Nearly 44 percent of working moms are not returning to the workforce. This is not a confidence or ambition problem. It is a systems failure. In this year end conversation, Molly McCartan, Founder and CEO of The Mom Pact, breaks down why working moms are being pushed out and what leadership must change to support real life transitions.

Leela Sharon Aheer learned early that visibility can either silence you or shape you. As the daughter of an Indian immigrant father and a Canadian mother, she grew up standing out in rural Alberta. At fifteen, she was targeted by white supremacist hate. Instead of shrinking, she chose to speak. This episode traces her path from music and community leadership to politics and global strategy, and the belief that real change starts when you activate yourself.

When male colleagues dismissed Amanda DuBois as a doctor’s wife dabbling at the law, she decided to build something they never imagined. Thirty years later she leads one of Washington’s longest standing women owned law firms, founded a statewide justice movement, and writes award winning legal thrillers that expose the truth about women in prison. Her story is a reminder that courage and vision can change everything.