MULTIPLE HATS: STEM Careers | Reinvention | Entrepreneurship |Thought Leadership

Angelique Greco | Biotech & Health-Tech Expert | STEM Thought Leadership Coach

Multiple Hats is a STEM career podcast for professionals who want more than the 9–5. Hear real stories of STEM professionals reinventing their careers — from scientists turned founders to biotech consultants and entrepreneurs. Hosted by Angelique Greco, a biotech and health-tech expert with 15+ years across the drug development lifecycle, this show explores how STEM careers can evolve into entrepreneurship, thought leadership, and portfolio work that truly matters. Through in-depth conversations with entrepreneurial STEM professionals, you’ll discover: Where a STEM degree can take you (career possibilities are infinite).How to embrace your unique “patchwork” of skills and experiences.Practical tactics to reinvent, transition, or leap into new opportunities.Mindset shifts from “Can I?” to “Here’s how!” You will hear: Indepth interview to hear the whole storyQuick wins episode with key takeaways and actionable insights for youPractical tips to help you change your self limiting mindsets and grow further For who: Scientists, PhDs, engineers, clinicians, biotech consultants, tech pros including women balancing STEM careers with motherhood while fighting stereotypes. Why listen: Representation and role modelling matter. Bold and brave STEM professionals share how they carved their own paths — so you can too. 🎙 New episodes weekly. Follow now to reinvent your STEM career and design work on your own terms.     STEMM = Science Technology Engineering Mathematics Medicine Visit my website https://angeliquegreco.com.au/ for short bite insights and on how to start crafting your message to set you on track for the career your want (Discover, Articulate, Master). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 6 DAYS AGO

    Building support network in STEM, leadership leaps and big career pivots as a Boeing aerospatial engineer with Cassie Leonard

    Building Your STEM Safety Net: Cassie Leonard on Being the Only Woman Engineer at Boeing and Leaving Corporate to Coach and Publish The episode of Multiple Hats, released for International Women’s Day 2024, revisits a recorded interview with aeronautical engineer Cassie Leonard, who spent 16 years at Boeing after entering a 35-man team as the only woman. Cassie describes her path from aerospace study at UCLA to persistence in applying to Boeing, early intimidation, and career growth through frequent internal “bounces” that stretched her technically and as a leader, supported by an organic network of mentors and advocates. She recounts a difficult double-stretch role during her mother’s stage-four brain cancer diagnosis and how her network helped her recover by finding a new position. Cassie explains leaving Boeing methodically to focus on developing early leaders and supporting STEM parents, self-publishing her book STEM Mum, starting Elm Coaching and Publishing, learning marketing, redefining success beyond paycheck, and aiming to amplify underrepresented voices in STEM. 00:00 Only Woman at Boeing 01:41 Meet Cassie Leonard 03:29 Engineering Roots and Role Models 04:38 What Aerospace Engineers Do 06:30 Culture Shock in Engineering Classes 08:14 Landing Boeing Through Persistence 09:55 Finding Your Voice on the Team 11:23 Career Growth in Two Dimensions 14:44 Support Networks as Safety Nets 17:38 When Life Forces a Reset 21:07 Why She Left After 16 Years 22:50 Motherhood in a Male Workplace 27:13 Building a Methodical Exit Plan 29:18 From Pro Bono Coaching to Business 30:50 Yoga Detour and Finding a Niche 32:54 Marketing Through Community and Boards 34:11 Book Framework Origins 35:00 Science Mindset Coaching 37:12 Whole Life Career Stories 37:54 Holistic Planning YOLO 39:39 Writing Editing Timeline 40:26 Self Publishing Elm Press 42:32 Money Mindset Metrics 46:36 Building Business Systems 48:07 Pricing Coaching Services 50:10 Marketing Website Authenticity 54:31 Targeted Volunteering Myths 56:53 Presenteeism Performance Debate 01:01:39 Redefining Work Life Balance 01:04:02 No Going Back 01:04:23 Inspiration Book Song 01:05:28 Final Takeaways Village Want to craft a career story that opens doors? I help STEMM professionals speak with clarity, confidence, and purpose and show up as thought leaders —so the right opportunities find you. 📬 Let’s connect: angeliquegreco.com.au | LinkedIn    ⭐️ Help More People Reinvent Their Careers If you enjoyed this episode, please: ✅ Leave a quick ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify 🙏♻️ Share it with a friend who's questioning their path in STEM Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1hr 8min

  2. 16 MAR

    Why Women Leave STEM, How to Spot Burnout, and Advocate for Real Change- Beyond the Pipeline with Belinda Di Bartolo, Jessica Borger and Cassie Leonard

    Beyond the Pipeline: Why Women Leave STEM, How to Spot Burnout, and Advocate for Real Change This episode will put words on what many women in STEM feel but have not articulated. The podcast episode critiques performative International Women’s Day gestures and focuses on lived experiences behind why women leave STEM, featuring three co-authors of the collaborative book Beyond the Pipeline: Cassie Leonard, Associate Professor Jessica Borger, and Dr. Belinda Bartolo. The 3 authors represent 3 paths within the STEM sector, pivoting and staying to change the system from within. Host Angelique shares her own career pivots and ongoing struggles with high expectations and fatigue, while the guests describe identity shifts, loss of joy, and turning points that led them to stay and advocate within systems or pivot into new paths. They discuss systemic drivers of attrition—burnout, feeling undervalued/imposter syndrome, and bias—illustrating bias through examples tied to motherhood and career interruptions, as well as bias toward non-parents. The conversation covers boundaries, redefining success, portfolio careers, four types of burnout, and advocacy that is collective and non-performative, including allies’ roles and examples of media-driven national-level change during the pandemic. 00:00 IWD Hype vs Reality 01:16 Meet the Authors 01:44 Host Story and Stakes 03:22 Jess Finds Her Voice 06:04 Filters and Advocacy 07:30 Belinda Loses the Joy 11:25 Cassie Pressured Out 14:07 Boundaries and Glass Balls 18:34 Portfolio Careers in STEM 21:15 Why Women Leave STEM 23:29 Bias Stories and Language 29:03 Motherhood And Imposter Syndrome 30:45 Fixing Parental Leave Systems 32:34 Bias Against Childfree Workers 34:21 Finding The Right Workplace Fit 36:13 Career Visibility For Students 37:20 Four Types Of Burnout 42:01 Breaking The Busy Culture 43:56 Advocacy Without Performative Gestures 47:22 Allies Speaking Up Effectively 50:16 Pandemic Anger To National Change 52:38 How Media Advocacy Snowballed 53:37 Final Takeaways Want to craft a career story that opens doors? I help STEMM professionals speak with clarity, confidence, and purpose and show up as thought leaders —so the right opportunities find you. 📬 Let’s connect: angeliquegreco.com.au | LinkedIn    ⭐️ Help More People Reinvent Their Careers If you enjoyed this episode, please: ✅ Leave a quick ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify 🙏♻️ Share it with a friend who's questioning their path in STEM Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    54 min

  3. 9 MAR

    "Thriving in STEM: Rethinking Career Pathways for Women with Cassie Leonard

    Beyond the Leaky Pipeline: Redefining Success and Keeping Women in STEM with Cassie Leonard The episode of Multiple Hats, hosted by Angelique, addresses why women leave STEM,. Citing a global survey where 50% leave due to burnout and lack of support, 40% for greater fulfillment, and 30% because of bias in career advancement, the authors of beyond the pipeline argue that the real challenge is retention rather than recruitment. The host introduces a three-episode series on the “leaky pipeline” with authors of Beyond the Pipeline, a collaborative book carrying insights from 25 women in STEM worldwide and grounded in lived experience. Guest Cassie Leonard, an aerospace engineer who left a senior management role at Boeing, discusses her identity shift in decoupling self-worth from paycheck and title, her FIRE-based financial choices, and how the book rejects the outdated pipeline metaphor in favor of a Rubik’s-cube model of complex, non-linear careers, organizing chapters around values/thriving, drivers of attrition, and solutions, and building an ongoing community via LinkedIn and Slack. 00:00 Why Women Leave STEM 00:46 Beyond Cupcakes Real Support 01:24 Series And Guest Preview 03:25 Meet Cassie Leonard 03:50 Why Write Beyond Pipeline 05:15 Rethinking Leaky Pipeline 06:54 Leaving Boeing Identity Shift 09:05 Redefining Success And Money 12:29 How 25 Authors Wrote Together 16:56 From Pipeline To Rubiks Cube 18:48 Community And Book Tour 20:01 Biggest Attrition Factor Bias 21:26 Ideal Worker Parent Paradox 24:17 Closing Takeaways Next Episode Want to craft a career story that opens doors? I help STEMM professionals speak with clarity, confidence, and purpose and show up as thought leaders —so the right opportunities find you. 📬 Let’s connect: angeliquegreco.com.au | LinkedIn    ⭐️ Help More People Reinvent Their Careers If you enjoyed this episode, please: ✅ Leave a quick ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify 🙏♻️ Share it with a friend who's questioning their path in STEM Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    26 min

  4. 2 MAR

    STEM Careers Feel Too Narrow? How to Create Breadth Without Blowing Up Your Job, Quick Win from the interview with OnQ Recruitment

    Why job descriptions are narrow by design, and how to read between the lines to shape a bigger role. This is my takeaway episode from my interview with Catherine O’Mahony, the founder of OnQ Recruitment (Recruitment in Life Sciences). If you are delivering well but still feel boxed in, is the problem really you, or the way roles are designed? Either way there are ways to expand! 🔍 What You’ll Learn: This Quick Win episode is for STEM professionals who are no longer struggling with competence, but with scope. You know how to do the job. You meet the criteria. Yet the work feels too narrow, and the frustration keeps growing. In this episode, you will learn: Why job descriptions are written narrowly, and why that does not automatically mean the role will stay narrowHow ownership, vision, and visibility change what is possible inside a roleWhen to shape breadth where you are, when to change environments, and when entrepreneurship becomes the right answer Action: Press play if you want a practical way to stop fighting job descriptions and start using them as an entry point instead of a ceiling. 🧠 About the Guest: Catherine O’Mahony is the CEO and founder of OnQ Recruitment. With over 25 years hiring across the life sciences, Catherine brings a hiring-side view on why roles are designed the way they are, where flexibility really exists, and how careers actually move forward in real organisations. This Quick Win episode is drawn from the full-length Multiple Hats conversation with Catherine, where we go deeper into beyond-the-box careers, hiring risk, salary transparency, advocates, and entrepreneurship. 📌 Episode Highlights: 00:00 When competence is no longer the problem 01:30 Why job descriptions optimise for delivery, not vision 03:00 Ownership, why your career is not your line manager’s job 05:30 Vision and visibility, seeing opportunities and being seen 08:30 Advocates vs mentors, who actually opens doors 11:30 Reading between the lines of narrow job descriptions 14:00 De-risking yourself, depth first, breadth second 17:00 Where breadth is structurally possible, small vs big companies 21:30 Portfolio careers and not asking one job to meet every need 24:00 When entrepreneurship becomes the answer 29:00 The real signal behind feeling boxed in 🔗 Resources Mentioned: Full interview episode with Catherine O’Mahony on Multiple HatsOnQ Recruitment Salary Survey – https://www.onqrecruitment.com.au🤔 Reflection Time: Where do you currently feel boxed in, and what capability of yours is going unused?Are you waiting for permission to grow, or actively shaping visibility and advocates?If this role cannot stretch further, is the next move redesigning it, changing environment, or building something of your own? Want to craft a career story that opens doors? I help STEMM professionals speak with clarity, confidence, and purpose and show up as thought leaders —so the right opportunities find you. 📬 Let’s connect: angeliquegreco.com.au | LinkedIn    ⭐️ Help More People Reinvent Their Careers If you enjoyed this episode, please: ✅ Leave a quick ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify 🙏♻️ Share it with a friend who's questioning their path in STEM Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    31 min

  5. 23 FEB

    STEM Self-Limiting Beliefs Holding You Back, Transferable Skills, Done vs Perfect, and Taking the First Step, Fire Chat with Catherine O’Mahony

    A rapid-fire reality check on why STEM professionals stay stuck, and how to move anyway What if the real thing holding your STEM career back is not your skills, but the story you keep telling yourself? 🔍 What You’ll Learn: This short Fire Chat is for STEM professionals who know they have more range than their current role allows, but keep hitting the same mental brakes. In a fast, no-fluff format, we tackle the beliefs that quietly stall momentum. You will learn: Why “I’m just a scientist” is one of the most limiting stories STEM professionals repeat, and what actually transfers across roles and industriesHow to tell when perfection matters, and when it is just procrastination in disguiseWhy waiting until you have more time, money, or certainty is still a decision, and often the riskiest one Action: Press play if you want a sharp reset on how to stop overthinking and start moving with what you already have. 🧠 About the Guest: Catherine O’Mahony is the CEO and founder of OnQ Recruitment. With 25 years of experience hiring across the life sciences, Catherine has seen firsthand why capable STEM professionals underestimate their value, and what actually helps people break out of narrow career lanes. 📌 Episode Highlights: 00:00 The self-limiting beliefs STEM professionals carry 01:10 Why science skills transfer further than you think 02:40 Analytical thinking, process discipline, and communication as hidden strengths 03:30 Working smart vs working hard, and when to stop doing everything yourself 04:40 Done vs perfect, how to judge what “good enough” really means 05:30 Will your work speak for itself, or do you need to advocate? 06:40 The first step, de-risking action and why inaction is still a choice 🔗 Resources Mentioned: OnQ Recruitment – https://www.onqrecruitment.com.auFull interview episode with Catherine O’Mahony on Multiple Hats🤔 Reflection Time: Which excuse do you default to most often, time, money, skill, or certainty?Where are you aiming for perfect when acceptable would be enough to move forward?If not acting is still a decision, what is that decision costing you right now? Want to craft a career story that opens doors? I help STEMM professionals speak with clarity, confidence, and purpose and show up as thought leaders —so the right opportunities find you. 📬 Let’s connect: angeliquegreco.com.au | LinkedIn    ⭐️ Help More People Reinvent Their Careers If you enjoyed this episode, please: ✅ Leave a quick ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify 🙏♻️ Share it with a friend who's questioning their path in STEM Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    8 min

  6. 16 FEB

    STEM Careers Beyond the Job Description, How to Own Your Path and When to Build Your Own Box, with STEM founder Catherine O’Mahony

    You are a STEM professional and you tick every box on paper, so why do you still feel boxed in, underused, or quietly restless at work? 🔍 What You’ll Learn: If you are a STEM professional who has done everything right but feels stuck in a narrow lane, this episode is for you. We unpack the dynamics shaping recruitment and job seeking and how you can find breadth beyond the job description and when to build your own box with insights from Catherine's own founder journey. You will learn: What actually makes a STEM candidate stand out beyond the job description, and why EQ, delivery, and motivation matter more than endless upskillingWhy most companies hire you to stay in your lane, and how to deliberately create breadth without burning trust or credibilityHow to take ownership of your career, whether that is shaping a role internally, choosing the right company size, or stepping into entrepreneurship Hit play if you want practical, grounded advice on how to design a STEM career that fits your life, not just your CV. This episode was recorded in July 2025 but Catherine's word are as relevant today as they were a few months back. 🧠 About the Guest: Catherine O’Mahony is the CEO and founder of OnQ Recruitment, which she started 25 years ago. With a background in science and decades of experience placing talent across the life sciences, Catherine brings a rare dual perspective, how careers are built inside organisations, and how creating your own business can be a deliberate career move rather than a leap into chaos. 📌 Episode Highlights: 00:00 Why high-performing STEM professionals still feel underused 03:45 How STEM recruitment has changed since 1999, from fax machines to LinkedIn 07:00 What makes a stellar candidate beyond technical skills 10:41 Learning fast vs delivering value, where many STEM professionals trip up 15:00 Employer value proposition, power shifts after COVID, and what changed back 22:00 Salary transparency, equity, and what the data really shows in life sciences 27:40 Why women are still underrepresented at the top, and the role of advocates 32:10 Beyond the job description, breadth vs depth and choosing the right company size 38:00 Why career ownership is not your manager’s job 45:00 Catherine’s founder story, the real first step to starting a business 52:00 Rapid-fire truths on transferable skills, perfectionism, and taking action 🔗 Resources Mentioned: OnQ Recruitment Salary Survey – https://www.onqrecruitment.com.auCompany Directors Course (AICD) – https://aicd.com.au 🤔 Reflection Time: Where in your current role are you delivering value, and where are you quietly bored but staying silent?Do you want more depth, more breadth, or more control, and which environment actually supports that?What is one conversation or small action you could take this month to stop waiting and start shaping your path? Want to craft a career story that opens doors? I help STEMM professionals speak with clarity, confidence, and purpose and show up as thought leaders —so the right opportunities find you. 📬 Let’s connect: angeliquegreco.com.au | LinkedIn    ⭐️ Help More People Reinvent Their Careers If you enjoyed this episode, please: ✅ Leave a quick ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify 🙏♻️ Share it with a friend who's questioning their path in STEM Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    59 min

  7. EPISODE 43

    Career Reinvention for entrepreneurial STEMM Professionals and aspiring change makers

    Reinventing STEM Careers: Unscripted Stories of Courage and Creativity if you're looking for a podcast to find your vision and make it happen, that's for you. In the inaugural 2026 episode of Multiple Hats, host Angelique Greco reintroduces the podcast dedicated to STEM professionals who seek to reshape their careers and find meaningful work. Angelique highlights her journey and the essence of the show—monthly unscripted interviews with science professionals who have engineered their careers to match their vision. Listeners gain insights into starting businesses, handling self-doubt, and redefining roles. The episode also touches on personal branding and thought leadership as crucial tools. Packed with inspiring stories of innovation and perseverance, this podcast encourages professionals to think outside the box and create their own paths. 00:00 Welcome to Multiple Huts in 2026 00:29 What This Podcast is All About 02:20 Angelique's Personal Journey 04:13 The Power of Unscripted Interviews 06:08 Inspiring Stories of Career Reinvention 08:27 Special Series and Final Thoughts Want to craft a career story that opens doors? I help STEMM professionals speak with clarity, confidence, and purpose and show up as thought leaders —so the right opportunities find you. 📬 Let’s connect: angeliquegreco.com.au | LinkedIn    ⭐️ Help More People Reinvent Their Careers If you enjoyed this episode, please: ✅ Leave a quick ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify 🙏♻️ Share it with a friend who's questioning their path in STEM Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    10 min

  8. 01/12/2025

    From Underfunded Science to Award-Winning: The Drug Discovery Rollercoaster with Dr Chris Burns

    What keeps a drug alive when the science is fragile, the funding dries up, and the company name changes four times? A 20-year survival story of near-death science, offshore funding, and final impact. 🔍 What You’ll LearnIf you want a real look at how drug development and STEM careers work behind the scenes, this episode gives you the straight version, not the polished one. You’ll learn: • Why drugs are designed, not discovered, and what that means for your STEM career choices • Why starting with a strong target matters more than starting with an indication • How the financial crisis and investment landscape pushed this Australian project offshore • Why Momelotinib survived multiple handovers when it could have died at any stage • What it takes to grow from lab scientist to CEO, and the people you need around you Press play to hear the real story behind a drug that survived science hurdles, funding shocks, and corporate chaos to finally reach patients. 🧠 About the GuestDr Chris Burns is the CEO and Managing Director of AmpliaTherapeutics. He is one of the few scientists who has watched a drug he helped design reach FDA approval. While he was heading Cytopia, Chris co-led the creation of Momelotinib, a JAK2 inhibitor approved for myelofibrosis in 2023 after two decades of stops, starts, handovers, and near-failures. 📌 Episode Highlights00:00 Why very few scientists see their work reach patients 02:00 Designed, not discovered: the truth about drug creation 05:10 The creativity behind medicinal chemistry 08:15 How Momelotinib got its name 09:45 Preclinical wins, metabolic failures, and early near-death moments 12:00 The JAK2 discovery that shifted the entire program 15:20 Running across lily pads: designing drugs at the edge of knowledge 17:45 The metabolic wall that nearly killed the compound 20:00 Entering the clinical valley of death 21:10 The handover chain: Cytopia → YM Bioscience → Gilead → Sierra → GSK 27:00 Why Australian innovation keeps leaving the country 29:30 Practical funding advice for early biotechs 32:00 Winning the Prime Minister’s Prize 33:00 From scientist to CEO, step by step 36:00 The leadership habits that matter most 🔗 Resources Mentioned• Ampio Therapeutics • Momelotinib FDA approval • Prime Minister’s Prize for Innovation • JAK2 mutation discovery • Cytopia historical research (If you want direct links added, send them through.) 🤔 Reflection TimeWhich part of your own work would survive longer if you treated it like a design process instead of waiting for inspiration?What’s one area in your STEM career where timing, allies, or better funding could shift everything?If your work went through four handovers, what would keep it alive? Want to craft a career story that opens doors? I help STEMM professionals speak with clarity, confidence, and purpose and show up as thought leaders —so the right opportunities find you. 📬 Let’s connect: angeliquegreco.com.au | LinkedIn    ⭐️ Help More People Reinvent Their Careers If you enjoyed this episode, please: ✅ Leave a quick ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify 🙏♻️ Share it with a friend who's questioning their path in STEM Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    39 min
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Multiple Hats is a STEM career podcast for professionals who want more than the 9–5. Hear real stories of STEM professionals reinventing their careers — from scientists turned founders to biotech consultants and entrepreneurs. Hosted by Angelique Greco, a biotech and health-tech expert with 15+ years across the drug development lifecycle, this show explores how STEM careers can evolve into entrepreneurship, thought leadership, and portfolio work that truly matters. Through in-depth conversations with entrepreneurial STEM professionals, you’ll discover: Where a STEM degree can take you (career possibilities are infinite).How to embrace your unique “patchwork” of skills and experiences.Practical tactics to reinvent, transition, or leap into new opportunities.Mindset shifts from “Can I?” to “Here’s how!” You will hear: Indepth interview to hear the whole storyQuick wins episode with key takeaways and actionable insights for youPractical tips to help you change your self limiting mindsets and grow further For who: Scientists, PhDs, engineers, clinicians, biotech consultants, tech pros including women balancing STEM careers with motherhood while fighting stereotypes. Why listen: Representation and role modelling matter. Bold and brave STEM professionals share how they carved their own paths — so you can too. 🎙 New episodes weekly. Follow now to reinvent your STEM career and design work on your own terms.     STEMM = Science Technology Engineering Mathematics Medicine Visit my website https://angeliquegreco.com.au/ for short bite insights and on how to start crafting your message to set you on track for the career your want (Discover, Articulate, Master). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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