Enjoy photos from the Velocity conference
By Cheechee Lin
A full house gathered for the annual UCLA Anderson Women’s Leadership Summit, which convened under the theme Velocity. In quick but thoughtful succession, speakers and panelists took the stage for engaged and interactive programming, including breakout sessions and keynote panels.
Alumna Jane Bove (EMBA ’01), director of partner solutions at Microsoft, moderated a panel addressing gender imbalances in the tech industry. It featured Kira Makagon, EVP of innovation at RingCentral; Kelly Merryman, VP of content partnerships at YouTube; Courtney Montpas, West Coast regional GM of Hired Inc.; and Amanda Reed, founder and partner at Authentic Partners.
With a passion for women in tech, Bove engages in recruiting at universities, mentoring and chairing retention events. She is an active supporter for girls’ education with the Kiran Anjali Project and Hour of Code. All five women have made an impact in the tech industry. They related poignant experiences and cautionary tales, but kept the momentum with upbeat conclusions. Makagon’s summation was: “Tech is fun! You have the opportunity to experience (innovations) ahead of everybody. But only go into tech because you genuinely like it — not because it pays well or because it’s trendy.”
Continue reading "Amid the Chaos of Tech, Fun and Opportunity" »