros and cons lists, with host Kelly Shungu.

Atty shares her journey from 15+ years in web and software development at Time Warner, Capgemini, and the Civil Service to becoming the coach who helps brilliant women stop making spreadsheets and start making decisions. After multiple pivots in and out of tech — and navigating ADHD, perimenopause, miscarriage, postpartum depression, and mum guilt in male-dominated spaces — Atty now coaches women who trust everyone's opinion except their own.

We dive into:

✨ The pattern that keeps accomplished women stuck: it's not confidence, it's thoroughness

✨ Why pros and cons lists are keeping you paralysed instead of moving you forward

✨ How ADHD showed up in her tech career and what she had to learn to succeed

✨ The invisible load women carry in tech that no one talks about professionally

✨ Her three-step process: exit the thought spirals, trust yourself, take action that fits your real life

✨ How to make career decisions in days instead of months

Whether you're months into analysing a decision, making endless lists that lead nowhere, or ready to back yourself the way you back everyone else — this conversation will give you permission to stop overthinking and start trusting what you already know.

Don't miss our Women in STEM event on November 19th, 6-9 PM at Somerset House! Atty is generously providing a coaching session as a giveaway prize for attendees. Event Link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1839543166129?aff=oddtdtcreator

Follow the Women in STEM Podcast:

• Host LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-ann-shungu/
• Podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/women-in-stem-podcast/
• All Links: https://linktr.ee/womeninstem_podcast
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womeninstem_podcast/

Connect with Atty Cronin:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/attycronin/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/attycronin/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@attycronin
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AttyCroninCoaching
• Here is the shop: https://shetechs.io/

Podcast Episode Description

What if the way you dress could unlock promotions, speaking opportunities, and the career breakthrough you've been waiting for?

In this episode, we sit down with Kyla Brown, certified style coach, tech strategist, and founder of "It's Kyla Not Kayla," with host Kelly Shungu.

Kyla shares her journey from battling imposter syndrome at Codecademy to becoming a London College of Fashion-certified coach who helps brilliant women in STEM scale their visibility, voice, and value through the power of style and presence. As founder of the Digital Likeness Lab, she now helps non-technical visionaries build their AI presence and translate their expertise into scalable tech products.

We dive into:

✨ The moment that broke her imposter syndrome cycle at Codecademy

✨ Why "dressing for the life she wanted" changed everything — promotions, speaking gigs, and opportunities

✨ How to navigate tech's "don't try too hard" culture while showing up authentically

✨ What happens to brilliant women when they don't know how to package their brilliance

✨ Why identity work must come before wardrobe work

Whether you're hiding your brilliance because you're afraid to be seen, worried that caring about style means you won't be taken seriously, or ready to stop playing small — this conversation will challenge how you think about presence, power, and showing up in STEM.

Don't miss our Women in STEM event on November 19th, 6-9 PM at Somerset House! Kyla is generously providing a giveaway prize for attendees. Event Link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1839543166129?aff=oddtdtcreator

Follow the Women in STEM Podcast:

• Host LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-ann-shungu/
• Podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/women-in-stem-podcast/
• All Links: https://linktr.ee/womeninstem_podcast
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womeninstem_podcast/

Connect with Kyla Brown:

• Website: https://www.itskylanotkayla.com/closet-essentials-checklist
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itskylanotkayla/

What does it take to build a £1.4 million AI-powered company from scratch — starting with braiding hair?

In this episode, we sit down with Oyinkansola Adebayo (Oyin), CEO and Founder of Niyo Group, a multi-award-winning tech company transforming beauty and education for women of colour worldwide, with host Kelly Shungu.

Link to upcoming event: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1839543166129?aff=oddtdtcreator

Oyin shares her journey from braiding hair for women in 2018 to building two powerhouse brands: Niyo Hair & Beauty, an AI-powered platform revolutionising salon experiences for textured hair, and Niyo Labs, a skills-based education platform that's trained over 3,000 women in tech and entrepreneurship — with an incredible 70% job placement rate at companies like KPMG and Goldman Sachs.

We dive into:

✨ How she bootstrapped her way to 7 figures

✨ The role of AI in transforming industries built on exclusion

✨ What it takes to train and place women in competitive tech roles

Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, curious about AI's impact on underrepresented communities, or looking for proof that purpose and profit can coexist, this conversation will challenge and inspire you.

Don't miss our Women in STEM event on November 19th, 6-9 PM at Somerset House! Niyo Group is sponsoring and giving away a huge VIP prize. Event Link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1839543166129?aff=oddtdtcreator

Follow the Women in STEM Podcast:

• Host LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-ann-shungu/
• Podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/women-in-stem-podcast/
• All Links: https://linktr.ee/womeninstem_podcast
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womeninstem_podcast/

Connect with Niyo Group:

• Oyinkansola LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oyinkansola-adebayo/
• Website: https://www.niyo.co/

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What happens when brilliant women in STEM set out to solve one of medicine's most urgent challenges? You get groundbreaking innovation that's literally saving lives around the world.

Host Kelly Shungu welcomes two powerhouse leaders from Front Line Medical Technologies: Dr Asha Parekh, Co-Founder and CEO, and Seema Gogna, Director of Products. Together, they've created the revolutionary COBRA-OS® device—a game-changing tool that stops bleeding in emergencies, from trauma centres to military medicine to postpartum care.

In this inspiring conversation, we explore how biomedical engineering translates into real-world solutions, the challenges of scaling life-saving technology globally, and what it takes to lead with purpose in male-dominated industries. Asha and Seema share their journeys from STEM backgrounds to executive leadership, revealing how representation and equity drive their mission to make healthcare innovation accessible to all.

Whether you're curious about medical technology, considering entrepreneurship, or wondering how STEM careers can create meaningful impact, this episode shows exactly how science and engineering can change—and save—lives.

Follow the Women in STEM Podcast:

• Host LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-ann-shungu/
• Podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/women-in-stem-podcast/
• All Links: https://linktr.ee/womeninstem_podcast
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womeninstem_podcast/

Connect with Front Line Medical Technologies:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/front-line-medical-technologies-inc/posts/?feedView=all
• Twitter: https://x.com/FrontLineCOBRA
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frontlinecobra
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBzYfdWDDRn12tUyKQ_bz-w
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/FrontLineCOBRA/

Considering a PhD but not sure what you're getting into? This episode is exactly what you need to hear.

Host Kelly Shungu sits down with Dr Sabrya Carim, a cell biologist whose career spans groundbreaking research, science editing at Nature Cell Biology, and TEDx speaking. With a PhD in Cell Biology and years of postdoctoral experience, Sabrya now dedicates her time to helping others—especially women—navigate their STEM journeys.

In this honest conversation, we bust common PhD myths, explore what rigorous science really means, and tackle the confidence questions that keep so many brilliant minds from pursuing their dreams. Whether you're seriously considering doctoral studies or just curious about life in academic science, Sabrya shares the real talk you won't get from university brochures.

From lab isolation to career pivots, from imposter syndrome to finding your voice as a scientist—this episode covers it all with the kind of authenticity that only comes from someone who's walked the path.

Follow the Women in STEM Podcast:

Host LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-ann-shungu/

Podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/women-in-stem-podcast/

All Links: https://linktr.ee/womeninstem_podcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womeninstem_podcast/

Connect with Dr Sabrya Carim:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabrya-carim/?originalSubdomain=uk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sabrya.speaks/?hl=en