The STEMINISTS Podcast

Ep. 62 - AI Compliance Strategy: How Product Counsel Drives Responsible Innovation

Think legal slows you down? It’s time to find out how your lawyer can be a secret weapon for harnessing the power of AI and navigating regulation.   In this episode, hosts Phoebe Goh and Mekka Williams team up with Shannon Salerno, Senior Product Counsel at NetApp, to reveal how legal minds help tech innovation sprint ahead.  Shannon shares the secrets of treating the EU AI Act and GDPR as a playbook, and explains why legal teams are your MVPs for building AI products that win on transparency and data trust. From risk to opportunity, you’ll get quick hits and smart strategies to help your product stay ahead of the rules (and avoid those costly last-minute pivots).  Whether you’re leading enterprise tech, building AI, or dreaming up your next big thing, tune in for sharp insights, practical laughs, and a smarter way to play the innovation game.   Follow and learn how the right legal partner turns compliance into your competitive edge.    Don't forget to check out these resource: * NetApp Trust Center [https://www.netapp.com/responsibility/trust-center/?utm_campaign=fy27-q1-csai-digi-spp-na-ai-di-pod_stem_62-na--1779187117517&utm_source=podbean&utm_medium=ww-podcast&utm_content=ai-video&utm_segment=cexp-all]  * Ep. 57 - Data Without Borders: Navigating AI Sovereignty featuring Avril Cody [https://steminists.podbean.com/e/ep-57-data-without-borders-navigating-ai-sovereignty/]    * Data Classification: Use advanced AI to automatically discover and classify your data [https://www.netapp.com/data-services/classification/?utm_campaign=fy27-q1-csai-digi-spp-na-ai-di-pod_stem_62-na--1779187214890&utm_source=podbean&utm_medium=ww-podcast&utm_content=ai-video&utm_segment=cexp-all] * IAPP | global professional home for digital responsibility [https://iapp.org/]     Also, connect with us!  https://www.linkedin.com/in/koehlershannon/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/koehlershannon/]   https://www.linkedin.com/in/mekkacodes/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mekkacodes/]  https://www.linkedin.com/in/phoebegoh/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/phoebegoh/]

Ep. 61 - From Audit-Ready To Mission-Ready Cyber Defense: Shifting to a Resilient Culture

Checking boxes won’t save you in a real cyber fight.   In this STEMINISTS episode, Phoebe Goh and Mekka Williams join Lindsay Totten, NetApp’s Technical Program Manager and ex-U.S. Air Force pilot, to expose the truth: compliance is just the start. If you want to withstand real attacks, you need more than a checklist.  Lindsay leverages cockpit grit to expose what most orgs miss, resilience forms in the trenches, not in binders. It’s about shaping culture, breaking silos, pushing for transparency, and learning fast from failure. Dive into psychological safety, root cause analysis, and razor-sharp metrics to see how true risk-takers ditch checklists for real defense.   If you’re ready to move from audit chaser to cyber badass, share STEMINISTS with your crew.    https://www.netapp.com/cyber-resilience/ [https://www.netapp.com/cyber-resilience/]    Connect with us! https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsaytotten/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsaytotten/]   https://www.linkedin.com/in/mekkacodes/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mekkacodes/]  https://www.linkedin.com/in/phoebegoh/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/phoebegoh/]

Ep. 60 - Extreme AI Makeover: Enterprise UX Edition

Enterprise software is no longer just built for people; it’s being engineered for digital brains that never sleep.  On this episode of The STEMINISTS Podcast, Phoebe Goh and Mekka Williams invite Christina Storm, Chief Design Officer at NetApp, to spill the secrets of UX design in an AI-powered world. Get ready for a peak into designing slick experiences not just for humans, but also for their silicon-smart sidekicks. Christina touches on everything from clunky dashboards to chatty bots. Because in the age of AI, “user” covers a lot more than just you and me.  What you can expect to learn:  * The not-so-subtle art of building enterprise UX that actually gets work done (no, you can’t just “make it pretty”).  * Why AI agents don’t just want a seat at the table—they want the user manual, the keys, and your WiFi password.  * What went down behind the scenes of NetApp’s AI-powered doc bot.  * The surprising truth: Bad data means dumb robots.  * Why even the smartest users can freeze up when it’s prompt time. AI still hasn’t figured out how to read minds (yet).  * Christina’s latest obsession: letting an AI-powered water sensor psychoanalyze her plumbing habits with uncanny accuracy.  Whether you geek out over enterprise tech, obsess about UX, or just want to know if robots will ever get good taste, this episode is stacked with sharp insights and clever digs. If you’ve ever wondered how designers keep their cool and their jobs when their “users” might be carbon-based or code-based, this is the conversation you can’t afford to miss.  Hit play and join the clever crowd. Then share and drop us a review so even more brains (organic or algorithmic) can find The STEMINISTS Podcast.  #TheSteministsPodcast #EnterpriseUX #AI #UserExperience #NetApp #DataDesign #AIAgents #Automation    For  Learn how to accelerate enterprise AI [https://www.netapp.com/artificial-intelligence/?utm_campaign=fy27-q1-csai-digi-spp-na-ai-br-pod_stem_60-na--1777980290858&utm_source=podbean&utm_medium=ww-podcast&utm_content=ai-video&utm_segment=cexp-all] with confidence.   Connect with us!  https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissto/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissto/]   https://www.linkedin.com/in/mekkacodes/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mekkacodes/]  https://www.linkedin.com/in/phoebegoh/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/phoebegoh/]

Ep. 59 - Smarter Data, Better Bots: The CX AI Upgrade

What happens when your customers arrive with their AI sidekicks? It’s not just about pleasing humans, now you must impress their digital plus-ones, too.  On this episode, Phoebe Goh and Mekka Williams dive straight into the future of customer success: AI-powered, customer-focused, and set to disrupt. They welcome Amy Welsh, Chief of Staff for Worldwide Customer Support at NetApp, who shares practical strategies for using AI to build trust, boost confidence, and deliver customer experiences both humans and bots will rave about.  Forget what you know about customer support – break-fix is out. Amy reveals how tech leaders deploy sharp, predictive AI solutions that spot problems before they start. From bots that tame ticket chaos to troubleshooting guides with more personality than your group chat, hear how to nail the balance between smart automation and that irreplaceable spark of human genius.  Here’s what matters most:  * Defining customer success and trust in an AI-first environment  * Using a single intelligence fabric to guarantee accurate data and fast resolutions  * Finding the perfect balance between high-value human touch and AI efficiency  Hit play to level up your support game and keep both humans and AIs happy. Follow, share with your tech-savvy friends, and catch The STEMINISTS Podcast wherever you listen.     For more on powerful customer success tools, check out ActiveIQ [https://www.netapp.com/blog/avoid-disruptions-active-iq/?utm_campaign=fy26-q2-q3-csai-digi-spp-na-ai-ai-pod_stem_59-na--1777369097917&utm_source=podbean&utm_medium=ww-podcast&utm_content=ai-video&utm_segment=cexp-all] at netapp.com   Connect with us!  https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyrwelsh/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyrwelsh/]   https://www.linkedin.com/in/mekkacodes/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mekkacodes/]  https://www.linkedin.com/in/phoebegoh/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/phoebegoh/]

Ep. 58 - The Hardware Hustle: Navigating AI's Pressure on the Supply Chain

What happens when AI’s insatiable hunger for data slams into a global hardware drought?  This week, Phoebe Goh and Mekka Williams go straight to the source with Michelle Blint, the powerhouse behind US State and Local Education sales at NetApp. Michelle takes us into the chaos of the global memory shortage and spells out exactly how AI’s turbo-charged demands are blitzing supply chains from every angle.   Find out why clinging to outdated CapEx models is a fast-track to technical debt and how flipping to Storage-as-a-Service gives you the upper hand. Forget buying a bloated five-gallon glass just to fill a cup; pay for what you use and flex when you need it most. Oh, and if you crave a wild side of personal news, make sure you stick around to hear about Michelle’s newest, four-legged family member.  Don’t get steamrolled by the hype! Tap that play button and jump ahead of the pack. Download, like, and share The STEMINISTS Podcast if you’re ready for tech that doesn’t pull punches.    Learn more about Storage as service with NetApp Keystone [https://www.netapp.com/keystone/?utm_campaign=cross-port-onai-na-ww-digi-spp-pod_stem_58-1776773210041&utm_source=podbean&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=video]   Check out this blog [https://www.netapp.com/blog/operationalize-ai-with-keystone-staas/?utm_campaign=cross-port-onai-na-ww-digi-spp-pod_stem_58-1776773497435&utm_source=podbean&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=video] on taking the best step forward to operationalizing your AI   Interested in your own four-legged bestie, check out the National Newfoundland Rescue [https://nationalnewfoundlandrescue.com/].    Connect with us! https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-blint-46304b11/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-blint-46304b11/]   https://www.linkedin.com/in/mekkacodes/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mekkacodes/]  https://www.linkedin.com/in/phoebegoh/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/phoebegoh/]