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T h a n k Yo u t o O u r S p o n s o r s
WELCOME On behalf of the Women in Business Association, thank you for joining us today for the second annual Defining Her Future: A Women in Leadership Conference! When we hosted our inaugural event last April, we never could have imagined the success this conference would have, nor the incredible members of the Cal Poly community and beyond that it would engage. Today, we’ve brought together students, faculty, professionals, sponsored high school students and the local community to host an even more impactful, inspiring conference this year. The theme of this year’s event is Dynamic You. Our vision was to create a campaign celebrating the many hats that women wear in their everyday lives. Today, we seek to help students learn what it means to be multifaceted, involved, and empowered individuals who are resilient to adversity in academic and professional settings. We have fifteen speakers and panelists leading talks around this theme and the four key values: purpose, connection, courage, and empathy. This year’s conference would not be made possible without the collective vision, determination, and passion of our incredible board and committees. Thank you to Allison Meyers, Annie Wilson, Hannah Poplack, Kathy Phi, Kayla Lake, Kylie Whittaker, Molly Parsons, Nikki Matenaer, Simran Moza, and all of our Committee Members for working tirelessly to make WIB’s programs a reality. We also want to personally thank Mary Kelting, Dean Kevin Lertwachara, and the Orfalea College of Business Dean’s Office and faculty. Without your continued support, Women in Business would not be where it is today. It has been a privilege to serve our community and create relationships with countless other inspiring women and men alike. We are grateful to experience this day alongside each and every one of you.
Sincerely, Sara Chen, President, Cal Poly Women In Business Association Annie deBruynkops, VP of Events and Conference Director
The Cal Poly
Women in Business Association
The Cal Poly Women in Business Association is a strong community dedicated to empowering and uniting young female leaders to thrive academically, socially and professionally. Founded in Spring 2015, WIB works actively to support women in advancing the skills and training they need to successfully position themselves in a highly competitive workplace via relevant programming and proactive advocacy. WIB strives to empower students through connection to, and mentorship from, alumni and prominent female leaders in the community.
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SCHEDULE 9-9:45AM
Check In & Networking Session 1 s t F l o o r L o b b y
10:15-11:15AM
Millennials Rule the World S p a n o s T h e a t e r Keynote Address by Stacey Ferreira, Founder & CEO, Forge Introduction by Cal Poly’s President Armstrong
11:30AM-12:15PM
Breakout Sessions Part 1 Student Attendees, please select one Breakout Session to attend.
1. Adaptable You S p a n o s T h e a t e r Chris Kite, VP of Global Business Finance, Oracle
2. Know your Value: An Imposter Syndrome Workshop PA C P a v i l i o n Dana Curran, Program Manager, General Dynamics Mission Systems
3. Negotiations Workshop P h i l i p s H a l l Taryn Stanko, Assistant Professor of Management, Cal Poly
12:30-1:15PM
Catered Lunch PA C P l a z a
1:30-2:15PM
Breakout Sessions Part 2
Student Attendees, please select one Breakout Session to attend.
1. Having it All(most): Creating Work-Life Balance PA C P a v i l i o n Jessica W inter, VP HR, MedSurg Global Supply and Colleagues at Stryker
2. The Art of Resilience P h i l i p s H a l l Nicole Huffman, TEDx Speaker and Cal Poly Alumna
3. Repaving your Path: A Chat with Two Recent Cal Poly Grads 2nd Floor Balcony Lobby Jacqlyn Westhusing, Talent Design Specialist, Airbnb
Sara Rianda, New Product Innovation Associate, BlackRock
2:30-3:15PM
The Dynamic Diversity Panel PA C P a v i l i o n
3:30-4PM
Networking Session & End of Day 1 s t F l o o r L o b b y
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS Premier Sponsor
Benefactors
Supporters
KEYNOTE
S TACEY FERREIRA Founder & CEO, Forge Stacey Ferreira is the co-founder and current CEO of Forge, a scheduling tool which allows part-time employees to schedule themselves and work on-demand at the businesses where they currently work. This idea was inspired by what Ferreira realized millennials want most in life: flexibility. Forge facilitates a more fluid kind of work structure, giving people the ability to get hired and work on-demand at traditional companies. Ferreira began her career at age 18, when she and her brother co-founded the online bookmark vault and password manager MySocialCloud.com. After selling this company to Reputation.com, Ferreira co-authored 2 Billion Under 20: How Millennials Are Breaking Down Age Barriers And Changing The World. It highlights stories of 75 young people from across the globe who challenged the status quo of education in America. Ferreira wrote this book in hopes of inspiring as many people as possible across the United States and around the world to go out and follow their passions, no matter what stage of life they are in. She has been featured on and contributed to several news outlets, including The Huffington Post, Women 2.0, Business Insider, Seventeen Magazine, and TechCrunch. In 2016, she entered the Forbes list of 30 under 30 in the industry of “Retail & E-Commerce,� as part of the 600 brightest young entrepreneurs and leaders in the United States.
BREAK OUT SESSIONS 1 Adaptable You Spanos Theater
Good leadership is not always based upon age and experiences, but rather the ability to be adaptable and build resiliency regardless of the barriers you face. In this breakout, you’ll hear from one of Oracle’s top executives with a colorful career history. Chris will discuss intrinsic versus learned adaptability, the importance of having awareness of both self and situation, and the methodology to be able to do this and become a more adaptable leader.
CHRIS KITE V P, G l o b a l B u s i n e s s F i n a n c e , Oracle
Chris Kite is a global business leader with experience successfully crafting and executing global strategies for fueling growth, acquiring companies, transforming businesses and maximizing value for Fortune 50 and quasi-government institutions. She holds degrees from Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania, University of Southern California and MIT Sloan School of Management. Her dynamic career path has included positions at Cisco, Goldman Sachs Real Estate, the Federal Reserve Bank of NY, Susquehanna Bank and Oracle.
Negotiations Workshop Philips Hall
Negotiation is something that is utilized to build, maintain and improve workplace and personal relationships. This breakout session will focus on the importance of negotiations, and the skills needed to be a successful negotiator. Then, attendees will be able to put these tools to practice in an interactive workshop.
TARYN STANKO Assistant Professor of Management at Cal Poly
Dr. Stanko is an Assistant Professor of Management at the Orfalea College of Business with a Ph.D. from the UC Irvine’s Paul Merage School of Business and an M.B.A. from New York University’s Stern School of Business. Professor Stanko’s research interests focus on virtual work, organizational control, and the management of work/non-work identities, as well as the role that communication technology use plays in each of these areas. Prior to entering academia, she spent more than five years in industry working as a project and quality manager at Berland Technologies, a startup software company, and Paramount Pictures in Southern California.
Know Your Worth: An Imposter Syndrome Workshop PA C P a v i l i o n
Many people will suffer from imposter syndrome, feelings of not being worthy of an achievement or success, at some point in their lives, especially within their professional careers. In this breakout session, attendees will learn what imposter syndrome is, how it affects women in particular in the professional world, and what each of us can do to overcome it.
DANA CURRAN Program Manager, General Dynamics Mission Systems
Dana Curran is a Cal Poly Industrial Engineering Alumna. Shortly after graduation, she embarked on an entrepreneurial journey by starting and eventually selling her own company, EM-Assist. She is currently a Program Manager and General Dynamics Mission Systems. General Dynamics is a global aerospace and defense company that is a leading provider of mission critical C4ISR systems across the land, sea, air, space and cyber domains.
BREAK OUT SESSIONS 2 Having it All(most): Creating Work-Life Balance PA C P a v i l i o n
Upon entering the workforce, a big concern for many is the ability to balance both a productive and fulfilling personal life and a successful career. In this talk-show style panel, attendees will have the opportunity to hear from four women who have been in industry for over 15 years and have found this balance. JESSICA WINTER
VP of HR, MedSurg Global Supply, Stryker
ANNIE HEATH Sr. Director, Operations, Stryker
KIM LARSON Sr. Director of HR, Stryker
SHANE PARTINGTON Sr. Director, Integrated Business Planning, Stryker
Annie, Jessica, Kim, and Shane all graduated from the Orfalea College of Business and have worked at Stryker for the majority of their careers. Each of them have worked up to seniorlevel roles while maintaining the essence of work-life balance.
The Art of Resilience Philips Hall
How do you overcome the hardships and obstacles that you encounter? In this interactive breakout, explore ideas of resiliency and learn about how we are shaped by our experiences.
NICOLE HUFFMAN TEDx Speaker, Cal Poly Alumna
Nicole Huffman is the Head of Awareness and Education for the Cal Poly startup, Current Solutions which is an online platform that gives voice to sexual assault survivors. She has formal training in health and prevention and last year was a speaker at TEDxCalPoly. She is a recent Cal Poly alumna with a degree in Kinesiology.
Re-paving Your Path: A Chat with Two Recent Cal Poly Grads 2nd Floor Balcony
As young college graduates, there are pressures and expectations from parents, professors, and peers to take the first job offer we receive, or stick with first job we land out of school. In this breakout session, you’ll hear the stories, insights, and advice from Jaclyn and Sara: two Cal Poly graduates who pivoted from the “normal” path and made the unlikely decision to move their career in a different direction.
JACQLYN WESTHUSING Talent Design Specialist, Airbnb After earning a degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Financial Management from Cal Poly in 2012, Jacqlyn began her career as an Inventory Management Analyst at Cost Plus World Market. After two years, she decided to continue her education at the University of San Francisco School of Management, where she earned her M.B.A. with a focus in Organization Development and Talent management. In 2016, she began her current role at Airbnb. As a Talent Design Specialist, she’s in the field of People, Talent, and Organizational Development. In this role she’s found a balance between “people problems” and strategic planning.
SARA RIANDA New Product Innovation Associate, BlackRock Sara earned a BS degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Financial Management from Cal Poly in 2014. After holding internships at both Apple and BlackRock, she joined BlackRock’s iShares Rotational Graduate Program. In 2016, she joined the iShares Product Innovation team, responsible for identifying new iShares product ideas, driving product/ investment research, and collaborating on early-stage product design specifications.
PANELISTS CHRISTINE NOFFZ O w n e r, C o a c h i n g a n d C o n s u l t i n g Services
Christine coaches several hundred individuals including a dozen women and men in leadership positions who work for global and regional organizations. She provides motivational speeches on topics such as stress reduction techniques, communication, and work/life integration. In addition, she is an active member of many organizations in the SLO community, including Commissioner for SLO County’s Commission on the Status of Women.
CHARMAINE FARBER D e s i g n e r a n d Pr o f e s s o r a t C a l Po l y
Charmaine is a Graphic Communications Professor at Cal Poly. She is most passionate about diversity as it pertains to User Experience (UX). She specializes in incorporating diverse ideas in websites and enforces the importance of diversity in all aspects of life and in her classes. She is happiest when creating useful and beautiful things to make everyday life better for others.
AVITAL ARORA Senior Director of Engineering, Salesforce
Avital is a Senior Director of Engineering at Salesforce. She holds degrees from MIT, Texas A&M University, and the University of Mumbai. Her passion for engineering has taken her to different companies like Xscaler and NetApp where she has furthered her career to where she is today. Avital also sits as one of the first members of the Women in Business Professional Advisory Board.
CAITLIN O’CONNOR VP at PGIM Real Estate and Chief Underwriter of the Americas
After receiving bachelor’s degrees in Biochemistry and History from Occidental College, Caitlin decided to switch career paths and return to school. She earned her Masters in City Planning from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and began her career in this field. Caitlin has 12 years of Real Estate experience and has held many different positions throughout her 10 years at PGIM.
JANA COLOMBINI C a l Po l y S t u d e n t a n d A S I Pr e s i d e n t
Jana Colombini is a 4th year Agriculture Sciences major at Cal Poly and hopes to be an educator within her field. She currently serves as the ASI President and enjoys spending the majority of her time working towards the betterment of her peers.
HIGH SCHOOL PANELISTS SAMANTHA FOSTER O w n e r, C o a c h i n g a n d C o n s u l t i n g Services In December 2015 Samantha received her Bachelors of Science degree in Business Administration from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Samantha choose to concentrate her degree in Management and HR and obtain a minor in Industrial Technology. After transferring to Cal Poly, Samantha pursued various on campus leadership roles and clubs. Samantha served on the ASI Board of Directors, worked as a Mustang Marketing Coordinator, was a Transfer Link Mentor, a Next Expert, a WOW leader and a member of Executive Partners. Following her graduation from Cal Poly, Samantha moved to San Francisco to work for Adobe as an Account Development Manager where she is responsible for working with clients to develop their digital marketing efforts. Samantha’s passion for problemsolving and personalized marketing enables her to help her clients create impactful and memorable experiences for their customers. In her personal life, Samantha loves traveling, playing soccer and volleyball and going on outdoor adventures including: hiking, snowshoeing, stand-up paddle boarding and horseback riding.
ERMA STAUFFER Pr o f e s s o r, C o m m u n i c a t i o n s D e p a r t m e n t C a l Po l y Erma Stauffer originally hails from the East Coast where she graduated from Geneva College and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. In 1999, she loaded up her belongings and moved across the country to the Central Coast of California, and soon thereafter started teaching as a lecturer in the Theatre and Dance Department at Cal Poly. In 2002, she also began teaching in the Communication Studies Department, where she continues to teach today. In 2015, she was voted the Outstanding Educator for General Education Classes for the Communication Studies Department.
MANDY MARTIN A d m i s s i o n s O f f i c e r, C a l Po l y Admissions My name is Mandy Martin and I am a first generation college student that grew up in Merced, California and started out as a community college transfer student. I attended Merced College, where I obtained by Associate of Arts (AA) degree in Transfer Studies. I then transferred to University of California, Merced where I obtained my Bachelor’s (BA) degree in Political Science. I then pursued my graduate education at California State University, Stanislaus with an MPA (Master of Public Administration) degree. It took a lot of hard work, time management, and late nights studying but pursuing a higher education was one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life. My education helped me grow as a person and opened many doors of opportunity. I now work for Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo as an Admissions Officer for the Admissions and Recruitment office. Cal Poly has been a wonderful place to work, live, and thrive. I enjoy trips to the beach, hiking the San Luis Obispo beautiful terrain, karaoke, and playing co-ed softball in my spare time.
REBECCA BOGHOSSIAN Graduating Senior My biggest “ah-ha” moment in college has been to embrace opportunities. Additionally, there’s importance that lies within acknowledging (and thanking) those who have helped you get to where you are, as well as supporting those who want to follow in your footsteps. My Cal Poly experience would be no story to tell if I never felt okay with an inevitable nervous-feeling as I stepped out of my comfort zone. I have had the opportunity to serve as an Orfalea College of Business Student Ambassador, mentor to marketing students, and expanded my leadership capabilities through my active participation in Cal Poly’s Greek System. The leadership positions I have seized in college has led to professional opportunities outside of Cal Poly. As I cherish my last weeks in San Luis Obispo as a Business major, concentrating in marketing, I also looking forward to my career-launch with Adobe this coming Fall. I know that Cal Poly’s “Learn by Doing” motto, has prepared me for the career adventures that await, and most importantly, I know that I have created a support system of both men and women, who will encourage me along the way. Cheers to saying “yes” and embracing opportunities!
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