Part 1 of 2: Dame Stephanie Shirley R.I.P. Refugee, Tech Icon, and Philanthropist

From Kindertransport to Tech Dame: Resilience, Philanthropy & the Woman Who Built an Empire of Trust!

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What does it take to survive war, rewrite the rules of leadership, and give away over $100 million with zero regret?

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Intro:

In this rare and deeply moving episode, we sit down with the late Dame Stephanie Shirley, tech visionary, radical entrepreneur, and one of the most quietly revolutionary forces of the 20th century.

You may not know her name, but you’ve lived in a world she helped shape.

From arriving in England as a 5-year-old Jewish refugee on the Kindertransport, to founding a software company that employed only women in the 1960s, Dame Shirley didn't just break the rules, she rewrote the playbook with kindness, trust, and extraordinary resilience.

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And just wait until you hear why she chose to give away £100 million of her wealth to autism research and social impact.

This is not just a history lesson. It’s a masterclass in legacy, purpose, and the courage to lead differently.

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What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How being a refugee at age 5 forged her leadership DNA

• Why she built a software empire exclusively for women in 1962

• The “iron fist in a velvet glove” management style that helped her survive a male-dominated tech world

• How remote work was pioneered by her company decades before Zoom

• Why trust in your people is the foundation of lasting innovation

• The shocking reason she dropped off the Times Rich List

• Her battle with depression—and the price of ignoring mental health as a founder

• The spiritual weight of surviving when others didn’t

• How she made her life a "life worth saving"

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Power Quote:

“The more you trust people, the more trustworthy they become.” ~ Dame Stephanie Shirley

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Guest Bio:

Dame Stephanie Shirley was a trailblazing tech entrepreneur, refugee, and philanthropist. After escaping Nazi Europe via the Kindertransport, she went on to found one of the UK's first software companies, employing only women. She later gave away over £100 million to causes including autism research, mental health, and technology ethics.

Her life was dedicated to making the world, and its systems more human.

📚 Books by Dame Stephanie Shirley:

• Let It Go

• So To Speak