Women in the Building is a podcast for female entrepreneurs in emerging markets. In each episode, guests share real stories and hard-earned lessons, covering everything from raising capital to building strong teams to navigating cofounder relationships. Part business playbook, part community of female founders.
Hosted by Bella Gassemi-Smith, head of the Aurora Tech Award. We back the boldest female founders.
About the Award: https://www.auroratechaward.com/?utm_source=podcast_description&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=women_in_the_building_271125
“They Asked Me to Take This Off My Deck” — On Building in Femtech
Femtech is one of those terms everyone uses and no one quite agrees on. Is it a category? A movement? A funding thesis?
This episode is a collaboration with the FemTech Real Money Talks podcast. We brought together Elena Lipilina — host, and founder of a femtech startup herself — and Mayra Hurtado, leader of Femtech Mexico and founder in her own right. Together we get into the big questions: where the money in femtech actually flows, what's blocking it, why the category is so hard to define — and whether emerging markets are the next frontier.
Because if the term is still confusing, the opportunity isn't.
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Listen to the FemTech Real Money Talks wherever you get your podcasts: https://kite.link/femtech-real-money-talks (https://kite.link/femtech-real-money-talks)
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Contact us:
Email: aurora@auroratechaward.com
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Website: https://www.auroratechaward.com/?utm_source=podcast_description&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=women_in_the_building_271125 (https://www.auroratechaward.com/?utm_source=podcast_description&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=women_in_the_building_271125)
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Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aurora-tech-award/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/aurora-tech-award/)
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/auroratechaward (https://www.instagram.com/auroratechaward)
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This podcast is produced by Libo/Libo studio
19 Mar 2026
Building in Public: The Business Asset You're Not Using Yet
Fifteen years ago, we had no idea who was behind the brands we used. Today, the game has changed — and your online presence can be one of your biggest business assets.
Building in public lets you attract future customers before your product even exists, test product-market fit without heavy investment, and connect with exactly the right people at the right time.
In this episode, we sit down with a founder and a communications expert who have both built their online brands with intention — to talk strategy, missteps, and everything in between.
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Contact us:
Email: aurora@auroratechaward.com
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Website: https://www.auroratechaward.com/?utm_source=podcast_description&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=women_in_the_building_271125 (https://www.auroratechaward.com/?utm_source=podcast_description&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=women_in_the_building_271125)
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Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aurora-tech-award/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/aurora-tech-award/)
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/auroratechaward (https://www.instagram.com/auroratechaward)
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This podcast is produced by Libo/Libo studio
5 Mar 2026
Raising Capital in LATAM and MENA: ‘‘You Need Money to Get Money’’
When it comes to funding in emerging markets, different rules apply. This episode, we brought a founder from Egypt, a founder from Brazil, and a European investor to uncover just that. How do the options — and the odds — shift between Europe, LATAM, and MENA? What are the unwritten rules? And how do founders keep building when capital is scarce and ecosystems are still taking shape?
The silver lining? Tough conditions make resilient businesses.
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Contact us:
Email: aurora@auroratechaward.com
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Website: https://www.auroratechaward.com/?utm_source=podcast_description&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=women_in_the_building_271125 (https://www.auroratechaward.com/?utm_source=podcast_description&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=women_in_the_building_271125)
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Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aurora-tech-award/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/aurora-tech-award/)
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/auroratechaward (https://www.instagram.com/auroratechaward)
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This podcast is produced by Libo/Libo studio
19 Feb 2026
Shutting Down a Startup: Legal and Emotional Survival Guide
We talk so much about fundraising, scaling, and exits. But almost never about what happens when you realise it’s not going to work.
So where do you go from there? How do you handle the guilt, the investor conversations, the legal details, and the reality of closing a company — financially, professionally, and personally?
In this episode of Women in the Building, we’re joined by an investor who has backed over 200 companies and a competition law expert who’s also been a tech founder. We break down why startups really fail, why funding is often just a symptom, how to spot product–market fit issues, and how to know when to pivot — or walk away.
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Contact us:
Email: aurora@auroratechaward.com
***
Website: https://www.auroratechaward.com/?utm_source=podcast_description&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=women_in_the_building_271125 (https://www.auroratechaward.com/?utm_source=podcast_description&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=women_in_the_building_271125)
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Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aurora-tech-award/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/aurora-tech-award/)
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/auroratechaward (https://www.instagram.com/auroratechaward)
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This podcast is produced by Libo/Libo studio
5 Feb 2026
“The VC Shine Has Worn Off”: Debating If and How to Raise
Venture capital used to be the default path for growth. That’s no longer the case, as VC capital is no longer a default requirement to launch and build a company. In this episode, we look at how the role of VC has changed, what alternatives founders have today, and when raising venture is still the right move.
We’re joined by a VC operator, and a two-time founder who’s seen both sides: building one company with VC funding, and another entirely through bootstrapping.
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Contact us:
Email: aurora@auroratechaward.com
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Website: https://www.auroratechaward.com/?utm_source=podcast_description&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=women_in_the_building_271125 (https://www.auroratechaward.com/?utm_source=podcast_description&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=women_in_the_building_271125)
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Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aurora-tech-award/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/aurora-tech-award/)
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/auroratechaward (https://www.instagram.com/auroratechaward)
***
This podcast is produced by Libo/Libo studio
22 Jan 2026
Your First Hires: How to Recruit, Motivate, and Build a Team
When you start a business, you are everything: accounting, customer support, product development. But at some point, you have to hire someone. Where do you find that person? Should it be an employee or a contractor? Where do you find them? And what if you just don’t have the money, how do you incentivise the talent you need? To answer these questions, we brought together two founders who’ve built teams in very different ways, alongside a certified psychologist.
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Contact us:
Email: aurora@auroratechaward.com
***
Website: https://www.auroratechaward.com/?utm_source=podcast_description&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=women_in_the_building_271125 (https://www.auroratechaward.com/?utm_source=podcast_description&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=women_in_the_building_271125)
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Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aurora-tech-award/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/aurora-tech-award/)
***
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/auroratechaward (https://www.instagram.com/auroratechaward)
***
This podcast is produced by Libo/Libo studio
8 Jan 2026
Fintech in Emerging Markets: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Building fintech in emerging markets comes with massive opportunities, but also imperfect systems. You have to navigate fragmented financial infrastructure and low user trust shaped by instability, adapting your product and strategy on the fly. In this episode, we bring together three founders who have built thriving businesses in emerging markets. Tune in for their stories and practical advice.
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Contact us:
Email: aurora@auroratechaward.com
***
Website: https://www.auroratechaward.com/?utm_source=podcast_description&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=women_in_the_building_271125 (https://www.auroratechaward.com/?utm_source=podcast_description&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=women_in_the_building_271125)
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Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aurora-tech-award/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/aurora-tech-award/)
***
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/auroratechaward (https://www.instagram.com/auroratechaward)
***
This podcast is produced by Libo/Libo studio
23 Dec 2025
Cofounder Dynamics: What to Know Before You Say “I Do”
Every founder worries about choosing the wrong cofounder, for good reason. Bad partnerships implode companies faster than bad markets.
This episode brings together a lawyer, an investor, and a founder to unpack the red flags, the green flags, and the patterns they see when partnerships break down. From mixing business with friendship to navigating control, ownership, and expectations, nothing is off the table.
Plus: the question too many founders avoid, should you even have a cofounder at all?
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Contact us:
Email: aurora@auroratechaward.com
***
Website: https://www.auroratechaward.com/?utm_source=podcast_description&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=women_in_the_building_271125 (https://www.auroratechaward.com/?utm_source=podcast_description&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=women_in_the_building_271125)
***
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aurora-tech-award/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/aurora-tech-award/)
***
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/auroratechaward (https://www.instagram.com/auroratechaward)
***
This podcast is produced by Libo/Libo studio
11 Dec 2025
The Companies Motherhood Made Possible: A Founder Roundtable
A life-saving emergency response service. An AI-powered personal assistant for mothers. A platform supporting new and expectant moms.
For the founders behind these companies, motherhood wasn’t just part of their story — it was the spark. The experiences that came with becoming mothers didn’t just inspire their ideas; they gave them the clarity, urgency, and insight needed to build products that could actually stand up in the market.
In this roundtable, we explore how motherhood became their operating advantage, shaping the way they build, lead, and solve problems that might have gone unseen without that lived experience.
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Contact us:
Email: aurora@auroratechaward.com
***
Website: https://www.auroratechaward.com/?utm_source=podcast_description&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=women_in_the_building_271125 (https://www.auroratechaward.com/?utm_source=podcast_description&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=women_in_the_building_271125)
***
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aurora-tech-award/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/aurora-tech-award/)
***
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/auroratechaward (https://www.instagram.com/auroratechaward)
***
This podcast is produced by Libo/Libo studio
27 Nov 2025
Should You Chase VC to Build? A founder-Investor-Analyst Perspective
What’s the real story for women raising capital in emerging markets? Where do the pitfalls emerge — and how can key players in the ecosystem, from incubators to VC firms to women founders themselves, start to change the narrative?
To dig into these questions, we brought together a powerhouse trio: data analyst Hangyul Lee-Song, investor Eugenia Dunaeva, and femtech founder Elena Lipilina.
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Contact us:
Email: aurora@auroratechaward.com
***
Website: https://www.auroratechaward.com/?utm_source=podcast_description&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=women_in_the_building_271125 (https://www.auroratechaward.com/?utm_source=podcast_description&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=women_in_the_building_271125)
***
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aurora-tech-award/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/aurora-tech-award/)
***
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/auroratechaward (https://www.instagram.com/auroratechaward)
***
This podcast is produced by Libo/Libo studio
24 Nov 2025
Women In The Building: Trailer
There’s a sea of business content out there — but little catered specifically to women building businesses in emerging markets. We’re here to change that. It’s Women in the Building, a podcast by the team behind the Aurora Tech Award.
New episodes coming every two weeks — stay tuned!
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