Women in Leadership Forum

This is an archived page for a past event.

Two days of conversation, community, and education in Oakland and Hayward.

DAY 1- Friday, March 17- Cal State East Bay Oakland Center

DAY 2- Saturday, March 18- Cal State East Bay Hayward Campus

Schedule

Day 1- Friday 3/17, 9 AM-5 PM @ Oakland

Powerful Morning

  • Professional Headshots
  • Welcome to WIL
  • Research Presentations via Zoom
  • Keynote- Women and Leadership
    • Kyra Kyles- YR Media
  • Panel- Women on the Rise- Leading in Tech
    • Rupal Hollenbeck and Kristen Owens- Check Point Software Technologies,  Elnaz Sarraf- BA '12, ROYBI
  • Keynote- Cathy Sandeen- President, CSUEB

Purposeful Afternoon

  • Workshops
    • Presentation Skills- Mindy Wegner- MindyMeets, CityServe International
    • What's Next? Transitions and Careers- Urvi Bhandari- Peppercorn.ai
  • Panel- Power Your Purpose- Disability Inclusion and Leadership
    • Shubha Kashinath- Speech, Language, & Hearing Sciences CSUEB, Rae Hinton- Linkedin, Sheri Byrne-Haber- VM Ware, Paulette Penzavalto- Google
  • Workshop
    • Marketing You: Personal Branding- Becky Barton- CEO, People415
  • Social Hour with MBA Association

Day 2- Saturday 3/18, 9 AM-5PM @ Hayward

Powerful Morning

  • Professional Headshots
  • Welcome
  • Panel- Show Me the Money! Exploring the Capital Stack
    • Dhana Pawar- Veratempo Consulting, Dr. Nancy Mangold- East Bay SBDC, Jenny Kassan- Kassan Group, Erick Kostuchek- Community Bank of the Bay, Vishal Verma- Redwood Collective, Edgewood Ventures
  • Research Presentations

Purposeful Afternoon

  • Workshop
    • Getting Comfortable Being Uncomfortable- Bryan Gillette, MBA '99, Summiting Group
  • Panel- Shifting the Paradigm to Leadership Parity: Women in Education Facilities Organizations
    • Winnie Kwofie- CSUEB Facilities, Kimberly Donaville-Davis- Division of Inclusive Excellence- CSU Sacramento, Michelle Chariton- Capital Projects- Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, Traci Ferdolage- Facilities Development & Operations- San Jose State University
  • Workshops
    • Communicate to Influence- Mindy Wegner
    • How to Step Up Without Stepping On- Dr. Lynn Bowes-Sperry - Management- CSUEB, Shazia Hussain BS Psychology '13, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Bay Area
  • Closing Panel- The Way We Work
    • Asha Rao, Maureen Goode- BSBA '90- Google, Danielle Beausoleil- Meta, Cigdem Gencer- Consultant, Valerie Minor- HR/Consulting
  • Awards
  • Social Hour

Disability Inclusion Ideathon

WIL Ideathon

Friday, March 17 at the Oakland Center 

An ideathon is a workshop-like experience for students to address a particular challenge or issue.

WIL is hosting an Ideathon to raise awareness of accessibility and inclusion in the workplace. Student teams will use creativity, passion, and expertise to design scalable solutions that organizations can implement to address barriers, increase access, and promote inclusion for persons with disabilities in the workplace.

 

 

The Chartbusters
The ChartBusters
Insight Learner
Insight Learner
Netable
Netable
QJx
QJx

Research Presentations

Papers presented by academics, in collaboration with Educational Leadership

Friday, March 17, 9- 11 AM  via Zoom
Saturday, March 18, 9-10 AM In-Person @ Hayward + Via Zoom

  • Asset Threat: The Oxymoronic Realities of Black Women Leaders in Education
  • The impact of personality on women academics’ perceived leadership effectiveness: The mediating role of motivation to lead
  • Women and Leadership Identity Development: The Influence of Perceptions and the Intersectionality of Race, Gender, and Education
  • "Asset Threat-The Oxymoronic Realities of Black Women Leaders in Education"  Mia Settles-Tidwell, Ed.D, California State University, Sacramento
  • "Equality for Women in U.S. Healthcare Leadership" Corey Adalikwu-Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia
  • Korean Women Leaders' Resistance" Yonjoo Cho, The University of Texas at Tyler
  • "Leader Gender and Construal Elicitation- An Advantage for Executive Women" Rachael Goodwin, Whitman School of Management, Syracuse University
  • "Personal Qualities of Women in Leadership" Ashlee Leite, Cal State East Bay
  • "Setting the tone- Workplace negotiations with female, male, and non-binary counterparts" Negin Toosi, Psychology, Cal State East Bay
  • "The impact of personality on women academics’ perceived leadership effectiveness- The mediating role of motivation to lead" Jiaqi Chen, University of Southampton
  • "The Misrepresented Black Woman- Examining the Impact of Gendered Racial Microaggressions" Kayla Parker, Claremont Graduate University
  • "The Queen Bee And Firm Performance- Do Female CEO Awards Help Or Hurt" Chenli Yin, Xiamen University Malaysia
  • "Women and Leadership Identity Development – The Influence of Perceptions and the Intersectionality" Aliya Khizer-Varela, California State University, Bakersfield

Day 1- Friday, March 17 - CSUEB Oakland Center

Keynote Speakers

Pres Sandeen

Cathy Sandeen

President
Cal State East Bay
Kyra Kyles

Kyra Kyles

Writer/Producer, Multimedia C-Level Executive, Speaker, Author

Keynote Bios

President

Cal State East Bay

Cathy Sandeen, Ph.D., MBA is an educational leader who is committed to continuing Cal State East Bay’s momentum in students’ social mobility, social justice and sustainability. As a two-time alumna of the California State University, she feels fortunate to work in a system that emphasizes access and opportunity.

For more than 60 years, Cal State East Bay has provided access to higher education for a diverse student body and advancing regional engagement through its academic programs and leadership. More than 60 percent of Cal State East Bay’s student body are the first in their families to go to college, and the university is recognized nationally for its diversity and impact on social mobility. 

Prior to returning to her hometown in the East Bay, Sandeen was chancellor of the University of Alaska Anchorage from September 2018-December 2020, and chancellor of the University of Wisconsin Colleges and UW-Extension for four years. Previously, as vice president for education attainment and innovation at the American Council on Education, she led ACE's nationwide effort to increase post-secondary educational attainment.

She also held leadership positions in the University of California system including at UCLA, Santa Cruz and San Francisco.

Sandeen earned a Ph.D. in communication from the University of Utah and a Master of Business Administration degree from the UCLA Anderson School of Management. She was named an American Council on Education Fellow in 2010-11.

A prolific writer and speaker, Sandeen has published and presented widely on the issues surrounding educational innovation and nontraditional students.

Writer/Producer, Multimedia C-Level Executive, Speaker, Author

YR Media, Myth Lab Entertainment

Kyra Kyles is the CEO at YR Media, an award-winning national nonprofit serving youth storytellers. Among her media roles, Kyra served as EBONY Editor-in-Chief and Senior Vice President, Head of Digital Editorial and while at sibling pub, JET, launched the iconic brand’s first-ever app. Earlier in her career, Kyra was a columnist and broadcast correspondent for the Tribune RedEye. A contributor to outlets ranging from NPR’s WBEZ to the BBC to Bustle, this Chicago-native-turned Bay Area resident has been named to the Folio magazine Top 100 Media Executives, WVON and Ariel Capital’s “Top 40 Under 40 Game Changers” lists.

Panel- Women on the Rise: Leading in Tech

Rupal Hollenbeck

Rupal Hollenbeck

Tech Executive, Board Member, Investor
President, Check Point Software Technologies

Kristin Owens

Kristin Owens

Group Operations Director, Head of Global Functional Marketing and Executive Engagement
Check Point Software Technologies

Elnaz Sarraf

Elnaz Sarraf

Founder & CEO- Roybi Robot
BA '12, Art

Panelist Bios

President

Check Point Software Technologies

Rupal Hollenbeck, President of Check Point, manages all go-to-market functions for the company. Ms. Hollenbeck joined the executive team as Chief Commercial Officer in March 2022. She previously served as a member of Check Point’s Board of Directors from January 2021 to March 2022.

Most recently, Ms. Hollenbeck was CMO of AI hardware start-up Cerebras Systems in Silicon Valley. She also served as Senior Vice President and CMO at Oracle. Prior to joining Oracle, she was with Intel Corporation for over 23 years, where she held many senior leadership positions, including Corporate Vice President and General Manager of Global Data Center Sales, and Vice President and General Manager of Intel China. Ms. Hollenbeck is an advocate for inclusive organizations and the development of women around the world, having led communities with these goals at her previous companies. She is a Founding Member of Neythri, a non-profit organization dedicated to the professional advancement of South Asian women, and is a Founding LP in the affiliated VC firm Neythri Futures Fund. Ms. Hollenbeck is also an Adjunct Professor and industry advisor at California State University East Bay, where she teaches a Women in Leadership course in the College of Business and Economics. She serves on the Board of Directors of Blackbaud, the world's leading cloud software company powering social good.

Ms. Hollenbeck holds a Master’s degree in International Management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management and a Bachelor’s degree in Finance and International Studies from Boston College.

Group Operations Director, Head of Global Functional Marketing and Executive Engagement

Check Point Software Technologies

Kristin is an experienced global leader with proven successes in marketing, partner/executive management and operations focused on growing the business through the definition and implementation of transformational strategies, internal alignment initiatives, collaborative team management, and client-centric programs.

BA ‘12 Art, Founder & CEO

ROYBI

Over 250 million children are at risk of not reaching their potential because the education system is one-size-fits-all. Technology can act as a supplement and become an extension of our teachers to travel and reach children anywhere in the world. It can also create a smarter link and collaboration between teachers, parents, and students. Products like ROYBI Robot, Time's Best Invention of 2019, are the next step in incorporating technology into education. With this robot's AI technology, an interactive learning environment is created to provide children with smart assessments that can be utilized to set milestones and roadmaps for personalized learning.

Workshops

Mindy Wegner

Make Your Pitch: Presentation Skills

Hosted by Mindy Wegner
Founder of MindyMeets, Non-profit business consultant and leadership coach, TEDx speaker

Everyone wants to be better, feel more confident, or just know what to do when presenting in front of an audience.
Learn the fundamentals and mindset that will give you the tools you need when you are speaking.
You will have an opportunity to practice some of the skills with a small group and gain awareness and confidence to build upon.
You will feel equipped and more confident to present. There are no shortcuts to refining a skill, but we can get you started!

Urvi Bhandari

What’s Next? Transitions and Careers

Unlock your full potential and embrace the Future of Work! 

In today's rapidly evolving job market, it's important to stay ahead and be ready for new opportunities. This workshop is designed to help you find your "What's Next" and embrace the changing work landscape with confidence and clarity.

Discover the power of storytelling and how it can help you stand out in a crowded job market. 

With a focus on personal growth, this workshop will help you make a personal journey map and a marketing portfolio that shows off your unique skills and experiences. This portfolio will include a bio, a networking letter, a resume, and a cover letter.

Whether you're a job seeker, career pivoter, entrepreneur, career advancer, or returner, this workshop will provide you with the tools you need to succeed. Join a community of like-minded individuals on a journey to explore new possibilities and take charge of your career.

Don't let the future of work be a source of stress. Let us show you how to turn it into an exciting opportunity. Register now and be ready to take your career to the next level!

Workshop Leader Bios

Founder of MindyMeets, Non-profit business consultant and leadership coach, TEDx speaker

CityServe International

Mindy is a highly effective communications coach, a speaker and leadership expert. She is passionate about helping professionals at every level be effective, influential communicators; and she is passionate about helping people reach their goals.

Whether you need a keynote speaker or a coach to be an influential speaker yourself, or need focus on getting to your next benchmarks, Mindy brings over 30 years of training and experience to the conversation.

She speaks at women-focused conferences, retreats, and professional organizations, as well as being a TedX speaker. She is an ambassador, volunteer, and communicator for organizations bringing hope and healing to the most marginalized in society.

 

Founder, Chief Coach, CMO

Peppercorn.ai

Urvi is a Master Connector, Emotionally Wealthy and a Nomad. She is a 20 year, reformed, Fortune 10 corporate executive. (AT&T, IBM, Coca-Cola, Walmart). She embodies a personality of a true free spirit with a pragmatic approach to life. Even though she "works" all the time her biggest priority and emotional wealth comes from her partner and his two kids, a very large life family (across the world) and her blood family.

She works with executives, guiding them through personal self awareness to increase their emotional wealth and propel their professional careers even further. Additionally, through her network she connects executives who are looking for their next business opportunity with futurists who are building tomorrow and need seasoned management experience and financial backing. In a time where "innovation" is more than a buzzword, but a way of being, Urvi embodies, the changing paradigms, to drive business and individuals forward - to be ready for TOMORROW.

Panel- Power your purpose: Disability Inclusion and Leadership

Shubha Kashinath

Shubha Kashinath

Associate Professor and Chair
Department of Speech, Language, & Hearing Sciences
Cal State East Bay
Rae Hinton

Rae Hinton

Senior Lead Compliance & Accessibility Manager, LinkedIn 
Disability Inclusion Advocate
Sheri Byrne-Haber

Sheri Byrne-Haber

Senior Staff Architect, Accessibility
VMware
Paulette Penzavalto

Paulette Penzavalto

Engineering Program Manager
Google

Panelist Bios

Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Speech, Language, & Hearing Sciences

Cal State East Bay

Dr. Shubha Kashinath believes that the foremost professional priority is to improve the effectiveness of clinical practice to better meet the needs of individuals with communication impairments. She believes in doing so by advancing scientific knowledge of the profession as well as developing “real-world” interventions that bridge the gap between research and clinical practice. It is in this niche that her professional interests are grounded. Dr. Kashinath teaches coursework in autism, language development and disorders, research methods, counseling, and early intervention.

As director of the CSD Early Social Communication Research Clinic, Dr. Kashinath leads undergraduate and graduate students in research, outreach, and training activities related to autism, family centered intervention and collaborative and consultative practices. She also leads the Conversation Club-a social skills group intervention program that is focused on social communication skills for adults with autism enrolled in the College Link Program at CSU East Bay.

Senior Lead Compliance & Accessibility Manager, Disability Inclusion Advocate, EnableIn ERG Global Co-Chair

LinkedIn

Rae Hinton is a Senior Lead Accessibility & Compliance Manager within LinkedIn's Legal department. She helps manage the accessibility team, which is a cross-functional group of Engineers, Designers, Compliance and Product Managers that ensures all of LinkedIn's products can be used by people with disabilities. Her remit also includes the internal experience for employees and candidates with disabilities and ensuring that disability is part of LinkedIn's diversity, inclusion and belonging strategy. Rae is also the Global Co-Chair of LinkedIn's disability ERG, EnableIn, where she focuses on building a community where employees can thrive.

Senior Staff Architect, Accessibility, LinkedIn Top Voice for Social Impact 2022

VMware

Sheri Byrne-Haber is a prominent global subject matter expert in the fields of disability and accessibility. She is best known for launching digital accessibility programs at McDonald’s, Albertsons, and VMware. Her most recent contribution to the accessibility field is an open-source tool called Crest, which allows users to automate some aspects of manual accessibility testing. With degrees in computer science, law, and business combined with identifying as a disabled person, Sheri has a complete 360-degree view of all the issues impacting disability inclusion and accessibility.

Engineering Program Manager, Google

Accomplished opera singer. Fulbright and Met Opera finalist.

Paulette is an engineering Program Manager at Googler and she studies privately at San Francisco Conservatory of Music with Susanne Mentzer.

Her specialties include Computer Science, Diversity & Inclusion, Strategic Planning, Branding and Identity, Corporate and Foundation Relations, Database Architecture & Management, and Professional Development & Leadership.

This past season she delivered her keynote "The Limit Does Not Exist" internationally, sang at Opera San Jose as Cantore in La Rondine, performed the National Anthem at a SF Giants Game and was a vocalist on "Kirtan Lounge: Precious Jewels," which was nominated for 6 Grammys, including best foreign Language Album.
Paulette enjoys fashion design, studied Boulengerie at Le Cordon Bleu, is an avid fan of Jane Austen and she volunteers as an advocate to help youth navigate the foster system.

Workshop

Becky Barton

Marketing You: Personal Branding

Hosted by Becky Barton
CEO- People415

Marketing You: A workshop on personal branding. Learn how to effectively communicate your unique values and strengths to establish a strong and authentic personal brand that sets you apart in your career.

Workshop Leader Bio

CEO

People415

Becky Barton
CEO People415
Maximizer, Includer,  Analytical, Harmony ,Arranger
Becky is a native of Omaha, NE, and currently lives in San Francisco. She is fluent in Spanish,
and at 16 years old, self-funded a trip to Ecuador to teach children how to brush their teeth and
the community how to build latrines. Her HR background includes staffing, recruiting, and
organizational development, and she is recognized as a thought leader on optimizing
performance for start-ups and companies on the move and aligning talent with strategy. She
started her HR career in 1997 in staffing and has since led HR Strategy in non-profit, start-up,
professional services, and creative agency organizations. Outside of work, Becky’s time is a
flurry of kid-centric activities (including Denver the guinea pig), sports, outdoor exploring, time
with her two boys, and catching up with friends. (BA, Spanish; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
in the Workplace certification)

Day 2- Saturday, March 18 - Hayward Campus, VBT

Panel- Show Me the Money!

Exploring the Capital Stack

You’ve got the next unicorn idea…You’re excited to introduce your product (service) to the World, but don’t have the capital to get your company launched. Where do you go for funding?

Our diverse panel of funding experts will share with you what capital sources are available at which stage of your business/idea cycle. Explain what is meant by a “capital stack” and set your expectation on how to prepare when seeking capital from various funding sources.

Kim Kaselionis

Kim Kaselionis

Chief Operating Officer- O'Donnell Financial
BSBA '85

Nancy Mangold

Nancy Mangold

Professor, Department of Accounting & Finance
East Bay Small Business Development Center, Executive Director
Dhana Pawar

Dhana Pawar

Chief Product Officer and VP, Digital- Veratempo Consulting Group
Founding Managing Partner- Neythri Futures Fund

Jenny Kassan

Jenny Kassan

Attorney, Investor, Capital Raising Coach
Owner, The Kassan Group
Erick Kostuchek

Erick Kostuchek

Senior VP, Chief Customer Experience Officer
Community Bank of the Bay

Vishal Verma

Vishal Verma

Vishal Verma

General Partner- Redwood Collective and Edgewood Ventures

Board Director/Advisor- Darwin Ventures, Opthealth, Praxilock, PrimeID, and Witt Security

Panelist Bios

BSBA '85, Chief Operating Officer

O'Donnell Financial

As a dynamic, results-driven leader with a strong track record of performance in turnaround and high-paced organizations, Kim leverages her keen analysis and insights, inspired leadership and team approach to drive organizational improvements, implementation of industry “best practices” and product innovation. She understands that entrepreneurship is vital to continued local, regional, and national economic health. Kim had a direct impact on the Bay Area community she served.

She is the President of Marin Rocks!, which is currently exploring the possibility of building a facility in San Rafael to celebrate the influence of Marin County on music and culture in the latter half of the 20th century. She has also been elected to the governing board of the Women’s Initiative for Self-Improvement.

With an accounting degree, and an MBA, Kim knew early on that she was destined for a career in finance. She is grateful for her family, enjoys traveling and any day at the beach.

Professor, Department of Accounting & Finance

Executive Director, East Bay Small Business Development Center

Nancy Mangold joined the faculty at CSU East Bay in 1984 after receiving her PhD in accounting from the University of California, Berkeley. During her almost 30-year tenure, she has taught 16 different undergraduate, graduate, and executive level accounting courses.

In recent years Mangold received two best paper awards and her work is published in top accounting journals. In 2001, she was appointed by the World Bank as a special consultant to the People’s Bank of China to study the establishment of a deposit insurance system in China. Mangold was appointed by the World Bank again in 2005 as an expert to advise China’s Ministry of Finance on U.S. accounting standards on derivatives and hedging. In 2009, she was selected from all U.S. universities by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to be the 2009-2010 SEC Academic Fellow to the Office of the Chief Accountant.

The George and Miriam Phillips Outstanding Professor Award is CSU East Bay’s most prestigious faculty honor.

Founding Partner- Neythri Futures Fund

Chief Product Officer and VP- Veratempo Consulting Group

Dhana is an angel investor and product executive with deep AI, digital retail, and consumer tech expertise. She is a Founding LP and Advisory Council Member for the Neythri Futures Fund. She also sits on the advisory boards of the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center & OhmniLabs. Dhana has over 15 years of experience leading product teams for startups & Fortune 500 companies and has worked extensively with leading brands like P&G, COVERGIRL, Walmart, NBC, Toyota, TripAdvisor, Samsung, and Disney. Today, she is the co-founder of VeraTempo, a product management and marketing accelerator. Before Veratempo, she was General Manager of New Initiatives at TripAdvisor, leading the company’s growth in the untapped consumer ticketing business. Before that, as Vice President of Partnerships at Coupons.com Incorporated (now Quotient), Dhana oversaw the company’s retail strategy and partnerships. Ms. Pawar is a regular speaker at tech events and strongly advocates for women in technology. She has been quoted in a wide variety of leading media outlets, including CNN, ABC News, and All Things Digital.

Attorney, Investor, Capital Raising Coach

Owner, The Kassan Group

Jenny has over 25 years of experience as an attorney and advisor for mission-driven enterprises. She has helped her clients raise millions of dollars from values-aligned investors, and she has raised over $2 million for her own businesses. Jenny is the author of "Raise Capital on Your Own Terms: How to Fund Your Business without Selling Your Soul" (Berrett-Koehler, October 2017).

Senior Vice President, Chief Customer Experience Officer

Community Bank of the Bay

Erick Kostuchek joined the CBB Bank in 2023, bringing with him more than 30 years of experience in a multitude of channels, including building diverse teams in competitive markets. He is a visionary executive dedicated to effective sales and service processes, strategic planning, and enhancing the customer experience. He has held positions such as Director of Retail Banking, Executive Vice President of Commercial Banking, and other senior-level positions.

General Partner- Redwood Collective and Edgewood Ventures

Board Director/Advisor- Darwin Ventures, Opthealth, Praxilock, PrimeID, and Witt Security

Vishal Verma is a General Partner at Redwood Collective, LLC. (a fund of funds for venture) and Edgewood Ventures, LLC. ( a single-family office). He is on the Board of Directors / Advisors of Darwin Ventures, Opthealth, Praxilock, PrimeID, and Witt Security.

Vishal is a Senior Advisor to Honorable Dick Gephardt and Honorable Secretary Michael Chertoff on their International Strategy.

Vishal remains an active member of The Chicago Club and The Indus Entrepreneurs. Vishal is a member of the US-India Cyber-security Track 1.5 Dialogue hosted by the Council of Foreign Relations (CFR) and Observer Research Foundation (ORF).

Vishal is passionate about building strong education systems for our future. Vishal is an active member of the Board of Trustees of the University of California at Merced (Merced, California) and One Economy (Washington DC). Vishal is a member of the Leadership Council at the RFK Foundation and a member of Best Buddies.

While pursuing his MBA at Chicago Booth, Vishal founded the Hyde Park Angels to promote entrepreneurship in the Chicagoland area.

Vishal holds a B.S. in Marketing from Santa Clara University and a Master of Business Administration in Finance from the University Of Chicago Booth School Of Business.

Workshop

Bryan Gillette

Getting Comfortable Being Uncomfortable

Hosted by Bryan Gillette, MBA ‘99
President, Summiting Group
Author, EPIC Performance: Lessons from 100 Executives & Endurance Athletes on Reaching Your Peak

If COVID taught us anything, it taught us that we can do more today than we thought we could yesterday. We just survived a crazy pandemic and for most of us, it was our biggest personal or professional challenge. And with anything difficult, it either makes our resilient muscles stronger and prepares us to accomplish even bigger and more profound achievements or strains that muscle to the point we are stopped in our tracks.
Bryan Gillette interviewed 100 executives and endurance athletes to understand how they built up those muscles to achieve some extraordinary feats. In his research, he identified the key traits that led to their many successful accomplishments.
Such traits these leaders demonstrated were the ability to be comfortable being uncomfortable and persevere through challenging times and not quit. They understood their fears and worked around them. From Bryan’s conversations with 100 incredibly accomplished individuals and his own experiences, he will share what these behaviors look like and how you can replicate them in your career and personal life.

Workshop Leader Bio

MBA ‘99, President- Summiting Group

Author, EPIC Performance: Lessons from 100 Executives & Endurance Athletes on Reaching Your Peak

Bryan Gillette is a former human resources executive, an ultra distance athlete, and the president and founder of Summiting Group—a consulting firm that helps leaders and teams reach their peak performance. For more than 25 years, he has held senior roles overseeing human resources, leadership development, and communications for companies of all sizes, leading teams of hundreds of people and managing multimillion-dollar budgets. Through Summiting Group, he has taught or consulted with leaders all over the world and facilitated executive strategic planning retreats for startups to Fortune 100 organizations. Before starting Summiting Group, he was on the Executive Committee as the Vice President of Human Resources & Payroll for a mid-size, global-technology company.

From his experience as an executive, his accomplishments as an ultra-distance athlete, and his interviews of 100 accomplished leaders, Bryan recently authored the book, “EPIC Performance: Lessons from 100 Executives and Endurance Athletes on Reaching Your Peak” targeted for publication in the summer of 2022.

Panel- Educational Leadership

Shifting the Paradigm to Leadership Parity: Women in Education Facilities Organizations

Facilities organizations are central to universities’ academic missions as they create spatial conditions for learning, discovery, collaboration, and innovation. While facilities organizations are often the most culturally, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse departments on campus, the leadership is predominately male. In general, the underrepresentation of women in facilities leadership often leads to male-centered spatial decisions that are detrimental to minoritized groups on campus. As a call to action, California State University (CSU) Capital Planning, Design, and Construction (CPDC) launched a Women in Facilities (WIF) program in 2021. The program has four main learning objectives:
  • Knowledge about facilities organization: structures, culture, and norms
  • Understanding the campus customers’ needs/wants
  • Provide open and humanizing space to dialogue about working in a male-dominated environment
  • Skill-building opportunities, career-planning tools; support system and networking.
A panel of WIF participants and co-creators will share their experiences on how the program has positively influenced their leadership and careers.
Winnie Kwofie

Winnie Kwofie

Associate Vice President
Facilities Development & Operations
Cal State East Bay
Kimberly Donaville-Davis

Kimberly Donaville-Davis

Director of Operations for the Division of Inclusive Excellence
CSU Sacramento

Traci Ferdolage

Traci Ferdolage

Senior Associate Vice President
Facilities, Development and Operations
San Jose State University
Michelle Chariton

Michelle Chariton

Associate Director of Capital Projects
Facilities Management & Planning
Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo

Panelist Bios

Associate Vice President Facilities Development & Operations

California State University East Bay

Winnie Kwofie is the Associate Vice President of Facilities Development and Operations at California State University, East Bay. She is a registered civil engineer in the State of California with significant years of professional and leadership experience in higher education facilities management, engineering, and construction. Winnie's passion is creating paths for others, especially women, to succeed. Winnie believes leaders create a continued legacy to enable individuals, teams, communities, and organizations to impact themselves and others positively, and that a leader’s interaction with every individual, team, and community matters. Winnie is also a 2nd-year doctoral candidate in the California State University, East Bay Doctorate in Educational Leadership Program.

Director of Operations

California State University- Sacramento

Kimberly Donaville-Davis is the Director of Operations for the Division of Inclusive Excellence at CSU Sacramento. A Bay Area native with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Ethnic Studies from CSU East Bay and a certificate in Construction Management from UC Davis, she recently transitioned from her role as a Project Manager in Facilities Management to pursue her passion in Equity work. Kimberly has worked in Higher Ed for twelve years.

Senior Associate Vice President Facilities, Development and Operations

San Jose State University

Serving as the Senior Associate Vice President for Facilities Development & Operations at San Jose State University, Traci's portfolio includes real estate, planning, design, construction, maintenance and operations, energy, utilities and sustainability, and environmental health and safety services for the overall campus. Traci has served in this capacity for nearly three years after having previously served in a similar capacity at UC Santa Cruz and Cal Poly Humboldt. With over 25 years of experience delivering programs and services in higher education and for local and special district government in California, Traci brings forward a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the development and campus operations including creative strategies to finance, operate and maintain infrastructure. Her focus on sustainability, resilience, and smart growth have been a cornerstone in her focus to develop the best possible environment for learning and growing.

Associate Director of Capital Projects Facilities Management & Planning

Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo

Michelle Chariton,C.E.M. is the Associate Director of Capital Projects at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. She is responsible for directing and implementing a capital project portfolio of about $400 million per year. Michelle brings over 23 years of leadership from the K-12 and higher education sectors. She is a change agent for workforce diversity and an advocate for racial and gender equity in public contracting. Her passion is acting as a modern-day “Myth Buster” using her leadership position to interrogate and remove structural barriers that hinder access of women, LBGTQ+, and BIPOC to the facilities profession. She is the Co-chair of the campus Pride Faculty Staff Association(PFSA) and the Founder of the Women in Facilities Chapter at Cal Poly SLO. Michelle is a wife and a parent of two fierce girls.

Workshops

Mindy Wegner

Make Your Pitch: A Guide to Communicate to Influence

Hosted by Mindy Wegner

The best messages connect with the listener. They inspire your listener to care, to agree, to buy-in to your concept, your idea, your product, your ask. It really doesn't matter what you are talking about, you want your listener to want to listen and to care. You need to consider your content from their lens and organize it in a simple, strong way.
Learn a reliable and time-tested model for organizing your content that delivers your message in a clear, compelling and persuasive manner.
This is a simple method that you can use for any kind of message or any length. People love it for its simplicity to create, its usefulness when presenting, and its effectiveness when communicating to influence!
Lynn Bowes-Sperry Shazia Hussain

How to Step Up Without Stepping On

Hosted by Dr. Lynn Bowes-Sperry- CSUEB

& Shazia Hussain-BS Psychology '13, MBA student, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Bay Area

This workshop is based on a simple concept, i.e., that most employees aren’t harassers but they may observe harassment. When employees observe harassment, they often wish they “could do something about it.” Bystander Involvement Training (TM) provides us with skills to progress from wishing we could do something to helping us do something that benefits not only those being harassed, but also those doing the harassing, and the entire organization.

Workshop Leader Bios

Professor of Management and Jack and Susan Acosta Endowed Chair

Cal State East Bay

Dr. Lynn Bowes-Sperry is an Associate Professor of Management and Jack and Susan Acosta Endowed Chair at California State University – East Bay as well as a Management Consultant and Trainer. She publishes research and conducts training that has practical implications for organizations such as improving their ability to manage problematic interpersonal behavior at work before it escalates to illegal harassment and providing employees with the skills to take effective action when they experience or witness harassment or are faced with other ethical dilemmas at work. Her research on sexual harassment and bystander intervention has been foundational to most current organizational training programs on bystander intervention and has positively impacted the global community through acknowledgment by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Canadian Parliament, Australian Human Rights Commission, and various media outlets such as the Los Angeles Times and abcnews.com. She received her Ph.D. in Management from the University of Connecticut, M.B.A (concentration in HR) from the University of New Haven, and BA in Economics from the College of the Holy Cross.

BS Psychology '13, MBA Student

Director of People and Operations, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Bay

Shazia Hussain is currently the Director of People and Operations at a Bay Area-based nonprofit and is currently enrolled in the MBA program at Cal State East Bay. She earned her BS, in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from CSUEB in 2013. After graduating, she held various positions ranging from customer service to people operations in the tech industry. Shazia is passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion, bringing this lens to all her work because she aspires to build a world where everyone feels a strong sense of belonging, all voices are heard, and all people have the resources they need to thrive.

Closing Panel- The Way We Work

The focus of the panel will be a discussion on the future of work post-pandemic. The pandemic upset the status quo on how we work and we are redefining the workplace. How do you envision this moving forward?
Asha Rao

Asha Rao

Management Professor
Women in Leadership Program Director
Cal State East Bay
Maureen Goode

Maureen Goode

BSBA '90, Senior Director, Revenue to Cash Operations
Google

Danielle Beausoleil

Danielle Beausoleil

MBA '19, Protection Manager, Premier Partner Operations
Meta

Cigdem Gencer

Cigdem Gencer

Founder & Executive Coach at Fazilet Consulting
Valerie Minor

Valerie Minor

Management Consultant 

The North Highland Company

Panelist Bios

Program Director, WIL

Professor of Management, Cal State East Bay

Dr. Asha Rao is a Full Professor of Management at CBE and heads the Human Resource Management and Organizational Behavior area. She conducts research and consults on leadership, negotiations, and diversity and inclusion in a global environment. She has published her research on these topics and presented at many academic and practitioner conferences. Dr. Rao has developed and taught courses based on her areas of expertise at CSUEB, Rutgers, and McGill Universities and received the Outstanding Faculty Awards for Teaching and Service. She is a Senior Fulbright Fellow.

BSBA '90, Sr. Director, Finance

Google

Maureen is a native Northern Californian and an alumni of Cal State Hayward. Today she is a Senior Director at Google, overseeing Order to Cash operations to enable scale in a company which grows at extraordinary rates. Maureen is passionate about advocacy for women and is the founding member of Women@Finance in Google, a board member for GirlVentures, a non profit inspiring girls to lead through outdoor adventure and an advisory member of WIL at CSUEB.
Before joining Google in 2006, Maureen held positions in many types of operations and system development at Agilent, HP, Intel and General Motors. Maureen holds a Masters of Business Administration in Finance from Santa Clara University and a Bachelor of Science in Human Resources from Cal State Hayward.
Maureen lives in Menlo Park with her husband, dog and cat. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, cooking, gardening and reading a good book outside.

MBA '19, Protection Manager, Premier Partner Operations

Meta

Danielle is currently a Senior Manager at Meta focusing on Operations in the platform integrity space. Prior to joining Meta, she was a Senior Manager at Instacart where she had the opportunity to lead her teams through the pandemic, including the evolution from working in-office to working remotely.

Danielle is a CSUEB Alumni (MBA ’19) and was a student in the first Women in Leadership course offered at CSUEB. She’s passionate about taking a human-first approach at people management, being the change that she wants to see in leadership, and empowering women in the workplace.

Board Chair, CFO & Strategist

Founder, Fazilet Consulting

Cigdem Gencer is an inspirational international executive leader with 25+ years of financial services and data/analytics experience. She has extensive success in scaling businesses and leading teams to achieve outstanding business outcomes in startup, turnaround, and mature organizations.

Connecting intellectual rigor with emotional intelligence, Cigdem is an inspirational coach and effective board advisor with proven success guiding tomorrow’s leaders within public, private, and non-profit organizations. Her dedication to building better, stronger leaders led her to launch Fazilet Consulting, where she works with professionals and teams aspiring to accelerate their success. Cigdem's approach helps people understand their own, deeper motivations, how to access their greatness, and develop an inclusive team culture.

Management Consultant 

The North Highland Company

Valerie is a consultant with the North Highland Company. She has over 15 years of experience in financial services, operations, professional services, and non-profit leadership. Specific areas of expertise include: project management, business case development, merger and integration activity, Human Resources service design and delivery, contact center strategy, compliance, and technology.

North Highland is a global consulting firm that has changed the model of how a consultancy serves its clients. We hire only experienced consultants who live and work where our clients live and work, leveraging our global network of service area expertise. We also guarantee our work. As a result, we achieve exceptional results for some of the most recognizable names in the world.

Event Sponsors

Fairlight Advisors

Fairlight Advisors

In alignment with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and certain other federal and state laws, Cal State East Bay prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender or sexual orientation in employment, as well as in all education programs and activities operated by the university (both on and off campus), including admissions.