The way forward for know-how is brilliant, particularly after the resounding success of the seventh annual Cisco Ladies Energy Tech, held on the Cisco campus in Richardson, Texas, on April 17, 2025!
This impactful occasion linked 73 brilliant younger college students with the huge potential of STEM, supported by 13 devoted educators. These gifted individuals hail from Cisco Networking Academy faculties, a strategic partnership that enables us to successfully attain and encourage the subsequent era of tech professionals.
What’s Ladies Energy Tech?
In celebration of Worldwide Ladies 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 pleasant actions. This occasion blends inspiring talks, hands-on labs, mentorship, and networking into an interesting and academic expertise.
Ladies Energy Tech is extra than simply an occasion. It’s a motion devoted to empowering women and younger ladies to pursue careers in know-how and bridge the gender hole in STEM. We’re cultivating the subsequent era of innovators, problem-solvers, and tech leaders.
A day of inspiration and exploration
Inspiring messages
The day kicked off with an inspiring keynote handle 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. Bear in mind, you belong on this area.”
—Melissa Kraft, CIO, Metropolis of Frisco
Constructing on this momentum, the ladies 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 Govt – Portfolio, delivered an inspiring handle.
She vividly shared the exceptional 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 ladies’ potential via her empowering message:
“Rejection is simply redirection. True innovators make NEW worlds when the previous ones don’t settle for them.”
—Veronica Valladarez, Account Govt, Cisco Portfolio
Her phrases deeply resonated, fostering self-belief and resilience to encourage the younger ladies to worth their distinctive views.
Participating actions
To interrupt the ice and foster connections, the attendees participated in a vigorous Networking Bingo Sport. This enjoyable and interactive exercise inspired college students to step exterior their consolation zones, meet new folks, and uncover shared pursuits, constructing a supportive and collaborative ambiance proper from the beginning.
To present our brilliant younger attendees a style of various aspects of know-how and join them with inspiring position fashions, we ran our labs and velocity mentoring classes in a dynamic rotation.
- AI Lab: Suited to Victory – Younger minds explored the fundamentals of synthetic intelligence via 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 realized to program and management modern programmable robotic balls via a LEGO maze. This hands-on expertise helped foster problem-solving abilities, creativity, and a deeper understanding of programming ideas.
- Pace Mentoring – This offered a useful alternative for the scholars to attach with a various group of achieved professionals from varied tech fields. The rapid-fire, targeted conversations allowed the younger ladies to ask questions, achieve insights into totally different profession paths, and obtain personalised recommendation and encouragement.
The day culminated in an Awards ceremony, celebrating the individuals’ enthusiasm, engagement, and newfound information. The grins on the scholars’ faces as they acquired recognition had been a testomony to the occasion’s affect.
Extra than simply tech
Ladies Energy Tech isn’t nearly technical abilities; it’s about constructing a robust, supportive group 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 – women sharing their aspirations and inspiring one another to pursue their goals fearlessly. This sense of camaraderie and mutual assist is strictly what Ladies 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 beloved 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 fascinated by all the chances 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 onerous? However you guys confirmed me what it means to work in know-how and what it will probably 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’ve gotten accomplished!”
—Aaliya
“Thanks for internet hosting this nice occasion. It was inspiring and really helpful. The superb mentors I’ve met via networking have considerably modified my life selections. As an immigrant, I don’t have a lot steering in these points of my profession, and this occasion was an important alternative for me. Thanks!”
—Nameless Thank-You Be aware
Trying forward
Ladies Energy Tech 2025 was an funding sooner or later. It was a day when younger ladies found their potential, linked with position fashions, and realized {that a} profession in know-how isn’t solely potential but in addition extremely thrilling and significant. The power and enthusiasm witnessed all through the day left little question that the way forward for tech is in brilliant fingers. We will’t wait to see the superb issues these younger ladies will obtain!
To make sure the continued success and development of this annual Ladies Energy Tech occasion, we constantly want devoted leaders to help with coordination, supportive companions to fund partaking actions, and impactful audio system to encourage our attendees.
In case you are excited by getting concerned, electronic mail us.
Thanks to everybody who made it potential
Our honest gratitude to The Batiste Undertaking for our Tech labs, and to our Cisco Inclusive Group 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 Ladies Energy Tech leaders, and particularly the sensible women who participated. You all introduced the imaginative and prescient of Ladies Energy Tech to life.
What was your favourite a part of Ladies Energy Tech 2025? Share your ideas and photographs utilizing #GirlsPowerTech2025!
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