Women Disrupting Tech

Every visionary founder needs a disciplined operator to translate "big ideas" into functional reality. In this episode, host Dirkjan Hupkes sits down with Eliza Moore, EVP of Client Experience & Operations at Prizeout, to deconstruct the unique mental models required to scale a startup from the ground up.Eliza shares her journey from New York financial services to the fast-paced world of fintech, offering a rare look at the "how" behind successful execution. We dive deep into the Data Chain Mental Model, a framework for better business decisions, and discuss why the most successful Women in Tech aren't just building products—they are building the systems that allow those products to thrive.What You’ll LearnThe Founder-Operator Dynamic: Why the "Why" and the "How" must work in perfect symbiosis.The Data Chain: A 7-step mental model to move from raw data to impactful business decisions.Scaling Smart: When to lean on "generalists" and when it’s time to bring in the "specialists."The Power of 'No': Why saying no is the most important skill for an operator during a growth phase.Fintech & Credit Unions: Why traditional financial institutions are becoming a surprising hub for innovation and female leadership.Chapters00:00 Introduction02:33 Eliza Moore's Journey to Prizeout09:36 Understanding Prizeout's Unique Fintech Model13:58 The Role of Credit Unions in Financial Services20:34 The Operator vs. Founder Dynamic26:40 Lessons from Mentorship and Leadership35:03 The Importance of Operators in Business43:08 Mental Models for Success in Funding44:28 Closing Thoughts and Where to ConnectConnect with Eliza Moore and PrizeoutEliza Moore on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizamoore/⁠Prizeout website: ⁠⁠https://www.prizeout.com/⁠⁠The Data Chain Framework: https://medium.com/data-science/12-mental-models-for-data-science-f2e2133d85eaAbout Women Disrupting TechHosted by Dirkjan Hupkes, this show features the female founders and tech leaders building the next generation of technology companies. We provide actionable strategies for female entrepreneurs, startup leaders, and advocates for diversity in STEM.Subscribe & Review If you enjoyed this "Operator’s Playbook," please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It helps us reach more women disrupting the tech landscape!

Whoever controls the narrative holds the power to influence others. But for female founders, storytelling isn't just about marketing — it's a leadership tool that can reshape how you're seen, heard, and followed.In this episode of Women Disrupting Tech, I talk with Jennifer Cloer, founder of Story Changes Culture and creator of the Chasing Grace Project, about why storytelling is a leadership imperative that requires embracing tension, emotion, and your own lived experience. Jennifer explains how her decade at the Linux Foundation taught her the anatomy of a great story, why "narrative power is cultural power," and what it takes to architect an origin story that connects with investors, teams, and customers.This episode is for female founders, women in tech, startup leaders, and entrepreneurs who want to understand how to use their personal stories to lead, influence, and drive real business growth.What you'll learn in this episode:Why narrative power is cultural power, and why whoever tells the story holds influenceHow to architect your founder origin story (characters, tension, stakes, and resolution)Why humans don't change behavior unless emotionally triggered, and what that means for leadershipThe "dreams and nightmares" framework for understanding what your audience truly wants and fearsWhy the personal is the professional, and how your lived experience is your most powerful assetWhat "agency" in storytelling means and why stories fall flat without itHow the Chasing Grace Project became "rocket fuel" for women in tech to ask for raises and leave toxic jobsChapters: 00:00 Introduction02:07 The Birth of Story Changes Culture07:20 The Chasing Grace Project: Empowering Women Through Storytelling12:13 The Importance of Storytelling in Leadership18:51 Authenticity in Storytelling: Balancing Personal and Professional21:13 Embracing Emotion in Storytelling21:23 Harnessing Tension in Storytelling22:56 Filling the Gap: Story Changes Culture Masterclass25:39 Elements of a Compelling Story28:42 Overcoming Skepticism in Art and Storytelling31:26 The Role of Agency in Storytelling32:59 Choosing the Right Perspective35:33 Underused Storytelling Elements for Women FoundersConnect with Jennifer Cloer and Story Changes CultureJennifer Cloer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifercloer/Personal Website: https://www.jennifercloer.com/Story Changes Culture website: https://www.storychangesculture.com/Story Changes Culture on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/storychangesculture/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/story_changesculture/Substack: https://storychangesculture.substack.com/More about Women Disrupting TechThe full show notes on the website: https://womendisruptingtech.blog/2026/04/09/episode-147/Our Substack Newsletter: https://open.substack.com/pub/womendisruptingtech/p/episode-147🎧 Listen to Women Disrupting Tech on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. 👉 Subscribe for more conversations with women building the future of tech through storytelling and leadership.

What people lose first after a brain injury isn't intelligence. It's confidence, autonomy, and dignity.In this episode of Women Disrupting Tech, I talk with Faviola Dadis, CEO and co-founder of BrainBoostXR, about how she's building AI-powered virtual reality rehabilitation that restores dignity for people recovering from acquired brain injuries. Faviola explains why traditional cognitive rehab often fails — not because the exercises don't work, but because 50% of patients don't complete their protocols. Her solution combines gamified VR experiences with AI-driven personalization to solve the adherence problem while addressing the emotional and social aspects of recovery that traditional rehab ignores.We also explore the concept of digital twins in healthcare, how AI can personalize rehabilitation without reinforcing bias, and why loneliness erodes dignity faster than cognitive decline ever will.This episode is for female founders, women in tech, health tech entrepreneurs, and anyone building products that need to balance clinical effectiveness with human dignity.What you'll learn in this episodeWhy cognitive rehabilitation alone isn't enough — and what's missingHow gamified VR improves patient adherence in brain injury recoveryWhat digital twins are and how they personalize rehabilitation protocolsWhy loneliness is a bigger threat to dignity than cognitive declineHow to build AI systems that avoid reinforcing existing biases in healthcareWhat female founders should know about the investor relationship and funding expectationsChapters:00:00 Introduction02:55 Journey to BrainBoostXR08:36 Understanding Acquired Brain Injury14:39 The Role of Gamification in Rehabilitation20:32 The Importance of Dignity in Recovery26:21 Innovations in AI and Digital Twins32:44 The Power of AI in Personalization36:08 Ethics and Bias in AI Development45:12 Commercializing BrainBoostXR57:39 Defining Success in Cognitive Care1:03:30 The Gender Funding Gap1:05:11 Investor Expectations and Early-Stage Challenges1:09:25 The Founder-Investor Relationship1:14:55 Personal Health and Entrepreneurship1:21:31 Building an AI Funding CoachConnect with Faviola Dadis and BrainBoost XRFaviola Dadis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/favioladadis/BrainBoostXR Website: https://www.brainboostxr.com/BrainBoostXR on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/brainboostxr/BrainBoostXR on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brainboostxr/Connect with Dirkjan HupkesDirkjan Hupkes on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dirkjan-hupkes/Women Disrupting Tech Website: https://womendisruptingtech.blog/Women Disrupting Tech Substack: https://womendisruptingtech.substack.com/🎧 Listen to Women Disrupting Tech on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.👉 Subscribe for more conversations with women building the future of tech.

Most startups hire fast. But is that the right hiring strategy?In this episode of Women Disrupting Tech, I talk with Relinde Boerman, lead recruiter at PolarSteps. This travel app startup scaled from 20 to nearly 100 employees while maintaining the culture that made it special. We explore why PolarSteps ignores time-to-hire as a metric, how they assess culture fit beyond vague feelings, and what it takes to build a talent-dense team that doesn't compromise on values.Relinde explains how clearly defined values become hiring criteria, why curiosity matters more than perfect clarity in a scaling environment, and how their "day at the office" interview process reveals what traditional interviews miss.This episode is for female founders, startup leaders, and anyone building a team who wants to understand how to scale without sacrificing the culture that makes your company special.What you'll learn in this episode- Why time-to-hire is the wrong metric for culture-driven startups- How to translate abstract company values into concrete hiring behaviors- What "talent density" means and why it matters more than headcount- Why hiring "overqualified" people for first-of-kind roles is a smart strategy- How a full-day interview reveals what 3 rounds of traditional interviews can't- What it takes to maintain culture while scaling from 20 to 100 employeesChapters00:00 Introduction02:02 Relinde's Journey to Polarsteps04:47 The Growth of Polarsteps07:20 Maintaining Company Culture During Rapid Growth10:23 The Importance of Values in Recruitment12:54 Hiring for Culture Fit15:38 Assessing Cultural Drift17:54 Defining Company Values20:05 Embedding Values in the Hiring Process22:15 Curiosity as a Cultural Element25:12 Balancing Clarity and Ambiguity in a Fast-Paced Environment27:58 The Role of Leadership in Culture30:14 High Impact, Talent Density, and Values33:10 Navigating Commercial Pressures in Hiring35:43 Addressing Hiring Mistakes38:15 The Day at the Office: A Unique Hiring Approach40:59 Onboarding and Settling In43:42 Fostering Belonging in a Hybrid Setup46:51 Career Growth and Internal Mobility49:23 Hiring a New CEO52:19 Advice for Female Founders55:15 Closing Thoughts and ResourcesConnect with Relinde Boerman and PolarStepsRelinde Boerman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/relindeboerman/Polarsteps on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/polarsteps/Polarsteps website: https://www.polarsteps.com/Polarsteps careers: https://careers.polarsteps.com/🎧 Listen to Women Disrupting Tech on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.👉 Subscribe for more conversations on building sustainable, culture-driven tech companies.

Most people think technology is neutral. It’s not.In this episode of Women Disrupting Tech, I talk with Dr. Christine Miller, Professor of Design Management at the Savannah College of Art and Design, and author of “Tools, Totems, and Totalities.” She studies how power and cultural values get embedded into the technology we use every day. We explore why so many modern tools feel like systems we have to submit to rather than products we choose, how AI and platforms are designed to ensure “the house always wins,” and what it takes to build technology that empowers human imagination instead of exploiting it.Chris introduces the framework of tools, totems, and totalities — a lens for understanding why there’s such a gap between what technology promises and what it actually delivers. We also talk about the unique systemic challenges female founders face when trying to build outside the gravity of existing tech totalities.This episode is for female founders, women in tech, and startup leaders who are building products and want to understand how design choices embed power dynamics into technology.What you’ll learn in this episode:Why modern technology reflects power dynamics, not just functionalityThe difference between tools that work with you vs. tools that work for youHow “totalities” like venture capital force founders into predefined rolesWhy profitability should be measured in infrastructure, social, and cultural capital — not just financial returnsThe “dreams and nightmares” framework for designing technology that people actually trustHow to stay on the “pirate trajectory” — plundering a system’s resources without being pulled into its gravityChapters:00:00 Introduction05:34 Exploring Hegemony in Technology08:28 The Nature of Technology and Trust11:18 The Concept of Neutrality in Technology14:17 Understanding Tools, Totems, and Totalities17:03 The Impact of Totalities on Technology19:53 Women Founders and Systemic Challenges22:59 Alternatives in Technology: Blue Sky25:54 Profitability and Societal Progress34:38 Measuring Societal Benefit and Design Value37:52 Identity-Shaping Technology and Brand Influence41:12 Addiction to Technology and Design Principles44:59 Conviviality and Sustainable Technology48:48 The Challenge of Perspective in Corporate Culture52:07 Building Support Networks for Founders 55:45 Designing for Creativity and ImaginationConnect with Christine MillerLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-z-miller-ph-d-b4735350/Order her book Tools, Totems, and Totalities: The Modern Construction of Hegemonic Technology On Amazon On Bol🎧 Listen to Women Disrupting Tech on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.👉 Subscribe for more conversations on building tech that empowers, not exploits.