The way forward for expertise is brilliant, 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 related 73 brilliant younger college students with the huge potential of STEM, supported by 13 devoted educators. These gifted members hail from Cisco Networking Academy faculties, a strategic partnership that permits us to successfully attain and encourage the subsequent era 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 fulfilling actions. This occasion blends inspiring talks, hands-on labs, mentorship, and networking into an attractive and academic expertise.
Ladies Energy Tech is extra than simply an occasion. It’s a motion devoted to empowering ladies and younger girls to pursue careers in expertise and bridge the gender hole in STEM. We’re cultivating the subsequent era 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. Bear in mind, you belong on this area.”
—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 throughout 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 related this to the ladies’ potential by means of her empowering message:
“Rejection is simply redirection. True innovators make NEW worlds when the outdated ones don’t settle for them.”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.
Partaking actions
To interrupt the ice and foster connections, the attendees participated in a vigorous Networking Bingo Recreation. This enjoyable and interactive exercise inspired college students to step outdoors their consolation zones, meet new folks, and uncover shared pursuits, constructing a supportive and collaborative ambiance proper from the beginning.
To provide our brilliant younger attendees a style of various aspects of expertise and join them with inspiring function fashions, we ran our labs and pace mentoring periods in a dynamic rotation.
- AI Lab: Fitted to Victory – Younger minds explored the fundamentals of synthetic intelligence by means 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 study, 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 realized to program and management progressive programmable robotic balls by means of a LEGO maze. This hands-on expertise helped foster problem-solving expertise, 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, centered conversations allowed the younger girls to ask questions, achieve insights into completely different profession paths, and obtain personalised recommendation and encouragement.
The day culminated in an Awards ceremony, celebrating the members’ enthusiasm, engagement, and newfound data. The grins on the scholars’ faces as they acquired recognition have been a testomony to the occasion’s influence.
Extra than simply tech
Ladies Energy Tech isn’t nearly technical expertise; it’s about constructing a robust, supportive group the place younger girls really feel empowered, assured, and know their voices and concepts are valued.
We have been notably moved by the conversations we overheard – ladies sharing their aspirations and inspiring one another to pursue their goals fearlessly. This sense of camaraderie and mutual assist is precisely what Ladies Energy Tech goals to domesticate.
What attendees stated
“My favourite a part of the occasion was getting to attach one-on-one with the unimaginable folks from Cisco. I cherished 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 chances forward. My largest takeaway was the significance of staying open-minded and dedicated to steady studying. I noticed that mindset can open doorways you didn’t even know existed!”
—Jassmin
“I used to be scared, at all times asking myself, ‘What if it’s laborious? However you guys confirmed me what it means to work in expertise and what it may well do for the folks. You confirmed me that, regardless of my pursuits, tech at all times has a spot for somebody. I thanks for all you have got carried out!”
—Aaliya
“Thanks for internet hosting this nice occasion. It was inspiring and really helpful. The wonderful mentors I’ve met by means of networking have considerably modified my life choices. As an immigrant, I don’t have a lot steerage in these features of my profession, and this occasion was an incredible alternative for me. Thanks!”
—Nameless Thank-You Word
Trying forward
Ladies Energy Tech 2025 was an funding sooner or later. It was a day when younger girls found their potential, related with function fashions, and realized {that a} profession in expertise is just not solely doable but additionally extremely thrilling and significant. The vitality and enthusiasm witnessed all through the day left little question that the way forward for tech is in brilliant fingers. We are able to’t wait to see the wonderful issues these younger girls will obtain!
To make sure the continued success and progress of this annual Ladies Energy Tech occasion, we constantly 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 all in favour of getting concerned, electronic mail us.
Thanks to everybody who made it doable
Our honest gratitude to The Batiste Challenge 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 sensible ladies 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 photographs utilizing #GirlsPowerTech2025!
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