A Night for Women As Leaders 

It’s now more critically important than ever to deeply understand the actual issues facing leaders in the San Diego region, particularly those faced by STEM leaders who happen to be women.

San Diego Startup Week: Women in Biotech

Athena San Diego led the discussion surrounding women in biotechnology during recent Start Up Week programming. The panel represented a diverse group of experiences and was comprised of four local women CEOs: Magda Marquet, Stephanie Hsieh, Lori Yang, and Claire Weston, with moderation by Athena Executive Director Cheryl Goodman. 

Design for Delight: a TSIG workshop event and Intuit's new advocate role for women

By Jacqui Busick

Kimbra Brookstein mingled with technology professionals around tables of antipasti, mini cupcakes and sangria at the Technology Special Interest Group’s event “Bold Women Discover Their Mojo” last Wednesday, June 7th. These women had a chance to unite in a social setting inside of Intuit’s café before uniting to empower each other in their careers around workshop tables.

San Diego American Marketing Association Interview with Cheryl Goodman 

Rising Stars in STEM are Found in Athena

Two Sisters Light a Path to Success at Illumina

Despite the rapid growth of technology, there is still a significant disparity in gender representation when it comes to Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) fields. Over half of the US population ages 15 to 64 is female, yet only 14 percent of computer science majors are female. The discrepancy continues though studies, such as Harvard Business Review, show that having a woman on the team raises the group’s performance, collective intelligence and ultimate success.

Each year, the San Diego Business Journal recognizes dynamic women business leaders who have contributed significantly to San Diego’s business, civic and cultural landscape at the annual Women Who Mean Business awards.

On November 17^th, I attended the 2020 Women on Boards Luncheon at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion at the Music Center in Los Angeles.  I found my way to my table that was very much on the periphery and I wondered if I would even be able to hear the keynote by Debra Reed, CEO of Sempra Energy, from where I sat. 

With competing statistics and polarizing politics, the very existence of the gender pay gap is often called into question. Debates rage over the level of wage disparity, its significance and what the driving factors are. 

Athena's Executive Director, Cheryl Goodman, recently emceed Qualcomm Venture’s 11th Annual CEO Summit. The event showcased the great minds, groundbreaking innovations and insights of Qualcomm’s 140+ portfolio companies. We were particularly impressed by keynote speakers astronaut Captain Scott Kelly, who just returned from spending a year in space, and Diana Nyad, who became the only person to swim from Cuba to Florida at the age of 64 years old.  

The Internet of Things – Too Much Information?

The world is rapidly becoming a smarter, more connected place. Everything, from phones to vehicles, are now “Smart.” What does that mean for us as consumers? Does the value and convenience outweigh the potential risks? Click here to learn more about Athena’s upcoming panel discussion to explore the Internet of Things and what it really means on a practical level.

As STEM leaders we are often called upon to present technical and complex information. Whether in 1:1 interviews, in the boardroom or to audiences of hundreds, how confident are you in your ability to hold an audiences attention?

Studies consistently show that having women on corporate boards is a smart business decision, with organizations seeing higher return on equity, higher price/book value and higher payout ratio. Yet corporations throughout San Diego County have been slow to embrace diversity on their boards.

Study finds San Diego’s public companies have fewer women on their boards than their national counter parts.
Reprinted from June 11, 2016 SDBJ article page 1, Page 53

And while there were no contested director elections at San Diego public companies in 2015, 75 percent of local companies risk the ire of big investors in the way they fill uncontested board seats.

That is according to a recent report from Cooley LLC. The law firm and Board Governance Research compiled data on the boards of the region’s 51 largest public companies, with the help of the Corporate Directors Forum and data provider Equilar Inc. There are more than 80 publicly traded companies in San Diego County.

Mental Toughness is the #1 Predictor of Success

Why can some people perform at their best when the stakes are high, while others fail?

Performance strategist, Renita Kalhorn presented tactics and strategies for Forging a Mental Six-Pack to give a packed house the tools we need for professional and personal success.

Current technological advancements in genetics, artificial intelligence, robotics, nanotechnology, 3D printing and biotechnology are bringing about an unprecedented rate of change in how we live and work.   Athena’s SIG Associate Group hosted an expert panel who addressed how we can “Future-Proof “our careers in response to these technology trends. Below are some of the key messages from the panel discussion.

Athena's Associate SIG hosted an expert panel that addressed how technology is changing our career paths. See photos from the event here!

A feeling of belonging is one of the strongest predictors of a female being attracted to a STEM career.

Read this enlightening article written by Athena member, Merrilyn Datta - Chief Commercial Officer of Definiens, and reprinted from Entrepreneur Magazine