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Insider Insight: Talia Soen, founder and CEO of Happy Things

This week we meet Talia Soen, founder and CEO of Happy Things

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Talia Soen, founder and CEO of Happy Things

A project manager turned tech entrepreneur, Talia Soen is the founder behind Happy Things, the first platform to turn happiness into a habit.

 

What is your morning routine?

You might be expecting to hear something along the lines of “I wake up at 5am every morning, do 30 minutes of yoga and 20 minutes of meditation, drink a green smoothie and write my intentions for the day”. Well, not quite.

To be completely honest, I wake up and check my phone. I brush my teeth, wash my face, and drink a glass of water. If I didn’t get a good night’s sleep, I might sit on the couch for 10-15 minutes and stare into space.

I get dressed and take my dog out for a walk. She’s old and very stubborn, so that could take anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour! I get back, feed her, make myself a cup of coffee and open my laptop.

Which technology could you not live without?

Noise-canceling headphones! I’m extremely sensitive to noise so it can be difficult for me to focus in noisy environments. Unfortunately, half the buildings in my area are currently being renovated, making my entire environment extremely noisy. So you’ll very rarely find me without my headphones on.

How do you relax?

Different things work for me at different times of my life.

In certain periods of my life, going out for a run is my ultimate go-to relaxation method. In others, it’s yoga (that’s actually what made me take a yoga teacher training course – I wanted to understand why it made me feel so good).

I love everything related to arts and crafts – DIY furniture makeovers, sewing, jewellery making and more. A few months ago I discovered the drawing app Procreate, so that’s my new addiction.

And honestly, some days all I want to do is crash on the couch and binge “Blow Out” or “Glow Up” on Netflix.

Which quote resonates with you?

“Change happens when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change” – Tony Robbins

I’ve wanted to start my own company since I was 12, but it took me 20 years to do it. Taking a risk, leaving my comfort zone and facing the possibility of failure was terrifying. Unfortunately, what led me to finally take that chance was a personal tragedy that made me realise that the fear of not pursuing my dreams was actually much bigger than the fear of change and possible failure.

What is the best thing about your job?

Being an entrepreneur means that you are constantly facing new challenges, always pushing yourself, stepping out of your comfort zone and learning new things about yourself and your capabilities. I really don’t think that any other job in the world would have taught me as much and allowed for so much personal growth.

I also love having a vision and seeing it come to life. A few years ago Happy Things was just an idea in my head, and today it’s an app that thousands of people around the world use on a regular basis. It’s the best feeling in the world.

What keeps you motivated?

Knowing that we are doing good in the world and building a product that actually helps people live happier lives. We get such amazing feedback from our users, sharing with us how the app is helping them and thanking us for building it.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

That’s a tough one, just because I’m not sure I would have listened. I think that many life lessons need to be learned through experience, no matter how much good advice you get along the way.

But if I had the chance, I would tell her to believe in herself and that she is capable of so much more than she gives herself credit for. I would tell her to speak up more and to stop doubting herself. Basically, I would tell her to let her inner badass woman shine.

What is something you wish you could experience again for the first time?

Reading the Harry Potter books! I absolutely love them and still discover something new every time I read them, but I really wish I could experience them for the first time again. I actually think I would like to do that with many of my favourite books and movies.

What is your greatest achievement since establishing Happy Things?

I think my greatest achievement is being able to motivate and inspire people to join my journey. From the people who joined me on day one, when I had nothing but an idea and a desire to do some good in the world, to my amazing co-founder who took a leap of faith with me, advisors who gave me their time and expertise and investors who entrusted me with their money.

Younger me probably wouldn’t have believed that she would be able to accomplish that.

Wellness

Tech exec launches programme to address women’s leadership gap in technology sector

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A new 12-week executive programme aimed at tackling burnout and stalled career growth among senior women in technology will launch next month, amid ongoing concerns about gender representation in the industry.

Padmasini Dayananda, a tech executive with 24 years’ experience, created the initiative to support women leaders in reshaping their careers and raising their profiles in the sector.

The programme is based on what Dayananda describes as a “Triple-E Framework,” drawing on concepts from Stanford’s Career Design Lab and the Uncertainty Experts initiative.

“Women now have a seat at the table—but they want more,” says Dayananda. “They’re ready to explore untapped potential and redefine their path. What got them here won’t take them to the next level. This program is designed to create extraordinary breakthroughs by helping them drop old baggage, build strategic agility, and grow with purpose.

Opening for registration on 2 June 2025, the course is designed to help participants overcome self-limiting beliefs, plan their next career steps, and recover from professional burnout.

Figures from Women in Tech UK show that while women make up 42 per cent of the tech workforce, they hold just 31.7 per cent of leadership roles. Many exit senior positions due to limited advancement opportunities, lack of visibility, or chronic stress.

Called HER Circle of Influence, the programme combines executive mentoring and strategic coaching. Enrollment will be selective, with places offered through an application process.

Dayananda was ranked fourth in Information Age’s Top 10 Diverse Leaders in UK Tech and is an alumna of Windsor Leadership. See more on the programme here

 

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News

European healthcare professionals react to new ultrasound technology

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European ultrasound specialists have responded to the launch of an advanced ultrasound system by international health technology provider Mindray.

The Resona A20, unveiled in Naples late last year at the 35th congress of the European Federation of Ultrasound Societies in Medicine and Biology, was developed by Mindray to allow healthcare professionals to have a “deeper comprehension of the human body”, and to enable early detection of illness with new levels of confidence.

It is the first premium ultrasound system to be developed by the company.

‘The highest level of confidence for complex cases’

Professor Vito Cantisani, president of the European Federation of Societies for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology, remarked he was “positively impressed” with the new technology as one of the world’s first users. “I found this new equipment very useful to evaluate deeply complicated cases,” he said. “The Resona A20 brings the best image quality for the highest level of confidence.”

Professor Cantisani, who is also chairman of integrated advanced imaging at University Sapienza, Rome, remarked how software in the Resona A20 supported multi-parametric evaluation, helping to deliver “a comprehensive evaluation of my patients”. “We are entering a new era,” he said.

He pointed out that one significant improvement is the multi-parametric liver study, helping to comprehensively study any pathology. He added that the technology enables all requested information to be displayed in real-time in one shot.

“The A20 smart thyroid tool gives automatic real-time lesion detection, which helps to be fast and precise,” Professor Cantisani added.

“HD Scope+is very useful because it increases the level of confidence, enhancing the border delineation, the eco-structures, the presence of calcification of the lesion that I study, such as breast and thyroid lesions, where it is really important to depict clearly and properly any of those features.”

Microvasculature study functionality was also described as important

A ‘slow flow’ often suggests that there might be a problem with the small blood vessels. Professor Cantisani said: “The ultra micro angiography provides a very high sensitive depiction of the slow flow.”

The new technology is expected to support daily clinical activity, research, and education, with the potential to enhance the role of ultrasound in the diagnostic imaging landscape.

Dynamic tumour information, and new pathways

The new high frame rate of the Resona A20 could make a “major difference” for healthcare professionals in delivering a correct diagnosis quickly for kidney, liver and oncology patients, and could help to transform clinical pathways, according to Prof Dirk-Andre Clevert, head of the Interdisciplinary Ultrasound Centre, Department of Radiology, University of Munich-Grosshadern Campus.

“The A20 gives us the opportunity for super resolution,” he said. “Five hundred frames a second means a very, very high resolution, and a lot of dynamic information, additional information for the tumour which doesn’t exist or can be missed in conventional contrast examination.”

New diagnostic pathways could become possible for different patient cohorts, he added. For kidney transplant patients, it was now possible to show a “tiny kidney infarction not clearly visible by a contrast enhanced ultrasound examination”.

For liver patients, the need for additional imaging, could potentially now be avoided, he added. “Around 30 per cent of my liver examination patients need to have CT or MRI, and further contrast enhanced ultrasound,” said Professor Clevert. “There might be an option for a shortcut, to start with super resolution before going to MRI or CT – to save both time and money.”

‘A huge amount of data’: A new perspective for doctors

The new ultrasound system uses an acoustic intelligence technology platform, combined with Mindray’s next-generation transducers to improve acoustic focusing, and support precise diagnosis.  This helps healthcare professionals to visualise often unseen details.

Professor Clevert said that the Resona A20’s option for super resolution meant “more frames in a shorter time, with additional information like dynamic flow direction”, in addition to providing results of image analysis on the same system, preventing the need to transfer information to external computers.

“You have the option to see very tiny vessels which are not normally visible,” he said. “You can see the flow direction, you get information regarding time of arrival, so how fast the contrast has arrived. It’s not only super resolution, we have vascular information, dynamic information.”

He described the potential for a “very big power insight”. “If you can acquire 500 frames in a second, and you can store 30 seconds, this means you have around 15,000 frames. This is a huge amount of data.”

 

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Wellness

#empowHERaccess Global Prestige Awards 2025: A Global Celebration of Women in AI, Technology, and Economic Leadership

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The highly anticipated #empowHERaccess Global Prestige Awards 2025 returns for its fifth year, honoring global leaders who are shaping the AI-powered economy while driving corporate ESG and UN SDG goals. Hosted in both the U.S. and India, this industry recognition platform builds upon the success of the 2024 campaign, which reached 4.5 million impressions.

Presented by Women in Cloud (WIC) in collaboration with The Mainstream (formerly CIO News), the awards celebrate women technology and business leaders, impact filmmakers, entrepreneurs, investors, donors, wellness champions, and allies who are pioneering innovation in AI, cybersecurity, film, technology, and wellness.

“The #empowHERaccess Global Prestige Award 2025 honorees represent the future of leadership in the AI-powered economy,” said Chaitra Vedullapalli, President of Women in Cloud. “These women are leading transformative initiatives within their organizations, driving innovation and measurable business outcomes. Companies with women in senior leadership roles are 30% more likely to outperform their peers, proving that visibility and recognition of these leaders are critical for building a thriving, inclusive AI-powered economy.”

Women in Cloud’s past awards have showcased groundbreaking contributions, fostering equitable economic access, industry inclusivity, and policy-driven innovation. This year, the program expands globally to honor over 200 changemakers whose leadership is shaping critical industries.

Nominations officially opened on March 25, 2025.

The #empowHERaccess 2025 Awards Gala will be a premier gathering of industry leaders, investors, policymakers, and changemakers, celebrating transformative contributions to the AI-powered economy. This year’s ceremony will introduce two new award categories:

  • The Wellness Champion Award – Honoring leaders fostering corporate and community wellness initiatives.
  • The Impact Film Award – Recognizing films that champion women’s experiences in AI, wellness, and sustainability.

This global recognition platform also features signature categories, including:

  • Trailblazer Leadership Award – Recognizing women leaders or allies accelerating ESG and ERG efforts.
  • Technologist Visionary Award – Honoring pioneers in cloud, AI, and cybersecurity innovation.
  • Women Tech Entrepreneur of the Year – Celebrating B2B and B2C women-led companies making an impact.
  • Mentor of the Year Award – Recognizing individuals championing women tech entrepreneurs and professionals.
  • Ally of the Year Award – Honoring those who empower and support women in tech.
  • Community Leadership Award – Highlighting individuals building inclusive, diverse talent ecosystems.
  • Generative AI Innovation Award – Recognizing leaders advancing equitable AI solutions.
  • Corporate Equality Advocate Award – Celebrating corporate champions of gender equality.

Being recognized at the #empowHERaccess Awards was a transformative moment, amplifying our mission and opening doors to global opportunities.” – Cara South, Trailblazer Leadership Award Winner 2024.

Join the Movement: Nominate a Leader Today

The #empowHERaccess Global Prestige Awards are a catalyst for change and recognition. By honoring the leaders, innovators, and allies shaping the future of AI, technology, and inclusivity, we drive a more equitable, diverse, and sustainable industry.

Now is your chance to be part of this transformative journey.

Submit your nominations today: https://womenincloud.com/empowheraccessawards2025/

Join the conversation on social media using #empowHERaccess2025

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