309: Closing the Tech Gap: How Women Can Lead in AI & Beyond with Lareina Yee

In this episode of Workday Playdate, Erin sits down with Lareina Yee, Director at McKinsey Global Institute, to explore how women can thrive at the intersection of time management, technology, and radical empathy. From the promise of AI to the power of experience capital, Lareina shares data-driven insights and practical strategies for navigating the barriers women face in tech and beyond. Whether you’re wrestling with the “broken rung” in career advancement or wondering how AI can open new doors, this conversation is packed with both inspiration and actionable takeaways. Inside This Episode: AI as Opportunity: Why it’s a tool for everyone, no matter your starting point. Experience Capital: How 50% of lifetime earnings are tied to the skills you build along the way. The Broken Rung: Why women face slower promotions and what to do about it. Sponsorship Over Mentorship: Why finding advocates early matters more than advice alone. AI as Equalizer: How tech is democratizing access and reshaping workplaces. Who This Episode Is For: Women in tech (or aspiring to be) looking for tools to rise and lead. Leaders who want to foster equity, empathy, and innovation. Anyone curious about how AI and experience capital shape the future of work. Tune in to learn why AI is an opportunity, why experience capital is crucial, and how radical empathy can change the game for women in leadership. More about Lareina Yee: Lareina Yee is a McKinsey Global Institute director leading the technology agenda and the global head of Tech Alliances. Based in San Francisco, she is a senior partner whose client works focus on technology and AI. She served as McKinsey's first Chief Diversity Officer and, in 2015, co-founded Women in the Workplace, an annual research study that has worked with more than 1,000 companies and surveyed nearly half a million employees to understand the barriers to women's advancement in corporate America. She is the author of THE BROKEN RUNG: When the Career Ladder Breaks for Women--and How They Can Succeed in Spite of It with fellow McKinsey senior partners Kweilin Ellingrud and María del Mar Martínez. Blocked time, made lists, promised yourself this time will be different—and yet by 5 PM, the work that actually matters is still staring back at you. Enter The Ready-Made 90-Minute Focus Kit: your done-for-you reset for ditching distractions and finally making progress on what matters most. With this simple framework, you’ll reclaim your brainpower, protect your energy, and actually finish the work you care about. Download it now and turn “Where did the day go?” into “Wow, I crushed that.” No, You Hang Up First (Let’s Keep Connecting) Did today’s episode resonate with you? Leave us a review sharing your favorite insight and we’ll send you a free signed copy of I See You! A Leader’s Guide to Energizing Your Team through Radical Empathy. Have another question that we can answer? Leave us a Speakpipe audio clip and we’ll answer it in an upcoming episode. Don’t want to miss another episode? If you’re a Spotify listener, find our show here and click “Follow.” If you’re an Apple Podcast listener, click here and make sure to hit “+Follow.” Want access to a bunch of free resources for your work life? This is your personal jackpot that gives you access to the frameworks that help us thrive both personally and professionally. Whether you’re trying to improve your daily routine, flesh out an idea that you’ve had for quite some time, or want to add more play into your day - these resources have got your back. Want 2 emails a week from us? One with a quick tip you can implement right away to enhance your personal and/or professional lives & one of our famous F.A.I.L. Fourward Friday newsletters? Subscribe here . Connect with Lareina Yee Lareina’s LinkedIn Lareina’s McKinsey & Company profile, research, and experience Lareina’s book, The Broken Rung Connect with Erin Diehl x improve it! Erin’s website Erin’s Instagram Erin’s TikTok Erin’s LinkedIn improve it!’s website improve it!’s Instagram See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .