Women hold only 14% of executive positions in STEM industries, and only 8% of STEM CEOs are women. Research shows that having women in leadership positions is crucial for promoting gender equality and advancing diversity and inclusion in STEM fields. It is also important for innovation and our ability to build more lucrative businesses. The low number of women in leadership positions is a concern for rising talent and today we want to provide you with the right approach to ensure you don’t fall off the career ladder due to lack of a leadership toolkit.    I am excited to interview Priyanka Shinde today to help you accelerate your leadership growth in Tech. Priyanka is a seasoned Silicon Valley tech leader with over 20 years experience in engineering, product management, and program management. She has previously worked at tech giants like Meta and startups like Cruise where she led highly technical teams launch cutting-edge products in the field of Autonomous Vehicles, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR), and Advertising Tech. She received her MBA from North Carolina State University and Masters in Computer Science from Arizona State University. Creating a culture of connection, authenticity, and empathy within organizations is her passion which she has cultivated into an executive coaching career helping leaders accelerate their ambitious goals.   In her free time, you can find Priyanka teaching Bollywood dance fitness classes, running or hiking the beautiful Bay Area trails and spending quality time with her husband and son.   Lets talk to Priyanaka to learn more about her stem story and how you can be the leader you’ve always wanted to be