Events
Keynotes & Featured Speakers
113 - It's Our Time
Patricia Arquette, Actor, Humanitarian, GiveLove.orgMay 31, 5:00 pm - 5:45 pm • Gateway Ballroom
Patricia Arquette continues her quest to share her thoughts on equality for women. Arquette, who recently won an Oscar© for best actress for her work in the movie Boyhood, continues to make headlines about her passionate acceptance speech about equal rights for women. Arquette currently plays the leading role in the television series CSI:Cyber where she plays a Cyber psychologist who tracks and solves online illegal activity.
302 - Breakfast Keynote Presentation by Ford Motors - Behind Every Success Is a Group of Mentors and Motivators
Lindsey Turrentine, Vice President and Editor-in-Chief, CNETJennifer Brace, User Interface Supervisor, Ford Motor Company
June 2, 9:00 am - 9:30 am • Gateway Ballroom
The journey of one woman in tech, and how she came to hold her current role as a marketing manager and user interface engineer at Ford Motor Company. This session will focus on Jennifer Brace's interest in STEM, and how her passions have allowed her to cultivate a successful career and network in a male-dominated automotive industry.
Schedule Event
Networking Breakfast
June 1, 7:30 am - 8:30 am • Gateway Ballroom
WITI Summit Speakers, Panelists and Moderators
101 - Leverage Your Personal Brand to Achieve Your Goals
Donna Ceriani, Leadership Success Coach, Success CompassMay 31, 2:00 pm - 3:15 pm • Donner
The concept of personal branding is popping up everywhere these days, but what exactly does it mean? It's not about developing a slick marketing campaign. It's all about uncovering what is the authentic value you bring to others - and making sure you leverage it! Personal branding is for professionals who want to achieve their goals while being true to themselves.
During this highly interactive and engaging workshop, you will learn:
* How to uncover your own authentic personal brand
* Ways to identify your top strengths, passions and values to gain clarity on your goals
* Strategies to align your communications, actions, networking and environment with your brand
* The importance of linking your brand to your personal and professional goals
102 - Making LinkedIn Work for YOU
Amanda Healy, Senior Marketing Manager & Social Media Storyteller, TIBCO SoftwareMay 31, 2:00 pm - 3:15 pm • Siskiyou
Do you have a LinkedIn profile simply because you feel you ought to? Or have you been meaning to set one up but don't know where to start? Chances are, even more advanced users of LinkedIn are not maximizing the platform to its fullest. With careful curation, it can be one of the most powerful tools in your marketing arsenal, enabling new opportunities, driving new business and partnerships, and enabling you to position yourself as a thought leader in your respective field.
In this workshop, LinkedIn novices and vets alike will learn a treasure trove of tips and tricks to get your LinkedIn to do the work for you. Hear how to increase your profile strength, strategically grow your network, boost your SEO value, and much more. Discover how investing less than an hour per week can pay big dividends in achieving your personal and professional aspirations. Bring your laptop and get a real-time LinkedIn profile makeover!
103 - Optimizing STEM Talent Through Mentoring and Sponsorship
Julie Kantor, President & CEO, TwomentorMay 31, 2:00 pm - 3:15 pm • Cascade
A mentor speaks to you, guides you, advises you. A sponsor speaks about you and champions you behind closed doors. A sponsor might also be the one to say YES! and make the hiring call. To see more STEM Diversity, let's explore the business case for mentoring and strategies that your company can employ. Did you know - in one study by Wharton - mentors were promoted 6x more and mentees 5x more?! Million Women Mentors is a movement that has met its time, and we are here to discuss best practices and internal strategies.
Note: Mini versions of this session will be held as Coaching Circles on Monday and Tuesday. Details will be in the onsite program guide addenda.
107 - How to Effectively Identify and Connect with Your Community
Kyra Reed, Co-Founder, MTO AgencyMay 31, 3:30 pm - 4:45 pm • Donner
Most companies view their customers as their only community. The reality is that every business is surrounded by, at least, NINE separate community groups. Each group has the potential to bring or become customers. In this interactive workshop, [made to order] will share its unique approach to understanding a business's communities: how to identify and connect with them. You'll learn how to identify those nine communities, their needs, and the business promise to them that builds relationships that last. This session will change the way you view your customers and potential customers. It will greatly improve the effectiveness of your social media content and campaigns, customer service, and sales.
108 - Speak Like a Leader Bootcamp
John Bates, Founder & CEO, Executive Speaking SuccessMay 31, 3:30 pm - 4:45 pm • Siskiyou
You and your team's ability to communicate WELL makes a difference on every level. Come learn how to use neurobiology to maximize all of your communications and get more of what you want, more of the time:
* Make the very most of every word you speak, and know why it works.
* Move your listeners to action with a new level of ease.
* Stand out from the crowd and be remembered.
* Leave your fear and anxiety around public speaking far behind, forever.
What you'll learn in this workshop is what John Bates teaches TED/TEDx speakers and applies to conference presentations, explaining your research, pitching your business, raising venture capital, marketing, presenting, selling, or even just talking by the water cooler with 1 person, 7 people, 70, 700 or 7000.
(This workshop will be repeated as Session #310, 1:15 Tuesday 6/2)
109 - Twitter 101
Yael Wagner, Chief Product OfficerMay 31, 3:30 pm - 4:45 pm • Cascade
This Twitter 101 session is designed to address the non-initiated, introduce them to Twitter, and make them feel more comfortable using it - promoting themselves as much as their brand/company. Included:
* What is Twitter? A brief history and explanation
* Where do I begin? Going over the setup process and concerns, starting with building one’s profile
* Building presence: first steps from who to follow, RT, share, ...
* To-Do List: summarizing what one needs to do, and a handout including a template of what to do
202 - Spiraling Up for the WITI Summit!
Wendy Wallbridge, President / Executive Coach, On Your MarkJune 1, 8:30 am - 9:00 am • Gateway Ballroom
The author of Spiraling Upward shows how to maximize your participation in the WITI Summit, providing the perspectives and tools you need to make the most out of the next two days of learning and relationship-building.
203 - Disruption, Innovation, IoT, and Women: Disrupt to Succeed!
Linda Bernardi, Chief Innovation Officer, Cloud and IoT, IBMJune 1, 9:00 am - 10:00 am • Gateway Ballroom
Women are amazing innovators and leaders. In addition to having highly unobstructed new product ideas, women possess amazing team-building and leadership capabilities. So, why is it that in 2015 we are still debating the same question: "Why don't we have more women in positions of leadership in Tech?" This keynote will cover topics of innovation, disruption in tech, AND - most importantly - difficulties that women sense when resistance is high. Innovation requires disruption. Disruption creates resistance. Could it also be that some of these obstacles and resistances are in our own minds? Are we resistant to disruption? This and much more when we see each other at the Summit. What is not a disputable item is the amazing and unstoppable power that WOMEN in Technology possess! [Click here for Ms. Bernardi's recent Washington Post article on this topic]
204 - The Internet of Things: What Does it Take to Make the Internet of Everything Real?
Michele Pelino, Principal Analyst, Forrester ResearchCheemin Bo-Linn, President and CEO, Peritus Partners
Janet Landers, SVP, Global Business Technology, Starbucks Company
Rebecca Scholl, SVP, Strategy & Marketing/High Tech, Communications & Media, Xerox Corporation
Jaishree Subramania, Director, Internet of Things Marketing, Cisco Systems
June 1, 10:00 am - 11:00 am • Gateway Ballroom
The Internet of Things (IoT) is the next technology revolution. With less than 1% of "things" in the physical world connected to the Internet, there is an incredible opportunity to connect the unconnected and change the world - impacting a range of IT companies as well as businesses in such markets as transportation, manufacturing, utilities, and oil and gas. What will it take to scale IoT solutions and the ecosystem to support it and to realize the true value of the Internet of Everything? This panel will share case study results from real-world implementations, and discuss what needs to happen next in order to deliver the benefits of IoT on a more massive scale.
206 - Lunch Keynote - Reimagine IT: The Digital Dragon is Upon Us!
Tiffani Bova, Global Customer Growth & Innovation Evangelist, SalesforceJune 1, 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm • Gateway Ballroom
With the continued advancements of social, mobile, cloud, and information - companies are now competing in new ways in the span of a moment. If you're looking for clarity to help further navigate your business and customers through these industry transitions, then you need to understand today's dominant trends. This session will explore the top cloud and business trends and their impact to the market. Gartner's Tiffani Bova looks into how digital business will impact all of us, and how creating digital moments with customers will have long-standing impact on businesses.
207 - Geek Girls are Chic: Five Career Hacks
Sandy Carter, CEO | CMO | Ecosystems | Business Development Information Technology, Silicon BlitzJune 1, 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm • Gateway Ballroom
Is the technology world biased against women? Why are fewer women graduating with a technical degree (12% today vs 37% in 1984)? Why aren't more women rising in the tech ranks or starting businesses? Why should you care? Join Sandy Carter, IBM General Manager of Ecosystem Development and Social Business Evangelist, Chairperson of the WITI Board, and voted Forbes 10 Most Powerful Women in Tech, as she discusses why this matters, how innovation will benefit, and how to foster an interest in tech. Learn why women need to take risks and embrace failure to give them the courage to crash through the glass ceiling or start a new business. Sandy will share recent findings from a research report on "Advancing Women" as well as her own experiences and advice with five career hacks to help you get ahead, because talent is not enough.
209 - Wearable Computing
Erin Flynn, Investment Banker, Ackrell CapitalDawn Damschen, Esq., Associate, Kelley Drye & Warren LLP
Sandra Lopez, Director, Business and Marketing Strategy for Wearable Tech in Fashion, Intel
Mary Vincent, Co-Founder & CTO, LifetimeMD
Kristi Wolff, Esq., Senior Associate, Kelley Drye & Warren
June 1, 3:15 pm - 4:15 pm • Donner
Wearables: one of the most hyped technologies in the past decade. Are they worth the hype? Where is the technology headed, and what will it take for wearables to become mainstream?
Everyone from hardware startups to fashion companies to Fortune 500 companies are trying to figure out how to be a part of the action. Is there a place at the table for everyone? This insightful session will begin with a 15-minute perspective on WEARABLE COMPUTING AND THE IoT LANDSCAPE... as Mary Vincent provides an overview of wearable computing/IoT initiatives, current drivers, challenges/opportunities, privacy/security, and interesting wearables/IoT opportunities for the future.
210 - How Serious Games Are Changing the World
Sophia Viklund, Founder, backCODEDonna Barbisch, CEO, Wicked Solutions
Alexis Brandow, Founder, Amorse
Anna Leighton, Founder, Annatarian Designs
June 1, 3:15 pm - 4:15 pm • Siskiyou
Imagine learning mission-critical skills and life-saving procedures all on a game console from the comfort of your home. Serious games can be just that - taking important training and moving it into the context of a top-level game product. Serious Games provide opportunities to learn and develop skills for situations that may be abstract, expensive, time-consuming, or simply too dangerous to work in. This highly effective technique is being used in Intelligence, Defense, Healthcare, Education, and Enterprise. The application of Serious Games has vast potential, and the women in this session are pioneers in the field. They'll discuss lessons learned, solutions they came up with, ways they see this method enhancing our lives (including large-scale disaster training) – and how they got to where they are.
211 - What Smart Companies Are Doing to Leverage Big Data
Laura DiDio, Director, Strategy AnalyticsJennifer Cambern, Vice President, Product Management and Chief Product Owner, ADP
Lila Snyder, President, Document Messaging Technologies, Pitney Bowes Inc.
June 1, 3:15 pm - 4:15 pm • Cascade
The shift from Machine to Machine (M2M) to IoT has created a far more complex environment. IoT is an evolutionary technology that has the potential to revolutionize the way we live and do business. The value in IoT is not merely in connecting devices, but in the shift to services and intelligent or smart components, devices, applications and processes. The value is not in the data itself, but what actions can be taken from interpreting the data. Big Data and Analytics are at the forefront of the IoT transformation. Fully 90% of all the data generated today is never analyzed or acted upon. This session will use real-world scenarios to detail how Big Data Analytics will enable organizations, their end users, business partners and customers to analyze data in real-time to achieve tangible, actionable results in areas like Smart Cities, Smart Buildings, and Smart Connected Homes.
214 - Building, Empowering, Inspiring
June 1, 4:45 pm - 5:15 pm • Gateway Ballroom
This very special panel introduces the outstanding women who will be inducted Monday evening into WITI's Women in Technology Hall of Fame. We'll ask them to share personal stories from their own experiences ... lessons learned, challenges met, obstacles overcome ... and what advice they might have for the rest of us who also aspire to make a positive difference.
Panel:
CHEEMIN BO-LINN, Ed.D., President, Peritus Partners;
NICHELLE NICHOLS, American Actress;
PAM PARISIAN, CIO, AT&T;
SHERYL ROOT, Professor, Carnegie Mellon University Silicon Valley;
MARIE WIECK, General Manager, Middleware, IBM.
303 - How Millennial Women Are Shaping the Future
Adam Poswolsky, AuthorJessica Brown, Programs Director, The Passion Co.
Nikita Mitchell, President, Berkeley-Haas MBA Association
Clemantine Wamariya, Human Rights Advocate and Storyteller
June 2, 9:30 am - 10:30 am • Gateway Ballroom
Despite struggling with debt, recession, and the jobs crisis, millennials (who will account for 75% of the workforce in 2025) are not motivated by money. Rather, they are driven to make the world more compassionate, innovative, and sustainable. This is not the "me me me generation," but a generation that wants to work with purpose. This sparkling panel brings together millennial authors, entrepreneurs, and business leaders, to discuss how millennial women are using purpose to shape the future of technology and entrepreneurship. We'll explore how companies can attract, retain, and empower millennial talent, and invest in the next generation of global leaders.
304 - Creating a Purpose-Driven Career
Adam Poswolsky, AuthorJune 2, 10:45 am - 11:45 am • Donner
How can you make a living doing work that's deeply meaningful to you? How can you get paid for who you are? How can you build a company that makes you (and your employees) excited to wake up in the morning? Join author Adam Smiley Poswolsky for a discussion on building a purpose-driven company in the 21st century. Mr. Poswolsky's book, The Quarter-Life Breakthrough: A Guide for Millennials to Find Meaningful Work, shares the stories of many twenty- (and thirty-) somethings who are discovering how to work with purpose. Despite struggling with debt, recession, and the jobs crisis, millennials (who will account for 75% of the workforce in 2025) are not motivated by money. Rather, they are driven to make the world more compassionate, innovative, and sustainable. Studies show that not only millennials, but EVERYONE, is looking for purpose and meaning in the workplace. This participatory breakout session will explore how you can increase your fulfillment inside and outside of the workplace, by leading with purpose and prioritizing social impact. We'll discuss how to attract, retain, and empower the talent of the future, and how to create a better world through your work.
305 - Why IT Is Losing Smart Women - and How Workforce Diversity Can Help
Tammy Hawkins, Vice President, West Region, OPTOMIEster Frey, Vice President, Technology Staffing Services, Robert Half Technology
Madhu Mujoo, Executive Director, San Jose Office, Ernst & Young
Maria Olson, Vice President, Global Alliances, NetApp
Eddie Pate, Ph.D., Director Inclusion & Diversity for WWOPs, Amazon
June 2, 10:45 am - 11:45 am • Siskiyou
While the opportunity for careers in Information Technology is growing dramatically, the number of women choosing to enter our field continues to shrink. A well-known study labeled this "The Leaky Pipe Syndrome." Research has shown that businesses which embrace a diverse workforce that includes a significant percentage of women in leadership are more profitable. This panel will explore the broad range of career opportunities woman have in IT today, why the gap is still significant, and what we can do to effect change. Questions and interaction from the audience strongly encouraged!
306 - Creating/Managing Teams That People Are Clamoring To Be On
Theresa Spralling, CEO, Women of AT&T National OrganizationTeresa Deveaux, Director, Gender Diversity Strategy, Microsoft, Corp
Caroline Ingeborn, COO, Toca Boca
Candace Worley, Senior Vice President & GM/Endpoint Security, McAfee, Inc.
June 2, 10:45 am - 11:45 am • Cascade
Creating a productive team means bringing together people with different skillsets and varied personalities to work towards a common goal. No easy task! Learn from industry leaders about tried and true methods for creating and managing exceptional teams. See what tactics smart managers implement for dynamic team building.
309 - Luncheon with PricewaterhouseCoopers Keynote Presentation - Collaborating to Advance Innovation
Christine Goldberg, Principal, Advisory Practice, PwCJune 2, 11:45 am - 1:15 pm • Gateway Ballroom
A sense of belonging is a critical component of any successful relationship. Nowhere is this more important than where we spend most of our time as professional adults: the workplace. Workplace inclusion drives innovation and creativity, enabling organizations to reach their full potential. Hear from PwC Women in Technology leadership on the success of a collaborative community for advancing innovation. The program supports its core mission through strategic partnerships, mentorship/sponsorship programs, recruiting efforts, and highlighting successful technologists in the field.
310 - Speak Like a Leader Bootcamp
John Bates, Founder & CEO, Executive Speaking SuccessJune 2, 1:15 pm - 2:15 pm • Donner
You and your team's ability to communicate WELL makes a difference on every level. Come learn how to use neurobiology to maximize all of your communications and get more of what you want, more of the time:
* Make the very most of every word you speak, and know why it works.
* Move your listeners to action with a new level of ease.
* Stand out from the crowd and be remembered.
* Leave your fear and anxiety around public speaking far behind, forever.
What you'll learn in this workshop is what John Bates teaches TED/TEDx speakers and applies to conference presentations, explaining your research, pitching your business, raising venture capital, marketing, presenting, selling, or even just talking by the water cooler with 1 person, 7 people, 70, 700 or 7000.
311 - Breakthroughs in Leadership: Here's How I Got to the Top!
Ellen Leanse, Business Strategist and AdvisorLaura Biasucci, VP, US Solutions Sales, Hewlett-Packard Company
Debra LeBlanc, VP/Emerging Partner Programs & Corporate Development, BMC Software
Lindsey Turrentine, Vice President and Editor-in-Chief, CNET
Emily White, Data Science Leader, GE Healthcare
June 2, 1:15 pm - 2:15 pm • Siskiyou
WITI loves a good success story! Come hear women relate personal stories from their own experiences: growth challenges, lessons learned, and rewards they earned on their way to success. Also included: some of the greatest "AHA!" moments in their jobs that transformed the way they thought about things...
312 - The Roadmap to Successful Startups
Michael Winwood, CEO, OptomiElizabeth Dodson, Co-Founder, HomeZada
Anita Gardyne, CEO/Co-Founder, Onēva
Radhika Iyengar-Emens, Managing Partner, DoubleNova Group
June 2, 1:15 pm - 2:15 pm • Cascade
What does it really take to launch, lead, and grow a successful startup? Come be a part of our interactive discussion with panelists who will share their personal adventures in entrepreneurship. They'll get to the heart of:
* Living your mission statements, core values, and differentiators
* Instilling urgency and speed everywhere
* Using analytics that matter
* Finding and keeping the right people in the right seat
* Maintaining your sanity
315 - WITI WIN - Women Semiconductor and Embedded Systems Leadership
Dina McKinney, Senior Engineering Executive, QualcommCamelia Rusu, Senior Engineering Director, Lam Research Corporation
May Su, Vice President, Strategic Marketing, Brooks Automation, Inc.
June 2, 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm • Donner
What does it take to be a successful leader in the semiconductor and Embedded Systems industry? Join an interactive conversation and gain insights from women who talk about their own corporate paths - what worked and what did not.
316 - WITI WIN - Women IoT and Wearables Leadership
Michelle Miller, Director of Marketing, JabilSara Gardner, CTO, Social Innovation, Hitachi Data Systems
Syuzi Pakhchyan, Wearable Technology Consultant, fashioningtech.com
Urska Srsen, Founder, Bellabeat
June 2, 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm • Siskiyou
IoT and Wearables is an exciting, fast growing segment of technology and explore how your skills can have some workable applications to this space. This panel will share their experiences and insights about where they see this market going, and how to break into the new arenas of Internet of Things and Wearables technologies.
317 - WITI WIN - Women in Cloud and Storage Leadership
Laura DiDio, Director, Strategy AnalyticsKathleen Conroy, AVP/CBC, Cognizant Technology Solutions
Priyanka Mazagaonkar, Software Development Manager, Strongview
Prashanthi Padmanabhan, Technical Director, Communication Products, AOL
Malika Sangani, Director of Engineering
June 2, 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm • Cascade
Join a dynamic group of women sharing their vision, insights and experiences leading storage, cloud and enterprise software. This is a great opportunity to explore opportunities and build relationship with women working in these areas.
Special Events
Coaching Circles at the WITI Summit
June 1, 10:00 am - 5:45 pm • Bayshore Foyer
Do you find yourself unsure of how to step into a larger role... or take an idea and build a startup... or reach for that next level in your career? We believe good coaching from women who have conquered the career challenges you're facing will increase your odds of achieving positive outcomes.
WITI is delighted to introduce COACHING CIRCLES for all attendees at the 2015 Summit.
Professional coaches are donating their time and service in their areas of specialty. Summit speakers and VIP guests are sharing their personal wisdom and knowledge.
These mini-coaching morsels are an opportunity to engage and discuss a work-related or personal topic of your choosing.
Tips to get the most from your mini-coaching session:
1. BE ON TIME. Coaches will adhere to the signup schedule.
2. LASER YOUR QUESTION. For this format, the narrower and more specific your question, the better. For example, asking, "What do I say to a boss who says __________?" will yield more concise coaching than a question like, "What's my next career move?"
3. TAILOR YOUR EXPECTATIONS. If you are coming to a coach with a longstanding or complex issue, expecting a solution in 45 minutes isn't realistic or fair.
4. COACHES VARY WIDELY. Only sitting with your coach will establish if there's coaching chemistry.
5. IF YOU NEED MORE COACHING TIME, or slots are already filled with your preferred coach, don't despair. We will make coaches' contact information available for those coaches willing to offer post-Summit consultations.
Coaching Circles at the WITI Summit
June 2, 10:00 am - 3:45 pm • Bayshore Foyer
Do you find yourself unsure of how to step into a larger role... or take an idea and build a startup... or reach for that next level in your career? We believe good coaching from women who have conquered the career challenges you're facing will increase your odds of achieving positive outcomes.
WITI is delighted to introduce COACHING CIRCLES for all attendees at the 2015 Summit.
Professional coaches are donating their time and service in their areas of specialty. Summit speakers and VIP guests are sharing their personal wisdom and knowledge.
These mini-coaching morsels are an opportunity to engage and discuss a work-related or personal topic of your choosing.
Tips to get the most from your mini-coaching session:
1. BE ON TIME. Coaches will adhere to the signup schedule.
2. LASER YOUR QUESTION. For this format, the narrower and more specific your question, the better. For example, asking, "What do I say to a boss who says __________?" will yield more concise coaching than a question like, "What's my next career move?"
3. TAILOR YOUR EXPECTATIONS. If you are coming to a coach with a longstanding or complex issue, expecting a solution in 45 minutes isn't realistic or fair.
4. COACHES VARY WIDELY. Only sitting with your coach will establish if there's coaching chemistry.
5. IF YOU NEED MORE COACHING TIME, or slots are already filled with your preferred coach, don't despair. We will make coaches' contact information available for those coaches willing to offer post-Summit consultations.
Founder's Reception
Carolyn Leighton, Founder/Chairwoman, WITIMay 31, 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm • Bayshore Foyer
Opening Night at the Summit features welcoming words from WITI Founder Carolyn Leighton, offering a friendly networking environment for attendees to meet Summit speakers, VIP guests, and colleagues from around the globe.
Hall Of Fame Awards Induction Banquet
June 1, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm • Gateway Ballroom
WITI Summit Speakers, Panelists and Moderators
Networking Breakfast, sponsored by Ford Motors
June 2, 8:00 am - 9:00 am • Gateway Ballroom
Update by Carolyn Leighton
June 2, 8:45 am - 9:00 am • Gateway Ballroom
Welcome
Carolyn Leighton, Founder/Chairwoman, WITIJune 1, 8:15 am - 8:30 am • Gateway Ballroom
Women In Technology International Founder Carolyn Leighton launches the 2015 WITI Annual Summit with a warm greeting to all attendees!
Special Events
WITI Celebrates!
June 2, 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm • Gateway FoyerA rare opportunity to mix, mingle, and enter fabulous raffles over yummy desserts - with Summit attendees, speakers, exhibitors - to schmooze, share lessons learned, and maximize networking opportunities!
And more to be announced soon!
* Speakers and Sessions are subject to change