Meet Our Team

Cathi founded IGNITE to help girls everywhere to believe in themselves and encourage each girl to strive to develop her abilities and skills. Cathi understands that STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) careers offer women the opportunity to make their unique contribution to society while working in high paying roles, gaining confidence and in turn each one becoming a role model for the next generation.  Cathi sees her reward each time a girl understands that she is smart and capable and gains the conviction to accomplish her special dream.

Amber Zertuche grew up in Fresno, California and got her B.S. in Optical Science and Engineering at University of California, Davis. She has worked with femtosecond lasers to create waveguides at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and worked as one of the few women Metrology Engineers on the primary mirrors for the James Webb Space Telescope at Tinsley Laboratories in Richmond, California. Seeing a need for more diversity in the engineering workforce, Amber went back to school to receive her M.S. in Math and Science Education at the University of California, Berkeley, with the goal to work at the high school level and directly encourage girls to pursue STEM education and careers. She became a Physics and Engineering teacher at Burton High School in San Francisco Unified School District and opened an IGNITE chapter there. Amber is also the Co-membership Chair at Double Union (a hacker/maker space for women in San Francisco), part of the Society of Women Engineers Golden Gate Section, an avid concert goer, vegan, and a yoga practitioner.

Becky Fuller grew up in Medford, Oregon and moved to Seattle, Washington to study Informatics at the University of Washington. During her time at UW, she enjoyed taking classes for her minors in Music and Labor Studies. She was a student leader of United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS), a grassroots organization that runs internationally-coordinated campaigns for workers’ rights. From 2016-2018, she joined the national student coordinating committee of USAS and helped with their national digital communications strategy. She enjoys using her skills as a photographer and graphic designer to support the efforts of social justice movements and grassroots organizations. As a student of tech herself, Becky is drawn to combating the gendered and racialized disparities seen in STEM fields.

In her spare time, Becky eAtnjoys playing trumpet and guitar. She also loves taking care of her plants and being around animals when possible.

Lauren Johnson grew up in a military family in the Seattle area and went on to serve herself as an Air Force public affairs officer, deploying to the Republic of Mali and Afghanistan. After her honorable discharge, Lauren earned an MFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College in Boston, and she writes and lectures on military topics to help destigmatize the veteran experience, with a particular focus on female veterans. She recently returned to the Pacific Northwest and is exited to help destigmatize women in STEM fields as well.

WHY YOU ARE INVOLVED WITH IGNITE WORLDWIDE?

As a former High Tech executive, I personally experienced the gender imbalance of those working in technology positions.  I was one of just a few dozen women at a Netscape conference in 1995 attended by a thousand people.  I was motivated to find a way to address this imbalance and help women discover how diverse and truly satisfying technology careers can be.  When I learned about IGNITE, I immediately recognized that IGNITE was the perfect way for me to make a difference and connect with young women while they are still at school and in the process of considering different career options.

HOW HAS IGNITE WORLDWIDE INSPIRED YOU?

It is inspiring to attend presentations and to see girls’ eyes light up when they meet successful women in technology, as the girls realize “I CAN do this too.  I CAN work in tech, I CAN be successful”  It’s watching empowerment in action.

WHAT VALUE DOES IGNITE WORLDWIDE PROVIDE FOR GIRLS?

Girls above all need role models, often currently lacking in popular culture.  They need role model of female professionals succeeding in STEM jobs and as executives.  IGNITE provides exactly this.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE ABOUT IGNITE WORLDWIDE WITH THE WIDER COMMUNITY?

Simply that IGNITE is the most successful program of its kind because it is tried and proven and has already touched and inspired thousands of girls.  IGNITE is so well established as a best practice to achieve gender equity in tech that is being implemented not only at schools across the US but also in schools in Europe and Africa.

BIO

Larisa Goldin is Founder and CEO of Dreamclinic, Inc., Seattle’s premier facilities for therapeutic massage and acupuncture, with locations in Seattle and Redmond and corporate clients that include leading area employers like Boeing, Twitter and the Polyclinic.  Dreamclinic is a recipient of multiple industry awards including King5 Best of Western Washington, Best of Citysearch, Allure Magazine and Seattle Magazine.  Larisa is also co-founder of Find Touch, a nationwide Job Search website and community hub for the massage industry. Prior to founding Dreamclinic in 2003, Larisa held a succession of senior level positions in the high-tech sector, her last as Director of Program Management for 4thpass (acquired by Motorola in 2002).  Before that, Larisa was Group Program Manager at Concur (CNQR) in 2000 and Manager of Internet Systems for InstallShield Software Corporation in Chicago (1995-1999). In her mid-twenties, Larisa founded and later sold Zelcor – a St. Louis based company specializing in wholesale distribution of computer supplies.

Larisa is a frequent guest speaker at the University of Washington Business School as well as an annual judge for the University of Washington EMBA Business Plan Competition.  She is a former member of the Women Presidents Organization and a current member of the prestigious Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) where she also serves as a Forum Moderator. Larisa is IGNITE’s current Board Director.

In 1984, I made the decision that a Secretarial position was not going to be my life career. I finished my AA in Business Administration and then took a course to be an Electronic Technician at the local junior college. After six months of class and only one of a few women that finished! I was offered an Electronic Technician Position with Boeing working on the Minuteman Missile Program. I worked in a Developmental Test Lab and tested Hardware and Software for the Air Force. I loved my job.

Then I started working with the world of Local Area Networks/Wide Area Networks (Routers, Bridges, Concentrators, Multiplexors, and High speed data transmission lines). I finished my Bachelor of Science in 1997 and decided I could go anywhere now. I liked my job, but I wanted to Engineer Networks. I heard there was a position available at Microsoft, so I decided to try for it. After going through one of the longest interview processes, I was hired. I started with the Development Lab Group (DevNet) and worked on installing networks for Developmental Labs, it was new and exciting!

In the summer of 2000, I took my Certification test for Cisco, and received a Cisco Certified Network Associate Certification. In 2006, I took my Project Management Professional Certification and am a Certified PM.   I worked 17 years at Microsoft in many different types of technical jobs:  I worked for the Network Performance Team.   The Network Performance Team was responsible for monitoring Microsoft’s Wide Area Network, reporting on trends and performance issues, grooming traffic and making circuit sizing recommendations, in order to maximize the efficient utilization of available bandwidth while minimizing overall costs by obviating the need for unnecessary circuit upgrades.  I was responsible for North America including Canada and Latin America.  I went on to be an Integration Manager for the Venture and Integration Team, bringing on new businesses to our network.  I became a Service Manager/Service Engineer for the Tools and Management Team, where I managed the network engineering team and stakeholders for the service.  I finished my career at Microsoft as a Business Manager for the Production Engineering Team, where I assisted with the Rhythm of Business and delivery of the new BI Dashboard.

After leaving Microsoft, I felt the need to continue my work in a contracting position.  Today I work for Insight Global LLC, contracting for T-Mobile as a Project Manager for the Engineering IP Network Infrastructure Organization.  I am responsible for projects related to infrastructure maintenance, driving infrastructure deployments, including build outs or expansions to all Call Centers.  It’s an exciting position and every day is a new day!  I love this job!  Contracting is new to me and this is a one year contract, but the people and the work I am introduced to is so worth it.

I don’t know where I will go next, but if I can give advice to anyone to succeed it’s never quit learning – YOU can do anything you put your mind too!

Manisha leads a team that builds strategic alliances between technology partners and ServiceNow, reporting to the Chief Innovation Officer. She serves as alliance architect for the most strategic platform partners of ServiceNow – driving product planning, engineering, and go-to-market efforts. She is a frequent industry speaker, platform evangelist, and trusted advisor to Fortune 500 customers.

Prior to ServiceNow, Manisha spent over a decade at Microsoft in a career spanning Azure, Windows Server, and platform-aligned work in what is now Microsoft’s Core Services Engineering Organization. In these roles, she built and led Technology Adoption Programs for customers to shape Microsoft product roadmaps, delivered technology showcases, and drove “First & Best” efforts to pilot new platforms internally. She also drove global Service Management technical strategy and process definition at Microsoft in partnership with ServiceNow – resulting in lower costs, greater efficiency, and new business capabilities.

Manisha served as President of the Board of Directors at IGNITE Worldwide – a global non-profit that creates STEM education opportunities for underserved communities, and she remains actively involved as a Board Advisor. She is a classically-trained violinist that had the opportunity to play in a Carnegie Hall orchestra concert at a young age.

Elizabeth Hunter is an incredible champion of IGNITE Worldwide’s mission to inspire girls to pursue futures in STEM careers. Elizabeth is a nationally recognized telecom executive in IT, pre and post merger integration and cross-functional programs. A creative problem solver, she’s led numerous strategic planning efforts, task forces and rapid results operational initiatives in structured, unstructured and regulatory environments. Elizabeth is currently leading the integration management office for the T-Mobile/Sprint merger. Her previous roles at T-Mobile include, serving as the primary IT liaison to the corporate strategy and marketing organizations, leading the IT portfolio, PMO, release management, architecture, technical design and compliance and controls organizations. Her prior experience includes leading the merger integration organization and managing customer experience while at AT&T Mobility, and a variety of roles in corporate development, product management at IT Dobson Communications. 

Elizabeth is the executive sponsor of both the Women’s Leadership Network and the Women in Technology Employee Resource Groups at T-Mobile US. She has been recognized as a top 10 national finalist in the Advocate of the Year category from the National Women in IT Awards in 2018, and was included in the 100 Corporate Women Leaders in STEM from STEMConnector in 2017. Her speaking engagements include Grace Hopper, Hopper x 1 Seattle as a Keynote Panelist on Gender Equity, Cultural Bias and Gender Diverse Teams; Lesbians who Tech on Flexible Consumption in the Digital Era; the keynote speaker at the Ericsson Women’s Leadership Summit on The Accidental Technologist; and as a panelist at the Women in Tech Regatta on Leadership Building Credibility: How to Take a Seat at the Table. Elizabeth lives in Bellevue and has two kids, both of whom keep her active, while her husband keeps her sane.

Dan Rogers is the CEO of Point to Point Transportation, a Seattle-based company delivering peace of mind with custom shipping solutions for corporate events. Dan is one of IGNITE Worldwide’s most dedicated supporters, helping the organization grow to reach new heights and serve more girls every year.

WHY YOU ARE INVOLVED WITH IGNITE WORLDWIDE?

When I was ten years old, I can remember my dad enrolling me in a coding class with a room of adults. I loved technology and did everything I could throughout high school to learn about computers—even got a job training small businesses how to use them. Even still, when I went to college, getting a degree in computer science was not appealing, and did not seem like a path to a great career. I didn’t have any female role models, and didn’t know what a career in technology might look like. IGNITE works to help open the minds of girls to the possibilities of careers in technology.

HOW HAS IGNITE WORLDWIDE INSPIRED YOU?

I love how IGNITE creates a forum for these girls to play a part in hands-on problem solving, gives them the space to push boundaries, ask questions, and dream big regarding paths they’ll choose to take regardless of gender restrictions that we still face today.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE OUR WIDER COMMUNITY TO KNOW ABOUT IGNITE WORLDWIDE?

WHY YOU ARE INVOLVED WITH IGNITE WORLDWIDE?

I have worked in technology for almost 30 years. I didn’t plan this path in life deliberately, I loved studying Computer Science and Math in school and it led to an amazing career. That career has given me choices in life. It has enabled me to take care of my family and to give to others. It has always been challenging and inspiring. The same opportunity has to be open to all women, from all backgrounds, and that is IGNITE’s mission. IGNITE enables girls to see the possibility of what a career in tech can mean to them.

HOW HAS IGNITE WORLDWIDE INSPIRED YOU?

I was asked to speak on an IGNITE panel at work (and I quickly became an IGNITE sponsor). This was my first introduction to IGNITE. We were asked to talk about our careers and for the first time in my life, I was able to tell others about how much my career has truly meant to me. That above all else, my technology career enabled me to live a full and independent life. If I can do that, I know that every girl can also attain this goal.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE THE WIDER COMMUNITY TO KNOW ABOUT IGNITE WORLDWIDE?

In Trevor Noah’s book, “Born a Crime”, he tells the story of how his mother showed him what was possible in life by the way she lived. He writes, “We tell people to follow their dreams, but you can only dream of what you can imagine, and, depending on where you come from, your imagination can be quite limited…the highest rung of what is possible is far beyond the world you can see.” IGNITE makes careers in STEM visible and viable to girls. It is fair. It reaches across socioeconomic boundaries. It is inspiring and it successfully shows girls what is possible.

BIO
Marianne Marck has enjoyed a long technology career. She got her start as a software engineer and moved into engineering management with ever expanding leadership roles. She has worked for software companies, internet companies, and retail businesses. Today, Marianne is the CIO at Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers where she oversees all aspects of technology. She has been with Ritchie
Bros. since April 2016. Marianne also served as the SVP, Consumer Facing Technology at the Starbucks Coffee company for over 4 years. There she led IT for China Asia Pacific and led engineering for global consumer facing technology. This included technology for retail, mobile, online, integration, and loyalty programs. Marianne served as the SVP of technology at Blue Nile. While there, she led multiple initiatives including launching the company’s first mobile app and international expansion. For five years Marianne served as Vice President of Engineering for the Disney Interactive Media Group, a division of The Walt Disney Company. While at Disney, Marianne led the software engineering teams that built technology for the company’s online advertising,content management, mobile applications and online video players. Her team was awarded multiple patents for their innovative contributions. Marianne served for 5 years in various capacities at CNET Networks, most recently as Senior Vice President of Technology Infrastructure. Marianne served as engineer and engineering manager at Sybase, an enterprise software company. She was at Sybase for over 6 years. She was also a software developer at the IBM Almaden Research Laboratory. Marianne holds a B.A. in Mathematics from Mills College and has done graduate work in computer science and executive management.

WHY YOU ARE INVOLVED WITH IGNITE WORLDWIDE?

IGNITE focuses on giving girls learning opportunities, moments to be inspired by what they can accomplish and what they’re capable of. The focus of the organization ensures that many girls who otherwise would not see themselves as STEM professionals, will have a chance to consider and grow their interest in this space. It opens up opportunities for them – and repeatedly counters years of reinforcing that this career path is not a place for them.

HOW HAS IGNITE WORLDWIDE INSPIRED YOU?

Once, a group of IGNITE girls showed up at my office door. I wasn’t expecting them and at the time, I wasn’t familiar with IGNITE. My staff and I had the time to spare, and we were all passionate about showing these girls the possibilities – it was so great to see their eyes light up, to introduce others to them who they could see as role models, to give them a workshop that showed them that technology can be fun, creative, and accessible. Ever since then, I have been inspired by what IGNITE does to take girls out of their usual environment and expose them to things that they otherwise would not think is possible for them.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE OUR WIDER COMMUNITY TO KNOW ABOUT IGNITE WORLDWIDE?

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO LEAD IGNITE WORLDWIDE AT YOUR SCHOOL?

When I began teaching at Broadview Thomson, I read on their website and saw posters on the wall that we had an IGNITE program for girls but I didn’t know what it was.  The school counselors were in charge of our chapter and I really wasn’t involved my first couple of years at Broadview Thomson.  We had panels of women come to the school but did not go on any of the field trips.   I took over our IGNITE chapter in 2017-2018 school year when the counselor position was in transition.  The spring of 2017 was the first year I took a group of girls on a field trip to Microsoft.  It was really powerful experience. Since IGNITE gets grants to pay for the field trips and CTE also chips in for the buses I am able to take my girls. We have a large population of Free and Reduced lunch kids. Many can’t pay even a few dollars  to attend a field trip.  If IGNITE wasn’t able to get these grants I don’t think my students would get the exposure to possible careers in CS.

WHAT IMPACT HAS IGNITE WORLDWIDE HAD ON YOUR FEMALE STUDENTS?

Each year the girls really enjoyed meeting with the women on the Panel. They realized that it is possible for them to have a career in technology and that it doesn’t have to be programming. That if they are interested in photography or drawing or video games they can be involved too.  Last year was the first year that I took a group of 8^th grade girls to Microsoft. They had a blast.  Their reactions were very positive.  This year I have taken a group of 7^th & 8^th graders to Microsoft and we are planning on going to a more advanced programming trip in March. I believe that most of the same girls want to attend! I know that on our trip in the Fall one of the panel members mentioned that you didn’t have to be good at math to get a job in CS.  This made a huge impact on my students since most of them think they are bad at math.  One person there also a big impact because she had kids young, came from a rough neighborhood and was able to get a job at Microsoft and move her children to Seattle when she was older.  They realized that it was okay to make mistakes in your life and still be able to come out of it. I’m excited for our next field trip there March 6^th .   Recently, a former student who is going to Shoreline Community College, told me that in high school they did programming. Now it is easier for her since she had learned so many different programming languages in my class. That made me feel good.

ARE THERE ANY MEMORABLE STORIES YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE ABOUT HOW IGNITE WORLDWIDE HAS HAD AN IMPACT ON A PARTICULAR GIRL?

There was one 8^th grade girl this year who after going on the field trip went home and went on Simple Basic. She showed her mother and younger sister how to do it at home and came back to school bursting with pride and excitement.

Here is her thank you letter to Microsoft for the trip. “Thank you for hosting the IGNITE women in engineering event on November 2^nd.  The lessons at the beginning were awesome.  love what we learned in small basic. I loved it so much that when I got home I downloaded this and did more coding. The lunch was amazing, and the gift bag was cool too. But I came for the coding. My favorite part was when we made the turtle move and make different shapes. The women on the panel were truly inspiring. Inesha was really cool. I loved her story and how she got into coding. Because of what Microsoft and IGNITE do I was able to go and this raised my interest in computer science and coding through the roof. I hope to come to more IGNITE events to learn more about coding. Also, the lady teaching the coding portion was really cool.”

Another 8^th grade girl only went on the IGNITE trip to Microsoft for the lunch but ended up really enjoying herself and getting interested in coding.

Here is her letter,  “Thank you for hosting the IGNITE Women in Engineering event on November 2^nd.  I enjoyed the speakers talking about their lives and what made them want to do what they do. Really, I only went for the food, but when I arrived to Microsoft and we started coding and people started talking about what they do It got interesting. My favorite speaker was Pepsy, she didn’t sugar coat anything. Pepsy seemed very real when talking not saying the others didn’t. Pepsy’s story was interesting, I’m actually proud of her for making it to where she is now, she’s happy and successful. When we were coding I started to get a little frustrated I told myself to slow down and just enjoy my experience there. After, it got fun coding. I want to continue coding because right now it’s becoming interesting. Thank you for providing our lunch, it was delicious. I can’t wait to go back.”

WHY DO YOU SUPPORT IGNITE WORLDWIDE?

I think the greatest gift we can give the world is to set up the next generation to succeed. As a father of four daughters, I taught them tile-based coding by at 4. At age 6, they began block-based programming. And by age 7 or 8, they learn text-based programming with Small Basic. By 10 or 11, they’ve learned Python and Java.

We live in a country where 85% of STEM jobs are in technology. In Washington state, we have 23K open computing jobs and only 1K computer science graduates. Of all the jobs opening in computing (in 2020), US graduates will only fill 29% of those jobs, and women will fill only 3% of them. There is a need that will open the future of the next generation and, if the need is met, will help their generation’s national economy possibly more than any other factor. And that will be done simply by filling those jobs with graduates.

My passion for our next generation led me to helping lead the Small Basic team at Microsoft. After we ran our first “Every Girl Can Code” Microsoft Hackathon in 2016, I met Cathi Rodgveller. I learned about the great work that Ashley Myers and Aparna Vishwanathan were doing to run “Teaching Kids Programming” workshops at Microsoft, with Microsoft Small Basic. As the tides were turning (and the guard was changing), we had the opportunity to build up a team to continue their work and run our current Microsoft Coding Workshops series, leveraging Small Basic. We average about 70 students a workshop and one workshop a month now, with our largest workshop currently at 111 IGNITE students. And we continue to push the envelope (rip open the thinking box) as we look at running Mobile Coding Workshops (at the schools), Virtual Sessions, Coding Clubs, and a Coding Conference, as well as open up more workshops and sessions to elementary schools.

Why I support IGNITE and continue to partner with them (and with our large team of astonishing volunteers), is best encapsulated by simply reading some of these quotes from the girls, about some of our IGNITE workshops… “The lessons at the beginning were Awesome. I love what we learned in Small Basic. I loved it so much that when I got home I downloaded this and did more coding.” – Grade 8 (blog); “What I enjoyed was the coding we did in the beginning and it made me think, what else can I do?” – Grade 9 (blog); “They showed us our potential as high schoolers, coders, and young women.” – HS Student (blog); “I learned that coding is easier than I thought. I was also inspired to study harder to attend college and continue my education.” – Grade 3 (yeah, she’s 8) (blog); “I told my mom how much I learned and how it inspired me. This is the first time I got to learn how to code, and I love coding so much now.” – Grade 4 (blog)

In other words, IGNITE helps us change the next generation. I expect that Washington universities will get flooded with young women pursuing technology degrees and classes. And those girls will spread out around the country, to dozens of other universities. Eventually, those colleges will wonder why Washington state is (and other IGNITE areas) spawning so many young women in technology education. And eventually, they’ll find the answer. The answer will be dozens of reasons (lots of technology companies doing great things, lots of passionate teachers and schools, and so on). But the core nucleus will be what we’re all doing with IGNITE… what you’re helping IGNITE do. You are helping IGNITE change our nation for the next generation.

WHAT ABOUT IGNITE WORLDWIDE INSPIRES YOU?

I am astonished at how tirelessly and passionately the IGNITE team grows their program with schools and builds an impact in areas like San Francisco. Their team inspires me to keep going, to get our IGNITE programs running smoothly, and then to ask, “What’s next? What else can we do to help IGNITE?”

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE WITH THE WIDER COMMUNITY ABOUT IGNITE WORLDWIDE?

I’ve learned so much from IGNITE Worldwide. We’ll always want to teach these girls how to code and give them an early win in success in an area of STEM that seems too overwhelming. It inspires them to learn more.

But I’ve also learned how powerful these panels are. I’ve poured over hundreds of quotes from the students, and these young ladies remember the names and can accurately quote the women who are speaking into their lives. Your words have a major impact on these girls!

BIO

Ed is a Senior Program Manager in Azure Engineering at Microsoft. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management, an MBA in Technology Management, and he has been a teacher at Bellevue College. He ran Microsoft customer feedback programs for Azure Development and Platform, as well as Visual Studio and Small Basic. (Check out his Small Basic book.) He now publishes a pipeline of content (whitepapers, articles, samples, e-books) for AzureCAT (Customer Advisory team). He holds 5 patent awards for multi-touch designs on Microsoft Surface, as well as 13 Microsoft Hackathon awards for innovations in Help, Search, and Computer Programming (for kids and girls).

By teaming up with legends like Liz, Holly, Megan, Chandler, Kristi, Karin, and Jenn, he loves to help IGNITE Worldwide run Small Basic coding workshops, which teach thousands of girls how to code. He’s passionate about helping tackle the 10 challenges he sees girls face in computer science education.

Before Microsoft, he worked at Disneyland (ask about the “vomiting on Tea Cups” story), worked on videogames for Nintendo (such as Tetris and Pikmin), as well as for IBM, Jaleco, and Square/Enix, and he ran two animation studios, creating CG cartoons (fruits and bugs, for example). He is a father of 5 children (four girls); his children begin learning programming starting at age 4. Find Ed on LinkedIn. For a list of his publications, see Ed Price – Bibliography

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WHY YOU ARE INVOLVED WITH IGNITE WORLDWIDE?

I remember being the only girl in some of my STEM classes, and while I was supported by some great teachers, women who were role models in STEM careers were intermittent, and not always accessible to me as a younger student. I also grew up in a very privileged school system, which meant that I had access to a lot of technology classes. I got involved with IGNITE to make sure that women in tech are available to help girls in middle and high school navigate their career planning. I also got involved to make sure that girls from all backgrounds had a chance to learn to code and think about all the possibilities in a tech career.

FROM YOUR POINT OF VIEW, HOW HAS IGNITE WORLDWIDE HAD AN IMPACT ON GIRLS?

At every event, there is this magical moment when I get to see a girl light up with excitement when something clicks, whether it’s writing code to make something cool or listening to a woman in tech with whom they have a shared experience. That’s the moment when I can tell that they’re hooked and that they’ve suddenly been able to see themselves in a tech career, and it’s my favorite part of the day!

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE ABOUT IGNITE WORLDWIDE WITH THE WIDER COMMUNITY?

IGNITE is about more than just bringing girls into STEM careers. It also helps them develop confidence, gives them a chance to change paths and think about all their opportunities, rather than just the ones that may seem obvious by virtue of proximity.

BIO

Liz Bander is a Program Manager in the Skype group at Microsoft, helping people from around the world communicate and connect with each other, and on Microsoft Small Basic, to encourage people of all ages to learn how to code. She has a BA in English Language and Literature from NC State and an MBA from the University of Scranton. Liz believes that you can change the world with the magic of technology and volunteers with IGNITE to help every girl find that spark of curiosity and the confidence to try on a STEM career. She also volunteers with Girls Who Code, Microsoft DigiGirlz, teaches coding workshops in schools and mentors students interested in tech careers.  Liz is also the Technology Chair on the board of directors for the League of Women Voters Seattle-King County and committee chair for a study on internet privacy. You can connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter.

WHY YOU ARE INVOLVED WITH IGNITE WORLDWIDE?

I am involved with IGNITE Worldwide because of my commitment to educating young women on the vast possibilities that exist from a career in STEM. I have seen first-hand the doors and opportunities in the tech industry and I want to continue sparking young minds. I want them to not be afraid but be brave and deviate from the norm. By being part of IGNITE, I am able to expand students’ knowledge and understanding of what STEM in the real-world is like – beyond school.

HOW HAS IGNITE WORLDWIDE INSPIRED YOU?

IGNITE inspires me by showing me the difference we can make in the future if we educate and help foster young minds today. By giving them the tools and providing them with support, IGNITE enables students to make informed choices – choices that could lead them to making the world a better place.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE OUR WIDER COMMUNITY TO KNOW ABOUT IGNITE WORLDWIDE?

STEM is more than science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. It provides tools of power and creativity and IGNITE embodies this very sentiment. I’d like the wider community to acknowledge how incredible it is when you provide students the ability to make their ideas and dreams come true.

BIO

As the Founder and CEO of Chameleon Technologies, Melissa is focused on the growth and strategic vision of the company.  Chameleon Technologies was established in 2000 and is known for providing superior service to our clients.

Chameleon Technologies has two distinct divisions of the company.  One division focuses on IT and core engineering staffing.  We staff contract, contract-to-hire, permanent/direct hire positions and manage project related work within well-known local brands across a variety of industries. The other division of our firm exclusively focuses on delivering solutions in the data services space. Our core areas of expertise fall within data analytics & BI, cloud services and IT infrastructure.  We believe that by making data consumable and easier for you to understand, you can make better and informed decisions for your business. Not only do we hope to solve your problems but also optimize and automate the way in which you do so. We make data accessible for you and your business.

Melissa supports the business community through her volunteering and board commitments.  She currently participates in the City of Kirkland’s Business Roundtable and the Kirkland Chamber of Commerce.  She serves as a Board member and co-chair for the Consulting and Business Development Center (CBDC) for the University of Washington, Foster School of Business. Melissa also resides on the Board for Attain Housing, which is helping fight homelessness on the Eastside.  In addition to these commitments, Melissa is actively involved with IGNITE (Inspiring Girls Now In Technology Evolution) Worldwide Washington, FIRST Robotics, 100% Talent, and The University of Washington Women’s Center.

During her time away from work, Melissa is drawn to helping organizations that help people through strife, primarily focusing on youth and children.  She has been a volunteer wish granter with the Make-A-Wish foundation, an organization she is very passionate about, since 2005.  Melissa currently lives in Kirkland with her husband, Ryan, her daughter, Olivia and their Havanese pup, Maui.

For more information on Melissa and Chameleon Technologies, please visit: www.chameleontechinc.com

WHY YOU ARE INVOLVED WITH IGNITE WORLDWIDE?

I became involved in the early 2000’s when I first met Cathi Rodgveller.  Cathi was in role as Career Counselor in Seattle Public Schools. At the time, I was the only female Lead Program Manager at a large Corporation helping deliver key functionality in a major software release – I remembered looking around the room at a meeting, being the lone female and thought… Where are the female colleagues, is this an IT industry wide issue?  I assumed the women entering the workforce had not heard about the amazing opportunities awaiting them in STEM focused fields, so joined forces with Cathi to be the change. I helped lead events to invite young girls into the office so they could hear firsthand and learn about all the great opportunities awaiting them as they began to make career choices.

HOW HAS IGNITE WORLDWIDE INSPIRED YOU?

There is nothing better than sharing your story, and seeing the look in a young students eye, when they connect with your message. 

I was lucky growing up to have a family that encouraged me. We laughed and joked, and created our own take our daughter to work day years before it became a formal event.  My father taught me to be brave and independent! IGNITE gives me the opportunity to fuel that in others! Let them know, if I can do this – they can too!

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE ABOUT IGNITE WORLDWIDE WITH THE WIDER COMMUNITY?

Community is about us all working together, being inclusive and supporting each other in our professional ventures – and most importantly, through life.  Donating time, and or funds is greatly appreciated.

BIO

Award winning leader with strong business transformation skills. Proven track record of working closely with colleagues to quickly identify business challenges, develop and deploy change management plans, and leverage innovative solutions that empower teams to succeed! While travelling and living around the globe and working at Boeing, Microsoft, Hitachi, Bridge Partners, Expedia, and Alaska Airlines, she leverages strengths in role as an expert communicator and IT experience (depth and breadth) acquired throughout roles as: Director, Chief of Staff, Senior Manager (Program/Product/Customer Service), Communications Manager, Women in IT Lead, and prior IGNITE Board of Directors.

While working at Microsoft she was awarded the coveted Circle of Excellence award for leading the Women in IT efforts, and the remarkable collaboration between Microsoft and IGNITE. She was also a joint recipient in Washington DC when the IGNITE Organization received their STEM focused award on the house floor of Congress in Washington DC several years ago.

WHY YOU ARE INVOLVED WITH IGNITE WORLDWIDE?

There are two reasons that I support IGNITE. First, I believe IGNITE is great at showing girls that the stereotypes that surround Tech and what a software engineer is are not it. The paths to a career in Tech are many and the careers are varied, showing the girls that there’s a place for them. Secondly, the time I have spent with the girls has been inspirational and a source of personal growth.

FROM YOUR POINT OF VIEW, HOW HAS IGNITE WORLDWIDE HAD AN IMPACT ON GIRLS?

IGNITE provides the girls hope and confidence to explore technology in ways they never imagined possible. In showing the girls role models and providing support networks, IGNITE becomes the foundation on which girls can feel confident to venture into the unknown.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE ABOUT IGNITE WORLDWIDE WITH THE WIDER COMMUNITY?

IGNITE isn’t just striving to improve the lives of girls and be part of the solution to Tech’s diversity problem, but also provides opportunities for technology professionals to grow through connections with the next generation and new perspectives of the world.

BIO
Holly is a Senior Program Manager in the VS & .NET group at Microsoft, which creates tools and platforms for developers. Currently, she is collaborating with .NET Framework partners and customers to drive adoption of new .NET technologies. She has spent most of her career trying to make it easier for everyone to write code both in her work and by volunteering with organizations like IGNITE, teaching kids to code especially girls. She is co-chair of the DevDiv Women’s Leadership Council, chartered with building a community of women at Microsoft supporting each other. Holly is also a mom of three and cancer survivor. She hacks on Microsoft Small Basic when she has time. You can connect with her on LinkedIn or twitter.

WHY YOU ARE INVOLVED WITH IGNITE WORLDWIDE?

I have daughters of my own, and I want them to be inspired to work in technology. I myself was ignited just by someone showing me how to write my first SQL query. I now work as an Engineer in Business Analytics.

HOW HAS IGNITE WORLDWIDE INSPIRED YOU?

It is an incredible pleasure to be able to give back to the community, and having the opportunity to teach and inspire the next generation. As you know, only 9% of the Engineering workforce today are women, that number is not acceptable to me. As we transition STEM and utilize more and more Artificial Intelligence (AI) and bots, we especially need to grow the female population, and diversity demographics in technology so representation is balanced.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE ABOUT IGNITE WORLDWIDE WITH THE WIDER COMMUNITY?

IGNITE is a program that can truly make a difference in the future. If we can inspire the youth of tomorrow to get started in technology, there is no limit to where they can go! Our mission here at Microsoft is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. At Microsoft we believe in what people make possible. Educating and inspiring these ladies so that they embark on STEM careers is a boundless step towards that ultimate mission.

BIO
I’ve been working at Microsoft for over a decade in various roles. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology, and a Master’s Degree in Information Systems. I’m currently in my second year of my Doctoral Program in Information Systems and Leadership. My current occupation at Microsoft focuses on Data Analytics and Business Intelligence. My wife Amber is a customer service manager at SOG knives, and we have 2 amazing daughters, Megan, and Luci.

I became involved with IGNITE when they qualified for a grant from the Best Buy Seattle Fund, an extension of the Best Buy Foundation. This fund considers proposals from nonprofit organizations that serve the King County metro area, providing access to opportunities for teens through technology and career pathway organizations serving diverse youth. We felt that IGNITE was a perfect candidate and we are thrilled to be able to support this amazing organization.

How has IGNITE Worldwide inspired you?

IGNITE is inspiring because it creates excitement among girls and young women about technology and helps prepare them for tech-reliant careers, which was not an option for me when I was young. It is so exciting that IGNITE breaks down those barriers and gives their students opportunities for innovation, inspiration and leadership. Our world needs more creative thinkers and it is exciting to think that some of our future leaders are likely students of this amazing program.

What would you like our wider community to know about IGNITE Worldwide?

We need more diverse representation in all of our industries, but in particular STEM and STEAM. IGNITE can help pave the way to a more sustainable and bright future!

WHY YOU ARE INVOLVED WITH IGNITE WORLDWIDE?

I have a strong passion for supporting historically stigmatized identities in STEM Education. I spent most of my education with an extreme passion for science, technology, engineering, and math. Unfortunately, there were no programs in my educational system like IGNITE to drive and support that passion. I want to make sure this is never the case for anyone else who deserves the opportunity to access their passion, but faces preventive systemic barriers, again. I want to be part of the change and watch others thrive and not be discriminated against because of their identity.

HOW HAS IGNITE WORLDWIDE INSPIRED YOU?

I have sat on panels in schools where IGNITE is serving young girls and listened to their stories and their dreams, goals, and expectations. Sharing in their stories is very inspirational and reminds me of why the work is so necessary and vital to these young girls. The populations IGNITE serves are the main source of my inspiration.

BIO

Uma is a Senior Developer in the Dynamics CRM group at Microsoft. Currently, she is working on Azure Customer Insights which is a SaaS offering that brings together the enterprise data from multiple sources, and help in generating a 360 degree customer knowledge and insights using Big Data technologies. She is passionate about technology and holds  patents in solving some complex business scenarios. She has prototyped innovative projects in IoT that have industrial applications. Uma is also a mom of two.  She is an advocate for closing the gender gap in the STEM fields. She strives to bring a positive impact to the community by instilling the STEM interest in girls while they are young.

Ana Nicacio is a Senior Attorney at Microsoft Corporation, providing legal support to the Dynamics 365 business on acquisitions, integrations, and strategic technology licensing. Ana is also engaged with Microsoft’s Diversity and Inclusion initiatives and currently leads the Legal Department’s Employee Network for Hispanics and Latinos Legal Professionals. Prior to Microsoft, Ana held in-house counsel positions at Sage Software, KinderCare Education, and InFocus Corporation, where she dealt with worldwide intellectual property matters and technology transactions. Ana has worked and lived in South America, North America, and Europe, being educated in the common law and civil law systems. She is licensed to practice law in the United States and in Brazil. Ana is a strong believer in the power of education, and is passionate about inspiring and empowering girls to discover their talents, be educated, independent, and thrive.

As an 8 year old I had my world turned upside down. I said goodbye to my friends, my family, and my way of life. My parents had decided to move to the United States of America. When I arrived the food, the language, and even the smells were foreign to me. I had to learn to be independent in this new world. My parents worked before the sun rose each day until after it set each night to ensure that I had the material things I needed to be successful in school. I carried a great burden. I couldn’t allow their sacrifice to go to waste. My responsibility was to be exceptional in school.

In my teenage years I had to face another challenge, my parents decided to part ways. My mom packed our things, and brought my sister and I to Seattle. My amazing single mom worked 3 jobs to continue to provide me with the opportunity to be successful. Having a single mom now meant to me more pressure of making sure I was an exceptional student by having good grades, and participating in extracurricular activities. I knew I wanted to go to college, but I had no idea what that meant, what I would need, or what I would study there. I just knew that I needed to ensure that every opportunity I could give myself I did so because my single mom would not be able to provide anymore than she was already trying her hardest to do.

In my freshman year in high school I met the most wonderful teacher I will never forget, Ms. Barbara Cummins. I am not sure what she saw in me, but she sparked a desire in me to learn more about technology. I began to take classes in technology that not only taught me about computer software, but networking, and hardware. She constantly encouraged me to push myself even when things at home weren’t going right, or when I didn’t have things at home to support me in this type of education (like a computer). Whenever I felt I was beyond my capabilities of keeping up with my classmates who had more resources available to them, she would give me pep talks to keep me going. It was not late thereafter that we learned about IGNITE Worldwide.

IGNITE Worldwide to me felt like a bunch of women kneeling beside me helping me carry this heavy burden of empowering myself to be more than I could imagine to be. Through IGNITE Worldwide’s shadowing events, trips to technology organizations and motivating speeches I was able to help carve a professional career path for myself where I could be successful and happy.

For over a decade now I have worked in the technology industry innovating experiences for people around the world. As a Sr. UX Researcher, I have worked with corporations like Microsoft, Phillips, and Boeing designing and building the next wave of digital solutions. I am currently working for Providence St. Joseph to bring better healthcare experiences to patients, physicians, and clinicians.

Holly is a Senior Program Manager in the VS & .NET group at Microsoft, which creates tools and platforms for developers. Currently, she is collaborating with .NET Framework (http://dot.net ) partners and customers to drive adoption of new .NET technologies. She has spent most of her career trying to make it easier for everyone to write code both in her work and by volunteering with organizations like IGNITE Worldwide, teaching kids to code especially girls. She is co-chair of the DevDiv Women’s Leadership Council, chartered with building a community of women at Microsoft supporting each other. Holly is also a mom of 3 and cancer survivor. She hacks on Microsoft Small Basic (http://smallbasic.com/) when she has time. You can connect with her on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/hollymuenchow) or twitter (https://twitter.com/Holly_A_M )

Shaude’ Moore is a Sr. Datacenter Security Manager at Amazon Web Services in Seattle, WA. Her primary job role is to manage and maintain site security operations within Seattle Datacenters ensuring consistent deployment of all required security policies and procedures and participate in re-occurring site audits and reviews. Shaude’ is engaged in Diversity hiring, Amazon Women in Engineering (AWE), Black Employees Network (BEN). She also volunteers her time as a Committee Vice-Chair for the King County Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee which is committed to contributing lifetime commitments through tribute and community activism that highlights social justice, racial equality and unity. Shaude’ is an alumni of Decatur High School, located in Federal Way, WA. She graduated from University of Phoenix (Western Washington Campus) in 2014 obtaining a Bachelor’s of Science in Human Services (BSHS) and a Masters of Business Administration in 2016 (MBA). Shaude’ is currently a Graduate Student at City University of Seattle enrolled in the Ed.d Program working to receive her Doctorate of Education in Organizational Leadership. Shaude’ has lived in the Pacific Northwest since the age of 7 and is the mother of one daughter named Saraiih. She has traveled to several countries working to stand-up AWS Security Datacenters and increase Operational Excellence. Shaude’ is passionate about leadership, Independence and the power of how testimonials and achievement can empower and inspire young women from different backgrounds and nationalities to reach their goals and SHINE.

Venus Rekow is the founder of Neural Shifts, a consulting firm specialized in helping leaders drive culture change through a Diversity & Inclusion lens. Her passion is helping organization’s foster inclusive work spaces and increasing organizational performance. She is well known for her ability to translate research insights from Neuroscience & Behavioral economics into practical business strategies that enable behavior change. Her clients include Microsoft, Amazon, Novo Nordisk & Non-profit organizations.

Venus earned a Master’s degree from Seattle University in Organizational systems, completed course work for a Masters in Neuroscience and earned a B.S. in psychology from Boise State University. Venus loves reading scientific articles and spending time with her children & husband.

Heidi Toussaint is a Staff UX Researcher at Google where focuses on building exceptional experiences for enterprise and consumer products. In her previous work, she led research for Microsoft and Intel. She has also held engineering roles at GE Healthcare and Boeing. Heidi enjoys mentoring students in STEM and is an active member of diversity & inclusion efforts. She holds a Master’s of Science in Human Centered Design & Engineering from the University of Washington and has an undergrad in Computer Engineering. She currently resides in Seattle, WA with her husband and daughter.

Catherine Blaikie is an internationally experienced non- profit executive with a history of award winning performance, delivering visionary leadership that builds company infrastructure from ground up. She has strong commercial sector background, with competence in strategic planning, business acumen and leadership skills to create unprecedented impact having ran successful sales and marketing multi-million pound divisions within FMCG sector for Fortune 100 companies before pivoting to the non- profit arena. Catherine is deeply passionate about connecting and leveraging a community of for-profits, creating positive social impact across the globe.

Delivering a consistent record of extraordinary results in capacity and capital campaign building, program management and operations governance, she is known for developing and implementing creative visions, goals and strategies to position groups on the leading edge of their field.

Catherine has a passion for cultivating youth leadership and engagement and has utilized her sharp business acumen and natural leadership talents to support a diverse range of non-profit initiatives in positively impacting social issues. As a global citizen Catherine has worked tirelessly to improve the lives of young people generating pipelines of corporate partners, donors and high profile speakers and thought leaders from across the globe to inspire the next generation of leaders and innovators through educational programming, campaigning, events and mentoring.

An outstanding networker who relentlessly builds new business relations, she partners with C Suite level executives and their teams across 500 Fortune companies to drive engagement in the community, creating forward momentum through capacity building, fundraising and community awareness Catherine has partnered with corporations, NGO’s and local governments in developing community programs and social impact projects to engage local community leaders to provide education to some of the poorest and at-risk youth. This includes experiences funding schools in rural areas of Tanzania, to building organisations and strategic alliances from ground zero.

Acknowledged for her top-level leadership contributions through numerous awards, she was honoured as an invitee to Hewlett Packard Enterprise Women’s Innovation Council, a select group of 70 senior technology leaders from around the world committed to drive and leverage best practices in technology innovations. Along with a charter to increase, attract and retain female talent by showcasing great contributions made by women in their career in STEM+C to make a difference in their businesses and communities globally. Cisco’s Connected Women Executive Roundtable at the Mobile World Congress, Barcelona. Chosen as the official press spokesperson for the Human Forum for Equalities and Human Rights for London’s first-ever United Nations International Youth Day securing live TV coverage and valuable media and print coverage.

Catherine’s personal profile is shaped by strong family values, a driven work ethic and personal integrity driven competitive nature that drives her to exceed and motivate those she leads and mentors. As a devoted philanthropist and businesswoman she values relationships and cultivates important alliances that instrumentally support the social enterprises she serves. Catherine’s work has provided her with extensive exposure and experience in emerging and varied markets, developing a broad global mindset as a result of working in markets around the world, including North America, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Tom is a Senior Project Manager for Microsoft Consulting Services focused on driving digital transformation via the Cloud for the United States’ public sector.  After 20 years of flying and managing technology for the U.S. Navy, he discovered a passion for bringing STEM awareness, curiosity, and confidence, to the portions of society that are underrepresented.  Focusing on women and veterans, Tom believes that there is a great deal of overlap in the issues driving their underrepresentation, and that technology itself can reduce the barriers to entry for all.

He has a BS in Marine Transportation from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, and an MS in IT Management from the Naval Postgraduate School.  He volunteers with IGNITE Worldwide helping girls, and Microsoft Software & Systems Academy helping veterans, find careers for fun & profit in the tech sector.

Tom looks forward to connecting with you on LinkedIn and working together to impact the issues.