APRIL 30, 2026 PRESENTED BY
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Board of Directors
Our Board of Directors consists of a group of dedicated community leaders, who provide strategic oversight, ensure fiscal responsibility, and advance our mission of eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. Their strategic governance promotes and supports critical programs and services across our service geography on an annual basis.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Ella Zheng, President Managing Partner, Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP
Denise Johnson, Vice President (Retired) Northern California Executive Director, Care Coordination, Kaiser Permanente
Carol Dixon, Secretary Chief Human Resources Officer, Bridge 2 Technologies
Janet Nasburg, Treasurer (Retired) Vice President, Enterprise Risk Officer, Salesforce Inc.
MEMBERS AT LARGE
Maureen de Nieva-Marsh Board Trustee, San Rafael Schools
Erica Demster Executive Consultant, Enterprise Business Services, Kaiser Permanente
Mary Morris Architect/Planner
DIRECTORS
Jamie Arreola Owner and Director, Jamie Activates
Karen Ashley Vice President, Corporate Development Integration, Cisco
Gea Carr Realtor, Coldwell Banker Realty
Laurie Deaton (Retired) Co-Founder and Managing Partner, AlphaSignal LLC
Ann Hosein (Retired) Integration CFO
Lily Liu
Social Sector Consultant, Redstone Strategy Group
Kate Morris Senior Director of People Business Partners, Gong
Susan Walsh (Retired) Urban Planner, City of San Jose
Barbara Wakefield (Retired) IT Executive, HP
Anne Woo Mission Manager, Muon Space
Victoria Yang Business Operations Growth and Product Lead, Numeral
TRIBUTE TO WOMEN AWARD
The Tribute to Women Award is awarded to women in executive level positions who exhibit exceptional leadership, uplift others, challenge inequities and inspire future generations to advocate for a more just future.
LINDA S ALEXANDER, Vice President, Democratic Activists for Women Now (DAWN)
NOMINATED BY Carol A. Somersille, Elected Healthcare District Board Member, Member of DAWN, and Physician
Linda is Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of JW Consulting Group, with a career in government contracts, grants, and operations across public and private sectors. She serves as Executive Vice President of DAWN, supporting women candidates, and was the 25th State Assembly Delegate for the Democratic Convention. Linda is active on multiple boards focused on leadership, advocacy, and social justice. She is a graduate of Sacramento State University and has been married to Tony Alexander for 39 years.
JANINE BRUCE, DRPH, MPH, Co-Director, Office of Child Health Equity, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford School of Medicine
NOMINATED BY Lisa Chamberlain, Professor of Pediatrics, Stanford School of Medicine
Janine Bruce, DrPH, MPH, is Co-Director of the Office of Child Health Equity and a senior researcher in the Department of Pediatrics at Stanford School of Medicine. She leads initiatives and educational programs aimed at eliminating health disparities among underserved populations. Collaborating closely with faculty, staff, and trainees, she helps foster community partnerships and mentor research projects that promote health equity. She values partnerships and collaborations with community and policy stakeholders to ensure equitable health and life outcomes for children and families.
NANCY CAPELLI, Senior Director, Software Monetization, NVIDIA
NOMINATED BY Jay Puri, Vice President, Worldwide Field Operations, NVIDIA
Nancy Capelli is a Senior Director of Software Monetization at NVIDIA. At NVIDIA, she has spent nearly 11 years building and scaling a function from a blank slate into a core growth driver. She leads a high-performing team focused on delivering and monetizing software and services at scale. Known for bridging technical and business teams, she drives operational excellence, innovation in business models, and customer-centric solutions that accelerate growth.
TRIBUTE TO WOMEN AWARD
NANCY DARMA, Executive Vice President, Strategic Communications and Engagements, Cisco
NOMINATED BY
Thimaya Subaiya, EVP of Operations, Cisco
Nancy is the Senior Director of Strategic Communications and Engagements for Operations at Cisco, with 20 years of experience in technology strategy, marketing, and communications. Nancy leads communication efforts that shape and amplify the Operations narrative internally and externally. She leads design and delivery of strategic engagements for Cisco’s EVP of Operations and key customers, partners, and government officials. Known for building inclusive, high performing teams and elevating enterprise communications, Nancy’s leadership advances innovation, empowers teams, and maximizes organizational impact.
HEATHER DICKINSON, Vice President, Corporate and Product Communications, Cisco NOMINATED BY Steve Clayton, Senior Vice President & Chief Communications Officer, Cisco
Heather Dickinson is Vice President of Corporate and Product Communications at Cisco, where she leads the company’s external communications strategy. With 30 years of experience in communications and public relations, Heather has built a reputation for translating complex technology into compelling narratives. Prior to Cisco, she held senior roles at Google, Pinterest, Groupon, and E*TRADE. A passionate advocate for early childhood development and female leadership, Heather is based in the Bay Area with her husband and two children.
AMBER EMERY, Project Executive, Blach Construction Company
NOMINATED BY Dan Rogers, President, Blach Construction Company
Amber Emery is a Project Executive at Blach Construction with 20 years of experience in the K–12 education market. She has partnered with school districts across the Bay Area to deliver impactful learning environments that support students and communities. Actively involved in CASH and CASBO, Amber is known for her collaborative leadership and commitment to excellence, building strong relationships and advancing projects that create lasting community benefit.
MARI FUENTES-MARTIN, Vice President for Student Affairs, San José State University
NOMINATED BY Cynthia Teniente-Matson, President, San José State University
Dr. Mari Fuentes-Martin is Vice President for Student Affairs at San José State University and a nationally recognized higher education leader with more than 30 years advancing student success, equity, and belonging. She has led major organizational reforms, expanded student housing and support services, and held senior roles at Texas A&M University-San Antonio, Louisiana State University, and UT Rio Grande Valley. Her achievements include securing the Seal of Excelencia and launching high-impact scholarship and leadership programs for diverse student communities.
TRIBUTE TO WOMEN AWARD
KATE GRASMAN, Chief Information Officer, Heffernan Insurance Brokers
NOMINATED BY Janice Berthold, Executive Vice President, Heffernan Insurance Brokers
Kate Grasman is the Chief Information Officer at Heffernan Insurance Brokers with extensive experience leading IT operations, strategy, and performance management, most recently with Xerox, The Clorox Company and GE Capital. She began her career as a Change Management Consultant at Accenture and was a Product Manager at Siebel Systems developing Customer Relationship Management software. Kate has her Master of Business Administration from Harvard University and her Bachelors of Arts in English from Smith College. She lives in Piedmont California with her two sons and husband. She volunteers in her community by supporting Scouts, coaching youth soccer and basketball.
CRISTI GREEN, Vice President of Cloud Sales, Seagate Technology
NOMINATED BY Adam Less, Senior Vice President Cloud Sales, Seagate Technology
Cristi Green is Vice President of Cloud Sales at Seagate Technology, a pioneer in masscapacity data storage. With a career spanning senior leadership roles, Cristi is known for building high performing, inclusive teams and driving meaningful business impact. She is an executive sponsor for Seagate’s Pride employee resource group, and actively supports initiatives that advance inclusion, opportunity, and positive change.
WINNIE HSU, Engineering Director - Embedded System Software, NVIDIA
NOMINATED BY Dwight Diercks, Senior Vice President, Software Engineering, NVIDIA
Winnie Hsu is a Senior Engineering Director at NVIDIA, leading the Embedded System Software – Linux for Edge that supports NVIDIA’s edge AI platforms that power the next generation of robotics and humanoid AI. Over her 19-year career at NVIDIA, she has grown from an individual contributor into a global leader overseeing teams across the US, Taiwan, China, India, Canada, and Europe, guiding products from early concepts into a multi-billion-dollar edge AI ecosystem.
SO JUNG KIM, Director, Pricing Head, Product Marketing, Applied Materials
NOMINATED BY Jeremy Read, Vice President, Marketing & Business Development, Applied Materials
So Jung Kim is a Director of Product Marketing at Applied Materials, leading global pricing strategy and execution for Applied Global Services (AGS) and a $6B+ services portfolio. With 25+ years of experience, she combines deep technical credibility with commercial leadership to modernize pricing capabilities, deliver measurable business outcomes, and build inclusive, high-performing global teams.
TRIBUTE TO WOMEN AWARD
NATALIE KOMOVICH, Director, Performance Laboratory, NVIDIA
NOMINATED BY John Spitzer, Vice President of Developer and Performance Technology, NVIDIA
Natalie Komovich is a Director in NVIDIA’s Performance Laboratory, leading globally distributed teams across the United States, Canada, Germany, and Shanghai. She holds degrees in physics and nanoelectronics and has spent 13 years at NVIDIA, growing from a manual testing engineer into a senior leader. Natalie drives performance validation for consumer and enterprise products while enabling partner success. She is known for building automation and scalable tools, and leads with values of transparency, intellectual honesty, trust, and respect.
MYTHILI KUMAR, Artistic Director, Abhinaya Dance Company
NOMINATED BY Sharada Bose, Chair of the Board of Abhinaya Dance Company of San Jose
Mythili Kumar is the founder and artistic director of San José’s Abhinaya Dance Company. A master teacher of Bharatanatyam, a classical dance from S.India, she has toured globally and taught at UCSC and SJSU. Her illustrious career is marked by NEA fellowships and Lifetime Achievement Awards from World Arts West and the Isadora Duncan Awards Committee. Recognized as a pioneer, she received the 2015 Legacy Laureate Award for her sustained achievement in propagating Indian classical dance in the U.S.
KAITLIN LEMEI, MD, Medical Director, Pediatric Urgent Care, Sutter Palo Alto Foundation Medical Group
NOMINATED BY Kurt VandeVort, MD, CEO, Sutter Palo Alto Foundation Medical Group
Dr. Kaitlin Lemei is a pediatrician practicing at PAMF Pediatric Urgent Care Mountain View for the past ten years. For the past eight years, she has led her team focusing on fostering trust, mutual support, ongoing education and improvement, and enthusiasm for outstanding care. She is proud to support her team in building a culture of contagious positivity that makes even busy shifts fun and rewarding.
TRIBUTE TO WOMEN AWARD
TRACEY LEWIS TAYLOR, MPH, FACHE, Chief Operating Officer, El Camino Health
NOMINATED BY Chris Brown, Director of Strategic Communications, El Camino Health
Tracey serves as the Chief Operating Officer for El Camino Health and is responsible for providing strategic leadership and management for all hospital operations across a comprehensive portfolio of inpatient and outpatients services supporting more than 4,300 employees. Tracey has committed her career to strengthening organizational performance, improving patient experience, and building systems that improve the culture of safety, accountability, and trust within an organization. She is most passionate about enabling safety and high-quality care and the professional development of others.
LIANA LOUIE, Director of Inclusion & Belonging, Sutter Health - Palo Alto Medical Foundation
NOMINATED BY Dana Beckton, Chief Inclusion and Belonging Officer, Sutter HealthPalo Alto Medical Foundation
Liana Louie is a Director of Inclusion and Belonging at Sutter Health, advancing fair, highperforming cultures across health care, sports, and tech. She champions disability access and inclusive live-sports experiences, supports athletes’ philanthropic initiatives, and has mentored 25+ women through Chi Omega. A proud Chi Omega alumna, she serves on the national Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Committee and advises Stanford’s local chapter.
MELINA MCLARTY, Vice President - Product Experience, HashiCorp, IBM
NOMINATED BY Michael Weingartner, General Manager, IBM
Melina McLarty is a strategic product and design executive in tech with over 15 years of experience leading global teams across product, design, and engineering. Currently VP of Product Experience at IBM, she specializes in scaling high-growth teams and large-scale platforms. Previously, she held senior leadership roles at Nutanix and VMware. Melina holds a Systems Design Engineering degree from the University of Waterloo in Canada and is recognized for her focus on authentic leadership and cross-functional partnerships.
KATE
NICHOLS, Partner, Cooley LLP
NOMINATED BY Shannon Eagan, Partner in charge and Head of the Business Litigation Practice, Cooley LLP Palo Alto
Kate Nichols is a partner at Cooley LLP in Palo Alto, where she advises emerging companies, venture funds, and public companies on IPOs, financings, and M&A. Known for leading complex, high stakes transactions, she manages large, cross functional teams with clarity and collaboration. Equally committed to mentorship and equity, Kate develops early career lawyers, champions women leaders, and helps shape firmwide initiatives that strengthen inclusion, leadership development, and long term impact across the legal and business communities.
TRIBUTE TO WOMEN AWARD
MEENA PAI, MD, Physician in Chief, Kaiser Permanente Greater San Jose Area
NOMINATED BY Kaiser Permanente Greater San Jose Area
Dr. Meena Pai, a practicing pediatrician, is the Physician-in-Chief for the Greater San Jose Area, covering Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and Monterey counties. When the pandemic struck, Dr. Pai led KP San Jose’s response with decisive action- implementing swab tests, optimizing lab workflows, and championing vaccines for patients and the broader community. Her relentless drive for performance improvement and bold, hands-on leadership style has sparked the creation of collaborative teams now elevating the quality of patient care.
CHRISTINE SANTIAGO, MD, MPH, Associate Chair of Community Partnership, Department of Medicine, Stanford School of Medicine
NOMINATED BY Jason Hill, Vice President, Office of Government and Community Affairs, Stanford Health Care
Christine Santiago, MD, MPH, is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Division of Hospital Medicine at Stanford, devoted to advancing health equity. She co-founded the Stanford Health Equity, Advocacy and Research (HEARs) Program, leads community–academic partnerships as Associate Chair for Community Partnership, and developed resident rotations in re-entry, street, and LGBTQ+ care. Her collaborations improve transitions for unhoused patients, strengthen care for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and address food insecurity.
ANNIE SHAIN, Vice President, Americas Services & Software, Cisco
NOMINATED BY Oliver Tuszik, Executive Vice President Global Sales and Chief Sales Officer, Cisco
Annie Shain is the Vice President of Cisco’s Americas Services & Software Sales Organization where she is responsible for accelerating regional growth and driving impactful customer outcomes. Annie has over 25 years of leadership across sales teams at Cisco. A passionate advocate for women in technology, she has launched several impactful diversity initiatives within Cisco. Annie holds a degree in economics from UCLA and is dedicated to empowering the next generation of women in business. 2026
TRIBUTE TO WOMEN AWARD
KIMBERLY SHIVELEY, Director of Development, Security, and Content, IBM
NOMINATED BY Martin Oberhofer, Vice President and Distinguished Engineer, IBM
Kimberly Shiveley is a Director of Engineering, Security, and Content for IBM. She is passionate about aligning engineering excellence, security best practices, and thoughtful design to create trusted, impactful technology solutions.
ARLENE SPILKER, Advanced Practice Clinician Manager, Pediatrics, Sutter Palo Alto Foundation Medical Group
NOMINATED BY Kurt VandeVort, MD, CEO, Sutter Palo Alto Foundation Medical Group
Arlene Spilker DNP, FNP is the pediatric advanced practice clinician manager for the Palo Alto Foundation Medical Group. She has built three fulfilling careers including NICU nurse, university professor and nurse practitioner. Inspired by her mother and supported by her husband, children, friends and colleagues, she is deeply committed to improving care for families.
SARAH WOZNY, Senior Director, Advanced Packaging Disruptive Technology, Applied Materials
NOMINATED BY Vincent DiCaprio, Vice President of Technology Enablement and Business Development, Applied Materials
Dr. Sarah Wozny is a Senior Director at Applied Materials, where she heads the Advanced Packaging Disruptive Technology group, setting Applied Materials panel scale technologies and driving cross-functional execution. Her expertise includes semiconductor manufacturing, advanced packaging, and failure analysis. She is committed to developing talent and has spent more than a decade mentoring and volunteering in STEM.
WOMEN ON THE RISE AWARD
The Women on the Rise Award is a new award recognizing women stepping into leadership as managers and directors who advance equity, uplift their communities, and inspire others through their passion, vision, and dedication.
SHARON CHAN, MS, CGC, MPH, Director, Clinical Genetics and Pharmacy Services, Sutter Health - Palo Alto Medical Foundation
NOMINATED BY Tom Frick, Executive Director, Diagnostic Imaging, Sutter Health - Palo Alto Medical Foundation
Sharon Chan, MS, MPH, CGC, is a distinguished leader in clinical genetics and pharmacy operations. As Area Director at Sutter Health, she oversees complex multidisciplinary teams and advances systemwide initiatives that enhance precision-medicine access and optimize medication delivery. Over her two-decade career, she has contributed significantly to the development of genetic services, education, and international program design. A board-certified genetic counselor, she also serves on the Board of Directors of the American Board of Genetic Counseling.
GANGA DEVADAS, Director, Hardware Engineering, Cisco
NOMINATED BY Mohammad Issa, Senior Vice President, Silicon Engineering, Cisco
Ganga Devadas is a Director of Silicon Engineering at Cisco. She leads one of Cisco Silicon One’s advanced switching silicon efforts, focused on enabling AI deployments for hyperscalers and enterprises. Over her 18 years at Cisco, she has progressed from hands-on work in design and architecture to broader leadership roles, partnering across the Silicon organization to deliver complex silicon solutions. She holds multiple patents, mentors women in hardware, and leads with calm judgment-prioritizing quality and rigor over shortcuts, especially when pressure is highest.
RANDA HINTON, Head of AI Industry Thought Leadership, NVIDIA
NOMINATED BY Laura Fay, Vice President Enterprise Marketing, Corporate Communications, Global Events, NVIDIA
Randa Hinton is a communications and marketing leader with over a decade of experience across brand, storytelling, and strategic campaigns. At NVIDIA, she leads AI industry thought leadership and has built global partner marketing programs, working closely with cloud and ecosystem partners to bring joint innovation to market. Her career reflects a non-linear path grounded in curiosity, execution, and growth. She is known for sharing reflections on leadership, faith, and building a career with intention, impact, and a little edge.
WOMEN ON THE RISE AWARD
SEEMA
KUMAR, Principal Engineer, NVIDIA
NOMINATED BY Arjun Prabhu, Vice President GPU ASIC Engineering, NVIDIA
Seema is an Engineer in the HW ASIC Design Team at Nvidia, Santa Clara. She has been a key contributor in developing high-speed interconnects across Nvidia’s products. A firm believer that groundbreaking chip design is a "team sport," she balances technical rigor with a collaborative spirit, aiming to make the complex process of silicon creation both fun and gratifying. Outside work, she is a lifelong learner who finds inspiration in exploring the world around her.
ARLEN MCDANIEL, Vice President, Senior Market Development Manager, Technology Credit Union
NOMINATED BY Richard P. Ruiz, Vice President Growth & Market Development, Technology Credit Union
Arlen McDaniel is Vice President, Senior Market Development Manager at Technology Credit Union, bringing 25 years of experience in strategic partnerships, financial education, and community impact. Proud of her Latino heritage, she is deeply committed to service, supporting nonprofit organizations such as Shine Together, Breakthrough Silicon Valley, Women Innovators, to name a few. Arlen leads initiatives that expand access to inclusive financial solutions, helping families build confidence and long-term stability. She is also a proud working mother of three boys.
HSINYU
(SIDNEY) TSAI, PHD, Principal Research Scientist, IBM
NOMINATED BY Vandana Mukherjee, Senior Research Manager, IBM Research - Silicon Valley, IBM
Sidney Tsai received her Ph.D. from the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science department at MIT in 2011. After graduation, Sidney joined IBM and specialized in advanced lithography for logic and memory. Sidney currently works at the IBM Research Silicon Valley Lab in San Jose, as the manager of the Analog AI team. Her team designs next-generation AI accelerators that leverage analog in-memory computing to maximize speed and energy efficiency. She holds 75 patents and published numerous papers in top-tier journals.
WOMEN ON THE RISE AWARD
YAN (CATHERINE) WU, Program Director, Db2 for z/OS, IBM NOMINATED BY Skyla Loomis, General Manager, IBM Z Software
Catherine (Yan) Wu is Program Director at IBM, leading AI innovation to help organizations unlock meaningful insights from their data. With deep expertise in enterprise data and emerging technologies, she is passionate about making AI practical and accessible. Catherine actively supports and mentors the next generation, promoting equity and growth within the technology community.
WALK TO END VIOLENCE
YWCA Golden Gate Silicon Valley’s annual Walk a Mile in Their Shoes is a family-friendly community event to raise awareness about the serious issues of sexual assault and domestic violence. Lace up your favorite shoes and walk with business leaders, elected officials, professionals, educators, students, and other supporters passionate about ending violence. Sign up today
EMERGING LEADER AWARD
The Emerging Leader Award is awarded to women who are high achievers in the first five years of their career and who demonstrate strong potential for promotion and upward mobility.
ALIYA KASSAM, MENG, Mechanical Engineer, Applied Materials
NOMINATED BY Jagan Rangarajan, Managing Director, Mechanical Engineer, Applied Materials
Aliya Kassam is a Mechanical Engineer at Applied Materials and an emerging engineering leader known for combining technical excellence with people-centered leadership. Her leadership in additive manufacturing has accelerated innovation and strengthened team productivity. She champions inclusive, cross-disciplinary collaboration, mentors engineers, and actively contributes to employee and community initiatives, cultivating a culture where people feel empowered to contribute and lead.
STELLA LANDERS, Flagship Events Keynote Production Coordinator, Cisco NOMINATED BY Carrie Palin, Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer, Cisco
As a Flagship Events Keynote Production Coordinator at Cisco, Stella is passionate about crafting powerful keynote sessions designed to emotionally engage, inspire, and educate global audiences. In just 3.5 years, she has assumed a high-visibility role coordinating keynote strategy and execution across Cisco’s events portfolio. Known for building trusted partnerships with c-suite executives and their teams, Stella thrives on solving complex problems in fast paced environments and is passionate about supporting fellow early-in-career marketers navigate the corporate landscape.
JENNIFER NGUYEN, Physical Therapist Assistant, Sutter Health - Palo Alto Medical Foundation
NOMINATED BY Cuong Pho, Manager, Rehab, Sutter Health - Palo Alto Medical Foundation
Jennifer Nguyen is a Physical Therapist Assistant specializing in orthopedic and oncology rehabilitation. She is passionate about empowering patients through education, advocacy, and personalized care, helping them regain confidence during vulnerable moments. A Certified Oncology Rehab Specialist, Jennifer contributes to program development and shares her expertise to advance evidence-based care. She is dedicated to improving patient experiences by making care more accessible, supportive, and centered around each individual’s needs and voice.
EMERGING LEADER AWARD
RANJANI RAVINDRABHARATHY, Data Scientist, Applied Materials
NOMINATED BY
Maura Sullivan, Managing Director, Technical Program Management, Applied Materials
Ranjani Ravindrabharathy is a Data Scientist at Applied Materials who has made a significant impact advancing enterprise AI initiatives. She has played a key role in deploying enterprise AI software and is responsible for licensing strategy and usage analytics for an organization of over 14,000 employees, shaping executive decision-making and accelerating adoption. She also creates practical AI training and communications that empower employees at all experience levels to apply AI effectively in their day-to-day work.
PRESENTED BY
NONPROFIT EXCELLENCE AWARD
The Nonprofit Excellence Award is awarded to women in executive-level positions at 501c3 nonprofit organizations who embrace the spirit of women’s empowerment, confront inequities, and serve as role models for the next generation of leaders.
ANTOINETTE RENEE BATTISTE, Chair, Board of Directors, YWCA of the MidPeninsula Donor Advised Fund
NOMINATED BY Board of Directors, YWCA of the Mid-Peninsula Donor Advised Fund
Antoinette has advanced the YWCA’s mission to eliminate racism and empower women and girls within the Bay Area and YWCA communities for 40 years. She was a founding member and current Board Chair of the YWCA of the Mid-Peninsula DAF, providing support through grants to organizations throughout the Peninsula dedicated to the YWCA’s mission. A solo entrepreneur, Antoinette provides college counseling services to high school students. She is a Board Trustee for IECA Foundation and is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
KEISHA BROWDER, Chief Executive Officer, United Way Bay Area
NOMINATED BY Gioia McCarthy, UWBA Board Chair, Bank of America President, San Francisco - East Bay
Keisha Browder is a trailblazing nonprofit leader whose 25-year career has been defined by one mission: building equitable pathways to prosperity for all. As CEO of United Way Bay Area — the first Black chief executive in the organization’s century-long history — she drives the charge to dismantle the root causes of poverty by connecting Bay Area families to housing, employment, financial stability, and basic needs support. A proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Keisha serves on several boards, including Bay Federal Credit Union and the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Silicon Valley Chapter.
ELISE
LALOR, Executive Director, Monkey Tail Ranch
NOMINATED BY Sheila Hatch, President, Decca Design
Elise Lalor is the Executive Director of Monkey Tail Ranch, a nonprofit that breeds, trains, and places facility and service dogs in schools, law enforcement, and community agencies. Under her leadership, these placements are provided free of charge, sustained through grants and community fundraising. Blending canine development expertise with strategic nonprofit management, Elise has built sustainable partnerships that expand access to wellness and support services while ensuring each dog and handler team receives lifelong training, veterinary care, and ongoing support.
NONPROFIT EXCELLENCE AWARD
DR. SIMONE LUNDQUIST, PHD, Founder and Executive Director, Open Doors To Future Possibilities
NOMINATED BY Lisa Intrieri Caputo, Vice President and Board Member, Open Doors to Future Possibilities
Dr. Simone Lundquist is a visionary, an influential thought-leader, educator, and counselor. She is the Founder and Executive Director of Open Doors to Future Possibilities–her nonprofit that is dedicated to serving Veterans and their families. Her extensive academic training, studies in quantum physics and spirituality along with her travels and personal experiences in combat zones led her to develop Tri-Axis Narrative Theory. This innovative approach to counseling has helped thousands, with over 85% successful outcomes in less than 6 months.
LISA MALLETTE, Executive Artistic Director, City Lights Theater Company
NOMINATED BY Feroze Taraporevala, Vice President, Board of Directors, City Lights Theater Company
Lisa Mallette has been at the helm of City Lights since 2001, leading the company through unprecedented artistic and administrative growth. A member of Actors’ Equity Association and SAG/AFTRA, she has worked for theaters throughout the Western United States as an actor, director and manager. Lisa is a member of Theatre Bay Area, San Jose Rotary and the Congregational Church of San Mateo. In 2023 she was named a Woman of Influence by the Silicon Valley Business Journal.
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ALLY AWARD
The Ally Award is a new honor awarded to an individual (of any gender identity) whose sustained commitment, actions, and leadership have championed equity, opportunity, and inclusion for women — especially women of color — in spaces where they are historically underrepresented or undervalued.
GINGER BRYAN, Director Non-Tech Project and Program Management, Applied Materials
NOMINATED BY Katie Ferrick, Managing Director of Global Community Affairs, and Krupa Jagannath & Sue Mao, Co-Presidents of Women’s Professional Development Network, Applied Materials
Ginger Bryan is Director of Non Technical Product Management at Applied Materials with 35 years at the company. She has worked across multiple functions and business units, including Engineering and IT. Today, she leads efforts to improve tools and processes supporting the Global Field Group. A committed advocate for women, Ginger served three years as President of the Santa Clara chapter of the Women Professional Development Network and continues mentoring women at Applied Materials and those early in their careers. 2026
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CHILDREN received quality care and education through childcare
WHAT DOES YWCA’S IMPACT LOOK
