Lehigh@NasdaqCenter

What It Takes to Be a Disruptor in Engineering

For our first conversation in this series on Disruptive Engineers, host, Samantha Walravens sits down with Dr. Ikhlaq Sidhu, the author of the book Innovation Engineering: A Practical Guide to Creating Anything New. Dr. Sidhu is Chief Scientist and Founding Director at UC Berkeley’s Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology (SCET). Samantha and Dr. Sidhu dive into how to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and the integral role engineers play in driving innovation.

Lehigh@NasdaqCenter is an exclusive academic in-residence collaboration between Lehigh University and the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center in San Francisco. Our theory of change is to accelerate student transformation and societal impact through inclusive entrepreneurial education, research, and thought leadership.

What It Means to Be an Ally to Women and Underrepresented Populations in Tech

This week, Samantha Walravens facilitates a conversation with influential thought leaders on the importance of allyship for women and other underrepresented populations in tech. Melinda Briana Epler shares from her experience as a consultant, tech executive, and Founder & CEO of Change Catalyst about the importance of digging deep and thinking systemically to address inequities. Jeremy Sussman is a senior product manager at Google and serves on Google’s Allyship NYC Steering Committee. Jeremy talks about how allyship is a choice and an action that we need to take again and again. As Senior VP and General Manager at VMWare, Tom Gillis shares how essential it is for leaders across functional teams and at all levels of the organization to take ownership of DEI work.

Lehigh@NasdaqCenter is an exclusive academic in-residence collaboration between Lehigh University and the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center in San Francisco. Our theory of change is to accelerate student transformation and societal impact through inclusive entrepreneurial education, research, and thought leadership.

Sara Luchian of Virgin Hyperloop on the Future of Transportation

Listen to an inspiring and engaging conversation with Sara Luchian, the Head of Passenger Experience at Virgin Hyperloop, to learn what it was like to be one of the first two people to ride in a hyperloop pod during a successful test run. Host, Samantha Walravens, talks with Sara about an optimistic future for transportation that is fast, clean, convenient, and designed with passengers in mind. Sara shares how she applies both her psychology and business training to design next-generation transportation technology.

Lehigh@NasdaqCenter is an exclusive academic in-residence collaboration between Lehigh University and the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center in San Francisco. Our theory of change is to accelerate student transformation and societal impact through inclusive entrepreneurial education, research, and thought leadership.

Inspiration and Impact for the Next Generation of Women in Tech

Join host Samantha Walravens in conversation Ruthe Farmer as they discuss the policies and passions that are inspiring the next generation in tech. Ruthe is the Chief Evangelist at CSForAll and a Former Senior Policy Advisor in the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy. As if that’s not enough, the Last Mile Education Fund that Ruthe founded, has also just been named one of 10 finalists for the Equality Can’t Wait Challenge which is awarding $40m to organizations that enable women to make a difference in their workplaces and communities. This is an episode you don't want to miss, as Ruthe shares the important work being done to engage girls in computer science and technology courses and programs and, equally important, the strategies and resources necessary to support girls and women through graduation, internships, and initial career placement.

Lehigh@NasdaqCenter is an exclusive academic in-residence collaboration between Lehigh University and the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center in San Francisco. Our theory of change is to accelerate student transformation and societal impact through inclusive entrepreneurial education, research, and thought leadership.

Early Career Professionals Who Are Shaping the Tech Industry

Hear from recent graduates and early-career female tech professionals who are creating the tools and services we use every day. This week, our young alumni panel features Emma Catlin, an engineer at Pinterest, Christine Quan, a data scientist & engineer at Dropbox, and Kira Gobes, a technical program manager at Amazon Web Services. These emerging leaders talk with Samantha Walravens about successes, challenges, why having (and being!) a mentor is so important, and what they wish they knew before starting their first full-time engineering job.

Lehigh@NasdaqCenter is an exclusive academic in-residence collaboration between Lehigh University and the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center in San Francisco. Our theory of change is to accelerate student transformation and societal impact through inclusive entrepreneurial education, research, and thought leadership.

Leadership Insights with Kelly Steckelberg, CFO of Zoom

This week, Kelly Steckelberg, CFO of Zoom Video Communications, Inc., chats with Samantha Walravens about the path to leadership for women in technology. Kelly discusses the challenges and opportunities for women who aspire to leadership roles. Learn how to talk with your manager about taking on more responsibility and asking for coaching and advice to help you advance towards your leadership goals. Join the conversation and gain insight into Kelly’s strategic decision framework when making difficult decisions, learn the characteristics of an empathetic leader, and how Zoom is thinking about life and business and a post-Covid world.

Lehigh@NasdaqCenter is an exclusive academic in-residence collaboration between Lehigh University and the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center in San Francisco. Our theory of change is to accelerate student transformation and societal impact through inclusive entrepreneurial education, research, and thought leadership.

Dawoon Kang on the Founder’s Journey

In Episode 2, join Samantha Walravens for a discussion with Dawoon Kang, Co-founder and Chief Dating Officer at Coffee Meets Bagel. Listen in as Dawoon shares her experience as a female entrepreneur in the tech industry, what it means to be resilient in business and leadership, and tips on finding love!

Lehigh@NasdaqCenter is an exclusive academic in-residence collaboration between Lehigh University and the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center in San Francisco. Our theory of change is to accelerate student transformation and societal impact through inclusive entrepreneurial education, research, and thought leadership.

Women and the Importance of Representation in Tech

In this series on Women in Technology, we shine a spotlight on the remarkable women entrepreneurs, business leaders, and engineers who are changing the world through industry and innovation. In Episode 1, join Samantha Walravens for a discussion with Bärí Williams, Chief Operating Officer at BandWagonFanClub, and Jossie Haines, the Senior Director of Engineering at Tile, on the challenges and opportunities that women today face as they navigate a still very male-dominated technology industry. Our conversation digs deep into the issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Lehigh@NasdaqCenter is an exclusive academic in-residence collaboration between Lehigh University and the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center in San Francisco. Our theory of change is to accelerate student transformation and societal impact through inclusive entrepreneurial education, research, and thought leadership.

Forward-Looking Technology Trends

In Episode 7 of the Women in Technology and Innovation series, we learn from thought leaders who are at the forefront of emerging trends in tech. This week features diverse perspectives across functions and specializations including robotics, AI, and big data. Cack Wilhelm is a Venture Capital Partner at IVP, Kathleen Cavanagh is a Software Developer at Symbio Robotics, and Fiona McEvoy is a technology ethics researcher and Founder of YouTheData.com. Together with host Samantha Wallraves, these women share valuable insights and thoughtful viewpoints on privacy, regulations, and ethics.

Inspiring the Next Generation of Technology Leaders

Episode 6 of the Women in Technology and Innovation series features Allie Diracles, founder and CEO of VidCode; Sona Dolasia, co-founder of Reaching Out with Robotics; and Dhana Pawar, general manager at VeraTempo. These tech educators, mentors, and innovators examine how to inspire the next generation of women in technology. Through entrepreneurial venture, education programs, and mentorship, they have each created unique ways for young women and girls to learn coding skills and discover their own passion for technology.