Industry Mentors
Finance Lecturer, SJSU
Debbie Abbott has over thirty years of experience in marketing and finance with leading
Silicon Valley companies. She is currently a finance lecturer at SJSU and a board
member for the City of San Jose’s Retirement System. Her most recent marketing role
was as the Director of Content and Campaigns for Flex. She leveraged her social media
network to land that role. She believes networking through social media is an essential
tool for all job seekers. “It’s not just what you know, it’s who you know.”
After receiving her MBA in Finance from UCLA, Debbie worked as a financial manager
at Xerox for ten years where she was recognized for her financial forecasting and
planning. Then she made a career change into marketing and has held senior marketing
management at Flex, Cisco, Xerox and more. She also did marketing strategy consulting
for several leading Silicon Valley companies.
Product Marketing Leader, Cisco
Usha Andra is a seasoned lead product marketer at Cisco, specializing in the company's
Cloud and Data Center Networking platforms. She focuses on initiatives centered around
automation, orchestration, and insights, with a particular emphasis on products like
Cisco Nexus Dashboard, Nexus Hyperfabric, and 400G/800G Nexus switching, which prioritize
operational simplicity, AI-ready data centers, and sustainability. Before joining
the data center marketing team, Usha spent nearly a decade contributing to Cisco's
global thought leadership initiatives, including the Annual Internet Report, Visual
Networking Index (VNI), and Global Cloud Index (GCI), where she played a key role
in forecasting the growth and use of Internet and cloud-based networks worldwide.
With nearly two decades of experience at Cisco, Usha began her career in the Strategic
Marketing Organization, working on the Enterprise and Consumer segments, and later
led initiatives within Service Provider marketing. She holds an MBA and a BSEE and
has served as an adjunct faculty member at SJSU, teaching both undergraduate and graduate
courses. Usha is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and is deeply committed
to mentoring and giving back, actively supporting the development of aspiring business
professionals and sharing her knowledge to empower others.
Owner, Rare Reflektions
Sunita is a distinguished Learning & Development professional and certified coach
with over 20 years of experience partnering with Fortune 500 companies and Silicon
Valley startups. Holding senior leadership roles in L&D at organizations like GE Digital,
her expertise has earned her recognition as one of the top 50 L&D leaders in the Americas
by Corinium Global Intelligence. Sunita's top services include executive coaching,
leadership development, L&D strategy and learning technology marketing. With a master’s
degree from Harvard University and certification as a Neuroscience brain-based coach,
she has guided MIT and Harvard alumni through career mobility, transitions, and cultural
immersions. Dedicated to driving growth and success, Sunita's talent for inspiring
others makes her a respected leader in the L&D community.
Cynthia Broderick
Senior Director of Cloud and AI Sales, Cisco
Engineering Office of the CTO, Juniper Networks
Gabrielle has been with Juniper Networks since February 2007. She currently works
for the Engineering CTO office and is responsible for providing program management
for the Junos Architecture Council and a network service provisioning application
project. She also started and manages the Juniper Women in Engineering (JWIE) employee
resource group. Previously, she provided program management for the Juniper Distinguished
Engineering (DE) and Principal Engineering (PE) communities. This included managing
the Juniper DE PE Council - responsible for approving DE PE promotions and new hires,
as well as the annual DE Summit. Previously in this team, she was responsible for
project managing several DEs working on major OS library re-architecture. Prior to
her work in the CTO office, she was Sr. Director of Junos Governance, responsible
for policy, process, criteria and schedule for all Junos OS software releases.
Prior to Juniper Networks, in her more than 11 years with Cisco Systems, she was Sr.
Engineering Manager for the IOS Packet Engineering Group, responsible for large-scale
corporate level software infrastructure planning and implementation. In addition,
previous roles included remotely managing the Edge Services software team in Bangalore
India, the collective hardware and software engineering teams for the leading Broadband
Aggregation platform, and the IOS Source Code team, responsible for all major source
code integration. Prior to her employment with Cisco Systems, Ms. Capolupo spent
over seven years at various positions at Novell, Inc.
Gabrielle has served as a lead judge for the International Collegiate Business Strategy
Competition since 1995, after participating as a graduate student for San Jose State
University (SJSU). She has made a number of industry panel presentations including
sessions for Women in Technology International (WITI), Women in International Trade
(WIT), Women Unlimited, the Project Management Institute of Silicon Valley and the
SJSU Women in Leadership League. She was the Commencement Speaker for the 2023 Class
of the Lucas College and Graduate School of Business at SJSU. Beginning in 2022, Gabrielle
is a professional mentor for the TechWomen program, which is sponsored by the US Department
of State. Gabrielle received her Master of Business Administration from San Jose State
University and her Bachelor of Arts, Cum Laude, from the University of Massachusetts
at Amherst, where she was a member of the Alpha Lambda Delta National Honor Society
and the Men’s Varsity Crew.
Sr. Director of Consumer Business, Trend Micro Inc.
Annie is a senior-level business professional with 20 years of software industry experience,
ranging from product marketing, online marketing, e-commerce operation, to business
management. She currently serves as Sr. Director at Trend Micro, a global leader in
cybersecurity solutions, and is in charge of the consumer business in North American
and European markets. Annie has a track record of driving business results through
strategic planning and solid execution, and she is known for her ability to build
and lead talented and motivated global teams. Annie cares deeply about diversity and
inclusion and is part of Trend Micro’s Trending Women’s initiative, which is designed
to help women enter and grow in the world of cybersecurity. She holds a B.S. in International
Business from Taiwan University and an MBA degree from the University of Washington.
Sr. Director of Business Development, CriticalRiver
Jacqueline Craig is the Senior Director, Business Development, at CriticalRiver. In
her role, she spearheads a high-performing team dedicated to creating sustainable
business opportunities through strategic territory planning, innovative marketing,
and effective prospecting. Her ability to forge and maintain trust-based relationships
with C-level executives has not only strengthened CriticalRiver’s reputation but has
also established valuable partnerships that drive our success.
With over 20 years of experience, Jacqueline has been instrumental in achieving numerous
company milestones. Before joining us, she held significant leadership roles at Miracle
Software Systems as the Senior Business Development Executive, MuSigma as Chief of
Staff, and PragmaEdge as Head of North America Sales.
The proud alumnus of Northwestern University is also passionate about empowering women
in technology. She founded the Tri-Valley Women in Tech Circle to help dismantle barriers
for women pursuing careers in STEM and actively participates in the Women in Leadership
League at San Jose State University. Her commitment extends beyond business; she has
mentored individuals at the Therapeutic Riding Center and is heavily involved with
the Tim Tebow Foundation's Night To Shine event, celebrating people with special needs.
Vice President of Inventory Management, Old Navy
Lisa Etherington is the Vice President of Inventory Management at Old Navy, she brings
over 25 years of diverse experience within Gap Inc. Lisa is a graduate of San Jose
State with a Degree in Social Sciences.
Throughout her career, she held various roles across buying, merchandising, planning,
allocation, and distribution, with a strong focus on launching new businesses and
entering international markets.
She had the privilege of opening stores in Japan and China, experiences that stand
out as some of her most rewarding moments in her career. Her expertise also includes
managing large teams of up to 80 people, where she likes to prioritize direct engagement
and collaboration. She believes in empowering her team to learn, make mistakes, and
continuously improve, while also being hands-on and ready to dive into details when
necessary.
Her journey has equipped her with a comprehensive understanding of the retail landscape,
particularly in Asia, and is passionate about driving innovation and excellence in
inventory management and the supply chain.
Chief Information Security Officer / Venture Advisor / Advisory Board Member, SafeBase
With over 17 years experience in the information security field, Lisa focuses on building
holistic security strategy and comprehensive information security management programs-
ensuring products and business systems are developed with security in mind. Lisa believes
security should make it easy to do the right thing. Lisa has experience building
and growing teams, leading companies through IPO, acquisitions & mergers, and leading
Application/Product Security, Infrastructure Security, and Compliance programs (SOX,
SOC2, ISO 27001, FISMA, FedRAMP, & HITRUST). Lisa is a Venture Advisor at YL Ventures,
an Advisory Board Member for Day of Shecurity, and sits on the Executive Advisory
Board for San Jose State University’s School of Information Systems & Technology’s
Center for Organizational Resilience. She is also a co-author in "Reinventing Cybersecurity"-
A JupiterOne book authored by female and non-binary security practitioners. Lisa has
held Information Security leadership roles at PagerDuty, Color Health, Twilio, and
EY.
Digital Consulting Leader | Adjunct Professor | Actor | Podcaster | Organizational
Changemaker | Agile Design Thinker
Carin brings 25 years of extensive industry experience as a former Partner at EY and
KPMG Consulting, where she specializes in global business and technology transformations.
Her background and passion for entrepreneurship are central to her role as a SJSU
University professor, where she inspires and empowers the next generation of leaders.Carin’s
expertise encompasses collaborating with businesses to innovate operations, integrate
technology, and remodel workforce dynamics. She has consulted for premier global companies
such as Cisco, Disney, eBay, HP, Logitech, Oracle, NBC Universal, and Sony Entertainment
Pictures.
She earned her MBA from Hult International Business School and a Bachelor of Science
from Cal Poly Humboldt, where she received the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2020.
She serves on the Cal Poly Humboldt Foundation Board, supporting student scholarships
and programs. As a professor at San Jose State University, she teaches a Business
Honors Management Information Systems course. Additionally, she is a faculty member
in the master’s program at Hult International Business School, where she teaches entrepreneurial
students in leadership and strategies for business disruption.
An active leader in the Project Management Institute (PMI), she serves as the PMI
SF Bay Area Board Executive Treasurer and guides finance and leadership programs.
Her commitment to nurturing future entrepreneurs is evident through her roles as a
judge for the Hult Prize, SJSU's Silicon Valley Innovation Challenge, and the Black
Ambition Competition. Carin enjoys acting on stage, graphic design, digital marketing,
international travel, mentoring, water sports, and hiking.
Human Resources Manager, Thermo Fisher Scientific
Joy is a HR Professional with 12+ years of experience across the Department of Defense,
Healthcare, Tech and BioTech industries. Her interests focus on Leadership Development,
Change Management, Employee Engagement and Data Analytics. Joy earned her BA degree
in Psychology from San Diego State University and MS in HR Management from Claremont
Graduate University.
Inyong Kim
Vice President of People, Autodesk
Inyong Kim is the Vice President of People at Autodesk, a global leader in design
and make software. She leads the HR Business Partner team for Platform & Industry
Solutions, as well as the Organizational Effectiveness Center of Excellence. In this
role, she drives strategic people initiatives that empower Autodesk’s global organizations
worldwide.
With more than two decades of HR leadership experience in the high-tech industry,
Inyong has played a pivotal role in driving organizational growth and transformation.
Prior to joining Autodesk, she served as Vice President of Employee Experience at
Adobe and held HR leadership positions at Yahoo!, VMware, and Interwoven.
Recognized for her ability to navigate complex organizational landscapes, Inyong excels
in developing top talent, building high-performing teams, and executing enterprise-wide
initiatives with strategic vision. She is passionate about fostering inclusive, agile
workplaces that drive both business success and employee engagement. Inyong holds
a B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resource
Management from SJSU.
Senior Director of Product Management, Cisco Systems
Becky Marques is Senior Director, Product Management at Cisco Systems. With 20+ years
of product management experience, Becky leads the platform product management team
for the Data Center Networking portfolio. Previously, Becky led the platform product
management team for Catalyst 6K products.
Before joining Cisco, Becky was Distinguished Member of Technical Staff at AT&T Bell
Labs, where she was involved in the definition, design, and development of carrier-class
network management software.
Becky holds a BA in Computer Science and Mathematics from New York University, and
an MS in Computer Science from Columbia University.
Scrum Master, Jack Henry & Associates
Alvina spent 34 years at HP in R&D and Marketing developing the HP Materials Management
product, database and interoperability solutions, and various new business solutions.
She spent 2 years at Symantec Corporation where she was the Engineering Enrichment
Leader and then 3 years as the Agile Coach at the City of San Jose. Alvina currently
is a Scrum Master at Jack Henry & Associates, a leading provider of banking software.
She has a B.S. and an M.S. in Management Science and Engineering with a specialization
in computer utilization from Stanford University.
Executive Communications Leader, Cisco
Eager communicator with 8+ years of experience in marketing and communications. I
enable senior level executives to deliver compelling and strategic messages to their
intended audiences. I have a passion for people, community, and empowerment. I am
constantly looking for ways to bring people together through compelling content and
storytelling!
VP of HR and Staff Development, PremierOne Credit Union
Aida is currently VP - HR and Staff Development at Premier One Credit Union with 13
years of experience in Head of Human Resources roles. Her career has taken her through
a multitude of industries and her experience covers a wide range of HR practices such
as talent acquisition, benefits, payroll and employee life cycle, and talent management.
Aida graduated from San Jose State University and she is a proud founder of leadtohappy,
an organization aimed at helping young professionals find their professional passions,
their purpose and ultimate joy in the work they do.
Software Engineering Manager, Juniper Networks
Neelam is a seasoned engineering leader with over 20 years of experience spanning
various engineering disciplines. She currently serves as a Software Engineering Manager
at Juniper Networks, where she leads a high-performing team. Throughout her career,
Neelam has held diverse roles, including Customer Support, Solutions Test Engineering,
and Automation Lead, demonstrating her versatility and deep expertise in the tech
industry.
As a core member of the Juniper Foundation Committee, Neelam is passionate about driving
both community and industry growth. She also plays a key role as a Professional Mentor
for the Tech Women Program, sponsored by the US Department of State, where she empowers
and supports the next generation of women in technology.
Neelam actively contributes to several professional organizations, including serving
as VP of Public Relations at the Juniper/Bay Area Toastmasters club(s), and as a Board
Advisor for the Rajasthan Institute of Engineering and Technology (RIET). An internationally
recognized speaker, she is also a member of the Institute of Innovation in Technology
& Management (IITM) in Delhi, India, and frequently speaks at Rajasthan Technical
University (RTU), where she also serves as a student counselor.
Outside of her professional commitments, Neelam enjoys a vibrant personal life, with
a passion for dancing, music, and hiking, maintaining a healthy balance between work
and personal pursuits.
Dave retired after enjoying a 38-year career with Hewlett-Packard and related spin-offs,
where he held and enjoyed a wide breadth of roles including software development,
business leadership, marketing, product management, strategy/planning, and operations.
Dave has taught classes in leadership and innovation in the SJSU Lucas College of
Business since 2018. During his career, Dave was active in the community, supporting
local schools and youth sports in various ways. As Dave begins his retirement journey,
he plans to pursue interests at the intersection of the environment, human rights
and environmental justice.
Vice President of Digital Marketing, Smartsheet
Min Wang is a technology marketing executive with over 20 years of experience in the
B2B tech industry, encompassing software, hardware, and SaaS. A transformative, passionate,
and results-driven leader, Min has a proven track record of success in customer experience,
digital transformation, IT modernization, and marketing innovation. Tech-obsessed
and data-savvy, she is skilled at leading growth marketing that balances art and science.
Min is adept at building and inspiring multidisciplinary global teams.
Min's prior experience includes CMO at Scalyr (now SentinelOne), VP of Strategy and
Operations at Cisco, VP of Digital Marketing at Brocade, and leadership positions
at NetApp. She began her career in IT engineering and architect roles at EMC and Legato.
Min holds a master’s degree in computer science from Wayne State University and a
medical degree from Shandong University School of Medicine in China.
Growth Executive, Revenue Retention Advisors, LLC
Sandy is the founder and the growth executive with Revenue Retention Advisors, LLC.
She focuses on helping companies drive growth from their customer base by increasing
revenue retention, product adoption and customer lifetime value. Sandy has over 20+
years of experience, leading teams and initiatives in sales, product and customer
success, for global enterprises including Oracle, Cisco, PricewaterhouseCoopers and
WebEx. Outside of work, Sandy is an avid mentor and volunteers with San Francisco
Chambers’ Job Forum and Recast Success. She loves to travel, listen to podcasts,
and play both tennis and pickleball. She’s also a mom to teen twins and one very
cute dog.
Vice President, Deputy General Counsel - Product, IP, Privacy, and Procurement, Juniper
Networks
Prior to Juniper, Tao was Associate GC of IP and Technology at Ansys, and senior director
of IP strategy at Huawei Device USA, respectively. Before Huawei, she was with Hewlett-Packard
for 23 years. She earned a JD from Concord Law School and a PhD in Physics from Stanford
University. Dr. Zhang is a member of the California Bar and a registered patent attorney
with the USPTO. She has recently obtained the CIPP (Certified Information Privacy
Professional)/US and AIGP (AI Governance Professional) certifications, both from IAPP.
She is co-author of the book "Mining Ideas for Diamonds – Comparing China and US IP
Practices from Invention Selection to Patent Monetization".
Finance Lecturer, SJSU
Debbie Abbott has over thirty years of experience in marketing and finance with leading
Silicon Valley companies. She is currently a finance lecturer at SJSU and a board
member for the City of San Jose’s Retirement System. Her most recent marketing role
was as the Director of Content and Campaigns for Flex. She leveraged her social media
network to land that role. She believes networking through social media is an essential
tool for all job seekers. “It’s not just what you know, it’s who you know.”
After receiving her MBA in Finance from UCLA, Debbie worked as a financial manager
at Xerox for ten years where she was recognized for her financial forecasting and
planning. Then she made a career change into marketing and has held senior marketing
management at Flex, Cisco, Xerox and more. She also did marketing strategy consulting
for several leading Silicon Valley companies.
Product Marketing Leader, Cisco
Usha Andra is a seasoned lead product marketer at Cisco, specializing in the company's
Cloud and Data Center Networking platforms. She focuses on initiatives centered around
automation, orchestration, and insights, with a particular emphasis on products like
Cisco Nexus Dashboard, Nexus Hyperfabric, and 400G/800G Nexus switching, which prioritize
operational simplicity, AI-ready data centers, and sustainability. Before joining
the data center marketing team, Usha spent nearly a decade contributing to Cisco's
global thought leadership initiatives, including the Annual Internet Report, Visual
Networking Index (VNI), and Global Cloud Index (GCI), where she played a key role
in forecasting the growth and use of Internet and cloud-based networks worldwide.
With nearly two decades of experience at Cisco, Usha began her career in the Strategic
Marketing Organization, working on the Enterprise and Consumer segments, and later
led initiatives within Service Provider marketing. She holds an MBA and a BSEE and
has served as an adjunct faculty member at SJSU, teaching both undergraduate and graduate
courses. Usha is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and is deeply committed
to mentoring and giving back, actively supporting the development of aspiring business
professionals and sharing her knowledge to empower others.
Owner, Rare Reflektions
Sunita is a distinguished Learning & Development professional and certified coach
with over 20 years of experience partnering with Fortune 500 companies and Silicon
Valley startups. Holding senior leadership roles in L&D at organizations like GE Digital,
her expertise has earned her recognition as one of the top 50 L&D leaders in the Americas
by Corinium Global Intelligence. Sunita's top services include executive coaching,
leadership development, L&D strategy and learning technology marketing. With a master’s
degree from Harvard University and certification as a Neuroscience brain-based coach,
she has guided MIT and Harvard alumni through career mobility, transitions, and cultural
immersions. Dedicated to driving growth and success, Sunita's talent for inspiring
others makes her a respected leader in the L&D community.
Cynthia Broderick
Senior Director of Cloud and AI Sales, Cisco
Engineering Office of the CTO, Juniper Networks
Gabrielle has been with Juniper Networks since February 2007. She currently works
for the Engineering CTO office and is responsible for providing program management
for the Junos Architecture Council and a network service provisioning application
project. She also started and manages the Juniper Women in Engineering (JWIE) employee
resource group. Previously, she provided program management for the Juniper Distinguished
Engineering (DE) and Principal Engineering (PE) communities. This included managing
the Juniper DE PE Council - responsible for approving DE PE promotions and new hires,
as well as the annual DE Summit. Previously in this team, she was responsible for
project managing several DEs working on major OS library re-architecture. Prior to
her work in the CTO office, she was Sr. Director of Junos Governance, responsible
for policy, process, criteria and schedule for all Junos OS software releases.
Prior to Juniper Networks, in her more than 11 years with Cisco Systems, she was Sr.
Engineering Manager for the IOS Packet Engineering Group, responsible for large-scale
corporate level software infrastructure planning and implementation. In addition,
previous roles included remotely managing the Edge Services software team in Bangalore
India, the collective hardware and software engineering teams for the leading Broadband
Aggregation platform, and the IOS Source Code team, responsible for all major source
code integration. Prior to her employment with Cisco Systems, Ms. Capolupo spent
over seven years at various positions at Novell, Inc.
Gabrielle has served as a lead judge for the International Collegiate Business Strategy
Competition since 1995, after participating as a graduate student for San Jose State
University (SJSU). She has made a number of industry panel presentations including
sessions for Women in Technology International (WITI), Women in International Trade
(WIT), Women Unlimited, the Project Management Institute of Silicon Valley and the
SJSU Women in Leadership League. She was the Commencement Speaker for the 2023 Class
of the Lucas College and Graduate School of Business at SJSU. Beginning in 2022, Gabrielle
is a professional mentor for the TechWomen program, which is sponsored by the US Department
of State. Gabrielle received her Master of Business Administration from San Jose State
University and her Bachelor of Arts, Cum Laude, from the University of Massachusetts
at Amherst, where she was a member of the Alpha Lambda Delta National Honor Society
and the Men’s Varsity Crew.
Sr. Director of Consumer Business, Trend Micro Inc.
Annie is a senior-level business professional with 20 years of software industry experience,
ranging from product marketing, online marketing, e-commerce operation, to business
management. She currently serves as Sr. Director at Trend Micro, a global leader in
cybersecurity solutions, and is in charge of the consumer business in North American
and European markets. Annie has a track record of driving business results through
strategic planning and solid execution, and she is known for her ability to build
and lead talented and motivated global teams. Annie cares deeply about diversity and
inclusion and is part of Trend Micro’s Trending Women’s initiative, which is designed
to help women enter and grow in the world of cybersecurity. She holds a B.S. in International
Business from Taiwan University and an MBA degree from the University of Washington.
Sr. Director of Business Development, CriticalRiver
Jacqueline Craig is the Senior Director, Business Development, at CriticalRiver. In
her role, she spearheads a high-performing team dedicated to creating sustainable
business opportunities through strategic territory planning, innovative marketing,
and effective prospecting. Her ability to forge and maintain trust-based relationships
with C-level executives has not only strengthened CriticalRiver’s reputation but has
also established valuable partnerships that drive our success.
With over 20 years of experience, Jacqueline has been instrumental in achieving numerous
company milestones. Before joining us, she held significant leadership roles at Miracle
Software Systems as the Senior Business Development Executive, MuSigma as Chief of
Staff, and PragmaEdge as Head of North America Sales.
The proud alumnus of Northwestern University is also passionate about empowering women
in technology. She founded the Tri-Valley Women in Tech Circle to help dismantle barriers
for women pursuing careers in STEM and actively participates in the Women in Leadership
League at San Jose State University. Her commitment extends beyond business; she has
mentored individuals at the Therapeutic Riding Center and is heavily involved with
the Tim Tebow Foundation's Night To Shine event, celebrating people with special needs.
Vice President of Inventory Management, Old Navy
Lisa Etherington is the Vice President of Inventory Management at Old Navy, she brings
over 25 years of diverse experience within Gap Inc. Lisa is a graduate of San Jose
State with a Degree in Social Sciences.
Throughout her career, she held various roles across buying, merchandising, planning,
allocation, and distribution, with a strong focus on launching new businesses and
entering international markets.
She had the privilege of opening stores in Japan and China, experiences that stand
out as some of her most rewarding moments in her career. Her expertise also includes
managing large teams of up to 80 people, where she likes to prioritize direct engagement
and collaboration. She believes in empowering her team to learn, make mistakes, and
continuously improve, while also being hands-on and ready to dive into details when
necessary.
Her journey has equipped her with a comprehensive understanding of the retail landscape,
particularly in Asia, and is passionate about driving innovation and excellence in
inventory management and the supply chain.
Chief Information Security Officer / Venture Advisor / Advisory Board Member, SafeBase
With over 17 years experience in the information security field, Lisa focuses on building
holistic security strategy and comprehensive information security management programs-
ensuring products and business systems are developed with security in mind. Lisa believes
security should make it easy to do the right thing. Lisa has experience building
and growing teams, leading companies through IPO, acquisitions & mergers, and leading
Application/Product Security, Infrastructure Security, and Compliance programs (SOX,
SOC2, ISO 27001, FISMA, FedRAMP, & HITRUST). Lisa is a Venture Advisor at YL Ventures,
an Advisory Board Member for Day of Shecurity, and sits on the Executive Advisory
Board for San Jose State University’s School of Information Systems & Technology’s
Center for Organizational Resilience. She is also a co-author in "Reinventing Cybersecurity"-
A JupiterOne book authored by female and non-binary security practitioners. Lisa has
held Information Security leadership roles at PagerDuty, Color Health, Twilio, and
EY.
Digital Consulting Leader | Adjunct Professor | Actor | Podcaster | Organizational Changemaker | Agile Design Thinker
Carin brings 25 years of extensive industry experience as a former Partner at EY and
KPMG Consulting, where she specializes in global business and technology transformations.
Her background and passion for entrepreneurship are central to her role as a SJSU
University professor, where she inspires and empowers the next generation of leaders.Carin’s
expertise encompasses collaborating with businesses to innovate operations, integrate
technology, and remodel workforce dynamics. She has consulted for premier global companies
such as Cisco, Disney, eBay, HP, Logitech, Oracle, NBC Universal, and Sony Entertainment
Pictures.
She earned her MBA from Hult International Business School and a Bachelor of Science
from Cal Poly Humboldt, where she received the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2020.
She serves on the Cal Poly Humboldt Foundation Board, supporting student scholarships
and programs. As a professor at San Jose State University, she teaches a Business
Honors Management Information Systems course. Additionally, she is a faculty member
in the master’s program at Hult International Business School, where she teaches entrepreneurial
students in leadership and strategies for business disruption.
An active leader in the Project Management Institute (PMI), she serves as the PMI
SF Bay Area Board Executive Treasurer and guides finance and leadership programs.
Her commitment to nurturing future entrepreneurs is evident through her roles as a
judge for the Hult Prize, SJSU's Silicon Valley Innovation Challenge, and the Black
Ambition Competition. Carin enjoys acting on stage, graphic design, digital marketing,
international travel, mentoring, water sports, and hiking.
Human Resources Manager, Thermo Fisher Scientific
Joy is a HR Professional with 12+ years of experience across the Department of Defense,
Healthcare, Tech and BioTech industries. Her interests focus on Leadership Development,
Change Management, Employee Engagement and Data Analytics. Joy earned her BA degree
in Psychology from San Diego State University and MS in HR Management from Claremont
Graduate University.
Inyong Kim
Vice President of People, Autodesk
Inyong Kim is the Vice President of People at Autodesk, a global leader in design
and make software. She leads the HR Business Partner team for Platform & Industry
Solutions, as well as the Organizational Effectiveness Center of Excellence. In this
role, she drives strategic people initiatives that empower Autodesk’s global organizations
worldwide.
With more than two decades of HR leadership experience in the high-tech industry,
Inyong has played a pivotal role in driving organizational growth and transformation.
Prior to joining Autodesk, she served as Vice President of Employee Experience at
Adobe and held HR leadership positions at Yahoo!, VMware, and Interwoven.
Recognized for her ability to navigate complex organizational landscapes, Inyong excels
in developing top talent, building high-performing teams, and executing enterprise-wide
initiatives with strategic vision. She is passionate about fostering inclusive, agile
workplaces that drive both business success and employee engagement. Inyong holds
a B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resource
Management from SJSU.
Senior Director of Product Management, Cisco Systems
Becky Marques is Senior Director, Product Management at Cisco Systems. With 20+ years
of product management experience, Becky leads the platform product management team
for the Data Center Networking portfolio. Previously, Becky led the platform product
management team for Catalyst 6K products.
Before joining Cisco, Becky was Distinguished Member of Technical Staff at AT&T Bell
Labs, where she was involved in the definition, design, and development of carrier-class
network management software.
Becky holds a BA in Computer Science and Mathematics from New York University, and
an MS in Computer Science from Columbia University.
Scrum Master, Jack Henry & Associates
Alvina spent 34 years at HP in R&D and Marketing developing the HP Materials Management
product, database and interoperability solutions, and various new business solutions.
She spent 2 years at Symantec Corporation where she was the Engineering Enrichment
Leader and then 3 years as the Agile Coach at the City of San Jose. Alvina currently
is a Scrum Master at Jack Henry & Associates, a leading provider of banking software.
She has a B.S. and an M.S. in Management Science and Engineering with a specialization
in computer utilization from Stanford University.
Executive Communications Leader, Cisco
Eager communicator with 8+ years of experience in marketing and communications. I
enable senior level executives to deliver compelling and strategic messages to their
intended audiences. I have a passion for people, community, and empowerment. I am
constantly looking for ways to bring people together through compelling content and
storytelling!
VP of HR and Staff Development, PremierOne Credit Union
Aida is currently VP - HR and Staff Development at Premier One Credit Union with 13
years of experience in Head of Human Resources roles. Her career has taken her through
a multitude of industries and her experience covers a wide range of HR practices such
as talent acquisition, benefits, payroll and employee life cycle, and talent management.
Aida graduated from San Jose State University and she is a proud founder of leadtohappy,
an organization aimed at helping young professionals find their professional passions,
their purpose and ultimate joy in the work they do.
Software Engineering Manager, Juniper Networks
Neelam is a seasoned engineering leader with over 20 years of experience spanning
various engineering disciplines. She currently serves as a Software Engineering Manager
at Juniper Networks, where she leads a high-performing team. Throughout her career,
Neelam has held diverse roles, including Customer Support, Solutions Test Engineering,
and Automation Lead, demonstrating her versatility and deep expertise in the tech
industry.
As a core member of the Juniper Foundation Committee, Neelam is passionate about driving
both community and industry growth. She also plays a key role as a Professional Mentor
for the Tech Women Program, sponsored by the US Department of State, where she empowers
and supports the next generation of women in technology.
Neelam actively contributes to several professional organizations, including serving
as VP of Public Relations at the Juniper/Bay Area Toastmasters club(s), and as a Board
Advisor for the Rajasthan Institute of Engineering and Technology (RIET). An internationally
recognized speaker, she is also a member of the Institute of Innovation in Technology
& Management (IITM) in Delhi, India, and frequently speaks at Rajasthan Technical
University (RTU), where she also serves as a student counselor.
Outside of her professional commitments, Neelam enjoys a vibrant personal life, with
a passion for dancing, music, and hiking, maintaining a healthy balance between work
and personal pursuits.
Dave retired after enjoying a 38-year career with Hewlett-Packard and related spin-offs,
where he held and enjoyed a wide breadth of roles including software development,
business leadership, marketing, product management, strategy/planning, and operations.
Dave has taught classes in leadership and innovation in the SJSU Lucas College of
Business since 2018. During his career, Dave was active in the community, supporting
local schools and youth sports in various ways. As Dave begins his retirement journey,
he plans to pursue interests at the intersection of the environment, human rights
and environmental justice.
Vice President of Digital Marketing, Smartsheet
Min Wang is a technology marketing executive with over 20 years of experience in the
B2B tech industry, encompassing software, hardware, and SaaS. A transformative, passionate,
and results-driven leader, Min has a proven track record of success in customer experience,
digital transformation, IT modernization, and marketing innovation. Tech-obsessed
and data-savvy, she is skilled at leading growth marketing that balances art and science.
Min is adept at building and inspiring multidisciplinary global teams.
Min's prior experience includes CMO at Scalyr (now SentinelOne), VP of Strategy and
Operations at Cisco, VP of Digital Marketing at Brocade, and leadership positions
at NetApp. She began her career in IT engineering and architect roles at EMC and Legato.
Min holds a master’s degree in computer science from Wayne State University and a
medical degree from Shandong University School of Medicine in China.
Growth Executive, Revenue Retention Advisors, LLC
Sandy is the founder and the growth executive with Revenue Retention Advisors, LLC.
She focuses on helping companies drive growth from their customer base by increasing
revenue retention, product adoption and customer lifetime value. Sandy has over 20+
years of experience, leading teams and initiatives in sales, product and customer
success, for global enterprises including Oracle, Cisco, PricewaterhouseCoopers and
WebEx. Outside of work, Sandy is an avid mentor and volunteers with San Francisco
Chambers’ Job Forum and Recast Success. She loves to travel, listen to podcasts,
and play both tennis and pickleball. She’s also a mom to teen twins and one very
cute dog.
Vice President, Deputy General Counsel - Product, IP, Privacy, and Procurement, Juniper Networks
Prior to Juniper, Tao was Associate GC of IP and Technology at Ansys, and senior director
of IP strategy at Huawei Device USA, respectively. Before Huawei, she was with Hewlett-Packard
for 23 years. She earned a JD from Concord Law School and a PhD in Physics from Stanford
University. Dr. Zhang is a member of the California Bar and a registered patent attorney
with the USPTO. She has recently obtained the CIPP (Certified Information Privacy
Professional)/US and AIGP (AI Governance Professional) certifications, both from IAPP.
She is co-author of the book "Mining Ideas for Diamonds – Comparing China and US IP
Practices from Invention Selection to Patent Monetization".
