Chetana Deorah - From Silicon Valley to Soulful Design
Chetana Deorah explores what it means to step off the career treadmill , rediscover creativity beyond metrics , and build a life rooted in connection, community, and courage —sharing why the most meaningful design often begins within .
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Episode Chapters:
00:00 – A Reading from Sri Aurobindo
04:38 – Growing Up in a Pampered Family in India
07:55 – Leaving India to Escape Cultural Expectations
17:30 – Making the Leap to the United States
25:56 – Working at Pentagram and Pivotal Labs
36:03 – Leading Global Growth Design at Netflix
44:25 – Deciding to Leave Silicon Valley
50:21 – Returning to Auroville, India
59:33 – Adapting to a Slower Pace of Life
1:09:32 – Designing BloomO! the Flower Card Game
1:19:12 – Learning the Power of Doing Nothing
1:27:52 – Reflecting on Money and Enoughness
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Who is Chetana Deorah?
Chetana Deorah is a seasoned design leader, educator, and community builder whose career bridges tech, creativity, and social impact .
She has:
Led product design at Netflix, Scribd, Yahoo, Pivotal Labs, and Pentagram
Shaped global digital experiences for hundreds of millions of users
Founded community projects in India focused on art, sustainability, and human connection
Chosen a new path outside Silicon Valley to explore soulful, human-centered design
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Find Chetana Deorah here:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chetanadeorah/
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Hosted by Brendan Jarvis:
Brendan Jarvis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanjarvis/
The Space InBetween Website: https://thespaceinbetween.co.nz/
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1:12:54
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1:12:54
Thomas Girard – Finding Creativity in Unexpected Places
Thomas Girard brings a thoughtful lens to design, creativity, and resilience 🌍 — sharing why processes matter 🧠, and how the quiet work of reflection can shape the future of design 🚀.
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Episode Chapters:
00:00 – The Processes and Methods Around Design
02:26 – How Living Internationally Shaped Thomas’s Design Lens
05:03 – Growing Up with Photographer Greg Girard
06:49 – Why Airports Feel Like Home
12:50 – Preparing for a Two-Minute TEDx Talk
19:21 – Advice for First-Time Public Speakers
23:39 – The Strength of Design Education Today
26:38 – How Design Continues Despite Tech Layoffs
28:43 – Can Designers and AI Coexist?
35:22 – Lessons from Running 200+ Podcast Episodes
48:53 – Life or Death Typography: Why It Matters
58:58 – Beliefs That Changed Over a Career
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Who is Thomas Girard?
Thomas Girard is a design educator, writer, and speaker whose work bridges creativity, innovation, and resilience 🌍.
He has:
✅ Delivered keynotes at UXIndia and Sorbonne University
✅ Earned multiple Emerging Scholar awards for his contributions to design
✅ Authored the memoir Son of Greg Girard
✅ Built UNIQUEWAYS, a podcast uncovering different perspectives on success and creativity
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Find Thomas Girard here:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/onthomas/
Podcast: https://uniqueways.ca
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Subscribe to Brave UX
Like what you heard?
🎙️ Subscribe to Brave UX for more conversations with world-class voices in UX, design, and product leadership. Your support helps others discover the show!
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/no/podcast/brave-ux-with-brendan-jarvis/id1552607805
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7j2ocni6A00fzgHkj6TtCK
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSpaceInBetween
Podbean: https://braveux.podbean.com/
======
Follow Brave UX for more great content!
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-space-in-between/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brave_ux
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespaceinbetw__n/
======
Hosted by Brendan Jarvis:
Brendan Jarvis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanjarvis/
The Space InBetween Website: https://thespaceinbetween.co.nz/
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1:01:47
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1:01:47
Theresa Neil – Designing Healthcare That Actually Cares
Theresa Neil is reshaping the future of healthcare 🚀, challenging outdated systems 🧠, and championing women’s health innovation when it’s needed most 🌍 — reminding us that the stakes in design have never been higher ❤️.
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Episode Chapters:
00:00 – Why You Can’t "Move Fast and Break Things" in Healthcare
01:15 – Welcome and Introduction
03:03 – From Sous Chef to UX Designer
04:55 – Early Lessons in Tech and Gender Bias
05:22 – Mentorship and the Start of a UX Career
08:41 – Designing Airline Kiosks (Sorry!)
10:47 – Founding Guidea and Finding Her Differentiator
14:09 – Becoming a Women-Owned and Led Company
15:43 – On Becoming a Feminist (and Why It Matters)
17:55 – Calling Out Oprah’s Menopause Awards
23:38 – Why Menopause and Women’s Health Remain Taboo
27:40 – How Sexism Shows Up in Femtech Investment
32:35 – Why VCs Might Not Save Femtech
37:33 – Lioness: Building a Smart Vibrator for Data
43:47 – Empowering Women Through "Spite Tracking"
48:53 – Fighting Medical Gaslighting with Data
51:08 – Redesigning Healthcare Experiences with Empathy
56:57 – Why Patient-Centric Design Is Still Missing
59:55 – Designing for Accessibility and Dignity
1:04:09 – Industrial Design + UX: A Match Made in Medtech
1:05:19 – Why Theresa Believes in the Power of Collective Stories
1:08:14 – Where to Find Theresa
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Who is Theresa Neil?
Theresa Neil is the Founder of Guidea, an award-winning, women-owned and led product design firm specialising in medtech and digital health innovation 🚀.
She has:
Led UX for companies like Roche, Johnson & Johnson, and Cigna
Designed digital health solutions impacting over a billion users worldwide
Launched Femovate, a femtech incubator supporting 28 product launches and 14 clinical trials
Helped startups secure over $100 million in funding
Advocated globally for inclusive design and women's health innovation
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Find Theresa Neil here:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theresaneil/
Website: https://www.guidea.co/
Femovate: https://www.femovate.com/
======
Subscribe to Brave UX
Like what you heard?
🎙️ Subscribe to Brave UX for more conversations with world-class voices in UX, design, and product leadership. Your support helps others discover the show!
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/no/podcast/brave-ux-with-brendan-jarvis/id1552607805
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7j2ocni6A00fzgHkj6TtCK
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSpaceInBetween
Podbean: https://braveux.podbean.com/
======
Follow Brave UX for more great content!
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-space-in-between/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brave_ux
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespaceinbetw__n/
======
Hosted by Brendan Jarvis:
Brendan Jarvis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanjarvis/
The Space InBetween Website: https://thespaceinbetween.co.nz/
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1:09:25
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1:09:25
Jennifer Speciale – Designing the Career You Actually Want
Jennifer Speciale helps leaders rewrite the rules of career growth 🚀, redefine executive presence 🧠, and build unapologetic clarity in an uncertain market 🌍—sharing why designing your career is the ultimate act of leadership 🎯.
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Episode Chapters:
00:00 – Why You Are the Prize
01:15 – Welcome and Introduction
03:12 – Living in Italy and Training for a Marathon
06:45 – Discovering Sicilian Roots and the Aeolian Islands
13:25 – Learning from Strong Women in Italian History
16:32 – Coaching Leaders Through Career Crossroads
19:55 – Why "Open-Minded" Job Searches Fail
26:29 – Helping Leaders Find Hidden Career Options
30:11 – Rebranding LinkedIn for Strategic Career Moves
33:24 – What Recruiters Really Look for on LinkedIn
37:02 – Why Job Descriptions Are Designed to Be Vague
42:32 – The Hidden Risks of a Bad Interview
47:19 – Using Flattery Authentically in Networking
51:36 – Flipping Interviews into Conversations
56:47 – Believing You Are the Prize (Without Arrogance)
1:01:13 – How to Stop Over-Apologizing in Interviews
1:03:05 – Closing Reflections and Where to Find Jennifer
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Who is Jennifer Speciale?
Jennifer Speciale is the Founder and Executive Leadership Coach at Speciale Executive Leadership, helping ambitious leaders transition into executive roles and unlock new opportunities 🚀.
She has:
Led executive recruiting for design at Amazon
Built a global Experience Design team at McKinsey
Helped leaders at Google, Amazon, and McKinsey land executive roles
Coached over 100 leaders into executive positions, delivering over half a million dollars in salary growth in 2024 ✨
Through her proven frameworks, she’s changing the way leaders navigate executive transitions.
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Find Jennifer Speciale here:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferspeciale/
Website: https://www.jenniferspeciale.com
======
Subscribe to Brave UX
Like what you heard?
🎙️ Subscribe to Brave UX for more conversations with world-class voices in UX, design, and product leadership. Your support helps others discover the show!
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/no/podcast/brave-ux-with-brendan-jarvis/id1552607805
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7j2ocni6A00fzgHkj6TtCK
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSpaceInBetween
Podbean: https://braveux.podbean.com/
======
Follow Brave UX for more great content!
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-space-in-between/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brave_ux
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespaceinbetw__n/
======
Hosted by Brendan Jarvis:
Brendan Jarvis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanjarvis/
The Space InBetween Website: https://thespaceinbetween.co.nz/
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1:04:51
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1:04:51
Dave Hoffer – Empathy, Courage, and the Future of Design
Dave Hoffer shares why design demands empathy 🧠, courage 🛡️, and long-term thinking 🌱—and how amplifying others can transform leadership in uncertain times 🚀.
He explores design’s shifting role in business, the disruptive rise of AI, and why resilience and critique will shape the future of design.
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Episode Chapters
00:00 – Welcome and Introduction
04:42 – Dave’s Instinct to Amplify Others Over Himself
08:36 – Weathering Layoffs and the Power of Staying the Course
12:43 – From Personal Crisis to Mission-Driven Work
17:24 – Why Hope and Long-Term Thinking Matter in Design
21:24 – Courage, Critique, and Speaking Truth to Power
24:20 – Design’s Role in Policy and Sustainability
28:17 – Is UX Dead? Navigating the AI Disruption
32:35 – Spectral Thinking: Understanding the Human Spectrum
37:11 – The Hard Cost of Empathy in Design
42:05 – Why Executives Must Experience Real Empathy
48:13 – Empathy, Judgment, and Learning from Outliers
54:10 – What Research with Outliers Teaches Us
58:13 – How Physical Labor (Like Bricklaying) Changes Perspective
1:04:09 – Think Like a Gardener, Not an Architect
1:07:00 – Why Design’s Work Isn’t Done Yet
1:10:54 – Taste, Design Leadership, and Meeting Halfway
1:11:57 – Closing Reflections and Where to Find Dave
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Who is Dave Hoffer?
Dave Hoffer is a seasoned design leader and strategist whose career spans product design, digital innovation, and design transformation 🌎.
He has:
Led design teams at Frog Design, PwC, and McKinsey & Company
Grown McKinsey’s global design practice from a handful of designers to hundreds 📈
Brought design strategy into the heart of business and policy change
Advised mission-driven organisations like Safe Kids AI 👨👩👧👦
Advocated for amplifying others and championing empathy and critique as foundations for impactful leadership ✨
Today, Dave advises organisations as an independent consultant, helping them embed human-centered design practices into strategy and transformation initiatives.
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Find Dave Hoffer here:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-hoffer/
Website: https://www.mpqd.com/
======
Subscribe to Brave UX
Like what you heard?
🎙️ Subscribe to Brave UX for more conversations with world-class voices in UX, design, and product leadership. Your support helps others discover the show!
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/no/podcast/brave-ux-with-brendan-jarvis/id1552607805
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7j2ocni6A00fzgHkj6TtCK
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSpaceInBetween
Podbean: https://braveux.podbean.com/
======
Follow Brave UX for more great content!
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-space-in-between/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brave_ux
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespaceinbetw__n/
======
Hosted by Brendan Jarvis:
Brendan Jarvis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanjarvis/
The Space InBetween Website: https://thespaceinbetween.co.nz/
Welcome to the Brave UX with Brendan Jarvis podcast, your go-to destination for exploring the intersection of UX research, design, and product. Do you share a passion for developing and launching products that deliver superior and ethical experiences? If so, join your host, Brendan Jarvis, as he talks to industry and thought leaders in UX, product management, and product design. Get inspired and informed, and challenge yourself to become a better leader and think outside the canvas, both in what you do and occasionally in who you are.