She Did Whaaat? An Ode, Love Letter, and Introduction to the Pod.

Welcome, welcome, welcome. I am so glad that you've found your way to She Did Whaat? This podcast will share stories of women across fields: tech, climate, finance, fashion, and more.

Not just because they're women - but because they're defining industry landscapes, because their stories have value, and because young people deserve to hear their journeys.

Our podcast will focus on the untold nuances, complexities, and bizarre, amazing, and straight-up inspiring stories of the amazing female change-makers in the field today.

Unfiltered, real advice, failures and successes, and personal insights is what our podcast will be home to. We're lining up a star-studded cast of awesome, powerhouse women... so stay tuned as we produce the first few episodes. Head on down to Spotify and Apple Podcasts to listen and head here to read our commentary, transcripts, and accessible breakdowns of each episode.

Okay. Now that we've learned what She Did Whaat? is all about, let me share a little bit about my personal motivation to build this space and listening community.

My name is Ananya Pradhan - I'm a computer science researcher interning at Stanford, a high school senior in the Bay Area, and a woman in technology. And aside from those things, what I really am is a storyteller.

This November, I presented at a TEDx talk (exciting!!!) about how lessons from the past, specifically through the omission of women from historical computer science narratives impact the present. Most importantly, I argue that by asking hard questions, we can craft an inclusive future, building off and celebrating the courageous, talented, and fearless women from the past.

Here's a picture from my talk. The whole thing will be posted on Youtube soon, so keep your eyes peeled (or ears peeled - I guess).

Why Stories?

You might be asking: well, that's nice, Ananya - but what does that have to do with the podcast?

Well, everything.

I decided to do the TEDx talk because of the research I'm doing as a Near Scholar at my school (a recipient of the John Near Grant), writing a paper about the decline of female participation in CS in the 80s. Through my research, I've realized and recognized the power of the stories that we tell.

There's that common phrase - "History is written by the victors."

Yes, that's true. But, in that phrase lies a very important but very subtle point: the stories that are obscured are the ones that ripple forward, propagate, and continue to impact our present.

So, as the title of the post suggests, this is an ode to those stories, a love letter to the power of dialogue, and an introduction to what I'm trying to accomplish with "She Did Whaaat?"

Here's The Good News. These stories are coming soon.

So, sit tight, buckle up, and put your headphones on. Get ready to open your mind to an array of new perspectives, a library of inspiring stories, and a reminder that adversity bows to the resilient.

After each episode, you'll think: she did whaaat? That's so cool.

You, too, can do anything. Tap into advice from the women who are.

STAY TUNED :)