Welcome to the Speak Up! Podcast, hosted by AvalonBay Communities’ Women’s Leadership Network, or WLN, to provide real talk about real issues influencing our industry and broader communities.
Today, we’re joined by Gautami Palanki, AvalonBay’s Vice President of Sustainability; Avra Bossov Ward, Manager of Learning and Development; and Candace Prabhakar, Portfolio Operations Director, for a conversation on “Women Leading a Sustainable Future." Gautami leads AvalonBay’s sustainability strategy across the portfolio, shaping how we design, operate, and think long‑term about our environmental impact. Her work sits at the intersection of innovation, responsibility, and leadership—addressing some of the most critical challenges and opportunities facing our industry today. This podcast dives into what it takes to shape a sustainable future—and the leadership required to make it happen.
15 Dec 2025
Episode 18 - Wellness Part Three - Wellness with a Purpose
Welcome to the Speak Up! Podcast, hosted by AvalonBay Communities’ Women’s Leadership Network, or WLN, to provide real talk about real issues influencing our industry and broader communities.
Today, we are joined by Vanessa Cazares, Portfolio Operations Director at AvalonBay, Sydney Stone, Operations Manager at AvalonBay, and Colleen Olphert, Director of Membership and Member Services at Boston College's Center for Corporate Citizenship for part three of our wellness series. We’ll hear about Colleen's take on "spirit of caring" and "wellness with a purpose" including the positive effects of volunteerism and purpose-driven work for individual, corporate, and community wellness.
3 Nov 2025
Episode 17 - Wellness Part Two - Burnout, Boundaries, and Balance
Welcome to the Speak Up! Podcast, hosted by AvalonBay Communities’ Women’s Leadership Network, or WLN, to provide real talk about real issues influencing our industry and broader communities.
Today, we are joined by Avra Bossov Ward, Manager in Learning & Development at AvalonBay, Nicole Louis Cedeno, Sales and Service Supervisor at AvalonBay, and Dr. Andrea Holman, Senior Manager for Workforce Transformantion at Lyra Health for part two of our wellness series. We’ll hear more about Dr. Holman's take on mental health and wellness including hustle culture, ambitious associates, healthy boundaries, and taking care of you.
18 Aug 2025
Episode 16 - Wellness Part One - The Well-Designed Life
Welcome back to the Speak Up! Podcast, hosted by AvalonBay Communities’ Women’s Leadership Network, or WLN, to provide real talk about real issues influencing our industry and broader communities.
Today, we are joined by Breanne Joyce, Senior Manager of Capital Projects, and Yoon Park, Vice President of Design at AvalonBay. We’ll hear more about Yoon's professional journey, AvalonBay’s approach to cohesive living and wellness as it relates to interior and exterior spaces, as well as the industry trends she is watching closely.
21 Mar 2025
Episode 15 - Lessons in Leadership - Part Four
Host Alaine Walsh interviews Joanne Lockridge and Keri Shea about their leadership journeys in real estate, revealing valuable insights and best practices for listeners.
31 Aug 2022
Episode 14 - Lessons in Leadership - Part Three - Featuring Cathy White
Cathy White, SVP Associate General Counsel, discusses leaning into your leadership style, trusting your ability to learn, and taking ownership of your career in an interview with Ted Shulman, EVP and General Counsel.
29 Jun 2022
Episode 13 - Lessons in Leadership - Part Two - Featuring Karen Hollinger
Karen Hollinger, AvalonBay Senior Vice President, shares her leadership lessons and career insights in a conversation with Jennifer Coogen, offering valuable perspectives on strategic initiatives in this interview.
20 May 2022
Episode 12 - Lessons in Leadership - Part One - Featuring Debbie Coombs
Debbie Coombs, Senior Vice President, shares leadership lessons and insights with Kate Brown, Vice President, in an interview about her career at AvalonBay.
15 Mar 2022
Episode 11 - Jumpstarting Your Confidence
Sarah Mathewson, Lindsey Romano, Chris Milne, and Margarita Wynn explore confidence-building strategies and share personal experiences, providing listeners with tools to advance their careers in this interview episode.
10 Aug 2021
Episode 10 - The Hidden Effects of Anxiety
Cindy Persico, Regional Vice President, Jennie Rivera, Senior Director, and Sophia Del Bianco, Sales Supervisor, explore the subtle ways anxiety manifests, offering practical strategies for recognition and management in this interview.
9 Jun 2021
Episode 09 - Creating Your Own Career Path
AvalonBay associates Liz Smith, Susie Maglich, Parks Underdown, and Angela Keckler share personal stories and valuable advice about creating your own career path in this interview episode.
30 Apr 2021
Episode 08 - Microaggressions & the Workplace
Erika Saldivar, Sarah Tullo, Chawn Jackson, Lauryn King, and Gauri Paydenkar explore microaggressions in the workplace, sharing personal experiences and clarifying the meaning of subtle but impactful biases in this interview episode.
19 Mar 2021
Episode 07 - Bringing your Whole Self to Work
Cassandra McFadden and Christine Coutts explore authenticity in the workplace, highlighting the importance of vulnerability and visibility for personal and professional fulfillment in this interview.
25 Feb 2021
Episode 06 - Navigating Work and Home as a Single Parent
AvalonBay associates Jennifer Cooper, Denise Evans, Josh Spalasso, Gina Roberts, and David Ridlehuber discuss the challenges of balancing work and home life as single parents in this interview episode.
22 Feb 2021
Episode 05 - 2021 Keep Doing List
Jackie Todesco, Joby Doffek, and Jennie Rivera discuss the top six activities AvalonBay Women's Leadership Network members want to continue from the previous year, highlighting valuable life lessons in this interview.
7 Dec 2020
Episode 04 - Finding Calm in Turbulent Times
AvalonBay associates explore mindfulness techniques and share personal journeys to inspire listeners to find calm and resilience during challenging times in this interview episode.
4 Aug 2020
Episode 03 - Working Moms
Jackie Todesco interviews AvalonBay mothers about balancing successful careers with the demands of motherhood, offering insights into navigating work-life integration.
25 Mar 2020
Episode 02 - Failing Fast
AvalonBay's Debbie Coombs and Katie Nyberg explore the concept of "Failing Fast," discussing insights from Katty Kay and Claire Shipman's book, *The Confidence Code*.
19 Jul 2019
Episode 01 - The Only Woman in the Room
Kathy Romeo Nunez recounts her experiences as a Maintenance Supervisor in a male-dominated field, offering insights into overcoming challenges, in an interview with Cathy White.
Who has been a guest on Speak Up! by AvalonBay Podcast
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Joanne Lockridge
Keri Shea
Cathy White
Karen Hollinger
Debbie Coombs
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Contact Speak Up! by AvalonBay Podcast
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Questions about Speak Up! by AvalonBay Podcast
Who hosts Speak Up! by AvalonBay Podcast?
Jackie Todesco host the show. Published by AvalonBay Women's Leadership Network.
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes monthly, based on its RSS feed.
Does Speak Up! by AvalonBay Podcast take guests?
Yes. Guests have been identified in episode analyses.
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