Industry Mentors

Usha Andra

Usha Andra

Product Marketing Leader, Cisco

Usha Andra is a seasoned lead product marketer at Cisco, specializing in the company's Cloud and Data Center Networking platforms. She focuses on initiatives centered around automation, orchestration, and insights, with a particular emphasis on products like Cisco Nexus Dashboard, Nexus Hyperfabric, and 400G/800G Nexus switching, which prioritize operational simplicity, AI-ready data centers, and sustainability. Before joining the data center marketing team, Usha spent nearly a decade contributing to Cisco's global thought leadership initiatives, including the Annual Internet Report, Visual Networking Index (VNI), and Global Cloud Index (GCI), where she played a key role in forecasting the growth and use of Internet and cloud-based networks worldwide.

With nearly two decades of experience at Cisco, Usha began her career in the Strategic Marketing Organization, working on the Enterprise and Consumer segments, and later led initiatives within Service Provider marketing. She holds an MBA and a BSEE and has served as an adjunct faculty member at SJSU, teaching both undergraduate and graduate courses. Usha is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and is deeply committed to mentoring and giving back, actively supporting the development of aspiring business professionals and sharing her knowledge to empower others.

Sunita Arora

Sunita Arora

Owner, Rare Reflektions

Sunita is a distinguished Learning & Development professional and certified coach with over 20 years of experience partnering with Fortune 500 companies and Silicon Valley startups. Holding senior leadership roles in L&D at organizations like GE Digital, her expertise has earned her recognition as one of the top 50 L&D leaders in the Americas by Corinium Global Intelligence. Sunita's top services include executive coaching, leadership development, L&D strategy and learning technology marketing. With a master’s degree from Harvard University and certification as a Neuroscience brain-based coach, she has guided MIT and Harvard alumni through career mobility, transitions, and cultural immersions. Dedicated to driving growth and success, Sunita's talent for inspiring others makes her a respected leader in the L&D community.

Gabrielle Capolupo

Gabrielle Capolupo

Engineering Office of the CTO, Juniper Networks

Gabrielle has been with Juniper Networks since February 2007. She currently works for the Engineering CTO office and is responsible for providing program management for the Junos Architecture Council and a network service provisioning application project. She also started and manages the Juniper Women in Engineering (JWIE) employee resource group. Previously, she provided program management for the Juniper Distinguished Engineering (DE) and Principal Engineering (PE) communities. This included managing the Juniper DE PE Council - responsible for approving DE PE promotions and new hires, as well as the annual DE Summit. Previously in this team, she was responsible for project managing several DEs working on major OS library re-architecture. Prior to her work in the CTO office, she was Sr. Director of Junos Governance, responsible for policy, process, criteria and schedule for all Junos OS software releases.

Prior to Juniper Networks, in her more than 11 years with Cisco Systems, she was Sr. Engineering Manager for the IOS Packet Engineering Group, responsible for large-scale corporate level software infrastructure planning and implementation. In addition, previous roles included remotely managing the Edge Services software team in Bangalore India, the collective hardware and software engineering teams for the leading Broadband Aggregation platform, and the IOS Source Code team, responsible for all major source code integration. Prior to her employment with Cisco Systems, Ms. Capolupo spent over seven years at various positions at Novell, Inc.

Gabrielle has served as a lead judge for the International Collegiate Business Strategy Competition since 1995, after participating as a graduate student for San Jose State University (SJSU). She has made a number of industry panel presentations including sessions for Women in Technology International (WITI), Women in International Trade (WIT), Women Unlimited, the Project Management Institute of Silicon Valley and the SJSU Women in Leadership League. She was the Commencement Speaker for the 2023 Class of the Lucas College and Graduate School of Business at SJSU. Beginning in 2022, Gabrielle is a professional mentor for the TechWomen program, which is sponsored by the US Department of State. Gabrielle received her Master of Business Administration from San Jose State University and her Bachelor of Arts, Cum Laude, from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where she was a member of the Alpha Lambda Delta National Honor Society and the Men’s Varsity Crew.

Annie Chen

Annie Chen

Sr. Director of Consumer Business, Trend Micro Inc.

Annie is a senior-level business professional with 20 years of software industry experience, ranging from product marketing, online marketing, e-commerce operation, to business management. She currently serves as Sr. Director at Trend Micro, a global leader in cybersecurity solutions, and is in charge of the consumer business in North American and European markets. Annie has a track record of driving business results through strategic planning and solid execution, and she is known for her ability to build and lead talented and motivated global teams. Annie cares deeply about diversity and inclusion and is part of Trend Micro’s Trending Women’s initiative, which is designed to help women enter and grow in the world of cybersecurity. She holds a B.S. in International Business from Taiwan University and an MBA degree from the University of Washington.

Jaqueline Craig

Jaqueline Craig

Sr. Director of Business Development, CriticalRiver

Jacqueline Craig is the Senior Director, Business Development, at CriticalRiver. In her role, she spearheads a high-performing team dedicated to creating sustainable business opportunities through strategic territory planning, innovative marketing, and effective prospecting. Her ability to forge and maintain trust-based relationships with C-level executives has not only strengthened CriticalRiver’s reputation but has also established valuable partnerships that drive our success.

With over 20 years of experience, Jacqueline has been instrumental in achieving numerous company milestones. Before joining us, she held significant leadership roles at Miracle Software Systems as the Senior Business Development Executive, MuSigma as Chief of Staff, and PragmaEdge as Head of North America Sales.

The proud alumnus of Northwestern University is also passionate about empowering women in technology. She founded the Tri-Valley Women in Tech Circle to help dismantle barriers for women pursuing careers in STEM and actively participates in the Women in Leadership League at San Jose State University. Her commitment extends beyond business; she has mentored individuals at the Therapeutic Riding Center and is heavily involved with the Tim Tebow Foundation's Night To Shine event, celebrating people with special needs.

Lisa Etherington

Lisa Etherington

Vice President of Inventory Management, Old Navy

Lisa Etherington is the Vice President of Inventory Management at Old Navy, she brings over 25 years of diverse experience within Gap Inc. Lisa is a graduate of San Jose State with a Degree in Social Sciences.

Throughout her career, she held various roles across buying, merchandising, planning, allocation, and distribution, with a strong focus on launching new businesses and entering international markets.

She had the privilege of opening stores in Japan and China, experiences that stand out as some of her most rewarding moments in her career. Her expertise also includes managing large teams of up to 80 people, where she likes to prioritize direct engagement and collaboration. She believes in empowering her team to learn, make mistakes, and continuously improve, while also being hands-on and ready to dive into details when necessary.

Her journey has equipped her with a comprehensive understanding of the retail landscape, particularly in Asia, and is passionate about driving innovation and excellence in inventory management and the supply chain.

Lisa Hall

Lisa Hall

Chief Information Security Officer / Venture Advisor / Advisory Board Member, SafeBase

With over 17 years experience in the information security field, Lisa focuses on building holistic security strategy and comprehensive information security management programs- ensuring products and business systems are developed with security in mind. Lisa believes security should make it easy to do the right thing. Lisa has experience building and growing teams, leading companies through IPO, acquisitions & mergers, and leading Application/Product Security, Infrastructure Security, and Compliance programs (SOX, SOC2, ISO 27001, FISMA, FedRAMP, & HITRUST). Lisa is a Venture Advisor at YL Ventures, an Advisory Board Member for Day of Shecurity, and sits on the Executive Advisory Board for San Jose State University’s School of Information Systems & Technology’s Center for Organizational Resilience. She is also a co-author in "Reinventing Cybersecurity"- A JupiterOne book authored by female and non-binary security practitioners. Lisa has held Information Security leadership roles at PagerDuty, Color Health, Twilio, and EY.

Carin Kaltschmidt

Carin Kaltschmidt

Digital Consulting Leader | Adjunct Professor | Actor | Podcaster | Organizational Changemaker | Agile Design Thinker

Carin brings 25 years of extensive industry experience as a former Partner at EY and KPMG Consulting, where she specializes in global business and technology transformations. Her background and passion for entrepreneurship are central to her role as a SJSU University professor, where she inspires and empowers the next generation of leaders.Carin’s expertise encompasses collaborating with businesses to innovate operations, integrate technology, and remodel workforce dynamics. She has consulted for premier global companies such as Cisco, Disney, eBay, HP, Logitech, Oracle, NBC Universal, and Sony Entertainment Pictures.

She earned her MBA from Hult International Business School and a Bachelor of Science from Cal Poly Humboldt, where she received the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2020. She serves on the Cal Poly Humboldt Foundation Board, supporting student scholarships and programs. As a professor at San Jose State University, she teaches a Business Honors Management Information Systems course. Additionally, she is a faculty member in the master’s program at Hult International Business School, where she teaches entrepreneurial students in leadership and strategies for business disruption.

An active leader in the Project Management Institute (PMI), she serves as the PMI SF Bay Area Board Executive Treasurer and guides finance and leadership programs. Her commitment to nurturing future entrepreneurs is evident through her roles as a judge for the Hult Prize, SJSU's Silicon Valley Innovation Challenge, and the Black Ambition Competition. Carin enjoys acting on stage, graphic design, digital marketing, international travel, mentoring, water sports, and hiking.

Joy Kenny

Joy Kenny

Human Resources Manager, Thermo Fisher Scientific

Joy is a HR Professional with 12+ years of experience across the Department of Defense, Healthcare, Tech and BioTech industries. Her interests focus on Leadership Development, Change Management, Employee Engagement and Data Analytics. Joy earned her BA degree in Psychology from San Diego State University and MS in HR Management from Claremont Graduate University.

Inyong Kim

Inyong Kim

Vice President of People, Autodesk

Inyong Kim is the Vice President of People at Autodesk, a global leader in design and make software. She leads the HR Business Partner team for Platform & Industry Solutions, as well as the Organizational Effectiveness Center of Excellence. In this role, she drives strategic people initiatives that empower Autodesk’s global organizations worldwide.

With more than two decades of HR leadership experience in the high-tech industry, Inyong has played a pivotal role in driving organizational growth and transformation. Prior to joining Autodesk, she served as Vice President of Employee Experience at Adobe and held HR leadership positions at Yahoo!, VMware, and Interwoven.

Recognized for her ability to navigate complex organizational landscapes, Inyong excels in developing top talent, building high-performing teams, and executing enterprise-wide initiatives with strategic vision. She is passionate about fostering inclusive, agile workplaces that drive both business success and employee engagement. Inyong holds a B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resource
Management from SJSU.

Becky Marques

Becky Marques

Becky Marques is Senior Director, Product Management at Cisco Systems. With 20+ years of product management experience, Becky leads the platform product management team for the Data Center Networking portfolio. Previously, Becky led the platform product management team for Catalyst 6K products.

Before joining Cisco, Becky was Distinguished Member of Technical Staff at AT&T Bell Labs, where she was involved in the definition, design, and development of carrier-class network management software.

Becky holds a BA in Computer Science and Mathematics from New York University, and an MS in Computer Science from Columbia University.

Alvina Nishimoto

Alvina Nishimoto

Scrum Master, Jack Henry & Associates

Alvina spent 34 years at HP in R&D and Marketing developing the HP Materials Management product, database and interoperability solutions, and various new business solutions. She spent 2 years at Symantec Corporation where she was the Engineering Enrichment Leader and then 3 years as the Agile Coach at the City of San Jose. Alvina currently is a Scrum Master at Jack Henry & Associates, a leading provider of banking software. She has a B.S. and an M.S. in Management Science and Engineering with a specialization in computer utilization from Stanford University.

Amanda Sandoval

Amanda Sandoval

Executive Communications Leader, Cisco

Eager communicator with 8+ years of experience in marketing and communications. I enable senior level executives to deliver compelling and strategic messages to their intended audiences. I have a passion for people, community, and empowerment. I am constantly looking for ways to bring people together through compelling content and storytelling!

Neelam Vijay

Neelam Vijay

Software Engineering Manager, Juniper Networks

Neelam is a seasoned engineering leader with over 20 years of experience spanning various engineering disciplines. She currently serves as a Software Engineering Manager at Juniper Networks, where she leads a high-performing team. Throughout her career, Neelam has held diverse roles, including Customer Support, Solutions Test Engineering, and Automation Lead, demonstrating her versatility and deep expertise in the tech industry.

As a core member of the Juniper Foundation Committee, Neelam is passionate about driving both community and industry growth. She also plays a key role as a Professional Mentor for the Tech Women Program, sponsored by the US Department of State, where she empowers and supports the next generation of women in technology.

Neelam actively contributes to several professional organizations, including serving as VP of Public Relations at the Juniper/Bay Area Toastmasters club(s), and as a Board Advisor for the Rajasthan Institute of Engineering and Technology (RIET). An internationally recognized speaker, she is also a member of the Institute of Innovation in Technology & Management (IITM) in Delhi, India, and frequently speaks at Rajasthan Technical University (RTU), where she also serves as a student counselor.

Outside of her professional commitments, Neelam enjoys a vibrant personal life, with a passion for dancing, music, and hiking, maintaining a healthy balance between work and personal pursuits.

Madhu Vohra

Madhu Vohra

CEO/cofounder, Dabbl Corp

Madhu is the CEO/cofounder/co-founder of dabbl, a personalized and AI-powered career development co-pilot for high school students. With over two decades of experience in the tech industry, she has led large teams and delivered enterprise-grade products. Outside of work, Madhu enjoys spending time with her kids (25 and 19), exploring the outdoors, and indulging in a good book and afternoon naps.

David Wilde

David Wilde

Dave retired after enjoying a 38-year career with Hewlett-Packard and related spin-offs, where he held and enjoyed a wide breadth of roles including software development, business leadership, marketing, product management, strategy/planning, and operations. Dave has taught classes in leadership and innovation in the SJSU Lucas College of Business since 2018. During his career, Dave was active in the community, supporting local schools and youth sports in various ways. As Dave begins his retirement journey, he plans to pursue interests at the intersection of the environment, human rights and environmental justice.

Sandy Yu

Sandy Yu

Growth Executive, Revenue Retention Advisors, LLC

Sandy is the founder and the growth executive with Revenue Retention Advisors, LLC. She focuses on helping companies drive growth from their customer base by increasing revenue retention, product adoption and customer lifetime value. Sandy has over 20+ years of experience, leading teams and initiatives in sales, product and customer success, for global enterprises including Oracle, Cisco, PricewaterhouseCoopers and WebEx. Outside of work, Sandy is an avid mentor and volunteers with San Francisco Chambers’ Job Forum and Recast Success. She loves to travel, listen to podcasts, and play both tennis and pickleball. She’s also a mom to teen twins and one very cute dog.

Tao Zhang

Tao Zhang

Vice President, Deputy General Counsel - Product, IP, Privacy, and Procurement, Juniper Networks

Prior to Juniper, Tao was Associate GC of IP and Technology at Ansys, and senior director of IP strategy at Huawei Device USA, respectively. Before Huawei, she was with Hewlett-Packard for 23 years. She earned a JD from Concord Law School and a PhD in Physics from Stanford University. Dr. Zhang is a member of the California Bar and a registered patent attorney with the USPTO. She has recently obtained the CIPP (Certified Information Privacy Professional)/US and AIGP (AI Governance Professional) certifications, both from IAPP. She is co-author of the book "Mining Ideas for Diamonds – Comparing China and US IP Practices from Invention Selection to Patent Monetization".