She Talks Tech

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.

What We Cover
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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💬 Show Notes:
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.

🌍 Connect with us:
Follow She Talks Tech Podcast on Instagram and LinkedIn for more stories of women redefining what’s possible in tech.
Also follow us on Instagram @she_talks_tech_podcast
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Episode Summary

What does it mean to grow up in a world that told you who you should be — and then choose to become yourself anyway?
In this episode, Hlulani sits down with Cécile Deprez, a scientific researcher at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) working on Europe’s next-generation satellite systems. Cécile shares their journey from a childhood shaped by gender expectations in Belgium to a career designing the future of space navigation.
They talk about breaking free from patriarchal norms, navigating queerness and neurodivergence in STEM, and finding belonging in spaces that weren’t built for them.
This conversation is tender, honest, and deeply human — a reminder that self-acceptance can be the most radical act of all.

🪐 In this episode
✅ Growing up under rigid gender expectations
✅ Finding the courage to study science despite fear
✅ From geomatics to Galileo: how satellite systems shape our world
✅ Why Cécile left their PhD to protect their mental health
✅ Building inclusive workplaces and Employee Resource Groups that truly support people
✅ Challenging the “colonizing space” narrative and re-imagining exploration
✅ What real diversity and belonging look like in tech

Memorable quote
“Belonging is not a slogan. It’s a practice.” — Cécile Deprez
Connect
Listen now on your favorite podcast platform.
Follow Cécile on LinkedIn to learn more about their work.
💡 Follow us on Instagram @she_talks_tech_podcast for more stories that elevate women and gender-diverse voices in tech.

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