O TYM ODCINKU
What happens when valuable work loses institutional funding—but the people who need it haven't disappeared?
After working together at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Anna Ackermann and Nithima Ducrocq saw successful digital-development programs disrupted by funding cuts despite continued demand. Rather than treating the work as finished, they used what they learned to create She Shapes Digital, an initiative that helps women turn ideas about responsible technology into tangible projects.
Their conversation explores:
- Why confidence often develops through action rather than preparation
- How a small project can create experience, relationships, and career optionality
- Why another credential may not provide the feedback that real-world experimentation can
- How losing a prestigious title or employer can disrupt professional identity
- Why entrepreneurship does not have to mean venture capital, enormous financial risk or working 60 hours a week
- How community makes it safer to begin before an idea feels perfect
They also examine responsible technology: the recognition that technology is not neutral and that every product creates consequences beyond its intended function. Many technology workers are asked to build within goals and business models they did not choose. An independent project can provide an opportunity to reconsider which problems deserve attention, who should participate in defining them, and what success should mean.
Podcast Guests:
Nithima Ducrocq is an impact tech founder and consultant, and co-founder of She Shapes Digital. She has spent over 10 years working across startups, NGOs and global organisations including UNDP, WFP and MSF. She has founded two ventures, including a women's health platform that reached 100,000+ users, and has worked as a digital innovation consultant across Southeast Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America. Through She Shapes Digital, she helps women turn their ideas for a better tech future into real projects.
Anna Ackermann has a background in digital rights and advocacy. Soon, she wanted to develop solutions for the problems she studied and entered the innovation ecosystem at UnternehmerTUM, Europe's leading start-up hub, where she worked on social entrepreneurship and early-stage venture building. At the United Nations she then guided 30+ teams and 1000+ individuals through innovation programmes and women-focused workshops, before founding She Shapes Digital.
Upcoming Creator Studio: https://maven.com/she-shapes-digital/from-idea-to-impact-studio
Follow She Shapes Digital on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/she-shapes-digital/
She Shapes Digital Website: https://www.sheshapesdigital.com/
Not sure if the cohort is for you? Check out this 1-hour free Idea Clinic: https://maven.com/she-shapes-digital/o/3a7c5a
Podcast Host: Jess Lowry
Jessica Lowry is the founder and Sociotechnical Systems Designer at ENID Studio, a collective of practitioners who help changing businesses redesign how people, work, and technology fit together. Drawing on more than 20 years of experience in research, design, and strategy, she uses participatory methods to improve services, operations, and governance while helping organizations adopt AI responsibly.
Connect with Jess: Jess Lowry LinkedIn
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