In 2023, Julianna Walsh ’17 M.S., ’19 Ph.D., created LeadHerself, a platform with a mission to support emerging women professionals looking to fulfill their leadership potential and own their careers.
After graduating from Florida Tech with her degrees in industrial-organizational psychology, Walsh moved to London, where she worked as a leadership consultant building assessment and development programs for large corporations.
But she quickly decided that the career path she was on didn’t align with her passions, and she left the corporate world to work at a small technology startup.
“It was amazing because it was innovative,” Walsh says. “I was able to challenge assumptions and try to figure out if there were different ways we could build something, and I learned a lot about myself.”
As a result, Walsh started laying the groundwork for LeadHerself outside of business hours.
“A large part of my research while studying at Florida Tech was identifying common barriers to leadership in the workplace and how they impact career trajectories,” Walsh says. “And then, a few years into my career, I found myself experiencing the biases I studied, and decided I needed to do something about it.”
Soon thereafter, Walsh and her team were laid off from the tech startup—the push she needed to make her platform a reality.
“I’m grateful that my previous role was deemed redundant because it led me into this, and I knew in my gut that this was the right thing for me to be doing now,” she says.
Walsh took the skills she learned from consulting and the tech skills she had gained at her previous role to launch LeadHerself.
The platform and its soon-to-launch mobile app will help empower young women and others facing common workplace obstacles, such as discrimination, to overcome them and take charge of their careers.
“At LeadHerself, we’re working to create a community of women committed to owning their careers with confidence and courage,” she says. “Building leaders today to change the face of leadership tomorrow.”
Through LeadHerself, Walsh hosts a London event series featuring guest speakers and networking opportunities to help her audience build confidence in professional settings.
“I used to hate networking and would just want to hide in the bathroom the whole time,” Walsh says. “And now, I’m hosting those same events to help other women who feel the same way.”
Visit leadherself.com or follow @the_leadherself_lemur on Instagram to learn more.
Q&A
FLORIDA TECH CONNECTION: ’17 M.S. Industrial/Organizational Psychology, ’19 Ph.D. Industrial/Organizational Psychology
THREE WOMEN WHO INSPIRE YOU: Jacinda Ardern (former prime minister of New Zealand), Malala Yousafzai (activist) and Michelle Obama (attorney and former U.S. first lady)
FAVORITE QUOTE: “Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better.” —Maya Angelou
IDEAL SUPERPOWER: Be able to make people believe in themselves
This piece was featured in the fall 2025 edition of Florida Tech Magazine.
