Welcome to the Move with Power podcast, where two young professional women, Shirley and Esther, talk about mental health and leadership in the workplace. Here, we share our personal stories - our mistakes and our growth - and bring in our favorite people and role models as guest speakers, to share our insights and learnings with other aspiring women leaders.
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Building Belonging While Breaking Systems, with UN Ambassador Kelly-Ann Fonderson
In this heartfelt conversation, Esther and Shirley sit down with Kelly-Ann Fonderson, a proud Cameroonian raised in The Hague, now working at the UN Migration Agency. Kelly-Ann shares how her grandmother’s strength, her parents’ sacrifices, and the mentors who guided her path led her from Bath University to Oxford, and ultimately to a career in global migration and development.
We talk about what it means to grow up between cultures, find belonging across borders, and hold on to your roots while navigating international spaces. Kelly-Ann opens up about searching for identity, caring for her mental health in impact-driven environments, and her ongoing work addressing gender-based violence and protection for vulnerable migrants.
From family legacy to finding purpose, this episode is a reminder that every journey is shaped by the people who believe in us — and the courage to believe in ourselves.
#IdentityAndBelonging #MoveWithPowerPodcast #WomenInDevelopment #UNStories #ThirdCultureKids #MigrationJourneys #MentorshipMatters #GlobalVoices #GenderEquality #ImpactWork #MentalHealthInImpactWork
25 Oct 2025
Disrupting Factory Floor Manufacturing with AI, with Co-Founder of Maker's Edge, Kaan Basaran
In this episode, we sit down with Kaan Basaran, Tufts University and McKinsey alum and now co-founder of Maker’s Edge, which brings advanced AI to enterprise manufacturers to deliver data-driven workflows on the factory floor.
We explore how Kaan’s entrepreneurial upbringing shaped his drive—and how he balanced his ambition to build a company with his desire to learn management from top corporations through consulting. After studying econometrics, quantitative economics, and math at Tufts, Kaan earned his MBA from NYU Stern and spent five years at McKinsey & Company, where he specialized in strategy and operations. Today, Kaan is channeling that same analytical mindset into building his startup that reshapes traditional manufacturing.
We also dive into the origin story of Maker’s Edge, how he formed his founding team with close friends and the unique skill sets that each member brings, which have been critical to the startup's success thus far. Finally, we look ahead at what’s next—Kaan’s vision for the future of manufacturing, the mindset shifts that come with being a founder, and how he’s redefining balance and purpose along the way.
#Startups #Entrepreneur #Consulting #Tech #Manufacturing
2 Sept 2025
Finding Your Voice in Chief of Staff Roles, with Ex-Capital One and Equi Chief of Staff Crystalina Guo
In this week's episode, we learn all about how our special guest, Crystalina Guo, grew from a quiet middle child in high school to Class President of Wellesley College 2020, and later into the Chief of Staff at both Equi and Capital One.
Crystalina shares how her early years impacted her passion for building supportive communities, how she found her voice and confidence, and how these personal values translate to the workplace in a central role such as the Chief of Staff.
We break down what the Chief of Staff role really is, how it differs from the “bottom up” nature of business operations, and how those who hold it can effectively define the role for themselves. We also discuss the importance of “soft skills” — how empathic relationship building became central to her success.
Today, Crystalina enters her next chapter by pursuing an MBA at Wharton to progress her career from operator to investor, with long-term sights on entrepreneurship. We close with reflections on leadership, mental health, and the importance and pathways to creating space for others to rise.
#PersonalGrowth #MentalHealth #Women #Workplace #Careers
Who has been a guest on Move with Power
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Daffy Hristova
Danielle Lee
Rosa Shi
Reach and audience
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Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
123 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 33 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
39
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
67
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