The way forward for expertise is shiny, particularly after the resounding success of the seventh annual Cisco Ladies Energy Tech, held on the Cisco campus in Richardson, Texas, on April 17, 2025!
This impactful occasion linked 73 shiny younger college students with the huge potential of STEM, supported by 13 devoted educators. These proficient members hail from Cisco Networking Academy colleges, a strategic partnership that permits us to successfully attain and encourage the following technology of tech professionals.
What’s Ladies Energy Tech?
In celebration of Worldwide Ladies in Info and Communication Expertise (ICT) Day, Cisco Richardson hosts Networking Academies throughout the North Texas Metroplex, providing college students a full day of empowerment, studying, and pleasant actions. This occasion blends inspiring talks, hands-on labs, mentorship, and networking into an interesting and academic expertise.
Ladies Energy Tech is extra than simply an occasion. It’s a motion devoted to empowering women and younger girls to pursue careers in expertise and bridge the gender hole in STEM. We’re cultivating the following technology of innovators, problem-solvers, and tech leaders.
A day of inspiration and exploration
Inspiring messages
The day kicked off with an inspiring keynote handle from Melissa Kraft, the CIO of the Metropolis of Frisco. She shared her tech journey, highlighting its energy and boundless alternatives, and delivered a profound message to the younger girls:
“Tech is highly effective. YOU make it significant. Keep in mind, you belong on this house.”
—Melissa Kraft, CIO, Metropolis of Frisco
Constructing on this momentum, the ladies then engaged in a considerate dialogue, sharing their private inspirations and what sparks their curiosity inside the world of expertise.
Following the keynote, Veronica Valladarez, Cisco Account Govt – Portfolio, delivered an inspiring handle.
She vividly shared the exceptional story of Cisco co-founder Sandy Lerner and her resilient journey of turning adversity into a brand new, profitable enterprise. Veronica then linked this to the ladies’ potential by way of her empowering message:
“Rejection is simply redirection. True innovators make NEW worlds when the previous ones don’t settle for them.”
—Veronica Valladarez, Account Govt, Cisco Portfolio
Her phrases deeply resonated, fostering self-belief and resilience to encourage the younger girls to worth their distinctive views.
Participating actions
To interrupt the ice and foster connections, the attendees participated in a vigorous Networking Bingo Sport. This enjoyable and interactive exercise inspired college students to step exterior their consolation zones, meet new folks, and uncover shared pursuits, constructing a supportive and collaborative environment proper from the beginning.
To provide our shiny younger attendees a style of various sides of expertise and join them with inspiring function fashions, we ran our labs and velocity mentoring classes in a dynamic rotation.
- AI Lab: Suited to Victory – Younger minds explored the fundamentals of synthetic intelligence by way of a hands-on experiment. On this exercise, they skilled a mannequin to categorise fits of playing cards utilizing their webcam. They explored how algorithms be taught, experimented with picture recognition software program, and even brainstormed how AI may very well be used to unravel real-world issues.
- Sphero Lab: Maze Mayhem – College students discovered to program and management progressive programmable robotic balls by way of a LEGO maze. This hands-on expertise helped foster problem-solving abilities, creativity, and a deeper understanding of programming ideas.
- Pace Mentoring – This supplied a useful alternative for the scholars to attach with a various group of achieved professionals from varied tech fields. The rapid-fire, targeted conversations allowed the younger girls to ask questions, achieve insights into totally different profession paths, and obtain personalised recommendation and encouragement.
The day culminated in an Awards ceremony, celebrating the members’ enthusiasm, engagement, and newfound information. The grins on the scholars’ faces as they acquired recognition had been a testomony to the occasion’s affect.
Extra than simply tech
Ladies Energy Tech isn’t nearly technical abilities; it’s about constructing a robust, supportive neighborhood the place younger girls really feel empowered, assured, and know their voices and concepts are valued.
We had been notably moved by the conversations we overheard – women sharing their aspirations and inspiring one another to pursue their desires fearlessly. This sense of camaraderie and mutual assist is strictly what Ladies Energy Tech goals to domesticate.
What attendees mentioned
“My favourite a part of the occasion was getting to attach one-on-one with the unbelievable folks from Cisco. I liked listening to everybody’s profession trajectories because it gave me a lot perspective—it helped me keep grounded in my very own imaginative and prescient whereas fascinated with all the probabilities forward. My largest takeaway was the significance of staying open-minded and dedicated to steady studying. I spotted that mindset can open doorways you didn’t even know existed!”
—Jassmin
“I used to be scared, all the time asking myself, ‘What if it’s exhausting? However you guys confirmed me what it means to work in expertise and what it could possibly do for the folks. You confirmed me that, regardless of my pursuits, tech all the time has a spot for somebody. I thanks for all you could have finished!”
—Aaliya
“Thanks for internet hosting this nice occasion. It was inspiring and really helpful. The wonderful mentors I’ve met by way of networking have considerably modified my life selections. As an immigrant, I don’t have a lot steerage in these elements of my profession, and this occasion was a terrific alternative for me. Thanks!”
—Nameless Thank-You Be aware
Wanting forward
Ladies Energy Tech 2025 was an funding sooner or later. It was a day when younger girls found their potential, linked with function fashions, and realized {that a} profession in expertise will not be solely doable but additionally extremely thrilling and significant. The power and enthusiasm witnessed all through the day left little question that the way forward for tech is in shiny fingers. We are able to’t wait to see the wonderful issues these younger girls will obtain!
To make sure the continued success and development of this annual Ladies Energy Tech occasion, we persistently want devoted leaders to help with coordination, supportive companions to fund participating actions, and impactful audio system to encourage our attendees.
In case you are interested by getting concerned, e mail us.
Thanks to everybody who made it doable
Our honest gratitude to The Batiste Mission for our Tech labs, and to our Cisco Inclusive Group sponsors, Ladies in Science and Engineering (WISE) and Conexión LatinX Community.
A heartfelt due to the 13 devoted educators, two inspiring audio system, 40 enthusiastic volunteers, 11 dedicated Ladies Energy Tech leaders, and particularly the good women who participated. You all introduced the imaginative and prescient of Ladies Energy Tech to life.
What was your favourite a part of Ladies Energy Tech 2025? Share your ideas and pictures utilizing #GirlsPowerTech2025!
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