How an Unconventional Career Path Can Become Your Greatest Strength in Tech Leadership If you’ve ever worried that an unconventional career path in tech leadership might hold you back — that your background isn’t “technical enough,” linear enough, or traditional enough — this episode will fundamentally challenge that belief. In this conversation, Toni Collis is joined by Lisa Ferrante-Walsh, SVP of Engineering at Native Instruments, whose career journey spans music, computer science, engineering leadership, mergers and acquisitions, and even stepping into an acting CTO role. Lisa’s story is a powerful example of how a nonlinear career path in tech can become a strategic advantage rather than a liability.

If the idea of going fractional feels exciting and terrifying at the same time — you’re not alone. In this episode of Leading Women in Tech, we explore what fractional leadership really looks like for senior women who want more autonomy, impact, and alignment — without blowing up their careers.

What does it really take to lead in a male-dominated industry — and build an AI-driven company grounded in trust, ethics, and human impact? In this episode of Leading Women in Tech, I’m joined by Shelley Copsey, CEO & Co-Founder of FYLD — a fast-growing, AI-powered platform transforming how frontline teams in infrastructure and utilities make decisions, stay safe, and improve productivity in real time. Shelley brings over 20 years of experience at the intersection of physical infrastructure, digital innovation, AI strategy, and human transformation, and she shares powerful insights on navigating self-doubt, being underestimated, scaling ethically with AI, and leading teams through rapid change. If you’re a woman in tech, an aspiring executive, or a leader navigating AI transformation, this conversation will elevate how you think about leadership, trust, and impact.

Most leaders start the year with good intentions — but by February, meetings, emergencies, and team issues take over. And suddenly, your career is something that just happens to you. In this solo episode of Leading Women in Tech, Toni Collis walks you step-by-step through how to create your 2026 Leadership Roadmap — a clear, strategic plan to move your career forward intentionally, not reactively.

The Trust Crisis: How AI Changed Cybersecurity — And Why Every Leader Needs to Pay Attention | With Karen Kaukol, CMO of Entrust In today’s episode, we’re going deep into one of the most urgent leadership topics of 2025: cybersecurity, AI risk, and the new era of digital trust. This is no longer a technical issue — it’s a leadership issue. I’m joined by Karen Kaukol, Chief Marketing Officer at Entrust, a global leader in identity, security, and trust. Karen brings decades of experience across global payments, financial services, and technology, including senior leadership roles at First Data and Graebel Relocation. Karen has a unique superpower: she translates complex cybersecurity and AI challenges into clear, actionable insight for business leaders.

If you’re ending the year exhausted, mentally overloaded, or stuck in a spiral of self-doubt… this episode is your reset. In today’s conversation, we’re breaking down the inner critic, the mental load of leadership, and why high-performing women struggle most with overthinking, decision paralysis, and confidence dips at this time of year. You’ll learn self-coaching techniques for leaders, practical executive mindset tools, and the exact thought-reframing strategies I use with my clients to help them create clarity before burnout makes the decisions for them. Because you don’t need more confidence going into 2026 — you need more clarity. And this episode will help you build it.