Lalitha Rajagopalan talks about her career journey; the experience of founding her own business; her passion for equality; & what she loves about procurement.

[07.40] Lalitha’s early years, and how she went from a degree in economics to the world of procurement and supply chain.

[10.20] Lalitha’s extensive education, and her ongoing commitment to curiosity.

[12.45] Lalitha’s time at Ariba and SAP; her journey of moving through various functions in product management and marketing; and the big lessons she learned along the way.

[17.37] The role of sponsorship and mentorship in Lalitha’s career progression; the culture at SAP and Ariba; and how, and why, Lalitha built her own personal ‘board of directors.’

[22.03] Why Lalitha chose to co-found her own company after a lengthy corporate career, and her experience of making the leap.

[24.08] An overview of ORO – who they are, what they do, and how they help their customers.

[26.22] Lalitha’s self-confessed ‘procurement geek’ status, and what she loves so much about the industry.

[29.34] Why Lalitha is so passionate about diversity and equality, and what the industry can do to keep making progress.

[32.20] Lalitha’s advice for women and other underrepresented voices that are looking to get into the industry, or take the next step.

[36.27] The future for Lalitha, for ORO, and for the industry.

You can connect with Lalitha over on LinkedIn.

If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear from more female founders, check out 364: Women In Supply Chain™, Lisa Morales-Hellebo, 331: Women In Supply Chain™, Sylena Urbanoski or 275: Women In Supply Chain™, Amani Radman.

Evan Shelley of Truck Parking Club talks about creating tech that truckers want to use; why the industry is tough for the small guys; & transforming trucking logistics.

[06.49] Evan’s background in real estate, and how his experiences led him to found Truck Parking Club.

[08.49] An overview of the current trucking landscape, and the challenges the industry is facing.

[12.24] How The Truck Parking Club process works for truckers.

[13.30] How Truck Parking Club utilizes networking to access and secure available parking locations.

[16.43] How much land an owner needs to sign up to Truck Parking Club, and start monetizing empty and available space.

[18.57] The development of the Truck Parking Club app, how it works, and why it was designed entirely with drivers in mind.

[21.43] The impact that Truck Parking Club is having on truckers, businesses, and the industry.

[24.42] The top three reasons why truckers need local parking; and how Truck Parking Club is evolving as drivers discover fresh ways to use the solution and empower themselves with new flexibility and control.

[27.57] A case study detailing how Truck Parking Club “completely changed” a key clients business, improving their efficiency and impact.

[31.38] The environmental impact of saving thousands of hours of fuel annually, and how sustainability is inherent within Truck Parking Club.

[33.42] Truck Parking Club’s 300+ locations over the U.S, and the additional locations they’d like to add to their portfolio.

[36.04] The future for Truck Parking Club.

Head over to Truck Parking Club’s website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Truck Parking Club and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, X (Twitter) or Facebook or you can connect with Evan on LinkedIn.

If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more about trucking, check out 360: Deliver A Great Trucker Experience, with DCLI, or read about The Top 5 Challenges for Trucking Companies Providing Container Drayage.