Speak Up! by AvalonBay Podcast

AvalonBay Women's Leadership Network
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Business

A Real Talk about Real Issues that Matter

  1. Apr 8

    Episode 19 - Women Leading a Sustainable Future

    Welcome to the Speak Up! Podcast, hosted by AvalonBay Communities’ Women’s Leadership Network, or WLN, to provide real talk about real issues influencing our industry and broader communities. Today, we’re joined by Gautami Palanki, AvalonBay’s Vice President of Sustainability; Avra Bossov Ward, Manager of Learning and Development; and Candace Prabhakar, Portfolio Operations Director, for a conversation on “Women Leading a Sustainable Future." Gautami leads AvalonBay’s sustainability strategy across the portfolio, shaping how we design, operate, and think long‑term about our environmental impact. Her work sits at the intersection of innovation, responsibility, and leadership—addressing some of the most critical challenges and opportunities facing our industry today. This podcast dives into what it takes to shape a sustainable future—and the leadership required to make it happen.

  2. 12/15/2025

    Episode 18 - Wellness Part Three - Wellness with a Purpose

    Welcome to the Speak Up! Podcast, hosted by AvalonBay Communities’ Women’s Leadership Network, or WLN, to provide real talk about real issues influencing our industry and broader communities. Today, we are joined by Vanessa Cazares, Portfolio Operations Director at AvalonBay, Sydney Stone, Operations Manager at AvalonBay, and Colleen Olphert, Director of Membership and Member Services at Boston College's Center for Corporate Citizenship for part three of our wellness series. We’ll hear about Colleen's take on "spirit of caring" and  "wellness with a purpose" including the positive effects of volunteerism and purpose-driven work for individual, corporate, and community wellness.

  3. 11/03/2025

    Episode 17 - Wellness Part Two - Burnout, Boundaries, and Balance

    Welcome to the Speak Up! Podcast, hosted by AvalonBay Communities’ Women’s Leadership Network, or WLN, to provide real talk about real issues influencing our industry and broader communities. Today, we are joined by Avra Bossov Ward, Manager in Learning & Development at AvalonBay, Nicole Louis Cedeno, Sales and Service Supervisor at AvalonBay, and Dr. Andrea Holman, Senior Manager for Workforce Transformation at Lyra Health for part two of our wellness series. We’ll hear more about Dr. Holman's take on mental health and wellness including hustle culture, ambitious associates, healthy boundaries, and taking care of you.

  4. 08/18/2025

    Episode 16 - Wellness Part One - The Well-Designed Life

    Welcome back to the Speak Up! Podcast, hosted by AvalonBay Communities’ Women’s Leadership Network, or WLN, to provide real talk about real issues influencing our industry and broader communities. Today, we are joined by Breanne Joyce, Senior Manager of Capital Projects, and Yoon Park, Vice President of Design at AvalonBay. We’ll hear more about Yoon's professional journey, AvalonBay’s approach to cohesive living and wellness as it relates to interior and exterior spaces, as well as the industry trends she is watching closely.

  5. 03/21/2025

    Episode 15 - Lessons in Leadership - Part Four

    Welcome to the Speak Up! Podcast, hosted by AvalonBay’s Women’s Leadership Network, or WLN, to provide real talk about real issues influencing our industry and broader communities. Today's episode "Lessons in Leadership" is hosted Alaine Walsh, Executive Vice President of Human Capital & Administration at AvalonBay. Alaine is joined  by Joanne Lockridge and Keri Shea, two senior executives who retired from AvalonBay at the end of 2024 after impressive and impactful careers. We’ll hear more about their professional journeys, including the challenges and triumphs they faced as women leaders in real estate, as well as their go-to words of wisdom and best practices they want to share with our listeners.

  6. 08/31/2022

    Episode 14 - Lessons in Leadership - Part Three - Featuring Cathy White

    This is the final episode of our three-part Summer Series, Lessons in Leadership. We have three very special women leaders, Debbie Coombs, Karen Hollinger, and Cathy White, retiring from AvalonBay in 2022. This series is our opportunity to showcase their unique transformational leadership stypes and their invaluable wisdom. You won't want to miss this conversation with Cathy White, SVP Associate General Counsel, and Ted Shulman, EVP and General Counsel, about leaning into your style, trusting your ability to learn and taking ownership of your career.

  7. 06/29/2022

    Episode 13 - Lessons in Leadership - Part Two - Featuring Karen Hollinger

    This episode continues our three-part Summer Series, Lessons in Leadership. We have three very special AvalonBay women leaders, Debbie Coombs, Karen Hollinger, and Cathy White, retiring from AvalonBay this year. This series is our opportunity to showcase their unique transformation leadership styles and their invaluable wisdom.    Get ready to be inspired by this conversation with Karen Hollinger (Senior Vice President, Strategic Initiatives) and Jennifer Coogen (Senior Director, Strategic Initiatives) as they discuss the past, present, and future!

  8. 05/20/2022

    Episode 12 - Lessons in Leadership - Part One - Featuring Debbie Coombs

    This episode launches our summer series, Lessons in Leadership. We have three very special AvalonBay women leaders, Debbie Coombs, Karen Hollinger, and Cathy White, retiring from AvalonBay in 2022. This series is our opportunity to showcase their unique transformation leadership styles and their invaluable wisdom. Debbie Coombs (Senior Vice President, Property Operations) and Kate Brown (Vice President, Property Operations Massachusetts) kick off our series with a wonderful conversation filled with moments of inspiration, humor, and humility.  Enjoy!

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A Real Talk about Real Issues that Matter

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