131. Dr. Sandra Johnson, Entrepreneur, Global Technology Leader, Author

Lisa Fennell shares her non-linear career path—from studying police science at a technical college, to restaurant work and administrative roles, to becoming a business analyst and eventually a sales and marketing leader in utility tech. Along the way, she opens up about confidence, mentorship, being “the only woman at the table,” and what it’s like building a career without a traditional four-year degree. What you’ll hear in this episode What Lisa does today Lisa explains Ping Things and the ...

In this episode of Ordinarily Extraordinary: Conversations with Women in STEM, host Kathy Nelson sits down with Dr. Elizabeth Mendes, a newly minted PhD and postdoctoral researcher whose work focuses on rare and aggressive pediatric cancers. Dr. Mendes recently completed her PhD at Duke University, where she spent over five years researching rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare childhood soft-tissue cancer. Her goal: identify new biological targets that could one day lead to better, more effective treatm...

In this episode, Kathy sits down with Vinayasri Nidadavolu, a specialist engineer in offshore wind energy at Siemens Energy. Vinaya’s story spans continents, megawatts, and life stages — from earning a rare degree in wind engineering to climbing offshore turbines hundreds of kilometers out at sea, and now navigating her career as a new mother. Vinaya takes us inside the fascinating world of offshore wind turbines — explaining how today’s turbines have grown from 2–3 megawatts to an astonishin...

In this episode, Kathy and Linda LaTourelle sit down with Linda Rhodes, a former large-animal veterinarian, pharmaceutical executive, entrepreneur, and author, to explore an extraordinary career path rooted in agriculture, science, and perseverance. Linda shares her journey from being one of the few women working as a large-animal veterinarian to building a groundbreaking career in veterinary pharmaceuticals, biotech startups, and executive leadership. Along the way, she reflects honestly on ...

In this episode, Kathy sits down with Christine Hollis, the Chief Talent and Diversity Officer at Marshall Gerstein & Borun — one of the top intellectual property law firms in the U.S. Christine brings a fresh, energetic perspective to the often-misunderstood world of patent law and STEM-driven legal careers. Together, they explore what intellectual property (IP) law really is, how STEM professionals are critical to patent work, and why careers like technical specialist, patent agent, and...