ATHENA’S 21ST ANNUAL
Pinnacle Awards THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS TITLE SPONSOR
PRESENTING SPONSOR
SUPPORTING SPONSORS
MEDIA SPONSORS
Empowering Progress Together
@AthenaSanDiego
Pinnacle Board of Directors EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT Holly Smithson
Chief Executive Officer | Athena
BOARD OFFICERS ATHENA BOARD CHAIR
ATHENA TREASURER
Managing Partner | High Camp Ventures
Chief Financial Officer | Correlation Ventures
Liz Gasser
Grace Chui-Miller
ATHENA VICE CHAIR
Rashmi Char
VP, Engineering | Qualcomm, Inc.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Lola Adeyemo, Associate
Senior Diversity & Inclusion Specialist Thermo Fisher Scientific
Claudia Baranowski Retired
Kara Bortone
Katherine Kantardjieff
Dean, College of Science and Mathematics Cal State San Marcos
Bridget Kimball
VP and Chief Architect, Consumer Group | Intuit
Constance Maples
Senior Director, Sourcing & Portfolio Manager Johnson & Johnson Innovation, JLABS
Chief Operating Officer Lanyon Advisory Services
Jennifer Brown
Judy Müller-Cohn
Executive Director | EY
Chief Operations Officer | BioFluidica, Inc.
Michele Comtois
Cathy Schnabel
Principal | Marsh & McLennan Agency
Chief Scientific Officer | Biotheranostics, Inc.
Jaye Connolly-LaBelle
Jean Stadwiser
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer RippleNami, Inc.
Shaye Exner
Senior Director of Corporate Sponsorships Biocom
Carolyn Fritz
President | Fritz Consulting LLC
Sabrina Johnson
President and Chief Executive Officer Daré Bioscience
Partner | KPMG
Revathi Subramanian
Managing Director, Global Data Science Executive | Accenture
Charity Williams Associate | Cooley
Lee Wills
Head of Talent Acquisition & Culture SONY
Pinnacle Awards Industry Judges Amy Bergen
Shavon Lindley
Nancy Hong
Leena Patidar
VP BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT The Leadership Edge
CEO ion Learning
MANAGING DIRECTOR RiverVest Venture Partners
MANAGING DIRECTOR, CFO SERVICES Ascent Private Capital Management
Dr. Ciara Kennedy
Lisa Walters-Hoffert
PRESIDENT AND CEO Amplyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Daré Bioscience
Dr. Lauren Lek
HEAD OF SCHOOL Academy of Our Lady of Peace
Pinnacle Steering Committee COMMITTEE CHAIRS: Claudia Baranowski Michele Comtois Bridget Kimball
COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Shaye Exner DeLinda Forsythe Constance Maples Julie Matibag Amy Romaker Julie Tally
Pinnacle Award Nominees INDIVIDUAL IN LIFE SCIENCES
Katherine Atkinson
Athena Countouriotis
CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER Epic Sciences
CEO Turning Point Therapeutics
Denise Bevers
Andria Del Tredici
CO-FOUNDER, PRESIDENT & COO KindredBio
Kara Bortone
SENIOR DIRECTOR OF TRANSLATIONAL GENETICS Millennium Health
Dana DiFerdinando
SENIOR DIRECTOR, SOURCING & PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT Johnson & Johnson Innovation, JLABS
VICE PRESIDENT, ADVANCED ANALYTICS ResMed
Julie Collens
Lawrence Fourgeaud
CEO & FOUNDER Vivid Genomics
SENIOR SCIENTIST, NEUROSCIENCE Janssen R&D
Pinnacle Award Nominees INDIVIDUAL IN LIFE SCIENCES (cont.)
Diane Goostree
Kim Lim
PRESIDENT & CEO Alastin Skincare
CEO Ultimate Labs
Pinnacle Award WINNER
Sheila Gujrathi
Lindsay Mateo
PRESIDENT & CEO Gossamer Bio
HEAD OF COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS Tempus
Lauren Howard
Gail Naughton
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF VETERINARY SERVICES San Diego Zoo Safari Park
CSO, CBDO & FOUNDER Histogen
Nadine Lamberski
Deborah Nguyen
CHIEF ANIMAL HEALTH OFFICER San Diego Zoo Global
VICE PRESIDENT, RESEARCH Cellular Approaches
Pinnacle Award Nominees INDIVIDUAL IN LIFE SCIENCES (cont.)
Mary Nguyen
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Neox Clinical Research
Amara Siva
VICE PRESIDENT, LABORATORY OPERATIONS Millennium Health
Jennie Starr
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING BioForm Solutions
Lindsay Stocks
SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Millennium Health
Steffanie Strathdee
ASSOCIATE DEAN OF GLOBAL HEALTH SCIENCES, CO-DIRECTOR CENTER FOR IPATH UCSD School of Medicine
Claire Weston
FOUNDER & CEO Reveal Biosciences
Nicole Wissemann
CONTINGENT TALENT ACQUISITION & HR BUSINESS PARTNER Bionano Genomics
Pinnacle Award Nominees INDIVIDUAL IN TECHNOLOGY
Theresa Alesso
Jennifer Benedict
PRESIDENT OF IMAGING PRODUCTS & SOLUTIONS PROFESSIONAL DIVISION Sony Electronics
ENTERPRISE ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Managed Solution
Alex Balazs
Kimbra Brookstein
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, CHIEF ARCHITECT Intuit
SENIOR PROGRAM MANAGER, TECH WOMEN @ INTUIT Intuit
Congratulations to the 2019 Pinnacle Awards Nominees for Individual in Technology. Sony is proud of our leaders’ nominations for the Athena Pinnacle Awards: Theresa Alesso, President of Imaging Products & Solutions Professional Division of Sony Electronics, Inc., Maya Wasserman, Senior Marketing Manager of Home Entertainment & Sound of Sony Electronics, Inc., and Elizabeth Simmons, Senior Manager of Business Operations for San Diego Studio, Sony Interactive Entertainment, LLC. We acknowledge our leaders and strive to advance women in leadership and STEM.
#SonyCares @AthenaSanDiego
Theresa Alesso
Maya Wasserman
Elizabeth Simmons
sonyjobs.com ©2019 Sony Electronics Inc. All other trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners.
@SonyElectronics
@_workingmother_
#2019PinnacleAwards
Pinnacle Award Nominees INDIVIDUAL IN TECHNOLOGY (cont.)
Jaclyn Carter
SENIOR MANAGER, NORTH AMERICA APPLICATIONS CONSULTING SERVICES Oracle
Naomi Fortner
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Intuit
Pinnacle Award WINNER
Rashmi Char
VICE PRESIDENT, ENGINEERING Qualcomm
Jaye Connolly-LaBelle
CHAIRMAN & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER RippleNami
Nagin Cox
DEPUTY TEAM CHIEF FOR MARS 2020 ROVER ENGINEERING OPERATIONS TEAM NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Mary Gendron
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT & CIO Qualcomm
Pinnacle Award Nominees INDIVIDUAL IN TECHNOLOGY (cont.)
Alicia Kanbar
DIRECTOR, PRODUCTIVITY & QUALITY Intuit
INTERNAL TALENT ADVISOR Oracle
Angela Guzman
Bridget Kimball
PROGRAM MANAGER, QUICK REACTION CAPABILITIES General Atomics Aeronautical Systems
Andrea Hogan
SENIOR DIRECTOR, MARKETING, NORTH AMERICA AND AUSTRALIA Qualcomm
Anita Jones-Mueller
PRESIDENT & FOUNDER Healthy Dining
VICE PRESIDENT, FELLOW & CHIEF ARCHITECT Intuit Consumer Group
What happens when great minds don’t think alike? ey.com/betterworkingworld #BetterQuestions
© 2019 Ernst & Young LLP. All Rights Reserved. ED None.
Michele Gorostiza
Pinnacle Award Nominees INDIVIDUAL IN TECHNOLOGY (cont.)
Rocio Montes
Johanna Robinson
Jennifer Nemeth
Parul Seth
STAFF SOFTWARE ENGINEER Intuit
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING MANAGER, DEPOT REPAIR & OVERHAUL PROCESSING CENTER General Atomics Aeronautical Systems
Michelle Nikulshin
DIRECTOR, INFORMATION SECURITY Intuit
COO Fōkcus
SENIOR SOFTWARE ENGINEER Intuit
Work with a different kind of Tech Giant At Intuit, you won’t just solve coding problems. You’ll build Giant solutions that power prosperity for millions of people around the world. Learn more at intuitcareers.com
Mia Nunes-Baker
PRINCIPAL SALES CONSULTANT/ ENTERPRISE CLOUD ARCHITECT Oracle
Pinnacle Award Nominees INDIVIDUAL IN TECHNOLOGY (cont.)
Lorelyn Shannon
Joseph Stockunas
CTO Fōkcus
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT Nordson Corporation
Jessica Shinn
Maya Wasserman
INFORMATION SECURITY & RISK MANAGEMENT Qualcomm
SENIOR MARKETING MANAGER, HOME ENTERTAINMENT & SOUND Sony Electronics
Elizabeth Simmons
Caroline Winn
SENIOR MANAGER, BUSINESS OPERATIONS Sony PlayStation
Beth Smits
VICE PRESIDENT, CUSTOMER SUCCESS – CONSUMER GROUP Intuit
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER SDG&E
Pinnacle Award Nominees INDIVIDUAL IN SERVICE
Pinnacle Award WINNER
Alysse Cooper
Pamela Gardner
PRESIDENT ICE
FOUNDER & CEO Biotech Vendor Services
Becky Deller
Kristen Janis
CO-FOUNDER IT Girls
Vidya Dinamani CO-FOUNDER Ad Astra Ventures
MANAGING DIRECTOR Ernst & Young LLP
Our fire risk mitigation programs help protect people and our region. We’re dedicated to taking care of our community and the planet we all share.
DeLinda Forsythe CEO & FOUNDER ICE
2018 EDISON AWARD WINNER Edison Electric Institute’s Highest Honor Watch the video at: sdge.com/EdisonAward © 2019 San Diego Gas & Electric Company. All copyright and trademark rights reserved.
Pinnacle Award Nominees INDIVIDUAL IN SERVICE (cont.)
Linda Kurokawa
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Technology Career Institute, MiraCosta College
Allison Long Pettine CO-FOUNDER Ad Astra Ventures
Angela Ryan
STUDIO MANAGER, INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN Ware Malcomb
Stephanie Seidman PARTNER Dentons US LLP
Advancing Together Stephanie MacLeod
LIFE SCIENCE OPERATIONS DIRECTOR JLL
Mintz is proud to support
Athena and its work to empower women in STEM. We are committed to promoting diversity and inclusion at the firm and in our communities.
Debra Rosen
PRESIDENT & CEO North San Diego Business Chamber
mintz.com Boston | London | Los Angeles | New York | San Diego | San Francisco | Washington © 2019 Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C
Pinnacle Award Nominees INDIVIDUAL IN SERVICE (cont.)
Carla Vallone
PRESIDENT, BOARD OF DIRECTORS Girls, Inc. of San Diego County
Charity Williams ASSOCIATE Cooley LLP
Move the world forward.
Viasat is dedicated to developing the next generation of women leaders. Through our programs for young women in STEAM, our partnerships with local universities to support and recruit women tech talent, our Women in Technology employee resource group, and our best-in-class parental leave benefits, we are committed to fostering an environment where women thrive.
Find out more at viasat.com
Empowering Progress Together
Athena is Proud to be a United Nations Global Compact Partner
Pinnacle Award Nominees RISING STAR
Lola Adeyemo
Ivel Gontan
SENIOR DIVERSITY & INCLUSION SPECIALIST Thermo Fisher Scientific
COMMUNITY PROGRAMS SENIOR MANAGER Fleet Science Center
Tamara Cherwin
Katie Levy
SOFTWARE ENGINEER II Illumina
SOFTWARE ENGINEER II Intuit
Shelby Cohen
Parker Pennington
SOFTWARE ENGINEER II Intuit
POSTDOCTORAL ASSOCIATE San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research
A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR MEDIA SPONSORS
Pinnacle Award Nominees RISING STAR (cont.)
Jenna Ryan
Supriya Thote
CEO Uqora
GOLF BALL R&D ENGINEER Callaway Golf Company
Pinnacle Award WINNER
Kylie Taitano
SOFTWARE ENGINEER Intuit
Maria Uyeda
FULL STACK DEVELOPER Intuit
Pinnacle Scholarship Judges Lola Adeyemo
Constance Maples
SENIOR DIVERSITY & INCLUSION SPECIALIST Thermo Fisher Scientific
COO Lanyon Advisory Services
Claudia Baranowski
Mary Nguyen
Illumina
Praggya Garg, MBA
TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | QUALITY SW ENG | PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Deborah Linggi
SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGIST Intuit
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Neox Clinical Research
Ruchika Rastogi
DIRECTOR OF CORPORATE STRATEGY & PLANNING Illumina
Sheri Willey
AUTOMOTIVE PRODUCT MANAGEMENT Qualcomm
Pinnacle Scholarship Winners
Marisa Beresford
ACADEMY OF OUR LADY OF PEACE STEM Focus: Engineering at MIT
“I hope to participate in at least one international experience, such as a study abroad program and the Athena Pinnacle scholarship will make it easier to do that. Give the global economy we live in, especially in the field of engineering, I think it’s important to speak at least two languages and to have an education informed by international experiences. Beyond the monetary value, it means a lot to know there is a community of women in STEM who support me in my education and career goals.”
Jeanette Chen
MONTE VISTA HIGH SCHOOL
STEM Focus: Management Science and Engineering at Harvard
“Management Science and Engineering may not seem like a typical engineering course, but it offers a complex mix of psychology, politics, calculus, statistics, and language that fascinates me. While it’s more diverse than pure engineering, I believe taking into account human factors in engineering is something that should be applied to all fields, and something that’s necessary for the future. The Athena Pinnacle Scholarship will lessen the financial burden and allow more time to meet new people, take new classes and experience college.”
Pinnacle Scholarship Winners (cont.)
Gillian Folk
ACADEMY OF OUR LADY OF PEACE
Aida Razavilar
CANYON CREST ACADEMY
STEM Focus: Molecular Biology at UCSD
STEM Focus: Neuroscience at Cal Poly
“In college, I hope to study Molecular Biology and concentrate on Genetics. My love of research and the idea of making a direct impact on people in need inspires me to pursue a medical degree as well as a Ph.D. I will never cease to use my passion for medicine for the common good. In particular, I want to make a large-scale impact on society with my small-scale research in molecular genetics. The Athena Pinnacle Scholarship paves the initial steps of the pathway towards accomplishing my dreams.”
“Working in multiple environments within the neuroscientific community inspires new, surprising and useful connections. The brain never ceases to amaze me, and my sense of awe at its extraordinary plasticity only intensifies as my research and mindset continue, to grow, shift and adapt with it. Being recognized by the Athena Foundation allows me to connect more deeply with Athena members who, undoubtedly, are incredible role models. Being part of an empowering group of women serves as an invaluable support system as I venture into college.”
Rachel Kulchar
CARLSBAD HIGH SCHOOL
STEM Focus: Medicine and Mathematics at Stanford
“I yearn to benefit the world through a mathematical lens: quantitative studies. I see myself – in college and beyond – striving daily to discover new medicines while working as a Navy doctor, using math to write prescriptions, administer medications, and interpret test results: saving lives. In this wondrous world, math is my solace, my hope, my inspiration: I cannot wait to make it my future. The Athena Pinnacle Scholarship allows me to continue fighting for women pursuing STEM education across the country and the globe.”
Building for Breakthroughs We proudly support Athena in its mission to empower women in STEM. Congratulations to the 2019 Pinnacle Award winners.
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