The way forward for expertise is brilliant, particularly after the resounding success of the seventh annual Cisco Girls Power 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 proficient contributors hail from Cisco Networking Academy colleges, a strategic partnership that enables us to successfully attain and encourage the following technology of tech professionals.
What is Girls Power Tech?
In celebration of International Girls in Information and Communication Technology (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 enticing and academic expertise.
Girls Power 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 deal with from Melissa Kraft, the CIO of the City of Frisco. She shared her tech journey, highlighting its energy and boundless alternatives, and delivered a profound message to the younger girls:
“Tech is powerful. YOU make it meaningful. Remember, you belong in this space.”
—Melissa Kraft, CIO, City of Frisco
Building 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 Executive – Portfolio, delivered an inspiring deal with.
She vividly shared the outstanding 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 her empowering message:
“Rejection is just redirection. True innovators make NEW worlds when the old ones don’t accept them.”
—Veronica Valladarez, Account Executive, Cisco Portfolio
Her phrases deeply resonated, fostering self-belief and resilience to encourage the younger girls to worth their distinctive views.
Engaging actions
To break the ice and foster connections, the attendees participated in a energetic Networking Bingo Game. This enjoyable and interactive exercise inspired college students to step outdoors their consolation zones, meet new individuals, and uncover shared pursuits, constructing a supportive and collaborative environment proper from the beginning.
To give our brilliant younger attendees a style of various sides of expertise and join them with inspiring position fashions, we ran our labs and pace mentoring classes in a dynamic rotation.
- AI Lab: Suited for Victory – Young minds explored the fundamentals of synthetic intelligence by a hands-on experiment. In this exercise, they educated 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 resolve real-world issues.
- Sphero Lab: Maze Mayhem – Students realized to program and management revolutionary programmable robotic balls by a LEGO maze. This hands-on expertise helped foster problem-solving abilities, creativity, and a deeper understanding of programming ideas.
- Speed Mentoring – This offered a useful alternative for the scholars to attach with a various group of achieved professionals from numerous tech fields. The rapid-fire, targeted conversations allowed the younger girls to ask questions, acquire insights into completely different profession paths, and obtain personalised recommendation and encouragement.
The day culminated in an Awards ceremony, celebrating the contributors’ enthusiasm, engagement, and newfound data. The smiles on the scholars’ faces as they obtained recognition had been a testomony to the occasion’s affect.
More than simply tech
Girls Power 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 help is precisely what Girls Power Tech goals to domesticate.
What attendees stated
“My favorite part of the event was getting to connect one-on-one with the incredible people from Cisco. I loved hearing everyone’s career trajectories as it gave me so much perspective—it helped me stay grounded in my own vision while thinking about all the possibilities ahead. My biggest takeaway was the importance of staying open-minded and committed to continuous learning. I realized that mindset can open doors you didn’t even know existed!”
—Jassmin
“I was scared, always asking myself, ‘What if it’s hard? But you guys showed me what it means to work in technology and what it can do for the people. You showed me that, despite my interests, tech always has a place for someone. I thank you for all you have done!”
—Aaliya
“Thank you for hosting this great event. It was inspiring and very useful. The amazing mentors I’ve met through networking have significantly changed my life decisions. As an immigrant, I don’t have much guidance in these aspects of my career, and this event was a great opportunity for me. Thank you!”
—Anonymous Thank-You Note
Looking forward
Girls Power Tech 2025 was an funding sooner or later. It was a day when younger girls found their potential, related with position fashions, and realized {that a} profession in expertise isn’t solely potential but in addition extremely thrilling and significant. The power and enthusiasm witnessed all through the day left little question that the way forward for tech is in brilliant palms. We can’t wait to see the superb issues these younger girls will obtain!
To make sure the continued success and development of this annual Girls Power 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.
If you have an interest in getting concerned, e mail us.
Thank you to everybody who made it potential
Our honest gratitude to The Batiste Project for our Tech labs, and to our Cisco Inclusive Community sponsors, Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) and Conexión LatinX Network.
A heartfelt because of the 13 devoted educators, two inspiring audio system, 40 enthusiastic volunteers, 11 dedicated Girls Power Tech leaders, and particularly the sensible women who participated. You all introduced the imaginative and prescient of Girls Power Tech to life.
What was your favourite a part of Girls Power Tech 2025? Share your ideas and photographs utilizing #GirlsPowerTech2025!
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