As we wrap up Women’s History Month, the DFW*ATW Professional Development Team is pleased to highlight and recognize the achievements of our IgnITe tech upskilling women graduates, and the incredible partners and sponsors who have generously funded our programs so far.
IgnITe is our fast-growing Signature program that introduces women to new technologies, equips them with in-demand skills and helps them transition into long-standing careers in technology. We are extremely proud of these women (and men) for their dedication to upskilling in cloud computing, extend our heartiest congratulations to each of them, as we look forward to our upcoming tech upskilling opportunity – The 2023 IgnITe-Inspire Scrum Master Bootcamp and Certification Program, Powered by Truist, launching this month. We are incredibly grateful to Truist for partnering with DFW*ATW Professional Development in expanding our tech training programs and impact, through their generous $100,000 grant.
Very special thanks to our sponsors and partners, PepsiCo, Salesforce, Capital One, Accenture and AWS, without whose help these impactful programs would not have been possible. Their generous contributions to our programs, partnership and staff volunteerism have demonstrated their continued commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in tech. Thank you for joining forces with us in changing the lives of these very deserving professional women, and men.
Call to DEI Action
This Women’s History Month, make your Corporate Social Responsibility dollars count, by impacting a woman’s life in REAL TIME! Help us train 50 more women in the March 2023 IgnITe-Inspire Scrum Master Boot Camp and Certification Program, and the Spring 2023 IgnITe-Inspire Salesforce Scrum Master Boot Camp and Certification Program. For more information, or to hire our amazing graduates, email DFW*ATW Director of Professional Development, Juliet Odima, at [email protected].
Now Accepting Applications
The DFW*ATW IgnITe team is excited to announce that we are now accepting applications for the upcoming IgnITe-Inspire Scrum Master Bootcamp and Certification Program, Powered by Truist!
Please note: This program is open to DFW*ATW members only. Join today.
For over two decades, in both in-house counsel and law firm roles, Valerie has learned her clients’ technology and vigorously and effectively pursued patent protection for their high-tech innovations, in the United States and abroad. She continues this pursuit as a Patent Attorney for Texas Instruments. Outside of work, she is passionate about helping the under-resourced and underrepresented to change their family trees through education and opportunities to grow and showcase their talents. Before joining the DFW*ATW Board of Directors as Treasurer, she served as a member of the Recognition & Advocacy Committee. Apart from DFW*ATW, Valerie also currently serves on the High-Tech High Heels (HTHH) America Board of Directors and as a member of the HTHH Governance and Nominations Committee.
Kavitha Ramesh Vice President
Kavitha is a product strategist & solutions consultant at Mr. Cooper. She is a Thought Leader who steers strategic plans that aligns Business Objectives across Cloud-Based, Enterprise-Wide Systems. Direct enterprise-wide application systems based on each client’s business requirements, providing top-tier design and implementation solutions along the way. Worked with Big 4 consulting companies, she brings in wide range of consulting experience and passionate in building customer centric solutions. Prior to joining the board, she was leading the Operations Committee and instrumental in organizing many key initiatives such as Executive Leadership forum etc. She is a strong proponent of Women Empowerment and Women in technology. Outside of work and DFW, she enjoys organizing local community cultural events, teaching young kids, and loves to dance.
Lori Medina Secretary
Lorie Medina is a visionary leader and changemaker in the private and public sectors for nearly thirty years. She is a rare catalyst for outreach and collaboration within political, civic, and culturally diverse organizations. Lorie can effectively communicate complex issues with ease. She knows how to identify high-potential talent and has mentored countless junior and senior leaders. Lorie has created numerous innovative platforms, including corporate social responsibility campaigns, and is highly skilled at developing coalitions to achieve success. Lorie recently served as the Chief of Staff for the Mayor of Frisco, Texas, the fastest-growing city and the #1 Best Place to Live by Money Magazine. A published author and award-winning political organizer, Lorie is a nationally recognized political leader, has advised countless candidates and elected officials, and has been featured in national and international media. Previous to her career in politics, Lorie worked in technology for 12 years. She started in sales and later, quickly moved up the ladder into executive management roles. Lorie was responsible for sales, operations, opening new regions, staffing, and then ultimately, the lead executive on all multi-million dollar deals. Lorie is currently the Board Chair of the Baylor Scott White Frisco Community Advisory Board. Lorie attended Baylor University and received a Bachelor of Arts.
Anamika Gupta Treasurer
Anamika Gupta is the Director, Head of Customer Marketing, for Fujitsu America, Inc. Anamika helps organizations drive revenue while delivering value to their most strategic clients. As a strategic, award-winning marketer with experience in three continents, she has a record of delivering high-impact goal-oriented marketing campaigns from strategy to execution with a strong focus on customer marketing. Specific milestones include when Anamika successfully built sustainable marketing programs and strong marketing professionals with an entrepreneurial mindset. Over the period in her career, she influenced multimillion-dollar deals in complex, matrixed, large IT services and consulting organizations. Anamika is passionate about sharing knowledge and developing the skills of fellow marketers. In the B2B marketing space, she is an established thought leader and respected speaker and influencer. She was honored to be recognized as one of the Dallas Business Journal’s Women in Business in 2020, and The Most Admired Women Leaders by CIOLook. Anamika is excited to promote the mission and vision of DFW*ATW, joining the board this year as ERG Committee lead.
Nicole Adair Recognition
Nicole is a product management leader who believes in delivering outcomes over outputs through data-driven decision making and strong cross-functional leadership. She is skilled at building and leading high-performing teams, and prides herself in her ability to foster a culture of collaboration and innovation. Nicole has over a decade of experience in the real estate and hospitality technology industries, leading product delivery for solutions that leverage various technologies, from machine learning and AI, to Salesforce, and extensive API integration.
In her previous role as Project Manager for DFW*ATW’s Ignite program, Nicole was instrumental in helping to launch and scale programs to reskill and upskill women as they pursue career growth and relaunch. As a dedicated advocate for women and minorities in tech leadership, she is thrilled to continue the phenomenal work of the Recognition Committee.
Outside of work and volunteering, Nicole enjoys adventuring with her husband and two little boys.
Lisa Jordan Membership
Lisa has over 30 years of experience working in the field of information technology. Although she started her career journey as a developer, she discovered her passion as an IT consultant, helping businesses apply technology to solve problems. She thrives on opportunities to create and evolve new capabilities from concept to reality. Lisa fills the space between business and technology and has been a key advisor on dozens of multi-year, global, custom development, and package integration projects. As a Certified Scrum Professional Product Owner, Lisa is an expert on the product owner role and how it aligns with agile processes and concepts. Lisa is adept at defining the processes and structures that transform IT organizations, working alongside clients to adopt agile practices, establish PMOs, and build high performing teams. She was honored to be recognized as one of the Dallas Business Journal’s Women in Technology in 2020. Lisa is excited to promote the mission and vision of DFW ATW, joining the board this year as the co-chair of the membership committee.
Shoba Krishnamurty GREATMINDS™
Shoba is a Technical Data Specialist from Infosys and currently consults at Toyota Financial Systems. She is exposed to delivering results in various domains in a highly agile environment spanning international and cross functional teams. Her expertise includes enterprise architecture design, product roadmaps and strategy, iterative delivery excellence leveraging Global Delivery Model , all the while anticipating client needs through a deep understanding of the surrounding ecosystem. Shoba is an excellent connector and helps her team maintain a cohesive vision, against KPIs to completion. She holds an MBA and is currently pursing a post graduate program on Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning from University of Austin. Shoba has been associated with DFWATW for the last 4 years and is excited to join the board of DFWATW along with other inspiring women in the journey encouraging women in tech. She spends her free time volunteering in STEM programs, mentoring high school girls, travelling and star gazing.
Juana Leonard Programs
Juana is the director of the Hispanic Serving Institute (HSI) Title V grant for Dallas College where she leads a team of educational professionals that develop culturally responsive and DEI programming for faculty and students. As an innovative leader with 15 years of experience in education, workforce, and community outreach, Juana focuses on result-driven outcomes in strategic direction, operational excellence, and administrative management.
Juana has diverse experience in higher education. Her major contributions were co-chairing the first District Wide Open House for Tarrant County College with over two thousand people in attendance, developing the first-of-its-kind Information Technology Consortium in Richardson, Texas, and opening the first Corporate College Training Center in the Missouri state college system. Juana has also worked as an Advertising Executive for Clear Channel radio stations.
She has dedicated her life to advocating for women and developing the future workforce for business, technology, construction, and the healthcare industries. Juana graduated from the University of Baltimore with a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Resources and a Master of Science in Human Resources Management with a focus on Career Development and Training from Amberton University.
Marla Ravkind Partnership
Marla’s professional career has always been centered around building relationships. As a Senior Account Executive at RingCentral, this skill proves invaluable! Being an IT Consultant is how she enjoys spending her days during the work week, but is also an entrepreneur. She owns a local pizza restaurant in East Dallas and just launched her newest venture – building out a hospitality Management Company for some of her favorite places to vacation with her family. Prior to her role as Director of Partnerships, Marla was volunteering on the ATW Membership Committee. She is excited to be an Ambassador for an organization that is not only committed to building a pipeline of young girls, but also intentionally developing leaders within IT. Marla holds a Bachelor of Environmental Design in Architectural Studies from Texas A&M University and has earned an MBA from Texas Women’s University.
Suba Ramasubramaniam Technology
Meet our Product Leader, who has made a name for herself at GameStop, one of the leading gaming retailers in the world. With her strong leadership skills, she defines and drives the execution of product strategy in Cybersecurity, ensuring that the company stays ahead of the curve in this critical area.
In addition to her professional achievements, she is a devoted mother of two children. She understands the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance and actively encourages her team to do the same. In her free time, she pursues her passion for music and is a budding violinist. She believes in the power of an active lifestyle and enjoys taking her family on outdoor adventures.
Her analytical and research-oriented approach to product development has been instrumental in her success, and she is constantly seeking to enhance her knowledge and expertise in this ever-evolving field. With her dedication to her craft and her passion for innovation, she is sure to continue making a significant impact in the world of Cybersecurity.
Jigna Vaghela Marketing
Born in India, raised in Texas, Jigna has a passion for creativity with a background rooted in marketing and operational excellence. She has over 17 years of experience in operations, marketing & event strategy, and DE&I advocacy. Jigna has a demonstrated history and focus on strategic program management, relationship management and people management. She is results oriented, inquisitive, and possesses a passion to be a better global citizen.
Jigna holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Business, Management Information Systems from the University of Texas at Arlington and an Associate’s degree in Visual Merchandising from The Art Institute of Seattle. In addition to being a single mother of a 10 year old, she founded and co-hosted the podcast #LaidOffLife and currently serves on the Board of Directors as the COO for Kimiya International.
In her free time she enjoys food tours during road trips, trivia nights, photography and movie marathons (Hollywood, Bollywood, you name it).
The Recognition and Advocacy committee of www.dfwatw.org requests your help to identify, nominate and promote qualified women to the 14th Annual North Texas Women in Business Awards.
Dallas Business Journal’s Women in Business Awards program highlights decision makers across the metroplex that have shaped our North Texas business community through legal and financial services, hospitality and tourism, human resources, manufacturing, civil service, nonprofits and more. This prestigious award is given to influential women who go above and beyond in their business and community and who will continue to impact our business landscape for years to come.
There is no cost to you to enter or otherwise. Ideal nominees would be able to highlight their accomplishments with appropriate metrics, unique attributes that makes them standout from their peers in their field, their community involvement and additional details from their personal/ professional journeys that have shaped them.
Do you know someone who would be a candidate for nomination? Or would you like to be nominated? If so, please reach out to [email protected] for further details.
Deadline for nomination is May 14, 2021. Please reach out to us as soon as you can to ensure appropriate review and nomination handling time!
Challenging times and a global pandemic remind us of the fundamental importance of our most basic needs: health and nutrition. The converging worlds of genes, cells, data, and technology — known as the bio revolution — represent a generational opportunity for life sciences companies like Bayer.
Join Us to learn from Saskia Steinacker, Global Head of IT Strategy & Digital Transformation, how Bayer is accelerating its digital transformation committed to better serving patients, farmers, and consumers. Data and technology will enable more customer-centricity and the development of new business models in pursuit of Bayer’s vision: Health for all, Hunger for none.
It’s all about being human-centric, using trustworthy technologies as concrete enablers to serve customers better and make operations more efficient. It’s what we call A Partnership For A Better Future! We’ll offer a dedicated 15 minutes of live Q&A with Saskia at the end of the session.
Join us to hear our guest speakers Amy Stevens, Director of Technical Innovation at Top Golf, and Min Kang, Chief Product and Strategy Officer at Brinks Home Security.
Doors open at 5:45 pm for networking Session starts at 6:15 pm Social hour continues after the program
Let us know what topics are most timely for you now. Please send your comments to us by completing this short survey (less than 5 minutes) by March 12.
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