From pioneering one of the world's most used digital platforms to taking her first-ever career break, Deb Liu (Former CEO of Ancestry and Former Product Exec at Facebook, PayPal, eBay) joins the HumanizeHer Podcast for a deeply vulnerable and strategic conversation about power, transitions, and the one thing that matters more than a resume: your health.

In this episode, Deb shares the mental frameworks that helped her rise through the "PayPal Mafia," navigate life as the only mother in the Facebook product room, and lead a 40-year-old storied company like Ancestry through its next chapter.

Inside the Episode:

• The "Other" in South Carolina: Deb reflects on her upbringing as the daughter of immigrants in a town where few looked like her, and how that sense of being a "foreigner" shaped her drive to find belonging in tech.

• The 7-Year Pitch for Facebook Marketplace: Deb recounts the persistence required to build Facebook Marketplace—an idea she pitched for years before it was finally greenlit, turning a "mom-group" observation into a global commerce powerhouse.

• The U-Shape Analogy: A masterclass in career growth. Deb explains why high-impact roles often lead to low learning, and why "hitting the reset button" to enter a new space is essential to avoid stagnation.

• The "Blank Name Tag Club": After working continuously since 2002, Deb discusses the identity crisis that comes with stepping away from a C-suite title and why she is spending her first-ever year off exploring who she is without a corporate role.

• A Life-Saving Birthday Request: Deb shares the jarring story of her recent breast cancer diagnosis, caught only because a friend insisted she get a mammogram for her birthday. Deb provides a stark look at the statistics: 13% of women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, and while catching it early leads to a 90% survival rate, waiting even one year can change the prognosis exponentially.

• Strategic Leadership: Learn about Deb's "30-60-90 Day Plan" and her "Magic Wand Dinners" - practical tools for building trust and synthesizing culture when entering a new organization as a leader.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone navigating the "messy middle" of a career while balancing the weights of the sandwich generation. Join the conversation with host, Erica Lockheimer and co-host, Elizabeth Wendorf-Bloesser.

From the elite lecture halls of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT, Delhi) to the driver's seat of an Uber delivery run, Aarathi Vidyasagar (VP of Engineering and Science at Uber) defines what it means to lead with both technical craft and deep empathy.

In this episode of the HumanizeHer Podcast, Aarathi joins former colleagues Erica Lockheimer and Elizabeth Wendorf-Bloesser to share a career journey that is as much about "grit and spunk" as it is about high-level strategy.

Inside the Episode:

• IIT Trailblazer: Aarathi reflects on being 1 of only 11 women in a class of 500 at the Indian Institutes of Technology, navigating a male-dominated world from age 17 and learning to "blend in" before finding her true voice.

• 17-Year Legacy at SAP Ariba: Discover how Aarathi rose from an entry-level engineer to VP, her pivotal role in Ariba's migration to the cloud, and the moment she realized that "staying quiet" about her ambitions was leading others to make assumptions about her career path.

• Bridging Enterprise and Consumer at LinkedIn: Aarathi shares her "outside-in" transition to LinkedIn, where she broke unit tests in her first week to earn her "engineering cred" and spearheaded the massive "NRJ" (New Recruiter Jobs) transformation.

• VP by Day, Delivery Driver by Night: To truly understand the "supply side" of Uber, Aarathi signed up as a delivery driver during her interview process. She recounts the hilarious and eye-opening experience of delivering food to a gated community in the dark to stress-test the app she now leads.

• Product Innovation for Safety: A deep dive into Uber's "Women's Preferences" feature, discussing the technical and ethical complexities of matching female riders with female drivers to provide choice and safety.

• The Next Generation: Inspired by her mother—a "rocket scientist" in India—Aarathi discusses her commitment to mentorship, her role as executive sponsor for Women in Tech, and her advice for young women facing imposter syndrome.

This episode is a masterclass for any leader looking to balance technical rigor with a human-centric approach to building products. Jump into the full episode and join the conversation.

Join us for a fantastic and nostalgic conversation with Tanya Staples and Vida Forrest y Salazar, the co-owners and managing partners of Ace Camps Travel! This duo, who first met working together at Lynda.com and navigated the acquisition by LinkedIn, share their incredible journey from corporate executives to entrepreneurs redefining success on their own terms.

Their LinkedIn Backstory: Tanya details her start as a technical writer in the mid-'90s, transitioning to product management, and eventually becoming a key leader at Lynda.com who helped pioneer the revolutionary concept of video subscription learning. Vida shares how she transitioned her decade-long passion for higher education into a powerful role at LinkedIn, eventually becoming a full-time lead on the external Equity and Opportunity team, focusing on how the platform could drive social change for marginalized groups. Their partnership, forged in the intense environment of the 2015 LinkedIn acquisition, built the deep trust and resilience needed for their next act.

The Pivot to Adventure: The episode is a masterclass in finding fulfillment, covering:

• The Power of the Me Treat: Vida recounts the pivotal moment on a solo ACE Camp trip in Laos where the creative energy and community inspired her to find her new mission.

• The Second Founder Advantage: Tanya discusses semi-retiring from LinkedIn after leading Trust & Safety to defrost, and the unique appeal of taking an established, purpose-driven business (ACE Camps) to its next level.

• The ACE Camps Impact: Discover the organization's ethos, which stands for Adventure, Culture, and Education, focusing on small-group, immersive travel that fosters deep community and creativity, often acting as a catalyst for women to start new businesses.

This is an inspiring look at how strong relationships, vulnerability, and a shared passion for culture can lead to a meaningful, fulfilling second act in life.

Join the conversation with host, Erica Lockheimer and co-host, Elizabeth Wendorf-Bloesser