Minority Innovation Weekend

According to a Pew Research Center report, “the majority of STEM workers in the U.S. are white (69%), followed by Asians (13%), blacks (9%) and Hispanics (7%).”

In this episode we discuss African American and Hispanic American experiences in the STEM workforce with Andres Marquez (Software Engineer at Facebook), Jazmine Staten (IT Project Manager at Dell Technologies), Marisol Monzon (Medical Student at University of Utah), Tori Sombright (Educational Technology Coordinator, Plano Independent School District), Carlton Sapp (VP of Analytics and AI at Gartner), and Lee Pham (Principal - Cybersecurity, Privacy, Intellectual Property, and Governance at Teleiosis)

Mr. Chris Allen is a serial innovator and founder of CJA Systems sits down with the MIW Podcast team to discuss innovation and being a founder of a tech startup.

As Innovation Director, Andre is responsible for driving value creation through cross-enterprise solutions (product, services and programs) that impact the future of AARP and deliver new value to the 50+. He is responsible for developing and executing the strategy and vision for new innovative product offerings, including developing product vision and roadmaps, prioritizing initiatives, and helping to articulate the value of the offerings to the enterprise.

Episode 2020-024: Stephanie Lonard, Founder & President at Technically Minded Talent

Ms. Stephanie Lonard owns and operates a recruitment firm, Technically Minded Talent, for technical talent to provide the best experience for both the hiring manager and candidate. Technically Minded Talent's mission is to increase accuracy and speed of each match.

Ms. Lonard is also a versatile and experienced Senior Project Manager and Process Engineer with 8 years of experience in Oil and Gas and Manufacturing. She has led capital projects of up to $12 Million and has highly transferable cross-functional skills, technical proficiency and operational knowledge. She is skilled in planning, design, development and maintenance of production facilities, equipment and systems. Knowledgeable in analytical chemistry. She is also effective at leading collaborative teams across divisions to develop and implement process improvements, equipment upgrades, and solutions for complex technical challenges at manufacturing facilities.

MIW Disruptive Podcast Episode 2020-023: Tai Hutchinson, Innovation | Strategic Partnerships + Operations | Program Manager Techstars NYC

Ms. Tai Hutchinson is an experienced Program Manager at Techstars NYC where she runs operations and recruits incoming classes. In addition to being a program manager, Tai has a wealth of experience in Business Development, Program Management, Partnership Development.

MIW Disruptive Podcast Episode 2020-022: Jennifer Chiang | Director of Customer Success at Yup | Author of The Startup's Guide to Customer Success

Jennifer Chiang is the Director of Customer Success at Yup Technologies, Author of The Startup's Guide to Customer Success, mental health advocate, political economist, and speaker. She is a leader who is passionate about helping companies - particularly startups - unlock the true potential of customer success through analytics, empowerment, and a truly customer-centric mindset.

Ms. Chiang also gave a talk on Customer Acquisition & Gaining Traction at Minority Innovation Weekend 2020.

MIW Disruptive Podcast Episode 2020-021: Dr. Dane Brown | Cybersecurity | Biometrics | Privacy & Trust | Cryptography

Dane Brown is an Assistant Professor in the Cyber Science Department at the United States Naval Academy. He holds a B.S in Electrical Engineering (USNA '05) and an M.S. in Computer Engineering (NPS '06). He completed a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering (Virginia Tech '19) with a focus on analyzing the security of firmware in ARM environments.

Dane has worked at the Naval Academy since 2010. Originally an instructor in the Electrical Engineering department, he quickly got involved in teaching and developing courses for the new Cyber additions to the Naval Academy core curriculum. In 2014, he was hired into the new Cyber Science department and charged with helping to create the curriculum and course sequence for the emergent Cyber Operations major. To this end, he has adapted and delivered a course which introduces students to computer architecture and design principles in a hands-on format.

Adrianna Samaniego is an Investor at Female Founders Fund, the pre-eminent early-stage fund investing in female-founded technology companies. Since its founding in 2014, Female Founders Fund has invested in over 50 of the fastest-growing female-led technology companies nationwide. These include category leaders like Zola, Billie, Co–Star, Tala, ELOQUII, Primary Kids, Bento Box, Kin Euphorics, Peanut, WinkyLux, Rent The Runway, and more.

Prior to joining Female Founders Fund, she worked as a Summer Investment Associate at JetBlue Ventures, Harlem Capital Partners, & New Media Ventures. Adrianna spent eight years in tech, formerly as Co-founder & Co-CEO at Area 120 Google’s Startup Incubator. In this role, she led a team to rapidly build and launch a B2B marketplace for Fortune 500 companies to procure from diverse-owned companies. Adrianna also formerly led and created Google's Global Supplier Diversity Program that created over $1B in opportunities for diverse-owned businesses.

Adrianna is passionate about removing inequities and increasing diversity in VC and Tech ecosystems. Adrianna’s excellence in the workplace and community has been recognized on many occasions, including University of Georgia 40 Under 40, Silicon Valley Latino Emerging Leader Award, Hispanic Association of Corporate Responsibility Corporate Achiever Award, Technology Industry Group Top Innovator Award, and Top Latinas at Tech Giants. Adrianna Samaniego is of Mexican descent and was born and raised in the small border town of Douglas, Arizona. She holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BA from the University of Georgia.

Tsahia Hobson is a healthcare enthusiast working to transform patient care for all of us while driving creative and innovative solutions with technology. Tsahia is an Innovation leader who solves complex business problems across operational lanes. She evaluates current trends and ideas to identify opportunities for innovation by understanding problems, needs, and ideas. She manages large-scale enterprise transformations, with experience in bringing new products and services to market, and the ability to lead in entrepreneurial, fast-paced environments.

MIW Disruptive Podcast Episode 2020-018: Michael Ogunsanya, CEO & Co-Founder of MindStand Technologies

Michael Ogunsanya, CEO & Co-Founder of Mindstand Technologies sits down with the MIW podcast team to discuss launching MindStand Technologies. MindStand Technologies is an artificial intelligence specializing in detecting online harassment, hate speech, and potential safety risks.

Instances of cyberbullying, hate speech, and threatening behaviors are identified by MindStands advanced machine learning algorithms and reported in real time. MindStand Technologies merges clinical psychology with advanced technology to foster a healthy online community.