Rise and Real – Connecting Tech and People

December 5, 2025

Tech to Leadership: What Every Leader Needs to Know About Connecting People and Technology

In our fourth episode, we have on the podcast Priya Reddy, who talks about her journey from ETL developer to data and AI leader with over 20 years of experience transforming how organizations use data to drive business impact.

She opens up about building data infrastructure during startup phases, navigating IPO journeys, and what it takes to create a real data culture where technology serves people.

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About The Event

Anamika Jain sits down with Priya Reddy, who built her career from hands-on ETL development at ABN AMRO Bank to senior leadership roles at Santander Consumer USA and Reprise Financial. She’s designed data infrastructure that drove over $150M in growth and guided companies through IPO processes. Now serving as Board Advisor at Datacolor AI and CDAIO Adjunct Faculty at Carnegie Mellon University, she helps organizations build AI strategies that actually deliver results.​

Priya brings a rare combination: deep technical chops paired with business acumen and a passion for building data literacy across entire organizations. She’s been recognized among the 100 Most Influential AI Leaders and featured by CDO Magazine, AIM Council, and Dallas Business Journal as one of the Global Data Power Women. In this conversation, she gets into her approach to AI strategy, why diverse voices consistently lead to better decisions, and how her Gen Z daughter shapes her thinking about leadership in a changing world.​

Want to hear leadership insights that connect technology with real human impact? Watch the full episode.​

Key Leadership Takeaways

  • 1
    Building Systems That Scale – Practical approaches from someone who’s turned startup data chaos into enterprise-grade infrastructure that drives measurable business results.​
  • 2
    Creating a True Data Culture – What it takes to build data literacy across organizations where everyone understands how to use data for smarter decisions, not just the technical teams.​
  • 3
    AI’s Real Impact on Work – How AI is changing hiring processes, decision-making, and what leaders need to know as technology reshapes how we work.​
  • 4
    Why Diversity Drives Better Outcomes – Real insights on how diverse perspectives lead to stronger decisions, and lessons Priya draws from raising a Gen Z daughter while leading in tech.​

About Our Speakers

Priya Reddy

Board Advisor | Datacolor AI

Priya Reddy has over 20 years of leadership experience building and scaling data and AI capabilities across fintech and enterprise organizations. She started as an ETL Developer at ABN AMRO Bank and worked her way up through senior roles at Santander Consumer USA and Reprise Financial, where she designed data infrastructure that achieved over $150m in growth. She serves as Board Advisor at Datacolor AI and CDAIO Adjunct Faculty at Carnegie Mellon University.

Anamika Jain

Director of Strategic Partnerships, BuzzClan

Anamika Jain (Anna) is a strategic partnerships expert and accomplished podcast host who brings a unique perspective to leadership conversations. As Director of Strategic Partnerships at BuzzClan, she specializes in building transformational business relationships and driving growth through strategic alliances.