The way forward for know-how is vivid, particularly after the resounding success of the seventh annual Cisco Women Energy Tech, held on the Cisco campus in Richardson, Texas, on April 17, 2025!
This impactful occasion linked 73 vivid younger college students with the huge potential of STEM, supported by 13 devoted educators. These gifted contributors hail from Cisco Networking Academy faculties, a strategic partnership that enables us to successfully attain and encourage the following technology of tech professionals.
What’s Women Energy Tech?
In celebration of Worldwide Women in Info and Communication Know-how (ICT) Day, Cisco Richardson hosts Networking Academies throughout the North Texas Metroplex, providing college students a full day of empowerment, studying, and satisfying actions. This occasion blends inspiring talks, hands-on labs, mentorship, and networking into an interesting and academic expertise.
Women Energy Tech is extra than simply an occasion. It’s a motion devoted to empowering ladies and younger ladies to pursue careers in know-how and bridge the gender hole in STEM. We’re cultivating the following technology of innovators, problem-solvers, and tech leaders.
A day of inspiration and exploration
Inspiring messages
The day kicked off with an inspiring keynote deal with from Melissa Kraft, the CIO of the Metropolis of Frisco. She shared her tech journey, highlighting its energy and boundless alternatives, and delivered a profound message to the younger ladies:
“Tech is highly effective. YOU make it significant. Keep in mind, you belong on this area.”
—Melissa Kraft, CIO, Metropolis of Frisco
Constructing on this momentum, the women then engaged in a considerate dialogue, sharing their private inspirations and what sparks their curiosity throughout the world of know-how.
Following the keynote, Veronica Valladarez, Cisco Account Government – Portfolio, delivered an inspiring deal with.
She vividly shared the outstanding story of Cisco co-founder Sandy Lerner and her resilient journey of turning adversity into a brand new, profitable enterprise. Veronica then linked this to the women’ potential by means of her empowering message:
“Rejection is simply redirection. True innovators make NEW worlds when the outdated ones don’t settle for them.”
—Veronica Valladarez, Account Government, Cisco Portfolio
Her phrases deeply resonated, fostering self-belief and resilience to encourage the younger ladies to worth their distinctive views.
Partaking actions
To interrupt the ice and foster connections, the attendees participated in a energetic Networking Bingo Sport. This enjoyable and interactive exercise inspired college students to step outdoors their consolation zones, meet new folks, and uncover shared pursuits, constructing a supportive and collaborative ambiance proper from the beginning.
To present our vivid younger attendees a style of various sides of know-how and join them with inspiring function fashions, we ran our labs and pace mentoring classes in a dynamic rotation.
- AI Lab: Suited to Victory – Younger minds explored the fundamentals of synthetic intelligence by means of a hands-on experiment. On this exercise, they skilled a mannequin to categorise fits of playing cards utilizing their webcam. They explored how algorithms study, experimented with picture recognition software program, and even brainstormed how AI might be used to unravel real-world issues.
- Sphero Lab: Maze Mayhem – College students discovered to program and management modern programmable robotic balls by means of a LEGO maze. This hands-on expertise helped foster problem-solving abilities, creativity, and a deeper understanding of programming rules.
- Velocity Mentoring – This supplied a useful alternative for the scholars to attach with a various group of completed professionals from numerous tech fields. The rapid-fire, centered conversations allowed the younger ladies to ask questions, achieve insights into completely different profession paths, and obtain customized recommendation and encouragement.
The day culminated in an Awards ceremony, celebrating the contributors’ enthusiasm, engagement, and newfound information. The grins on the scholars’ faces as they obtained recognition had been a testomony to the occasion’s influence.
Extra than simply tech
Women Energy Tech isn’t nearly technical abilities; it’s about constructing a powerful, supportive neighborhood the place younger ladies really feel empowered, assured, and know their voices and concepts are valued.
We had been notably moved by the conversations we overheard – ladies sharing their aspirations and inspiring one another to pursue their goals fearlessly. This sense of camaraderie and mutual help is strictly what Women Energy Tech goals to domesticate.
What attendees mentioned
“My favourite a part of the occasion was getting to attach one-on-one with the unbelievable folks from Cisco. I liked listening to everybody’s profession trajectories because it gave me a lot perspective—it helped me keep grounded in my very own imaginative and prescient whereas desirous about all the probabilities forward. My largest takeaway was the significance of staying open-minded and dedicated to steady studying. I noticed that mindset can open doorways you didn’t even know existed!”
—Jassmin
“I used to be scared, at all times asking myself, ‘What if it’s laborious? However you guys confirmed me what it means to work in know-how and what it could do for the folks. You confirmed me that, regardless of my pursuits, tech at all times has a spot for somebody. I thanks for all you may have executed!”
—Aaliya
“Thanks for internet hosting this nice occasion. It was inspiring and really helpful. The wonderful mentors I’ve met by means of networking have considerably modified my life choices. As an immigrant, I don’t have a lot steerage in these features of my profession, and this occasion was an amazing alternative for me. Thanks!”
—Nameless Thank-You Observe
Trying forward
Women Energy Tech 2025 was an funding sooner or later. It was a day when younger ladies found their potential, linked with function fashions, and realized {that a} profession in know-how is just not solely doable but in addition extremely thrilling and significant. The vitality and enthusiasm witnessed all through the day left little doubt that the way forward for tech is in vivid fingers. We will’t wait to see the wonderful issues these younger ladies will obtain!
To make sure the continued success and development of this annual Women Energy Tech occasion, we persistently want devoted leaders to help with coordination, supportive companions to fund partaking actions, and impactful audio system to encourage our attendees.
If you’re serious about getting concerned, e mail us.
Thanks to everybody who made it doable
Our honest gratitude to The Batiste Challenge for our Tech labs, and to our Cisco Inclusive Neighborhood sponsors, Ladies in Science and Engineering (WISE) and Conexión LatinX Community.
A heartfelt because of the 13 devoted educators, two inspiring audio system, 40 enthusiastic volunteers, 11 dedicated Women Energy Tech leaders, and particularly the good ladies who participated. You all introduced the imaginative and prescient of Women Energy Tech to life.
What was your favourite a part of Women Energy Tech 2025? Share your ideas and images utilizing #GirlsPowerTech2025!
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