Women Leading the Way

Drofa Comms
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Women Leading the Way is a podcast about the women shaping new rules in fintech, crypto, blockchain, and the digital economy. They do it not only through achievements, but through the path behind them: decisions, setbacks, values and the human story that rarely fits into a headline. Each episode is an honest conversation about what it really takes to build a career in fast-moving industries. It is about the choices that change your trajectory, the risks you learn to carry, the tension between fragility and resilience, and the daily reality of leading teams under pressure. We talk about ambition and burnout, confidence and doubt, professional growth and personal boundaries, and what it means to build inner stability when external reference points keep shifting. We invite women at different stages: those entering the industry and those already leading it. Because women's leadership is not about dominance or competition. For us, it's all about support, resourcefulness, knowledge-sharing, and making space for each voice to be heard. Success stories matter, but so do stories of growth, pivots, mistakes, and new starts. Created by Drofa Comms, Women Leading the Way is a part of a broader initiative to amplify women's voices in technology-driven industries. Learn more at womenlead.co.uk.

Episodes

  1. Web3's Infrastructure Gap: Why Liquidity Was Just the Beginning

    Jun 22

    Web3's Infrastructure Gap: Why Liquidity Was Just the Beginning

    Annabelle Huang has spent the better part of a decade watching the institutional case for crypto build, and watching the technology fail to keep pace with it. She went from Deutsche Bank in New York to AirSwap, one of Ethereum's earliest DEXs, through the years building Amber Group's trading operations. Now she is a co-founder and CEO of Altius Labs, a blockchain infrastructure company working to close the gap she kept running into. Her thesis: liquidity is largely a solved problem. Infrastructure is not. In this episode of Women Leading the Way by Drofa Comms, Annabelle sits down with host Maria Tunikova to trace what crypto actually needs before institutional adoption moves beyond early positioning. She walks through why general-purpose chains are giving way to purpose-built, application-specific infrastructure. She also makes the case that regulation, not technology, is the real unlock for the next phase. The GENIUS Act has already demonstrated what a single piece of legislation can do for stablecoin adoption. The CLARITY Act could do the same for tokenised assets. Ideas that people tried to build in 2017, Annabelle argues, were just waiting for the regulatory framework to arrive. Then the conversation turns to what founding and leading in one of the most technical corners of Web3 actually looks like for a woman. Annabelle candidly says that the challenges are consistent. They manifest themselves in how leadership style gets read by others, in who survives on your team, and in the quiet cost of over-correcting yourself to fit a room. She mentors early-stage founders, and when asked what women need most at the beginning, her answer is confidence and the deliberate, conscious practice of it. Connect with Annabelle Huang via LinkedIn.

    32 min
  2. Legal in Web3: How to Deal With Crypto Law

    May 27

    Legal in Web3: How to Deal With Crypto Law

    What happens when crypto regulation in Web3 develops faster than the law can follow? Ania Szpak knows firsthand. As Chief Legal Officer at Nexus Mutual, Ania handles legal strategy in investments, compliance, and data privacy. Since she is frequently the only lawyer in the room, she is often the first to face questions without legal precedent. In the third Women Leading the Way podcast episode, Ania and host Maria Tunikova address one of the biggest misconceptions in Web3: decentralisation means no regulation. It is a belief that leads founders to delay legal thinking. So, when compliance infrastructure finally catches up with them, the fixes are painful and expensive. Ania breaks down how she stays ahead of crypto regulation in Web3 — including why X has become one of her most valuable sources — and explains why a network of in-house counsels is non-negotiable. She also shares what pragmatic lawyering looks like when there is no rulebook, and your members depend on your expertise. Beyond regulation, Ania turns to confidence, self-doubt, and female leadership in Web3. She shares how women can build their voice in technical, fast-moving industries: by learning continuously, asking for feedback, relying on trusted networks, and taking part in the conversation before they feel fully ready. Connect with Ania Szpak via LinkedIn.

    43 min
  3. Crisis Communications in Fintech: How Trust Is Built

    Apr 10

    Crisis Communications in Fintech: How Trust Is Built

    In the second episode of Women Leading the Way, host Maria Tunikova sits down with Alina Sysoeva, Head of PR at Drofa Comms, to talk about one of the most demanding challenges in financial PR: crisis communications in fintech and crypto. When markets are unstable and trust is fragile, how fast you respond can shape a company's reputation for years. Alina breaks down the red flags she watches in real time, from a sudden spike in media mentions and negative tone to the risk no one talks about enough: founders posting without approval. She takes us through her very first crisis with 30 minutes to build a response strategy from nothing and prevent a media fallout. The conversation gets honest about why companies go silent during crises, and why that silence is, in most cases, the biggest mistake. From syncing PR and legal teams before anything happens to getting ahead of the story when Bloomberg publishes first, Alina shares a playbook built on preparation, speed, and transparency. And then there's the human side. How does real pressure reveal who leads and who doesn't? Alina reflects on a moment early in her career when she was doubted simply for being a woman, and what happened when she acted anyway. Drofa Comms is glad to announce the launch of a limited series of special PR consultations for finance, fintech, and digital asset companies. You can request one via the link.

    32 min
  4. Community Is the Real Power in Web3

    Mar 11

    Community Is the Real Power in Web3

    In the premiere episode of Women Leading the Way, host Maria Tunikova speaks with Danielle Marie, founder of All Things Blockchain and creator of EvolveH3r, about why community — not hype — has become the real infrastructure of crypto. Danielle shares how building Web3 communities across regions has revealed a stark divide: in some countries, blockchain is still a curiosity; in others, it’s a practical response to broken financial systems. She explains why education around fundamentals — ownership, private keys, and core blockchain concepts — matters more than chasing trends, and how events and mentorship create long-term trust in an industry shaped by volatility and misinformation. The conversation also looks at what it means to grow as a woman in a male-dominated ecosystem and why support systems often matter more than titles. From global meetups to education hubs and mentorship programs, this episode sets the tone for the series — focusing on people, not narratives. Women Leading the Way is a proud community partner of EthCC Cannes 2026. EthCC runs March 30 – April 2, 2026 at the Palais des Festivals, Cannes.  🎟️ Get your EthCC pass: https://ethcc.io/tickets

    48 min
  • 4 Episodes

About

Women Leading the Way is a podcast about the women shaping new rules in fintech, crypto, blockchain, and the digital economy. They do it not only through achievements, but through the path behind them: decisions, setbacks, values and the human story that rarely fits into a headline. Each episode is an honest conversation about what it really takes to build a career in fast-moving industries. It is about the choices that change your trajectory, the risks you learn to carry, the tension between fragility and resilience, and the daily reality of leading teams under pressure. We talk about ambition and burnout, confidence and doubt, professional growth and personal boundaries, and what it means to build inner stability when external reference points keep shifting. We invite women at different stages: those entering the industry and those already leading it. Because women's leadership is not about dominance or competition. For us, it's all about support, resourcefulness, knowledge-sharing, and making space for each voice to be heard. Success stories matter, but so do stories of growth, pivots, mistakes, and new starts. Created by Drofa Comms, Women Leading the Way is a part of a broader initiative to amplify women's voices in technology-driven industries. Learn more at womenlead.co.uk.

Information

  • Creator
    Drofa Comms
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    4
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Women Leading the Way
  • Show Website
    Women Leading the Way