Made For Us

Tosin Sulaiman

Made For Us is an award-winning podcast for anyone who’s curious about how to design for inclusivity. An Apple Podcasts Editors' Choice, Made For Us entered Apple's top 10 Design chart this year, reaching #2 in Canada and #3 in the U.S. and Australia. Join us each week for conversations with founders, designers, product inclusion leaders and other creative minds who are challenging the status quo of how everyday products are designed. Each episode will bring you insights from people who've spent years thinking, perhaps even obsessing, about how to develop products or build companies that are inclusive from the start. AWARDS 2025 International Women's Podcast Awards: Runner-up: Moment of Absolute Honesty Finalist: Moment of Behind-the-Scenes Briliance 2024 Signal Awards: Bronze winner: Most Inspirational Podcast 2024 International Women's Podcast Awards: Finalist: Moment of Insight from a Role Model & Moment of Visionary Leadership

  1. Rewriting the story: the AI startup reimagining how the world learns to read | Ethan Pierce

    1 DAY AGO

    Rewriting the story: the AI startup reimagining how the world learns to read | Ethan Pierce

    Ethan Pierce couldn't read when he finished third grade, but years later went on to win a full scholarship to Harvard. Recognising that not all students have the support he had, he founded Adaptive Reader, an AI-powered platform that adapts classic literature and other books to different reading levels and languages. In this episode, Ethan talks about building a product around the learners the education system leaves behind, why your first startup idea is probably wrong (and why that's a good thing), and how listening to teachers changed everything he thought he knew about edtech design. We discuss: How Ethan's own struggles with reading in school inspired Adaptive Reader’s missionWhy 130 user research interviews convinced him that print was a non-negotiable equity needHow Adaptive Reader designs for learners across neurological differences, physical disabilities, and languages About Ethan Pierce Ethan Pierce is the Founder and CEO of Adaptive Reader, an AI-powered accessibility platform that makes any text accessible to any reader—across languages, reading levels, and formats. A former struggling reader who went on to earn a full scholarship to Harvard, Ethan is passionate about using technology to break down barriers to literacy and learning. Adaptive Reader has been recognized globally for advancing accessibility and inclusive learning, winning the Harvard President’s Innovation Challenge and the MIT Solve E Ink Prize. Learn more about Adaptive Reader: https://adaptivereader.com/ Follow Ethan Pierce on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethanpierce13/ Follow Adaptive Reader on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/adaptive-reader/ --- If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Send questions for our guests or any feedback to: madeforuspod@gmail.com Other episodes you might like: Speechify CEO Cliff Weitzman on building the 'voice of the internet' --- Connect with Made for Us Show notes and transcripts: https://made-for-us.captivate.fm/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/madeforuspodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/madeforuspodcast/Newsletter: https://madeforuspodcast.beehiiv.com/

    34 min
  2. The "feminization of wealth" is coming. Are you ready?

    5 MAR

    The "feminization of wealth" is coming. Are you ready?

    What does the world look like when women control more wealth than ever before? In part two of our conversation with Sylvia Kwan, CEO and chief investment officer of Ellevest, we discuss the “feminization of wealth” and why many companies are unprepared for this shift. Kwan makes the case that financial power isn't just for the wealthy: every woman with capital, no matter how small the sum, has the power to create change. Catch up on part 1 here: The women finance forgot: Ellevest CEO Sylvia Kwan on closing the gender wealth gap In this episode: How the Great Wealth Transfer is driving the feminization of wealthWhy women invest differently and what that means for societyHow Ellevest is preparing for a “seismic shift” in spending and investment If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to leave a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Send questions for our guests or any feedback to: madeforuspod@gmail.com You might also like: Where is the female crash test dummy? --- About Sylvia Kwan Sylvia Kwan is the CEO and Chief Investment Officer of Ellevest, a women-founded and women-led financial services firm dedicated to closing the gender wealth gap. Prior to Ellevest, she founded SimplySmart Asset Management and held senior portfolio management positions at Financial Engines and Charles Schwab. A Chartered Financial Analyst with more than 30 years of industry experience, Sylvia serves on the Board of Exit 182, the investment committee that oversees the endowment of Grinnell College. Learn more about Ellevest: https://www.ellevest.com/ Sylvia’s Monthly Market Insight (Sept. 2025): https://www.ellevest.com/magazine/2025-september-market-insights Follow Ellevest on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ellevest/ Follow Ellevest on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellevest --- Connect with Made for Us Show notes and transcripts: https://made-for-us.captivate.fm/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/madeforuspodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/madeforuspodcast/Newsletter: https://madeforuspodcast.beehiiv.com/

    18 min
  3. The women finance forgot: Ellevest CEO Sylvia Kwan on closing the gender wealth gap

    26 FEB

    The women finance forgot: Ellevest CEO Sylvia Kwan on closing the gender wealth gap

    Ellevest CEO Sylvia Kwan has a striking statistic she uses to explain why the company was founded: in a survey of asset managers by BNY Mellon Investment Management, 86% said their default customer is a man. In this episode, the first of a two-part conversation, Sylvia Kwan shares why Ellevest is on a mission to close the gender investing gap and why it may be just as important as the gender pay gap. We discuss: Why the gender investing gap exists and how it contributes to the wealth gapWhat Ellevest discovered about women’s attitudes towards riskSylvia's surprising route to becoming chief investment officer and then CEOHow Ellevest is breaking down the barriers that keep women from investing --- About Sylvia Kwan Sylvia Kwan is the CEO and Chief Investment Officer of Ellevest, a women-founded and women-led financial services firm dedicated to closing the gender wealth gap. Prior to Ellevest, she founded SimplySmart Asset Management and held senior portfolio management positions at Financial Engines and Charles Schwab. A Chartered Financial Analyst with more than 30 years of industry experience, Sylvia serves on the Board of Exit 182, the investment committee that oversees the endowment of Grinnell College. Learn more about Ellevest: https://www.ellevest.com/ Follow Ellevest on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ellevest/ Follow Ellevest on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellevest --- If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to leave a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Send questions for our guests or any feedback to: madeforuspod@gmail.com Other episodes you might like: Where is the female crash test dummy? AI vs the feedback gap --- Connect with Made for Us Show notes and transcripts: https://made-for-us.captivate.fm/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/madeforuspodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/madeforuspodcast/Newsletter: https://madeforuspodcast.beehiiv.com/

    29 min
  4. 23/12/2025 · BONUS

    What's in a name? Part 3: Who decides what's 'normal'?

    So your name’s been mistreated by autocorrect. What harm does that cause? And what would it take to fix it? In this episode, Northeastern University law professor Rashmi Dyal-Chand discusses her research into autocorrect's bias and shares her blueprint for change - from what consumers can do to where the law might need to step in. Plus: journalist Dhruti Shah on her viral 2018 BBC article that first brought the issue to light. This is Part 3 of "What's in a Name?", our mini-series about autocorrect and inclusive technology. -- New to the series? Start with Part 1 and Part 2 Listen to the trailer Enjoying the show? Leave a rating to help others discover it, or share your autocorrect story at madeforuspod@gmail.com -- About Rashmi Dyal-Chand Rashmi Dyal-Chand is a law professor at Northeastern University. Her research and teaching focus on property law, poverty, economic development and consumer law. She is the author of the article, “Autocorrecting for Whiteness”, published in the Boston University Law Review in 2021. Learn more about Rashmi Dyal-Chand: https://law.northeastern.edu/faculty/dyal-chand/ Read the “Autocorrecting for Whiteness” article: https://www.bu.edu/bulawreview/files/2021/03/DYAL-CHAND.pdf About Dhruti Shah Dhruti Shah is a creative practitioner, storyteller and journalist who focuses extensively on belonging. She is a collaborator with I Am Not A Typo. Read Dhruti’s article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-46362259 Follow Dhruti on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhrutishahstoryteller/ Follow Dhruti on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dhruti_journo/ -- Connect with Made for Us Show notes and transcripts: https://made-for-us.captivate.fm/ Newsletter: https://madeforuspodcast.beehiiv.com/ Social media: LinkedIn and Instagram

    29 min

About

Made For Us is an award-winning podcast for anyone who’s curious about how to design for inclusivity. An Apple Podcasts Editors' Choice, Made For Us entered Apple's top 10 Design chart this year, reaching #2 in Canada and #3 in the U.S. and Australia. Join us each week for conversations with founders, designers, product inclusion leaders and other creative minds who are challenging the status quo of how everyday products are designed. Each episode will bring you insights from people who've spent years thinking, perhaps even obsessing, about how to develop products or build companies that are inclusive from the start. AWARDS 2025 International Women's Podcast Awards: Runner-up: Moment of Absolute Honesty Finalist: Moment of Behind-the-Scenes Briliance 2024 Signal Awards: Bronze winner: Most Inspirational Podcast 2024 International Women's Podcast Awards: Finalist: Moment of Insight from a Role Model & Moment of Visionary Leadership

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