We are currently planning the 2013 program and will post speakers as they are confirmed. Check back frequently for updates!
Below are speakers from our 2012 conference.
Raji Arasu, Chief Technology Officer and VP of Product and Engineering, StubHub
As Chief Technology Officer, Raji Arasu is responsible for both Product and Engineering functions for StubHub. Raji joined StubHub in 2011, but has been with eBay for over a decade. She is a seasoned technology and product executive with 21 years of experience in software development, specializing in online commerce and payments. In her previous role at eBay, Raji was VP of Engineering at Marketplaces, where she led multiple organizations over the years. Prior to joining eBay, Raji led technology teams at several companies, including Oracle. Recognized by the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal as a Woman of Influence for 2011, Raji has a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering from Pune University in India.
Richelle Parham, Chief Marketing Officer, NA Marketplaces, eBay
As vice president and chief marketing officer of eBay North America, Richelle Parham brings deep expertise and nearly 20 years of passion for improving the ways customers interact with leading brands to eBay, the world’s largest online marketplace and a mobile commerce leader. At eBay, Richelle leverages her background in consumer and digital marketing to develop strategies to reach the millions of shoppers and sellers on eBay.com and drive measurable engagement with them. Leading a team of 140 people, Richelle has purview for all areas of eBay’s North American marketing activities, including consumer product marketing, loyalty programs, Internet and relationship marketing, global citizenship, search optimization and search marketing, seller marketing, market research and eBay’s global partner network. Richelle most recently served as head of Global Marketing Innovation and Initiatives at Visa Inc. Previously, she led Global Marketing Services for Visa. Her previous experience includes 13 years at Digitas, Inc., a world leading marketing agency, where she held a variety of senior leadership roles, including senior vice president and general manager of the agency’s Chicago office.
Marian Heath, Safety Team, Public Policy Group, Facebook
Marian Heath works on the safety team within the Public Policy group at Facebook. In this capacity, she works cross-functionally with members of the Product, Engineering, and Operations teams to prevent and address safety issues on Facebook. Prior to joining Facebook, Marian held a variety of positions in sales and product development with Donna Karan New York and Calvin Klein Home, and has experience in management consulting and finance as well. Marian is the mother of three children, aged 6, 9 and 13. She has an A.B. from Wellesley College, summa cum laude, and graduated as a Baker Scholar with high distinction from the Harvard Business School.
Sheila B. Jordan, Senior Vice President, Communication and Collaboration IT, Cisco
Sheila Jordan is senior vice president of Communication and Collaboration IT at Cisco Systems, reporting to CIO Rebecca Jacoby. Since joining Cisco in 2005, she has assumed increasing leadership responsibilities within the IT organization and was promoted to her current position in November 2011. Sheila is responsible for delivering and integrating key IT services that touch Cisco’s global workforce. Her goal is to drive productivity and a superior, holistic end-user experience for all employees through an integrated architectural approach. She oversees a worldwide team of more than 500 IT professionals.
Anita Rao, Business Partner Director, Symantec
Anita Rao has 18 years experience in various Technology leadership roles. She is currently the Business Partner Director at Symantec where she is responsible for the strategy and support for SMB & .Cloud and Finance organizations. Prior to that she was the Head of Global Finance Systems at Visa Inc. and contributed strategically towards the development of Corporate Systems during Visa’s IPO. Anita has held technology leadership roles as the Vice President of Engineering at start ups like Blue Roads and Jamcracker. She was responsible for the Enterprise Software Sector at Garage Technology Ventures, a Venture Capital firm where she led the strategy and execution of software investments. While at Oracle, she led the development of CRM Analytical Applications. Anita was also a Vice President in the Private Client Information Management and Technology Group at Merrill Lynch and a Vice President in IT operations at Bear Stearns. She earned a M.B.A. in Finance and a M.I.S. from Rutgers University, and a B.A. from Calcutta University. Anita is an advocate for internet safety and has spoken at conferences on the topic.
Staci Lyons, Vice President of Global Business Development, Oracle
Staci Lyons is Vice President of Global Business Development for Oracle’s Cloud Services business. Her focus is on assisting Oracle’s largest global clients to realize the value of Software as a Service. Prior to joining Oracle in 2006, Ms. Lyons was Worldwide Vice President, Application Management Services with Siebel Systems. Ms. Lyons was responsible for all aspects of Siebel’s Managed Service offerings. Prior to Siebel, Ms. Lyons spent 3 years as Senior Vice President of Sales and Support with Navisite, an enterprise application management and hosting firm. Prior to Navisite, Ms. Lyons served as Managing Director, CRM Consulting and Business Process Outsourcing worldwide with EDS (Now HP). Prior to EDS, Ms. Lyons spent 11 years in a variety of Sales, Marketing and Senior Management roles with MCI Telecommunications (now Verizon). Ms. Lyons holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Marketing from San Francisco State University.
Servane Demol, IT Manager, Facebook
Servane Demol provides business applications to internal organizations within Facebook to improve company growth and employee productivity. Prior to joining Facebook in 2007, Servane worked for ten years at Align Technology, a medical device company. She started as a computer science engineer, working on their 3D modeling system, and later moved to business applications to increase efficiency in manufacturing and finance processes. She has an undergraduate degree in computer science from Hautes Etudes Industrielles Engineering School in France.
Sydnie Kohara, Broadcast Journalist
Award-winning journalist Sydnie Kohara has more than two decades of media experience most recently as news anchor at CBS-5/KPIX TV. The founding host of CNBC Asia’s first show about the Internet, “dot.com,” she later anchored CNBC’s “CNET News.com” that explored the tech revolution. Ms. Kohara was part of the KGO-TV newsroom that won the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award and the Edward R. Murrow Award for coverage of the 1989 earthquake.
Megan Davis, Program Manager, Techbridge
Megan Davis manages the Girls Go Techbridge pilot project, a partnership with fifteen Girl Scout Councils across the country. Prior to Techbridge, she was Program Supervisor at Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee, where she delivered STEM programs and collaborated on the NSF ITEST Art 2 STEM project. Previously, she taught gifted and talented elementary students in Metro Nashville Public Schools. Megan received a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Washington and Lee University in Virginia, and a Master’s degree in Southern Studies from the University of Mississippi.
Katie Sidorsky, Program Coordinator, Techbridge
Katie Sidorsky is a Program Coordinator for Techbridge. She has a BS from Cornell University in Environmental Systems Technologies and a MS in Environmental Studies with a high school biology teaching certification from Antioch University New England. She has over eight years of experience developing, managing, and implementing STEM projects with students of all ages in a variety of settings. Prior to joining Techbridge Katie ran the One Planet After School program and Summer Camp in Sharon, Vermont.
Genevieve L’Esperance, Student, McGill University; Microsoft Partner
Genevieve L’Esperance is an undergraduate student at McGill University pursuing a biology and computer science double major. She became a Microsoft Certified Professional at age 15 and a Technical Specialist at 16. At the same time, she began teaching girls computer programming using Small
Basic with the non-profit Teaching Kids Programming. She is a recipient of the 2011 TIAW World of Difference Award, which recognizes individuals under 25 whose efforts have advanced the economic empowerment of women locally, regionally or worldwide. Her web channel, GenINCtv, bridges the gap between the technology industry and youth and includes tech-related event coverage, interviews with prominent figures, and video blogs reviewing socially-responsible technologies. This past summer she interned with Curtis Wong, Principal Researcher at Microsoft, as well as Alyssa Goodman and Patricia Udomprasert, Harvard Professors of Astrophysics, producing content for the Worldwide Telescope and the WWT Ambassador program. Genevieve seeks to empower girls to choose careers in STEM by
altering girls’ perception of the technology industry.
Louisa Avellar, Student, University of California, Berkeley
Louisa Avellar is a mechanical engineering undergraduate at the University of California, Berkeley. She has participated in research with the Berkeley Energy and Sustainable Technology lab developing a wireless mote system to sense daylight and actuate building lights to conserve energy while maintaining an optimal lighting level. Louisa is also a member of the University’s Steel Bridge Competition team. In high school, she participated in science camps across the country, including NASA’s INSPIRE at Johnson Space Center. A 2010 NCWIT Aspirations in Computing award winner, she is most interested in robotics and space launch vehicles, and this summer will be an intern at United Launch Alliance.
Lori Fitzmaurice, COO, Girls for a Change
Lori Fitzmaurice is the Chief Operating Officer, responsible for development and oversight of all fundraising, operational and program activities within the organization. Lori brings over 25 years of management and development experience to her role. Most recently the Director of Development at Keys School, a growing independent school in Palo Alto, Lori also served as Director of Fundraising Events for the San Francisco Zoological Society, and Director of Development for The Center for Grieving Children, the first children’s grief support program on the East Coast. As a Senior Director at Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. she honed her project management skills across myriad disciplines, including marketing, strategic planning, customer service, and information systems. While at Schwab, she also managed the Boston and Lexington, Massachusetts offices as Vice President and Branch Manager. Also an entrepreneur, Lori created and managed her own yacht refinishing business in Florida and Maine.