Systems Create Behaviour She Talks Tech

In this episode, we sit down with Palesa Sibeko, co-founder of Better Work and Girls Invent Tomorrow, for a conversation that goes well beyond the buzzwords. Palesa has spent over a decade asking a deceptively simple question: what would it take to make work more human? From the digital agency frontier of early social media in South Africa, to building custom PCB hardware through Signal, to coaching leaders navigating change, her career is a masterclass in following curiosity without apology.

We talk about why systems create the behaviour we complain about, what it really means to listen in an organisation, and why fixing culture in a two-hour workshop is a fantasy. We also get into Girls Invent Tomorrow, the girls in STEM organisation she has poured her heart into for over 14 years, and what it will actually take to change the numbers.

What we cover

• Growing up in Soweto, reading everything in sight, and how curiosity became a career
• The early days of social media for brands in South Africa and pioneering digital engagement on Mxit
• Why systems create behaviour and how Better Work approaches change from the inside out
• The gap between an organisation's intent and what employees actually experience every day
• Return to office, trust, and why one-size-fits-all workplace policy rarely works
• Signal: building custom hardware, PCB boards, and gesture-controlled experiences, until COVID ended it
• Girls Invent Tomorrow, what has shifted for girls in STEM and what stubbornly has not
• The invisible barriers in the home that shape what young girls believe is possible for them
• What Palesa would tell her 10-year-old self

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Finding Your Voice in Rooms That Make You Feel Small

Have you ever walked into a room and immediately questioned whether you belonged there? In this episode of Emerging Tech Voices, your hosts Hlulani, Modeni, and Lanni get candid about the moments their voices trembled, faded, and eventually found their footing in professional spaces.

From boardrooms to consulting firms, the trio reflects on the universal experience of imposter syndrome and what it actually takes to speak up when everything in you wants to stay quiet.

In this episode, we cover:

• The first time each host felt small in a professional space
• What "having a voice" really means and how it evolves over time
• How upbringing and birth order shape the way we show up in rooms
• The role of community, mentorship, and relatability in building confidence
• Why identifying gaps and taking ownership can amplify your voice in tech
• Practical advice for anyone who has shrunk for too long and wants to start speaking up again

Key takeaway: You were chosen for the room you're in. The moment you truly believe you belong, everything changes, including your voice.

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Creators, Not Consumers: Lisle Jenneke on the Future of AI in Africa and Beyond

In this episode, we sit down with AI consultant and technology leader Lisle Jenneke, whose career journey spans continents, industries, and roles. From falling into tech by accident to founding Love Africa, Lisle brings a refreshingly human lens to one of the most rapidly evolving fields of our time.

She shares her thoughts on what leaders get wrong about AI adoption, why diversity is a business performance issue and not just a values conversation, and why keeping humans at the centre of AI decision making is non-negotiable.

You'll also hear about:

• The ethics and bias embedded in AI systems
• Why she coined the term "experts in the loop"
• How vibe coding platforms are democratizing innovation in Africa
• What she would tell her younger self about leadership and uncertainty

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Guest: Inez Patel

Episode theme: UX, inclusive design, leadership, and building communities that help women thrive in design and tech.

In this in-person conversation in South Africa, Hlulani sits down with UX leader Inez Patel to unpack her “accidental” path into UX, what UX really is beyond pretty screens, and how user research shapes better products. Inez also shares her leadership journey, the realities of managing people, and why inclusive design matters… plus the impact work behind She Can Do and Girls Invent Tomorrow, and her involvement with One Young World.

• How Inez went from a general BA and media studies into UX through an unexpected internship opportunity
• The moment she realised UX is about empathy, research, and designing for real human needs
• What a UX designer actually does day-to-day… research, wireframes, testing assumptions, and translating insights into usable experiences
• The gap between what’s taught and what industry expects, and why UX education evolves so quickly
• Consulting vs freelancing vs permanent roles… what she learned from each path
• The shift into leadership… and why managing people can be harder than design work
• Building impact outside a 9-to-5… She Can Do, Girls Invent Tomorrow, and creating pathways for women
• Representation, intersectionality, and why uncomfortable conversations are necessary
• AI and UX… why human understanding is still the core skill

Inez Patel is a UX leader and Design Director with experience across agencies, consulting, fintech, banking, and healthcare.

She is also the CEO of She Can Do, a nonprofit empowering women in design and tech through training programs, mentorship, research, and community events.

She is a co-director at Girls Invent Tomorrow, supporting high school girls through exposure to careers in tech and design.

Inez is also part of the One Young World global leadership community.

• She Can Do… nonprofit empowering women in design and tech
• Girls Invent Tomorrow… nonprofit supporting high school girls
• One Young World… international leadership community and annual global summit

• “UX is like scientific design”… backed by research, not just aesthetics
• “Users don’t read”… but context always matters
• Leadership is not just a title… community building is leadership
• Inclusive design is not optional if you truly care about impact

If you’re entering UX… focus on understanding humans deeply. Tools will evolve. AI will change workflows. But empathy, communication, and inclusive thinking remain your strongest advantages.

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Season 4, Episode 1

Season 4 of She Talks Tech begins here.

In this opening episode, Hlulani reflects on the journey so far and shares what’s guiding the conversations this season. Season 4 continues the space built in previous seasons… honest, thoughtful conversations with women in tech.

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In this episode, I sit down with my former classmate Matshidiso Tladi, now a Principal Technical Solution Architect, to retrace her journey from uncertainty after matric to leading high-stakes technology teams.

She opens up about quitting nursing after a month, dropping psychology, and spending years feeling lost before a learnership finally introduced her to tech. From hardware support to software development, consulting, banking and now architecture, her story is one of courage, curiosity and choosing purpose even when the path felt unclear.

We talk about imposter syndrome, being a highly technical Black woman in male-dominated rooms, the constant pressure to prove yourself, and how she anchors herself through competence, consistency and giving herself grace. She also shares the toughest chapter in her career, the moment she knew she truly belonged in tech, and what keeps her grounded today.

We close the episode with a beautiful letter she reads to her 10-year-old self… a reminder that you don’t need to have everything figured out to build a meaningful and impactful life.

• How she discovered tech after years of uncertainty
• Moving from hardware to software and finding her passion
• Consulting, banking and navigating high-pressure technology environments
• Transitioning into architecture and leading technical teams
• Managing imposter syndrome and documenting her achievements
• Being a woman of color in technical leadership spaces
• Her advice for young women entering tech
• The emotional letter to her younger self

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In this episode, we sit down with Quetzalli Meza, a Security Technical Consulting Engineer at Cisco, whose journey from a small town in Mexico to one of the biggest names in tech is as inspiring as it is powerful.

Quetzalli shares how her early curiosity for computers — and even hacking childhood games — led her into the world of cybersecurity. She opens up about growing up with limited resources, finding purpose through resilience, and how she discovered her calling in penetration testing and data protection.

We talk about:

• How poverty and perseverance shaped her path in tech
• Transitioning from functional testing to pen testing
• The emotional and technical challenges of working in cybersecurity
• AI, privacy, and the future of data protection
• The importance of teaching, mentorship, and empowering women in tech
• Why creativity is an underrated skill in cybersecurity

Quetzalli’s story is a beautiful reminder that curiosity, courage, and compassion can take you further than you ever imagined.

🎧 Tune in for a story that blends technical brilliance, emotional strength, and purpose-driven impact.

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From the streets of Zimbabwe to leading conversations on inclusive innovation at Philips, Nancy’s story is one of audacity, purpose, and becoming.

In this episode, Nancy shares how her early experiences during the HIV/AIDS crisis shaped her lifelong mission to bring equity into healthcare — and why she believes inclusion must be at the heart of innovation. We talk about career pivots, creating community in corporate spaces, and what it truly means to belong.

Nancy also opens up about founding BsquaredC, a podcast spotlighting the journeys of Black women in corporate spaces — a platform built to amplify voices, bridge representation gaps, and redefine what leadership looks like.

🎧 Listen to BsquaredC Podcast on Spotify

This is a conversation about courage, community, and carrying your dreams — even when no one else can see them yet.

Follow She Talks Tech Podcast on Instagram and LinkedIn for more stories of women redefining what’s possible in tech.

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