Channel - VU Women in Tech Conference - 2025

We celebrated our 10th VU Women in Tech Conference on Saturday, January 25, 2025. Over 160 attendees joined us in person at The Inn, and additional attendees joined virtually. We are thrilled to continue expanding our reach to a greater number of alumni, students, faculty, staff, and friends of Villanova year after year. The conference featured two keynote sessions, six breakout sessions, 15 speakers & \V/ Chocolates made in a 3D printed mold! At breakfast, keynote speaker Alana Hoskin, Global Audit and Chief Risk Officer at Nike, shared her inspiring life journey—from growing up in the Palisades to excelling as a student-athlete on the Villanova rowing team to the executive team at Nike. As a proud Villanova alumna, Alana reflected on how her time at the university prepared her for success, emphasizing key lessons such as differentiating yourself, embracing curiosity, and keeping doors open for unexpected career opportunities. She also highlighted the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance to unlock your full potential. Additionally, Alana shared her vision for using technology to help rebuild her hometown of the Palisades after the devastating wildfires. Later in the day, keynote speaker Christy Hansen, a Villanova graduate and former student-athlete, who now serves as the Artemis Deputy Mission Manager for NASA's Moon to Mars Program, shared her experience using tech & tech skills to train astronauts for spacewalks on the International Space Station and the Hubble Space Telescope. She also discussed her more recent role, leading airborne science missions to study Earth's rapidly changing cryosphere at the North and South Poles. Hansen addressed the unique challenges of navigating a male-dominated industry, reflecting on how those experiences have shaped her into a resilient leader and mentor. She inspired the audience to embrace their own journeys—using their experiences, skills, and setbacks as powerful tools to carve their own paths to success. The conference featured 15 other speakers that are leading in tech across six breakout sessions. These sessions covered a diverse range of topics, including disability tech, the expanding capabilities of AI, neuroinclusion in the workplace, private equity & robotics and wearables for older adults. Throughout the day, speakers explored how we can build on the past to empower today and shape the future. We celebrated 10 years of VU Women in Tech with custom chocolates made by Aurora Grace Chocolates, student research poster presentations, and had fun networking. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who made our 10-year celebration so special!

6/23/2025 4:04:34 PM

Channel Videos

Defining #Disability Tech: Innovations for the World's Largest Minority 

DisabilityTech is a rapidly growing sector creating new solutions to improve the lives of the 19% of the world’s population that has a disability (1.6 billion people). Learn about the prevalence and human impact of disability; a unified, inclusive framework for DisabilityTech; and preliminary trends in DisabilityTech innovation and investment. A session for innovators of all fields and roles, this is presented by the Howe Innovation Center at Perkins School for the Blind, the first and oldest school for blind and low vision students in the US. Raquel Ronzone ’11 CLAS, Perkins School for the Blind Senior Manager, Partnerships, Howe Innovation Center

Villanova University

1/25/2025 5:00:00 PM

From Teaching to Private Equity: Navigating a Career in Technology

Join Kritika Jain, Podcast Host of Girls Into VC and Payments Innovation Analyst at Bank of America, as she interviews Lizbeth Ventura, Senior Managing Director at SAP, about her career path from teaching to managing SAP’s North America Private Equity business! Lizbeth will dive into the twists and turns her career took as she broke into the tech industry, lessons she learned along the way, and advice she has for young women aspiring to work in tech. Lizbeth Ventura ‘93 CLAS, Senior Managing Director of Global Private Equity, SAP Kritika Jain ’24 VSB, Podcast Host of Girls Into VC, Payments Innovation Analyst, Bank of America

Villanova University

2/3/2025 5:00:00 PM

Panel Discussion: Neuroinclusion in the Tech Workplace 

This panel brings together dynamic voices from the world of technology and education to explore self-advocacy, accessibility, and the power of neurodiversity. Discover how professionals are shaping a more inclusive landscape, driving technological advancements, and fostering environments where everyone can thrive. This discussion will inspire action and provide tangible strategies for creating inclusive workplaces.  Julie Ortlieb Special Education Project Consultant, Montgomery County Intermediate Unit, Adjunct Professor, Villanova University  Peg Monaghan Associate Director for the Center for Autism and Neurodiversity (CAN), Drexel University  Teresa Thomas Program Lead, Neurodiverse Talent Enablement and Cyber Engagement, The MITRE Corporation  Gloria Mendoza Associate Project Manager, SAP North America  Emma Holt Operational Technology Systems Security and Safety Engineer, The MITRE Corporation  Moderated by Deborah Harris Assistant Director Student and Career Support, VUnited Scholars Program, Villanova University

Villanova University

2/3/2025 5:00:00 PM

Robotics to Wearables: Technology in Care of Older Adults

Dr. Cacchione will share how she became a nurse innovator and entrepreneur through her initial work in vision and hearing impairment in older adults to Robotics and becoming a CEO of a start-up company, AgingSense, where she has developed Heart Failure Monitoring Socks. Pam Cacchione ’84 FCN, Nurse Scientist, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center Moderated by Karen Walsh, System Director Performance Measurement, Improvement & Analytics, Main Line Health

Villanova University

2/3/2025 5:00:00 PM

Sampling the AI Buffet

This introductory session dives into the current “menu” of AI capabilities, unpacking how each tool can be applied to real-world challenges across industries. We will explore the latest in AI tools, from Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAGs) and Custom GPTs to advanced Large Language Models (LLMs). Don’t miss this opportunity to add valuable, future-focused skills to your repertoire. Raisa Velthuis ​Associate Professor of Finance, Villanova School of Business

Villanova University

2/3/2025 5:00:00 PM