WAI On Air Podcast

✈️🎙️ Meet Maddie Allen, Auburn University student and the youngest woman to earn a Cirrus Vision Jet SF50 Type Rating.

Maddie grew up around airplanes, watching her father chase his own dream of flight. She began flight training in November 2024, just weeks before her 17th birthday, and went on to earn her private pilot certificate and Instrument Rating. In March 2026, she completed an intense two-week Vision Jet type rating course at the Cirrus Vision Center in Knoxville, Tennessee — and walked out to a custom-engraved trophy reading "Youngest Female Vision Jet Pilot 2026."

Today, Maddie has logged more than 160 flight hours and holds high-altitude and high-performance endorsements. She is a freshman at Auburn University, where she plans to study business while working toward her commercial pilot certificate. Her goals include seaplane training, a professional career in aviation, and flying to all 50 states.

In this conversation, Maddie shares what it was like to step up to a jet, how she's balancing college with flight training, and her advice for any young girl who loves airplanes but isn't sure she belongs in a cockpit: chase your dreams, and don't doubt yourself.

🎧 Available on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, and Amazon Music.

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Meet Natalee Johnston, the first female pilot in the Royal Australian Navy.

Natalee grew up on a farm in Western Australia and joined the Navy at 17. In 1998, after completing her undergraduate studies and military flight training, she became the Royal Australian Navy's first female pilot — and the only one for eight years. Over a 24-year naval career, she served as a helicopter instructor, operations manager, flight commander, squadron leader, and safety professional, flying aircraft from the Sea King to the fly-by-wire MRH-90 Taipan.

Today, Natalee operates her business, Skilful Decisions, from the New South Wales South Coast. She serves as a board director of the National Safety Council Australia and a local government councillor, holds a Bachelor of Science in Physics, a Postgraduate Certificate in Accident Investigation, a Diploma in Lead Auditing, and a master's in business. Her message to anyone who doesn't see someone like themselves in the career they dream of: if you can't see it, why not be it?

Natalee speaks candidly about imposter syndrome — not as something you defeat, but something you learn to live with — and about pivoting from the security of the military into aviation safety and self-employment. She shares what real partnership looks like for two pilots raising a family and why she wishes she'd found WAI sooner.

🎧 Available on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, and Amazon Music.

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Meet Sasha Johnson, Vice President of Corporate Safety at United. Sasha oversees a remarkably broad safety portfolio at United — worldwide aviation safety, ground safety, quality assurance, medical, workers' compensation, managed care, business continuity, family assistance, and emergency operations.

Before stepping into this role, Sasha spent five years as United's managing director of international regulatory and policy. Prior to joining United in 2015, she built a career in Washington, D.C., including as chief of staff at the FAA and as assistant to the secretary, director of public affairs, and press secretary at the DOT — work that put her in crisis management alongside the FAA Administrator and the DOT Secretary. Before her time in government, Sasha spent more than a decade in broadcast journalism at CNN, including covering campaigns and elections as a senior producer.

A graduate of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, Sasha brings a rare combination of journalism, government, and airline experience to one of the industry's most demanding safety roles.

🎧 Available on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, and Amazon Music.

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Meet Nicole Battjes, owner of Rainbow Helicopters, the largest air tour company in Oahu, Hawaii.

Nicole founded Rainbow Helicopters in 2011 at just 27 years old, starting with herself and a single helicopter. Today, the multi-island Part 135 air carrier has grown into a thriving multi-million-dollar company with 55 team members and a fleet of 10 helicopters. With more than 13 years of industry and commercial flight experience, Nicole has flown over 5,000 tours and logged more than 3,500 flight hours — serving as Rainbow's chief pilot from 2017-2022, the only woman to hold that position in the Hawaiian helicopter community at the time, before stepping into her current role.

Beyond the cockpit, Nicole has led the vertical aviation community at the highest level, serving as the 2023-2024 board chair for Vertical Aviation International (VAI) previously the Helicopter Association International (HAI) — becoming, in a first for the association's 75-year history, chair while 7 months pregnant, and assuming her duties just two weeks after the birth of her second son. She was recognized in 2023 with Pacific Business News' 40 Under 40 and the National Business Aviation Association's 40 Under 40 awards, and Rainbow's community-first culture — including its relief efforts for mothers and babies after the Lahaina fires — has earned honors including the National Aeronautic Association's Public Benefit Flying Award.

A longtime WAI member since 2002, Nicole has built a company where women are represented in every facet of the business, and she's made it a mission to help other mothers stay at the forefront of their careers while raising families.

🎧 Available on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, and Amazon Music.

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Meet Alex Marren, retired senior airline and transportation executive, most recently chief operating officer of Air New Zealand.

Alex brings more than 35 years of success across the aviation, automotive, travel, and transportation industries. As COO at Air New Zealand, she led a team of 9,000 aviation professionals, driving safety, service, and transformation through technology and process. Earlier in her career, she rose through leadership ranks at United Airlines — including senior vice president of Network Operations and United Express, where she oversaw more than 3,500 daily flights across 250 cities on a $6B annual budget — before leading Rent-a Car Operations for The Hertz Corporation and later serving as president of ABM Aviation.

A Harvard College graduate, Alex has also devoted years to nonprofit board service, including with the American Red Cross and Alliant Credit Union, and has been a longtime sponsor and advocate for AWESOME, an organization advancing women's excellence in supply chain, operations, and transportation.

🎧 Available on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, and Amazon Music.

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WAI On Air Podcast – Season 2 Episode 17 , “Changing the Equation” is live! 🎙️✈️ Meet Nelda Lee, a trailblazing flight test engineer with 45 years at McDonnell Douglas and The Boeing Company.

Nelda was responsible for flight and ground test engineering on all four military aircraft manufactured in St. Louis — the F-15 Eagle, AV-8 Harrier, T-45 Goshawk, and F/A-18 Hornet — and served as the Level 2 Manager for Test & Evaluation personnel based in St. Louis and at military test sites in China Lake, California; Patuxent River, Maryland; and Eglin AFB, Florida. In 1980, she logged 1.5 hours of flight time in the F-15 Eagle herself — a career highlight and a rare, remarkable experience for a woman in aerospace at that time.

Nelda holds a BS in Aerospace Engineering from Auburn University, where she was the second woman ever to earn the degree, and an MA in Management and Human Resources Development from Webster University. She retired from Boeing in 2014 after 45 years.

Aviation remains both a passion and a pastime for Nelda. She's a licensed commercial pilot with instrument, multi-engine, and helicopter ratings, and a longtime leader across the aviation community: a member of The Ninety-Nines (and former Governor of the nine-state North Central Section), currently serving on the board of trustees for the Amelia Earhart Birthplace Museum, Whirly-Girl member 247 and former International President of The Whirly-Girls, and charter member 15 of Women in Aviation International, on whose Board of Directors she has served.

🎧 Available on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, and Amazon Music.

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Meet Dr. Sian Proctor
Born just after Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, Sian calls herself a "celebration baby" — and that connection to space has shaped her path ever since, even when it wasn't a straight line to NASA. When NASA said no at age 39, she didn't give up. She became an analogue astronaut, kept pushing, and eventually earned her seat on Inspiration4, the first all-civilian mission to orbit the Earth — becoming the first woman commercial spaceship pilot, the first Black commercial astronaut, and the first artist selected to become an astronaut.
Sian discovered art and poetry during COVID-19 as an outlet during one of the hardest periods of her life — and that creativity has become central to how she sees her role as a scientist and astronaut. Her artwork Seeker sold for $100,000, and her poem "Space2inspire" flew to space.
As founder and chief inspiration astronaut of Space2inspire, Sian is guided by her motto: "space to inspire." She uses art and media to build a J.E.D.I. space — Just, Equitable, Diverse, and Inclusive — believing that concept matters as much on Earth as it does in space. With over 25 years of experience as a geoscientist and STEAM communicator, she teaches students from age 17 to 75 and continues reaching into new frontiers — from spaceflight to art to laser cutting to augmented reality.
🎧 Available on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, and Amazon Music.
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Meet James “Jim” W. Keyes, a global business leader, philanthropist, educator, artist, musician, commercial pilot, and modern renaissance man. He is the former CEO of two globally recognized Fortune 500 companies, 7-Eleven, Inc, and Blockbuster, Inc. His other business interests cover a broad range of industries including retail, consumer products, technology, new space, energy, and advanced nuclear. He sits on several public company boards and serves as a board adviser to a venture capital firm and a number of start-up companies. Jim Keyes has experience in successfully leading multinational corporations with a deep understanding of global and local franchise operations. His creativity, innovation, and adoption of leading-edge technology contributed to the successful transformation of both public and private organizations. He is a seasoned executive, known internationally for leading transformational change. Keyes is a respected philanthropist who combines his passion for business, education, and technology to advance education for all mankind. As a founding director of the Dallas Education Foundation and founder of the Education is Freedom Foundation, he has helped hardworking youth across the country realize their dreams by raising over $450 million for fellowships and scholarships. His bestselling book, Education is Freedom: The Future Is in Your Hands, celebrates the power of education to help individuals become engaged and active participants in the democratic process and make a positive impact on their communities. 🎧 Available on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, and Amazon Music 📲 Follow us on Spotify: WAI On Air Podcast #WomeninAviationInternational #IamWAI #WeAreWAI #Aviation #Aerospace #WAITogether #WAIOnAir #WAIPodcast #AviationPodcast

Meet Capt. Wendy Morse, a United captain and the first woman to serve as an ALPA national officer bringing more than 35 years of union experience to her role. She exemplifies a “see it, be it” leadership role model for girls and young women entering aviation — particularly the piloting profession.

As national safety coordinator, Wendy oversees the Association’s Air Safety Organization (ASO), the world’s largest nongovernmental aviation safety organization. With a team of more than 425 of the union’s pilot representatives, she leads the ASO, which operates the union’s safety, security, pilot assistance, and jumpseat programs.

During her four-year term as first vice president, the current aviation safety and security landscape is changing systemically, as regulators in the United States and around the globe define aviation standards for the new era. These opportunities include how airline pilots safely share the airspace with new entrants, such as spacecraft, drones, and electric vertical lift operators, to name a few.

Based in Chicago, Illinois, Wendy flies the Boeing 787 for United and previously was a corporate pilot and instructor for Precision Airlines.

🎧 Available on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, and Amazon Music

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Meet Jacqui Key, vice president of domestic line stations at United Airlines, where she oversees U.S. line station operations across the country.

With 20+ years in the industry, Jacqui brings a wealth of experience and perspective to this conversation.

Previously, Jacqui held leadership positions as the managing director of domestic line stations, managing director of premium solutions and recovery, and managing director of customer service at the Chicago O'Hare hub.

Beginning her career at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, Jacqui later moved to Ronald Reagan Washington National where she led the station as general manager.

Jacqui has a Bachelor of Science from Springfield College and resides in the Chicagoland area.

Available on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, and Amazon Music

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Meet Jessica Cox, the world's first licensed armless pilot. Adaptability has defined Jessica Cox's life. Refusing to see herself as different, she mastered everyday tasks with her feet and continually defied expectations. Her lifetime of adapting led her to become a fourth-degree black belt in Taekwondo and the world's first licensed armless pilot.

Jessica's journey, from dreaming of flying on the playground to achieving extraordinary feats, epitomizes the limitless potential of an adaptable mindset. She founded Rightfooted Foundation International (RFI), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to arm children born with bilateral limb difference with the skills and tools needed to live independent and fulfilling lives. Through their unique programs, Jessica is leading the charge in changing perceptions of people with disabilities while advocating for accessibility and inclusion. This effort includes her Life With Feet channel on YouTube, which to date has more than 1.7 million views and 10.2K subscribers.🎧 Available on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, and Amazon Music. 📲 Follow us on Spotify: WAI On Air Podcast #WomeninAviationInternational #IamWAI #WeAreWAI #Aviation #Aerospace #WAITogether #WAIOnAir #WAIPodcast #AviationPodcast #Rightfooted #ImpossibleAirplane #VansRV10

Pete Muntean is a CNN correspondent based in Washington, D.C. A pilot and flight instructor, he covers aviation and transportation as well as general assignment stories for the network.Pete came to CNN in 2020 after a decade in local news. He was the transportation reporter for WUSA9 in Washington, D.C. where he detailed chronic safety problems on the Metro public transit system and led the station’s coverage of air disasters including the Boeing 737 Max and the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant.Prior, Pete covered the State Capitol in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania for WGAL News 8. There, he covered two gubernatorial administrations, a months-long state government shutdown, and earned an Emmy nomination for exposing wasteful spending by state lawmakers. He reported on the Penn State child sex abuse scandal and the trial of Jerry Sandusky from start to finish.Pete draws on his knowledge from a lifetime in aviation. Taught by his late parents, he’s been flying airplanes since he was a teenager and now mentors new pilots and competes in aerobatic flying competitions. He holds a commercial license and is a Certificated Flight Instructor - Instrument.Pete began his broadcasting career as an intern at CNN Center in Atlanta, working under former CNN anchor and correspondent Miles O’Brien. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism.🎧 Available on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, and Amazon Music. 📲 Follow us on Spotify: WAI On Air Podcast #WomeninAviationInternational #IamWAI #WeAreWAI #Aviation #Aerospace #WAITogether #WAIOnAir #WAIPodcast #AviationPodcast

Meet Amy Tomlinson—the Blue Angels' first female weapons system officer— who leads drone delivery at Amazon Prime Air. Amy has over 25 years of leadership and management experience including a strong background in instructing, mentoring, and program/project management. Her skills include combat operations, flight training, team building, planning, risk management, data analysis, public speaking and personnel management.

Amy served her country as a Naval Aviator for 21 years, flying in the F-14 Tomcat and F/A-18 Super Hornet as a Weapons System Officer and accumulating over 1600 flight hours and 220 carrier arrested landings. She was the first female weapons system officer (aviator) ever selected to serve with the Blue Angels, the U.S. Navy’s flight demonstration squadron.

With a BA in public relations from the University of Southern California and her MBA from Santa Clara University she lives in Pacific Grove, California, with her husband and two children. She was elected to serve her community as a City Council Member from 2018-2022 and four years ago joined Amazon as a Senior Program Manager.

In her most recent role, Amy has taken on the exciting challenge of advancing cutting-edge technology of commercial drone delivery at Amazon Prime Air. In this position, she leverages her aviation background and leadership skills to drive forward Amazon's innovative drone delivery program, helping to shape the future of logistics and last-mile delivery solutions.

🎧 Available on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, and Amazon Music.

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Meet Caroline "Blaze" Jensen, a 1998 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, a retired fighter pilot, and veteran. She is a highly experienced leader, command pilot, instructor pilot and evaluator.

During her time in the Air Force, she accumulated over 3,500 hours in Schwitzer 2-33 gliders, Cessna 172, T-37B Tweet, T-38 Talon, and the F-16 Fighting Falcon. She was the first femalereserve officer to fly for the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron (Thunderbirds), and was the first woman qualified to fly in the Air Force’s new jet trainer, the Boeing T-7A Red Hawk. Blaze has worked extensively with leading teams in and out of the cockpit.

Her flight experience includes 1,870 hours in the F-16 (200 combat hours) and over 1,500 hours instructing in the T-38 Talon. She fondly remembers flying in the #3 Right Wing position for the Thunderbirds and her time in OPERATION IRAQIFREEDOM supporting US and allied troops on the ground. Outside the cockpit she served as a Legislative Fellow in the Secretary of the Air Force Legislative Liaison Senate office and later for a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. She led flight operations and personnel of the 64th AggressorSquadron and served as Deputy Commander for more than 300 personnel across five geographically separated units working in Space, Space and Weapons Test, Aggressor, and USAF Weapons School missions while in the Air Force.

Blaze is a mother to Finn, who has the distinction of being the first child in the U.S. to see his mother fly in an advanced jet aerobatic demonstration. She resides in Las Vegas with her dog, Gunner. She is a dynamic motivational speaker who inspires others to be "Brilliant Under Pressure" by sharing lessons learned as an F-16 combat pilot and Thunderbird demonstration pilot.

🎧Available on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, and Amazon Music.

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Meet Dr. Peggy Chabrian

Dr. Peggy Chabrian is the founder of Women in Aviation International and retired as WAI president/CEO in September 2019. She grew the organization from its first conference attended by 150 people in 1990 to an organization representing thousands of women in all aspects of aviation today.

A long-time aviation enthusiast and professional aviation educator, Peggy is a 2,800-hour commercial/instrument multi-engine pilot and flight instructor who has been flying for over 45 years. She also holds helicopter and seaplane ratings to her flight qualifications. Peggy currently enjoys flying her Cessna 150.

Prior to her founding Women in Aviation International, she held several top positions in aviation education including Academic Dean and Associate Vice President of Parks College; Dean of Academic Support for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's Prescott, Arizona campus; Director of the Center of Excellence for Aviation/Space Education at ERAU's Daytona Beach campus; and Department Chair of the aviation department at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia.

She currently owns Chabrian Aviation, a consulting business and serves as an online adjunct faculty member for Liberty University's School of Aeronautics in their PhD and Master’s degree programs.

Peggy was enshrined into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in September 2024, and is also the recipient of the National Aeronautics Association’s Brewer Award for Aviation Education, the Wesley McDonald Distinguished Statesman & Stateswoman of Aviation Award, and the Henderson Trophy in 2020. She has received the FAA Administrator's Award for Excellence in Aviation Education and the Vision Award from Business and Commercial Aviation magazine. She was inducted into the Crown Circle of the National Congress on Aviation and Space Education.

Available on Spofity, YouTube, Apple Music, and Amazon Music.

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Meet Diana Birkett Rakow of Hawaiian Airlines

As chief executive officer of Hawaiian Airlines, Diana Birkett Rakow is responsible for the performance and advancement of the Hawaiian Airlines brand and Alaska Air Group’s business in Hawai‘i — including Honolulu, the combined company’s second largest international hub after Seattle.

She also leads Air Group’s sustainability and venture investment strategies as a member of the company’s executive committee. Diana has been a member of Alaska Airlines’ executive committee for the last eight years, previously responsible for public affairs and sustainability, overseeing government affairs, communications, sustainability and corporate impact, community and cultural relations, sales and customer engagement in the states of Hawaiʻi and Alaska, and the Alaska Star Ventures investment arm.

Diana joined Alaska after two decades in the health care industry and government. Prior to Alaska, she was executive vice president of public affairs and marketing at Group Health, leading brand, strategy and stakeholder engagement through the company’s acquisition by Kaiser Permanente and launching the resulting, new $1.8 billion foundation. Before joining Group Health, she was health policy advisor to the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, in Washington, D.C.

Diana holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Harvard University and master’s degrees in public health and public administration from the University of Washington. She is a board director for Hawaiian Airlines and Puget Sound Energy and serves on international councils to advance sustainability and clean energy.

🎧 Available on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, and Amazon Music.

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Meet Jennifer Draughon, she leads a dynamic team of aerial firefighting experts as president of Neptune Aviation. She began her aviation career at Boeing, where she worked at the flight-testing field in quality assurance. With more than 25 years of industry experience, Jennifer is recognized as a leader in aerial wildland firefighting. Under her leadership, Neptune is innovating in the rapidly evolving aerial firefighting landscape, and she is transforming Neptune by cultivating a working environment of trust, by investing in cutting edge technology, and by championing operational and safety excellence. Jennifer is committed to upholding Neptune’s company values of a firm handshake, a resilient spirit, and embracing family. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business from the University of Montana, a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from the University of Washington, and is CPA certified.

🎧 Available on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, and Amazon Music.

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Meet Lynda Coffman, CEO of Women in Aviation International (WAI).

She leads the business development and strategic direction of the 20,000-member strong nonprofit organization while partnering with the board of directors and overseeing staff and daily operations.

Prior to joining WAI in January 2024, Lynda served as vice president of United Airlines and president of United Ground Express, a wholly owned airport operating subsidiary of United Airlines. Lynda has more than 30 years of successful leadership positions at United in various roles that highlight her passion for financial management, operational oversight, strategic planning, and talent retention. She has served on multiple private company and nonprofit boards and has received several awards for her influential contributions. A strong communicator dedicated to inspiring youth in aviation and aerospace, Lynda has also held numerous leadership and sponsorship roles supporting initiatives to champion diversity.

Lynda has a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Santa Clara University and a Master of Management from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. Lynda resides in Barrington, Illinois, with her husband, and they have a daughter.

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A 2019 National Women's Hall of Fame inductee and former Presidential appointee, Col. Nicole Malachowski (USAF, Retired) has over 21 years of experience as an officer, leader, and fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force. Upon her commission into the military, she was competitively selected to fly combat aircraft and embarked on an adventure among the first group of women to fly modern fighter jets. Nicole served as a mission ready fighter pilot in three operational F-15E squadrons and accumulated over 2,300 flight hours, including 188 hours in combat. She has had the honor of commanding a fighter squadron, flying as a USAF Thunderbird pilot, serving as a White House Fellow, and as an advisor to the First Lady of the United States.

🎧 Available on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, and Amazon Music.

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Stephanie Chung is not just the #1 international best-selling author of ALLY Leadership, How to Lead People Who Are Not Like You: she's also a force of strategic innovation, a beacon of change, and a titan in the world of business growth and human capital management. With over 30 years of experience, Stephanie has cultivated a reputation for turning challenges into opportunities and transforming growing businesses into thriving hubs of success.

As a former chief growth officer for Wheels Up, Stephanie spearheaded a growth strategy that not only elevated revenues but also fostered market expansion, resulting in a significant increase in diverse membership. Prior to her tenure at Wheels Up, Stephanie blazed trails as the first African American to helm a private jet company, JetSuite. Under her visionary leadership, JetSuite evolved from a mere service provider to a symbol of luxury and excellence.

Stephanie's illustrious career also includes pivotal roles at American Airlines, Flexjet, and Bombardier Aerospace, where she engineered revenue generation strategies that achieved remarkable success.

Stephanie's impact extends far beyond the boardroom - beyond her professional achievements, she is a dedicated advocate, serving on the Make-A-Wish Board and the Advisory Council for the National Business Aviation Association among others.

Her journey is a testament to the power of strategic thinking, resilience, and unwavering dedication to excellence. Meet Stephanie at WAI2026 in Dallas, Texas, when she closes the general session on Saturday, March 21, 10:30-11:45 a.m. with an engaging keynote presentation.

🎧 Available on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, and Amazon Music.

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