"Thriving in STEM: Rethinking Career Pathways for Women with Cassie Leonard
MULTIPLE HATS: STEM Careers | Reinvention | Entrepreneurship |Thought LeadershipShow Notes
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shift in decoupling self-worth from paycheck and title, her FIRE-based financial choices, and how the book rejects the outdated pipeline metaphor in favor of a Rubik’s-cube model of complex, non-linear careers, organizing chapters around values/thriving, drivers of attrition, and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
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