A Few of the Supply Chain Gals: Winning Case Competitions & Transforming Industry

Summary

Podcast Summary: "A Few of the Supply Chain Gals: Winning Case Competitions & Transforming Industry"

Supply Chain Now – June 8, 2026

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Episode Overview

This engaging episode of Supply Chain Now features host Scott Lewton and guest co-host Liz Rahman, CEO and Founder of Supply Chain Gals, as they spotlight the winning team from the 2026 Supply Chain Gals Case Competition. The episode explores how emerging leaders are transforming the industry, highlighting the journey and insights of four diverse panelists: Madeline Creaseman (Founder, EverChange Solutions), Ashley Bailey (Inventory Analyst, Income Payments), Thunmayi Mudipatty (Global Supply Manager, Apple), and Katerina Falcon (Operations & Economics student, Minerva University). Key themes include the underestimated value of early career professionals, strategies for engaging the next generation of talent, and the unique structure and lessons of the Supply Chain Gals Case Competition.

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Meet the Panel ([02:18–02:54])

• Madeline Creaseman – Founder & CEO, EverChange Solutions
• Ashley Bailey – Inventory Analyst, Income Payments
• Thunmayi Mudipatty – Global Supply Manager, Apple
• Katerina Falcon – Operations & Economics Student, Minerva University (2026 Graduate)
• Liz Rahman – Founder & CEO, Supply Chain Gals (co-host)

Notable Icebreakers ([03:27–06:46])

• Panelists share their summer 2026 plans, mixing humor and personal touches, which sets a collegial and approachable tone for the episode.
  • “Well, Scott, definitely escaping the heat.” – Madeline ([04:21])
  • “I'm a total mom, so I'm all about the kids.” – Ashley ([05:10])
  • “I'm now a proud owner of the national park pass... all the national parks on the west coast this summer.” – Thunmayi ([05:33])
  • “Going on a well-deserved Europe trip… London, Portugal, and a couple other cities.” – Katerina ([06:11])

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Career Journeys & Finding Supply Chain ([07:25–13:15])

Each panelist describes their unique path into the supply chain field, highlighting the diversity of backgrounds and the often-unplanned, serendipitous entry points.

• Madeline – Came from agriculture, pivoted due to the pandemic, found purpose in marrying sustainability with supply chain.
• Ashley – Discovered operations in healthcare before launching a beard care business, which led to hands-on learning in supply chain through entrepreneurship and fulfillment on Amazon.
• Thunmayi – Inspired by a humanitarian logistics panel in business school, emphasizing the human impact of resource delivery, and went on to focus on procurement at major corporations.
• Katerina – Navigated from business school into operations and economics, with hands-on learning at Tesla (supply chain recruiting), now transitioning into product development at JP Morgan.

Key Quote:

“Once you understand what operations is, you realize that almost everything is supply chain.” – Ashley ([08:19])

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About Supply Chain Gals: Mission and Programming ([14:30–15:34])

Liz Rahman explains the genesis and growth of Supply Chain Gals, emphasizing community-driven programming and the need for representation and support for women and diverse leaders in the field.

• 501c3 nonprofit: 30,000+ followers, 120+ active members
• Programming: Case competitions, Visionary 50 awards, workshops, and a growing network for career growth and learning

Key Quote:

“If you're part of an organization that delivers a product or a service, you're part of the supply chain.” – Liz ([13:59])

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Inside the 2026 Supply Chain Gals Case Competition ([15:56–17:40])

Competition Structure:

• Case: A fictional beauty brand, Lumiere Beauty
• Participation: 75 participants, 5 countries, 19 US states
• Format: Teams presented a 5-minute executive summary with Q&A from executive judges
• Judges: Senior leaders from Glossier, Microsoft, Mitsubishi Power, Pepsi, Parkstown, Home Depot, and more
• Demand: Sold out, waitlist required!

Key Quote:

“…it’s one thing to build a deck, but it’s another thing to be able to defend your thinking under pressure in a room with executives.” – Liz ([16:33])

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Winning Team’s Strategy & Experience ([18:48–27:47])

Critical Moments & Teamwork

• The biggest challenge? Synthesizing complex solutions into a concise, under-5-minute presentation.
  • “How do we present such a complex answer in under five minutes?” – Katerina ([18:48])
• Team strengths:
  • Madeline: Anchor and synthesizer.
  • Ashley: Data, math, and analytics focus.
  • Katerina: Scriptwriting and high energy.
  • Thunmayi: Perspective and intuitive team synergy.

Notable Quotes:

“Something I didn’t even anticipate taking away was how our team navigated… We celebrated our strengths in the way that we...” – Thunmayi ([19:48])

“When you are the returning champion, the stakes are already high from the beginning… Once that twist was introduced halfway through, things stopped feeling theoretical and they started feeling more like a real disruption scenario.” – Ashley ([22:06])

“We formatted the presentation like a war room. Our intro line was, ‘Welcome to the war room.’ And it felt like that…” – Madeline ([24:23])

The Difference-Maker:

• Winners built a full system, not just a quick fix to one problem
• Structured response into a three-phase plan with quantified financial outcomes

“This team really built a system for their answer and they structured their response really well into a three-phase plan with financial outcomes.” – Liz ([26:12])

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Misconceptions & Underestimation of Early Career Talent ([29:53–39:48])

Common Misconceptions by Senior Leaders

• Underestimating the breadth of real-world, transferable experience early career professionals bring
• Mistaking cross-functional curiosity and challenging of old processes as inexperience rather than innovation
• Overlooking the global perspective and empathy younger generations offer due to early access to information

Key Quotes:

"I think senior leaders underestimate how much real-world transferable experience the next generation actually can bring into supply chain.” – Ashley ([29:53])

“We are also not afraid to disrupt the business processes in which the company wants to build its supply chain.” – Thunmayi ([32:12])

“We have an earlier access to information…and that allows us to have more empathy, more perspective…when we go into the workforce.” – Madeline ([34:25], [00:00])

“I've also gotten the opportunity to live and work in six countries… taught me… to adapt and be open-minded and curious.” – Katerina ([35:53])

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The Value of Communities Like Supply Chain Gals ([37:49–39:48])

• Spaces for high-performing, curious, ambitious leaders to learn and support each other
• Tangible professional development and networking opportunities
• A critical talent pool for employers aiming to hire and sponsor the supply chain leaders of tomorrow

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Advice to Senior Leaders: How to Engage and Support Early Career Talent ([41:08–46:28])

• Create Third Spaces: Foster communities outside the company for discourse, collaboration, and fresh perspectives.
  • “Continuing…civil discourses of supply chain in platforms outside of the industry or company you work in would be just so lovely to see…” – Thunmayi ([42:01])
• Be Flexible & Open: Welcome new ideas and perspectives—let younger talent “rub off on you.”
  • “Be flexible, welcome new perspectives. Let us rub off on you a little bit…” – Madeline ([42:35])
• Provide Context & Purpose: Connect day-to-day work with the bigger operational picture.
  • “The best mentors I’ve had were able to explain the bigger operational picture behind it…” – Katerina ([43:08])
• Offer Access & Visibility: Programs like Supply Chain Gals are vital for hands-on learning and visibility.
  • “Don’t underestimate how impactful access and visibility can be for people coming into the system.” – Ashley ([44:00])
• Leaders’ Presence Matters: Your involvement in such networks is powerful. Show up, give back, sponsor, and amplify these communities.
  • “Your presence is impactful in the spaces that you’re in.” – Liz ([46:28])

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Memorable Quotes & Key Takeaways

• “Everything is supply chain.” – Ashley ([13:59])
• “If you’re part of an organization that delivers a product or a service, you’re part of the supply chain.” – Liz ([13:59])
• “Be really conscientious of how you spend your time and it’s so important—carve out some time in your busy lives to learn something new.” – Liz ([51:56])

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How to Connect & Get Involved ([49:03–51:06])

• All panelists and Liz Rahman are highly active on LinkedIn (“LinkedIn Warriors” club!).
• Visit supplychaingals.com and follow on Instagram & LinkedIn
• Look for the next case competition opening in February/March. Interested sponsors, judges, and participants should contact Liz directly.

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Final Reflection

This episode is a rallying cry for senior leaders to recognize, embrace, and actively cultivate early career supply chain talent. The future of the industry depends on cross-functional thinking, empathy, and an openness to new voices and systems. Supply Chain Gals—and similar professional communities—are central to bridging the gap between potential and performance.

"Do good, give forward, be the change that's needed." – Scott Lewton ([53:16])

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For more insightful supply chain conversations, visit Supply Chain Now and subscribe on your favorite platform.

Transcript

[A]

So we have an earlier access to information and information that could be storytelling. It could be other geographical locations throughout the world and their circumstances. So that allows us to have more empathy, more perspective when we're going into the workforce. That is very possibly the reason, the catalyst for us being disruptors when we go into the supply chain world.

[B]

Welcome to Supply Chain, now the number one voice of Supply chain. Join us as we share critical news, key insights and real supply chain leadership from across the globe, one conversation at a time. Hey, good morning, good afternoon, good evening, wherever you may be. Scott Lewton and special co host, guest, co host, esteemed co host, Liz Rahman with you here on Supply Chain now. Welcome to today's show. Hey, Liz, how you doing today?

[C]

I'm doing great, Scott. Thanks for having us.

[B]

You bet. I was trying to get all those superlatives in, you know, it's great to have you back. We had a great sit down about a year or so ago. That was a lot of fun. And you've brought a ton of very talented friends here today. Special show. We got teed up as we welcome in an incredible panel of talented, talented business leaders. In fact, we're featuring the winning team that took home the first place ribbon in the 2026 case competition that was hosted by Liz and Supply Chain Gals. But beyond learning more about that topic and that story, we're going to be exploring how some say that senior supply chain leaders will they regularly underestimate the next generation coming into industry are already here. We're going to be sharing some practical advice as to how organizations and leaders can better engage and support early career talent. All of this and much, much more. And Liz, as I mentioned, great to have you back. Most folks will know that you're the founder and CEO of Supply Chain Gals. More on that in a moment. But are you ready for today's conversation, Liz?

[C]

Absolutely. I'm excited for it.

[B]

We are, too. So, folks, stick around for a great conversation. It's gonna be offering up tons of actual insights by the truckload. Okay, so what I'm gonna do, we've got a big panel tonight. We can, we can solve the world's ills tonight with this panel. I can, I can promise you. So I'm going to introduce them all and then we're gonna get to know them. So I want to start with Madeline Creaseman, founder and CEO with EverChange Solutions. Madeline, how you doing?

[A]

Doing well, Scott. How are you?

[B]

Wonderful. Great to see you. Then, Ashley Bailey, inventory analyst with Income Payments here in Atlanta. Ashley how you doing?

[D]

I'm doing fantastic. How are you doing today, Scott?

[B]

Outstanding. And then Thun Mayi Muddy Patty, global supply manager with Apple over there in San Francisco. Thun, how you doing?

[D]

I'm doing well.

[E]

Really excited to be here. Thank you.

[B]

You bet. And then Katerina Falcon, an operations and economic student at Minerva University there in San Francisco who's just about to graduate. Katerina, how you doing?

[F]

Doing great. Very excited.

[B]

We are too. All right. So Liz, we're gonna get to a fun warm up question in a second, but we got together before the show happened and you're like, hey, I've got this incredible panel of leaders and we gotta get them on a show. Leadership. Liz, you've assembled a bit of the A team, I hear and I'm gonna look forward to diving into the story. But your quick comments about these four individuals here.

[C]

Yeah, this is a great team. Really diverse backgrounds, all stages of careers here and really impressive. I'm excited for you all to learn from them.

[B]

And champions. And champions. So. And we even have a two time champion. More on that in just a second. But we want to do, I want to before we get into the case competition and some, some advice and some expertise from this panel, I want to start with a fun warm up question and let's do this. I'm going to start with you, Madeline and I want to, I want to talk. You know, we're approaching summer 2026 here in Atlanta. As Ashley well knows and as Madeline, you're not too far away from us. We got 127 degree temperatures right around the corner. Hopefully we got some vacations and some feats and some outdoor festivals with AC or whatever, whatever we get our summertime cool down from. So Madeline, ask you, what is one thing you're looking forward to here in the summer of 2026?

[A]

Well, Scott, definitely escaping the heat. I'm going to be traveling quite a bit. I think a couple of the cities I'm looking at are Newark and Seattle, but definitely trying to escape the heat as much as possible.

[B]

Same, same. I'm thankful for air conditioning whenever we hit early May. And Ashley, I'm coming to you next because we're, we're almost in the same zip code. I think we are thankful for our air conditioning in Atlanta and certainly in Savannah. But Ashley, what are you looking forward to coming up here in summer of 2026?

[D]

Well, I'm actually a Georgia peach and

[F]

I'm used to this heat so it

[D]

doesn't bother me too bad actually. So I'll just Be hanging out with my kids. My son is actually an artist and he, he actually, he'll be doing a summer program as dad for the summer. So I'm excited to just kind of let him immerse into that. And yeah, I'm just, I'm a total

[C]

mom, so I'm all about the kids.

[D]

So whatever they're doing, that's what I'm excited about for the summer.

[B]

I love it. Ashley, sounds like a great plan. And please, I've, I've lived here for over 20 years and then I grew up in the South Carolina heat. You got to give me your tips. I got to become a fellow Georgia peach. Got a big summer of 2026 coming up. What's one thing you're looking forward to?

[E]

Well, one of them thanks for this opportunity because I love, I forgot how funny Ashley is so organically. So that was lovely. But second, it's actually my first year living in California where one I'm blessed with sub 127 degree weather and also the amount of nature. So I'm now a proud owner of the national park pass. So I'm super excited to take advantage of that at the California national parks. I'm all the national parks on the west coast this summer.

[B]

That is outstanding. Please send us pictures. I'm jealous already. All right, so Katerina, same question and you're not too far away from Thunmay. What's your big plans here this coming summer?

[F]

Yes, I wish it was like Tanmay because I would love to see all the parks, but after I graduate I head back home and then going on a well deserved Europe trip, so hoping to hit London, Portugal and a couple other cities. So very excited.

[B]

All right, that sounds outstanding as well. All right, so Liz, you're going to be a cleanup hitter with this response. What's your big plans for the summer 2026?

[C]

It's my first Seattle summer, but I am also a Georgia peep, so I'm trying to find some swimming pools and, and I'm a little jealous of the heat you guys are experiencing.

[B]

We will pack it up, send it your way. No tariffs. I'm telling you what. But we'll see. You know what? I can't complain. It really is. We've had a great long, mild spring and we can't complain. Well, I hope you all have a wonderful summer because you've had a wonderful start to a year already and I look forward to learning from each of y' all here. So let's do this. Let's level set now that we've kind of learned a little bit more about you personally. Let's learn about a little bit more about you professionally and let's level set on how you found your way into global supply chain and how a little about your current role. And Madeline, we're going to start with you again. Tell us more.

[A]

Sure. So my background is actually in agriculture. I went to University of Florida, got a degree in adcom and education and it was the peak of COVID when I graduated. So some of the jobs that were available available to me were, you know, Amazon operations. So moved to Memphis, dove headfirst into Amazon operations and loved all things supply chain. And now fast forward about five years later and I've actually started my own supply chain consulting firm with a focus on sustainability. So it's kind of an intersection of my background in agriculture and my love of supply chain.

[B]

Madeline, Love it. And go Gators as well. Right? Gotta be careful in Georgia, man. I got. I know my shoulder when I say that. Madeliness outstanding and I love that your fellow entrepreneur. We'll have to compare notes on that later. All right. So Ashley, same question. How did you find your way in the industry and your current role?

[D]

So yeah, I actually don't think there was like a single moment where I feel like I found my way into supply chain because I think once you understand what operations is, you realize that almost everything is supply chain. I actually started in healthcare operations specifically working like with appeals and dispute resolutions for providers. That's where I learned a lot about like process improvement, issue resolution and then like what happens when systems actually break down. Then I actually started my own beer care product business where that's kind of where where I really got like my first hands on exposure to kind of like supply chain because there I was sourcing products, managing inventory, coordinating packaging and also selling at trade shows. So I was getting everything from top to bottom firsthand, like right then and there without even really recognizing that that was supply chain. I think the moment that it actually like all came together for me though is when I started being an FBM fulfillment by merchant seller on Amazon. And that was something that really is just so high volume that I was able to really see how every operational decision basically connects back to the customer experience and supply chain. I think that being a part of space like supply chain gals, this group has been so wonderful. It's helped me connect to those experience more and realize like what it is to be a part of supply chain and the different areas that I wanted to explore which has kind of brought me a little bit more into data analytics because Liz did a great class on data analytics for supply chain gals. That kind of sparked my interest a little bit more into AI and machine learning. So now I'm actually currently getting my master's in computer science with a focus on AI and machine learning. And right now I work for income payments as an inventory analyst. And I'm just learning every day and building on those experiences that I have taken in.

[B]

Ashley, you're right. It's not a single moment. That's thousands of moments you were describing. I love that. Ashley. All right, so this is fascinating, these journeys just from what Ashley and Madeline have shared. Thun Mei, tell us about how you found your way in the supply chain and a little more about your current role.

[E]

Yeah, so how supply chain found me, honestly was when I joined my undergraduate at Indiana University, I was in the Kelly School of Business. And like most undergraduate students, I had no idea, like, which business pillar would be for me. Um, so luckily the first event on this self discovery journey kind of became my last because I got to attend a faculty panel hosted by the supply chain professors of the school. And there was a professor there that I still remember to this day was doing their research on humanitarian logistics. And he proposed this question of like, here's what supply chain professionals answer. And it was how do we get resources to communities in need as effectively and efficiently as possible? And something of that ethos clicked immediately of like, I want to spend my time and invest my career answering that same question for people again and again. So as I studied supply chain, I later on added sustainable business and in the future aim to intersect and find harmonies of the two, similar to the work that Madeline is already doing and started so early in her career, which has been great to hear about. And I locked in procurement as the part of the pillar to learn how to build relationships and kind of be at the focus of decision making, which landed me a role right after grad graduating at General Mills in procurement and then now has found me at Apple here in San Francisco as well.

[B]

Outstanding. And you know you brought up humanitarian logistics earlier. I want to give a shout out to a nonprofit that's hopefully on everybody's radar. Allen is its acronym, but it's American Logistics Aid Network, and they do incredible work getting aid to communities in need, especially after the disaster. So a lot of good stuff there th me. All right, so Katarina, tell us same thing, how you found your way in the industry and a little bit more about your current role. You're a Graduating student. But you've also had some other cool roles, huh? Tell us more.

[F]

Yeah, absolutely. I definitely started where thmaee started, where I came into university knowing that I want to do business, but not exactly what track to take. And once I had a conversation with a student and realized, let me jump into operations and see what that looks like. And so since then I've been studying operations and economics at Minerva University and I will be graduating in a week, which is very exciting. But I think alongside that, my interest in supply chain also really took off during my time at Tesla where I was in supply chain recruiting and helped launch their first supply chain rotational program. So I was actually taking business systems classes at the same time and so I'd be learning new terminology in my classes and next day I was scanning through resumes with that exact terminology that I just learned. And it was such like a full circle moment applying my classes. And that really just taught me how much I love solving complex problems within supply chain and operations. And I'll actually be going into the finance space in a few months and I'll be doing product development at JP Morgan.

[B]

Outstanding. Well, congratulations. Now Liz, I'm coming to you next. Comment first, before we talk about Supply Chain Gals, make sure everybody understands what this powerful organization does. We just heard four different versions of how I think Thun may put it, industry found all four of these, these, these leaders. Your comments there, Liz.

[C]

Yeah, I think it's a true testament to your opportunities in supply chain. Whether you study supply chain and that's how you break into it or you decide to come in later on in your career, there's so many different ways that you can go with that. And we always say at Supply Chain Gals, if you're part of an organization that delivers a product or a service, you're part of the supply chain supply chain.

[B]

I love that. And as I think Ashley put it, everything is supply chain. I think is what Ashley said. I'm so wholeheartedly, you know, folks, folks don't understand out there that maybe haven't spent a minute in this industry. Even if you're in the information business, you still have a very vibrant supply chain behind that or anything other that might be intangible to folks. So Liz, supply chain gals clearly is a, is a strong common thread amongst others between the five of y'.

[C]

All.

[B]

Tell us more about supply chain Gals.

[C]

Yeah, Supply chain gals was truly started by the community, for the community. I started sharing my personal career story through content creation and people started reaching out to me saying they had never seen someone who looked like themselves in supply chain until they found me. So I said, that's a huge problem. There's so many of us out here doing amazing, interesting work. And so that's why Supply chain Gals was started. And the community has continued to ask us for more programming, more virtual events, career workshops, opportunities to network. And we've responded to all of those requests. So Supply chain gals is an official 501c3 nonprofit organization with over 30,000 followers, 120 plus active members. Case competition. A Visionary 50 award for the top leaders in supply chain. And so much more is coming. It's. Supply Chain Gals is the place where you come to learn. And we're just getting started.

[B]

Just getting started. And that's a lot that. That starts. That's a big start. Nut, Liz. All right, so let's. Let's do this. This next segment, we're gonna be talking with this winning team about the case competition. And if you would, level set first. I think this is the second annual case competition at Supply Chain Gals. Tell us about it at a high level and a little bit about how it was structured.

[C]

Yeah, definitely. This year's case competition was centered around a fictional beauty brand called Lumiere Beauty. The goal was to mirror the kind of strategic exercise you find in a corporate environment, not just a textbook case. So we had 75 participants across five countries, 19 US states, all given the same case, all required to develop their recommendations in a team independently. We had people asking to join the wait list of the case competition after it sold out weeks after we started. So there was a ton of excitement around this. The format was really tight by design. Each team had five minutes to present an executive summary followed by Q and a. Because it's one thing to build a deck, but it's another thing to be able to defend your thinking under pressure in a room with. With executives. And so our executive judges were very impressive, very diverse. We had Kenta Gates, the VP of supply chain at Glossier, Pradeep Raman, the VP of Customer success at Microsoft, Augustine, the VP of Logistics at Mitsubishi Power, Jill Deo, the senior director of global procurement at Pepsi, Lisa Woodis Backlin, the SVP at Parkstown, Aaron Donnelly from the Home Depot, and Jerry Hynish, the CEO of Supply Chain Revolution. Come and give feedback for the teams, because getting that real feedback from executives on the way you think is something that's so rare to find earlier on in your career. So it was really exciting to have this opportunity for the supply chain gals.

[B]

Well, two quick comments. What an incredible judges panel from across industry. I recognize some of those names including supply chain Queen. I loved her. Her most recently awards that she rolled out. That was awesome. And then secondly, the demand you had had to roll out a waiting list because folks wanted to be like this group here and compete. I love that. And I know we're at the end, folks. If you're a potential sponsor out there or a potential competitor, we're going to make sure we close the loop and make sure we all know how to participate, be a part and support and engage the effort here. Okay? So, and as Liz said, just getting started, this is only year two of the case competition. So back to the panel. And Katerina, I'm gonna start with you here. I got a two part question I want to get each of y' all to respond to and then kind of speak to. Number one, speak to a critical moment in the case competition when you're like, oh my gosh, the competition's on, the stakes are real, you got a bunch of teams all want first place. And then secondly, how did your team decide and prioritize what mattered most as you built the solution?

[F]

Great question. I think one moment for me was usually the day before the competition. We had done all our research, came together and realized there is so much content, we have so many parts to the solution. How do we present such a complex answer in under five minutes? So really, usually that day is where we would choose what content we prioritize what should stay in our pitch versus what parts can we just put on the slides or take action? And I think in a real meeting, you may only have a few minutes to present to your boss or to the team. And so I think it came down to what were our values. What did we think was the most important part of the case competition? Prioritizing to kind of answer the questions that were given. And I think we did a really great job as a team highlighting our differences and moving forward towards that same goal together.

[B]

Under five minutes. Oh my gosh, I can barely say my name is in in three minutes. All right, so following up to Katarina, thumb a speak more to those two questions there.

[E]

Yeah, so I honestly thought the stakes were high the whole time. And I know there might be some eye rolls about a cop out answer, but I say that to say something that I didn't even anticipate taking away was how our team navigated that. So intuitively was I was really surprised and very proud of the way we celebrated Our strengths in the way that we. Something I see in my workforce is supply chain. Everything is urgent right now, obviously, with everything going on, just like kind of this competition, this quick turnaround of developers needed and a lot of work can be dumped and then divvied out by a task. But what our team did so well is intuitively know like, what are our strengths and apply them. So for example, like, Madeline was kind of like anchor leg in this Olympic race. Like, knew how to tie everything together, clean everything up, make sure it like all was consistent and synergistic with our solution. Ashley really was good at like double clicking into the math, making sure, like, yes, we have a great tool and we are great presenters, but like, are we really having data driven decision making? Of course. And then Katerina was a great script writer as well. Like she talked about and brought such good energy and perspective as like also being a student as well. So that was something I didn't even expect and now apply a lot in my teams, in my career. And so I'm grateful for that.

[B]

Outstanding. All right, so Liz, really quick, before I go on to Ashley and Madeline, comment on especially Thun May's kind of how she broke out the roles and functions and the strengths. Your thoughts for Liz?

[C]

Yeah, I think that's a really smart way to break it up and let everyone play into their strengths. And I really liked her point around how everyone does have something great to offer to the team. I think a lot of people make the mistake in their careers in general, saying they can only learn from people who are further on in their career or more senior, more executive. But even students have a great new perspective they're bringing to the industry that we should learn from.

[B]

Yes, Liz, as, as a wonderful person, I sat down at modex this year. R.D. deshmukh, former Amazon executive now ID logistics. He encouraged folks to have a day one mentality. And that's such a great piece of advice, kind of you're speaking to. All right, so Ashley, same two questions. What was that moment? If there was one, it might have been hundreds to your earlier response.

[F]

And.

[B]

And then secondly, how did your team kind of decide what mattered the most?

[D]

Well, I'm going to be honest, when you are the returning champion, the stakes are already high from the beginning. The stakes were real the entire time though. I will tell y' all that.

[C]

Just, just kidding.

[D]

Just a little humble brag there. But honestly, once that twist was introduced, halfway through the competition, man, things stopped feeling theoretical and they started feeling more like a real disruptions scenario. For us, we had already built one solution through the first part of the case, and then suddenly we had to reassess our priorities and solve for multiple connected problems with that twist at once. I think what strengthened our approach was realizing that we couldn't just treat those issues separately, especially because we had supply disruption impacts to inventory. Retail relationships were threatened and demanded was. Was threatened all at the same time. So we had to look at all of those issues, and I think it was better that we looked at them as one connected operational system. That way, everything just really became clear to us. I think a big part of that, though, came from, like, Liz was talking about. Kenta Gates actually came in and spoke to us before. VP of Supply Chain Operations at Glossier. Shout out to her again. She gave a great speech to us before, and she really brought home the idea that make sure that you're solving for the who. Let the facts and the data support the story that you're trying to tell in this competition. I think that really shaped how we approach the case, and it forced us to really think beyond just numbers, recommendations. I think every operational decision impacts real customers, retail partners, internal teams, and the overall brand experience. So we made sure to solve for all of those issues.

[B]

I believe you, Ashley. You present a very compelling case, no pun intended. And it sounds like Lumiere Beauty, if I have that. That fictional company right, that the case was built around, had lots of challenges, Lots of real world challenges at that. All right, so, Madeline, same two questions. Was there a specific moment where the stake where it was like, okay, we got to get this done. We got to get the blue ribbon. And then secondly, like, your fellow team members have shed a light on how you made decisions and how you prioritized your thoughts, Madeline.

[A]

Sure. I mean, as they're talking, I'm reliving every. Every moment of it. We, from the beginning, we cared so much about the work we were doing, so the stakes felt high. The whole time, we cared about the work we were putting out. But I would say the moment for me that stuck out the most was after the. The first parts, so I believe the subfinals. So we did our questions and we got feedback from the judges, which was amazing that we got feedback from judges. And, you know, we took that and we pivoted and we threw it into the finals. And I think the largest feedback we got was being able to hold water when it came to questioning. And when we came into the finals, we made it a little dramatic, but fun. So we formatted the presentation like a war room. So our intro line was welcome to the war room. And it felt like that, you know, the disruptions that we had, they were very, very realistic. And in real situations like that, you have to be reactive. You have to, you know, have that urgency. But yes, I mean, working with these women, we all took it very seriously the entire time. And it was very refreshing.

[B]

Sounds like it. And you know, Madeline, of course one of your colleagues called you kind of like the, the anchor, the cleanup hitter maybe. And you know, feedback is a blessing. It doesn't always feel like that, but it really is. A great friend once shared that with me and I've subscribed to that notion ever since. Liz we just heard four different views, but also again, about common threads amongst the four. And you could tell the passion that these four panelists brought to this case competition, brought to the experience, brought to the solution. I mean, are you ready to launch another one next week? Liz?

[C]

I, I should. I mean, every year these case competitions get more intense. People are so passionate about it and they really put their heart and soul into these presentations so that they can win the, the annual Supply Chain Gals membership for the following year. So this team did it, did a really great job. And some of the crisis they were speaking to included supply disruption from an earthquake, a brand that went viral at the beauty company, a Sephora on time fulfillment penalty that was reaching almost $2 million. So they had a lot of challenges to pick from and most teams picked Elaine. And this team really built a system for their answer and they structured their response really well into a three phase plan with financial outcomes. They quantified everything. They didn't just say we should air freight some skus, they showed exactly which skus they were thinking about, why, what it would cost. And in the Q and A, they didn't get rattled when the judges gave feedback or asked really tough questions. They pushed back and they had numbers and thought, really thought through their answers very well. So this is exactly the kind of thinking that gets you hired, gets you promoted at the top levels in your career. And it's the kind of thinking that Supply Chain Gals is helping people to develop.

[B]

I love it and I love that line you shared, Liz. And this isn't a. We're not throwing stones at any team. But you know, in any, in any competition, there are the differences that make up the folks that finish first and folks that do well but don't quite finish first. And you mentioned a lot of folks picked Elaine and this team built a system. Liz I love that. That's the great T shirt ism. All right, so let's do this. Let's talk about let's kind of get past the case competition. What really quick Liz if folks want to since we're still at the case competition, if they want to get on the waiting list for next year or, or they maybe want to judge a volunteer to judge or if they want to sponsor because you need spot, you know, any nonprofit needs sponsors to do this kind of work, they reach out to you, Liz Is that right?

[C]

Yes. Yeah. Please reach out to me directly if you want to sponsor, get involved and give back if you want to participate. It will open up a month before we launch the case. So it's usually around February or March. You'll start seeing the event come out on our social media channels.

[B]

Outstanding. And folks, if you want to be a part of what you saw Ashley and Thunmay and Katerina and Madeline speak to and the passion, the experience folks, we need sponsors to make this happen. So please reach out to Liz and the supply chain gals team to make to to do just that. All right, so let's, let's move a little bit broader out beyond the case competition. I want to get all of yalls thoughts on on a couple related topics. And Ashley, I'm going to start with you here. You know what do in your view, what do senior supply chain leaders that many would say consistently underestimate, you know, the next generation or what we call the now generation, either coming into the field or maybe they're they're new, right? They've just graduated or they're maybe they're in their first year, first couple years. What do they what do you think are the is the biggest misstep, what's the biggest misconception or the the underestimation of the next generation?

[D]

Ashley so honestly I think that sometimes senior leaders underestimate how much real world transferable experience the next generation actually can bring into supply chain. Like earlier when you asked your first question like how did we get into supply chain? We all come from so many different backgrounds and I didn't even realize I was in supply chain. So it's like that first of all, a lot of us, we have experience, we just don't even realize that it's transferable. So I think senior leaders making sure that they're not underestimating that because a lot of us have come through different areas like E commerce startups, myself, healthcare operations and we already naturally think cross functionally. We don't see supply chain as just like one department we see the full ecosystem behind products, information, how the experiences move. So I think that the next generation can, can really give us a lot more than senior leaders are really maybe necessarily realizing. I think also the next generation has a healthy level of curiosity when they look at the field. They ask questions, they challenge outdated processes. We don't like to keep doing what, you know, what the System did for 20 years before that you thought worked. We like to challenge those things, give new ways to do things, look for, for ways for data and technology and now automation to improve how the operations are working. Overall, I think that curiosity is what's going to push the next generation forward and helps us not only maintain but keep growing and evolving our systems so that they can improve.

[B]

Ashley Completely agree and it's also to take your point a step further, it's what's going to change industry and at a time we got to change industry, right? We've got some old and new challenges and that natural curiosity, I mean there are so many different points there but that natural curiosity is so critically important as well as not settling with outdated and old fashioned and, and hey we've always done it this way type of thinking. Love it. Ashley all right, so same question. We're going to get to your advice, the whole panel's advice with the next question about kind of what to do and how to engage but just let's kind of define the problem bit, you know what do what's, what's the recurring misconceptions about the next generation of supply chain leaders make.

[E]

I think both of you said it very well and something I will say is we are always told, you know, it's the supply chains being disrupted and I think younger generation like myself I've noticed is like we are also not afraid to disrupt the business processes in which the company wants to build its supply chain to. So I think it's like it's a two way street in that relationship with supply chain with the disruption and ways I've seen it in the misconception where I think and maybe it can maybe just be maybe not underestimation or even more so like please start to expect or what I've noticed as a theme is even sitting in procurement where you have a lot of executive decision making power because climate education is being more advertising built in curriculums in supply chain schools that builds a train of thought of yes we can have a 30, 60, 90 solution to the firefighting issues we face every day and we are hired to solve. But I think even with our case we saw like our team did really well of adding on, looking around every corner of like what is also the long term solution that we are building with the 30, 60, 90 day. So I think what people or senior leaders can start to expect is no more just a band aid, but our solutions, we might take time to really disrupt the process because the supply chain is being disrupted too.

[B]

Liz, really quick before I move on to Madeline and Katerina, you got to respond to what we heard there from Ashley and Thunmay.

[C]

Yeah, I think they both really elaborated on things that we, we really need. And coming in the age of AI, being ready for disruption, being ready for change, so much is going to change in this industry and we definitely need voices like these leading organizations as they head into this uncertain future. So I think it's really exciting to hear.

[B]

It is an exciting time and this, this, this conversation here will make you want to, what makes me want to kind of run through the wall behind me. It's really good stuff. We're only halfway, let's get the other. And then we're talking about how the supply chain leaders out there can oftentimes underestimate what the next generation is capable of. And Madeline, let's go to you. Your thoughts?

[A]

Yes. So what Tanmayi said about us being disruptors, I could give you my opinion on what could be the catalyst for that. So we have an earlier access to information and information, it could be storytelling, it could be other geographical locations throughout the world and their circumstances. So that allows us to have more empathy, more perspective when we're going into the workforce. And so that is very like plausibly the reason, the catalyst for us being disruptors. When we go into the supply chain world, we have the big picture. We lead with empathy, we lead with, you know, what are the actual outcomes of this decision. And I'm definitely seeing more of a focus on sustainability and ethics because of this, because of the access and information. But then we also, you know, compound that with the new age of AI that we're going into. We've got a lot of fast moving parts here for young leaders.

[B]

Yes. And it's tough to keep up with because I mean you, you, you talked about the compounding factors, plus you got the velocity of global business right here and tomorrow's going to be faster, next day will be faster. But you mentioned in front of your response, empathy, there's so much tremendous power around that uniquely human trait and I love that came up here. Katerina, same question. How do folks underestimate the next generation? Folks out there leading supply chains. Your thoughts?

[F]

Yeah, absolutely. I think Madeline just had a great response overall and inspired me when she was talking about perspective. Speaking from my own pov, I'm about to graduate in a week. I have seen so much personally. I've also gotten the opportunity to, to live and work in six countries over the past years as part of my program. And this taught me so much about how to be perceptive, how to adapt and be open minded and curious. And I think those are all traits that you can bring into the workforce, especially within supply chain. And as you guys mentioned about AI, it's becoming a big part of our day to day. So how do we make sure we adapt alongside AI to improve our workflows or rather than have AI replace our job? So I think there's a lot of excitement around this term, but there's also a big future ahead in how we navigate this change and how we become adaptable to everything that's happening.

[B]

Liz, two thoughts there. Number one, Dr. Stephanie Thomas from the University of Arkansas mentioned at Modex again, a little sit down that she sees students, members of the next generation picking up AI driven tools faster than many instructors and employers. That's exciting. Something Katerina and others just mentioned. And then secondly, Katerina mentioned she lived in six different countries. Lived and worked six different countries. You know, supply chain is a pretty unique industry in that it's really, it's the world's greatest team sport. Right. And, and being able to work through different customs and traditions and cultures and, and be able to, to, to really recognize that and lean into and celebrate it. I mean, I think that also gives the folks that can do that, whether the next generation or others, a leg up in being more successful. But Liz, comment there. Give us your views in terms of this underestimation of the next generation that a lot of folks see and why communities and initiatives like Supply Chain Gals is sorely needed to address these gaps.

[C]

Yeah, I think sometimes the next generation gets a bad reputation. But hearing among this group and even some students I've spoken with Supply Chain Gals members, you'll notice that they're very curious, they're very ambitious and they're excited to be here and to learn. So I think only good things are coming from this generation of leaders coming up. Supply Chain gals is so needed because I think a lot of the times leaders have to focus on their low performing talent and how to coach them, how to improve that. They miss these high potential leaders that need a space to learn and to cultivate their curiosity so they continue to be high performing in the organization. So Supply Chain Gals is one of the, the very few spaces that I know of that gives people this opportunity in this community to come together. I think it's a great opportunity for leaders in the industry to recruit this talent or if these voices sound like someone on your team, to send them our way so that your high potential people and your teams can join. Supply Chain Gals. We have corporate memberships built exactly for that. And it's one of the most tangible ways that you can show your team that you're serious about their development, that you value their contributions by putting them inside of this community of professionals who are actively helping each other level up in their careers. If you're a senior leader that wants to give back, build your presence as a thought leader in supply chain, this is a talent pool that will follow you in your career. These are the people who are going to be running the supply chain in the next five and 10 years. So the community is here and it's ready for you to become a part of it. We'd love to have you.

[B]

Outstanding. And hey, I'm a member, Liz, I need to get one of these. I need to get one of those cool backgrounds like all y', all, y' all have. But I am a member. And kidding aside, that is, there's so much in the why here, why to get involved why whether you're, you know, want to be involved in the case competition, want to get into the know networking with the community, or if you want to be a company or a supply chain leader, a business leader that wants to support, you know, these eureka moments, these connections and, and these, this, these professional journeys. There's room for all of y'. All. So reach out to Liz and Supply Chain Gals. All right, so let's do this. I think Liz said earlier, one of y' all said, I think it was Liz said earlier that it's not just the third year industry veterans that can give advice and expertise and, and give, you know, guidance anyone in any of their journey. And all of y' all are going to give us valuable guidance now and expertise now because we've got a bunch of leaders either listening or they're, they're, they're tuned into YouTube or, you know, watching the conversation. I want to get all of y' all to give advice to them, especially folks that, that genuinely want to engage and support early career talent. So thun may, what would be your advice to those folks that really mean well, they've just Been taking the wrong approaches or what have you. What should they do?

[E]

I think to put short and sweet, like, what do we crave right now? And I am coining this off of me being in my mid-20s. Something I heard in social media all the time of like, third social spaces, but, like, where are the third spaces for supply chain? And I know Liz just talked about supply chain gals and I want to give a lot of recognition. This is my first time doing the case competition. I'm so glad I did. And I feel like it scratched our brains the right way because like I mentioned throughout my other answers here of you can quickly get into the same ethos or synergy within the company you're in. But something that was so refreshing was the diversity and thought that this third space provided us. So continuing how to have these civil discourses of supply chain and various platforms outside of the industry or company you work in would be just so lovely to see and something I hope to continue on after this competition.

[B]

Love that thunder. It's so true. So true. I think, I think even outside walk of life, I think certain sectors just cluster together. Right. And they stay in this one pond. And, and, and, you know, it's not a bad thing, but it really is limiting. Right. And it. And, and we wonder why we have, you know, talent engagement and recruiting and, and development challenges. We. This is one big reason. That's great advice. All right, so, Madeline, same question. Those leaders that really want to make a difference and engage and support the early career talent, your thoughts?

[A]

Yes, I would say the best way to support us and this would be, in my opinion, my experience would be be flexible, welcome new perspectives. Let us rub off on you a little bit. You know, be, be open to the new perspective. And, you know, I mean, we're, we're contrasting and we have, you know, four or five different generations in the workplace, so there's going to be some major players at play there. So definitely let us rub off on you a bit.

[B]

I like it. I like it. What a challenge. Good stuff, Madeline. All right, so, Katarina, you're next. What would be your advice to supply CH leaders out there?

[F]

Yeah, I would say that a lot of us, we're very curious, very excited, and we want to bring true value to the team and not just be an observer. We want to take ownership or ask questions, solve problems early on. And I think what's really interesting to me is understanding why we operate in a certain way or why senior leaders are making certain decisions. And the best mentors I've had were able to take my day to day task and explain the bigger operational picture behind it, which made my work feel a lot more engaging and a lot more valuable because I knew how I was contributing and why we were doing things the way we did them.

[B]

Katharina, I love it. First part of your response. Don't want to just sit there and be an observer to all the observers out there. No offense, takes all kinds. But, but. All right. So Ashley, your thoughts? What would be your advice?

[D]

So I actually completely agree.

[C]

I'm going to piggyback off of what

[D]

Katarina said and also Liz said earlier and every, all of us actually have been saying kind of the same thing, keeping the same thread, just making sure that they don't underestimate how impactful access is and visibility can be for people coming into the system. Programs like Supply Chain Gals, they're really important. You know, that third space like the M was talking about is because they give people the chance to really apply what they're learning in a way that really feels real. Like I said, humble brag. This is my second year competing and winning in Supply Chain Gals and I can genuinely say that I've grown leaps and bounds significantly in between the last competition and this first one. And it's not even, I would say even just technically, but how I think, through how problems should be handled. I'm able to communicate more confidently under pressure and I really just approach operational decision making more confidently now that I've done this. I think that those spaces like this are the reason why we have to make sure that we're still advocating for those spaces and making sure that we're presenting them to early professionals and also to piggyback off what Katerina said. Because yeah, we don't want just jobs. We want to understand, we want context. We want to understand how you're making that decision. We want to understand how you're thinking during the disruption and how the operations are affected during that time. I think the more opportunities that leaders create for people to contribute and really ask questions, the stronger the future pipeline can be.

[B]

Well said, well said. All right. So Liz, I can't wait to get your take here, but one quick comment that, that really all four individuals touched on at some point during their response. Folks, this isn't, I mean, we all want to help, you know, folks that are maybe looking for their next opportunity. You know, there's groups for that and then there's plenty of. I bet there's some members, you know, in Supply Chain Gals are doing that however, what I'm hearing In this all 4 responses is, is how this experience and their involvement with Supply Chain Gals is enhancing their professional development in their current role, which of course benefits their teams, their current teams, current employers, and of course their own professional development journey. That's some powerful stuff. But Liz, beyond your comments on anything you heard here from this panel, your advice to Supply chain leaders out there,

[C]

I would say don't underestimate your impact. Your presence is impactful in the spaces that you're in. Whether you're showing up at our networking night just to have conversation casually with folks or just like you, Scott, having the space for us to amplify our mission. It's so impactful and we're so thankful we're here to help shed light on Supply Chain Gals. So really appreciate the opportunity to share about the case, competition, experience, experience and hope to see others sharing out their experiences at Supply Chain Gals because it only helps the network grow stronger and we're all only as strong as our network. So excited to keep bringing opportunities for people to learn and so thankful for everyone who helps us amplify our mission in our journey in that way.

[B]

Well said, Liz. And hopefully we can find some new support borders to help incredible folks like the folks on this podcast here and all the folks at Supply Chain Gals amplify and further that mission and reach more folks. You know, I can't remember who said it, but someone said it earlier about it. It really doesn't matter how things used to be. And I don't. I mean that with all due respect. I was sitting down with a longtime friend, Brian Devine, that's been in the workforce side of industry for a long time, and he was talking about some of the challenges with decision makers out there that when change is being pushed for in terms of how hiring takes place, one of the instant reactions is like, well, back when I was doing this, XYZ happened and we all like telling that story, but really it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. It's where we are now and where we want to go. And I really appreciate what all five of y' all are doing to, to. To drive that change. Right? Respect traditions and we respect experience out there. But hey, you, we got to respect folks that come from all levels of experience and places in walks of life. So great conversation here today. I won't go back around the panel. I wish we had three more hours because we're only getting the tip of the iceberg with all five of y'. All I know that but I want to make sure folks know how to connect with each of y'. All. So you know, they may reach out, they may want to learn more about something you shared here, connect with you, network with you, name it. Have you come in and speak. Who knows. So let's make sure starting with Madeline Creaseman with Everchange Solutions. Madeline, how can folks connect with you, my friend?

[A]

So LinkedIn for sure. I have my personal account on there under Madeline Creaseman. And then for Everchange Solutions, if you want to check out the work we do. I am very active on LinkedIn, very much a LinkedIn warrior. So feel free to reach out. I'd love to chat.

[B]

Outstanding. A LinkedIn warrior. I'm gonna steal that term from you. I love that. All right, Ashley Bailey, inventory analyst with income payments, fellow Atlantin, fellow Hawks fan. We had a rough, rough end of season. Hey, next year be better. But. But Ashley loved your perspective today. How can folks connect with you?

[D]

I Too am a LinkedIn warrior. Run the same. We're part of the same tribe. Madeline I and I'm on LinkedIn as well. You can find me there.

[B]

A fellow LinkedIn warrior and we should make put it out there again. I think the only two time champion in the supply chain gals case competition. Good stuff. All right, global supply manager with Apple. Tell us how can folks track you down?

[E]

I think I have one more piggyback versus interview is also you can find me on LinkedIn. Done. My mother get my personal LinkedIn. Happy to connect there.

[B]

Outstanding. I tell you, I wish I had invented LinkedIn way back when. I tell you. All right. Katarina Folkin, a student, an operations and economics student at Minerva University, just about to graduate. About the time we publish a podcast. You will have been a graduate. Undoubtedly. Katharine, how can folks connect with you?

[F]

You know, I wish I could be more creative but Also joining the LinkedIn warriors, you can find me on there. Katerina Folkin. I'm always available.

[B]

Outstanding. All right, so Liz, Liz Rahman, founder and CEO, Supply Chain Gals. Always enjoy our conversations. Again folks, you should go check out we we profiled Liz about a year or so ago. We'll see if we can include that in the show notes. Great conversation there. But Liz, how can folks track you and supply chain Gals down?

[C]

Yeah, you can also find me on LinkedIn and Instagram at. It's Liz Rahman and would love for you all to also connect with Supply chain Gals. We're on Instagram, LinkedIn and if you had to supply chain gals.com like Scott, you can also be become a member of this amazing community.

[B]

Outstanding. And one quick follow up question. Liz, we heard. You know, I've taken a lot of chicken scratch notes because it's late in my time and my brain is working on fumes. But I'm glad I captured man. We had, we had some really good stuff come out of this incredible panel. So this is a very unfair question I'm going to ask you, Liz, but I'm going to ask you anyway. If folks forget everything else from this whole conversation here today, what would you suggest they they take with them? What's one of your favorite key takeaways here?

[C]

I think it's incredible how this group spent their weekends, their evenings preparing for a case competition for a fictional brand and really just takes so much pride and the opportunity to learn. So I think the main takeaway is be really conscientious of how you spend your time and it's so important and make sure that you're carving out some time in your busy lives to learn something new.

[B]

I'm with you. Very well said. Very poetic. Good stuff there, Liz. Ramen. I wish we had a couple extra hours. We're gonna have to have him back. We'll have to cover the third case competition live. We'll see how that works. Pay per view. I want to thank the winning team. Madeline Creisman, thank you for being here. Madeline.

[A]

Thank you. Scott and Liz.

[B]

That's right. Ashley Bailey, thanks so much for being here. Ashley, Thunme Mutter, thanks so much.

[E]

Thank you. Appreciate it.

[B]

Katarina Falcon, thanks for being here.

[F]

Thank you for having us.

[B]

You bet. And of course the common thread here. Liz Rahman, great to see you again. Really appreciate what you and supply chain gals do. Let's do it again soon.

[C]

Thank you so much. Yeah, great to see you too.

[B]

And to our supply chain now, global fam. I tell you what, what a great conversation. I really hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I have but you know the homework I've got to assign you because there's so much actual perspective, what we heard here from all five of our esteemed guests. You got to take at least one thing, one thing from all the good stuff that Liz and friends shared here today and do something with it, please. Deeds, not words. That's how we're going to continue transforming global supply chain and leave no one behind. And with all that said, Scott Luton here, challenging all of our fan members. Do good, give forward, be the change that's needed. We'll see you next time right back here on Supply Chain Now. Thanks, everybody. Join the Supply Chain now community. For more supply chain perspectives, news and innovation, check out supply chain chain now.com subscribe to Supply Chain now on YouTube and follow and listen to Supply Chain now wherever you get your podcasts.