WECode 2025
Tentative Schedule for
In-Person Attendees
Welcome to WECode 2025’s schedule of events.
This schedule is subject to change, and we will be periodically announcing speakers for each event. Not all events are currently listed, so be on the lookout for updates on our social media platforms.
Saturday - February 22, 2025
8:00 - 9:30 AM
Breakfast & Registration
9:30 - 10:45 AM
Opening Remarks & Welcome
Presented by the WECode Board
Description: Join us in commencing WECode’s 11th annual conference!
Keynote: Esther Wojcicki
Esther Wojcicki is famous for three things: teaching a high school class that has changed the lives of thousands of kids, inspiring Silicon Valley legends like Steve Jobs, and raising three daughters who have each become famously successful. What do these three accomplishments have in common? They are the result of TRICK, Esther’s secret to raising successful people: Trust, Respect, Independence, Collaboration, and Kindness. Simple lessons, but the results are radical. Esther Wojcicki is a leading American educator and journalist. Mother of former YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, Fulbright scholar Janet Wojcicki, and 23&Me founder Anne Wojcicki, as well as a teacher and mentor to hundreds. Esther is widely heralded as the most successful parent and educator in the United States. Esther offers essential lessons for raising, educating, and managing people to their highest potential. She is the author of Moonshots in Education (2014) and bestseller How to Raise Successful People (May, 2019) published in 31 languages. Esther is the Founder of WOJ.Education visit www.woj.education.
11:00 - 12:00 PM
Startups Panel
Featuring: Anna Yuan (Co-founder & CEO of ScaleGrowth AI), Brianna Doe (Founder of Verbatim), and Brinleigh Murphy-Reuter (Founder of Science to People)
Whether you're just starting to think about your own startup or looking for ways to scale your existing venture, join this panel featuring the founders of three innovative startups: Brinleigh Murphy-Reute (Founder of Science to People), Brianna Doe (Founder of Verbatim), and Anna Yuan (Co-founder & CEO of ScaleGrowth AI). These inspiring entrepreneurs will share their journeys from idea to launch, discussing the challenges, successes, and lessons learned along the way. Our panelists will offer insights on everything from building a strong vision and securing funding, to scaling a business and navigating industry-specific hurdles.
Solo Talk with Eirini Schlosser | CEO & Founder @ Dyania Health
Description: Eirini Schlosser, MSc is a serial entrepreneur with over a decade of experience in NLP applications. She is the Founder and CEO of Dyania Health, a fast-growing healthcare AI company focused on training their medically specialized Large Language Model to automatically and accurately read, understand, and deduce clinical conclusions from electronic medical records for use in clinical research, quality, and reporting. Eirini's mission has been to replace manual bottlenecks in healthcare and life sciences with an automated solution through Dyania's medically specialized Synapsis AI. With largely self-taught expertise in natural language processing and entrepreneurship, Eirini seized the opportunity in 2019 to establish Dyania Health, her 3rd start-up focused on applying natural language processing technologies.
Career Workshop with Xue Hua | Software Engineer @ Microsoft
Description: Join us for a hands-on career workshop with Xue Hua! Xue is a software engineer that works in Microsoft on the UX team. She is passionate about connecting and supporting students of all backgrounds.
Project Management Panel
Featuring: Nisha Victor (Board Member of Women in Product), Nancy Wang (Product Manager at Microsoft), and Kathy Pham (Lecturer on Product Management and Society at the Harvard Kennedy School)
Curious about product management? Join us for an exciting panel discussion featuring experienced product managers from diverse industries across the private and public sectors. Our panelists will share their unique journeys into product management, offer insights into their day-to-day experiences, discuss career challenges they've overcome, and provide valuable advice to help you navigate your own PM path!
“Data Analytics and Modeling for Practical Applications”
Solo Talk with Margaret Chiosi | Former Director at AT&T
Discover how data analytics and modeling can solve real-world challenges and drive innovation across industries. This talk will explore practical tools, techniques, and case studies to bridge the gap between theory and actionable outcomes. Perfect for students looking to harness the power of data for meaningful impact!
12:00 - 1:00 PM
Lunch
Description: Meal descriptions coming soon. Gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options will be available.
1:00 - 2:00 PM
Mentorship Circles
Description: Attendees will have the opportunity to get to know mentors from our sponsors, the Harvard community, and additional STEM companies in small-group conversations. There will be two rounds of mentorship circles, each lasting around 30 minutes. This is an amazing opportunity to get to know inspiring leaders in the spaces that you are interested in, while getting to know fellow attendees.
Code Jam Sessions
Description: Coming Soon
Tech Demos & Project Exhibition
Description: Interested in showcasing a project or research that you have been working on? Apply by February 4th for the opportunity to showcase your work. More information coming soon…
Documentary Screening
Description: Coming Soon
2:00 - 3:00 PM
Tech for Social Good Panel
Featuring: Natalie Van Kleef (Head of Go to Market at Google Cloud Learning Services), Karin Ebbinghaus (Co-founder and CEO of Elonroad), Dr. Kiesha King (Head of Education at T-Mobile), and Ariana Soto (Co-founder and CEO of Coding it Forward)
This inspiring panel explores the dynamic intersection of technology and social good, highlighting innovative approaches and cutting-edge solutions that leverage technology to address some of the most pressing social challenges of our time. The discussion will delve into various domains including education, government, environmental sustainability, and social justice, demonstrating how technology can be a powerful catalyst for positive change.
“Things I wish I knew when…”
Solo Talk with Tina Roth Eisenberg | Founder of CreativeMornings, Graphic Design
Join Tina as she shares stories from her dynamic 25-year journey—from leaving Europe, to building a career as a graphic designer in New York City, to founding and running multiple successful, bootstrapped creative businesses. Along the way, Tina has often thought about the advice she wished she’d received as a student. She longed for stories like hers, ones that would inspire a sense of possibility.
This session is for you if you’re looking for a reminder of your own magic and want to leave feeling inspired about the future. Tina's talk will empower you to imagine a path where your personal and professional growth is guided by creativity, collaboration, and generosity. Leave ready to call in a more heart-centered future—for yourself and the communities you’re part of.
Solo Talk with Jill Szuchmacher | Former VP at Google Fiber & CSO at Ting
Event Description: Coming Soon
SWE Panel
Featuring: Pratima Nambiar (Principal Architect at Salesforce), Lola Roberts (Senior SWE at Mastercard), and Shannon Cherpak (Lead SWE at SpaceX)
This panel brings together leading software engineers to provide valuable insights, practical advice, and inspiration to help you thrive in the ever-changing tech landscape.
Workshop with Saba Rawjani | Product Manager @ Rightway
Description: With a unique blend of expertise in healthcare, business, and the arts, Saba is a dynamic leader passionate about driving innovation in the health tech space. Saba holds dual degrees—an MPH and an MBA—from Columbia Business School, complemented by vocal arts training from Juilliard, underscoring a lifelong commitment to both analytical and creative excellence.
Over the course of her career, Saba has worked with well-established healthcare organizations, including NewYork-Presbyterian, Cleveland Clinic, and Stanford Healthcare, where she honed her skills in operations, management, and strategy. This foundation provided the perfect springboard to transition into the health tech industry, where she continues to make an impact.
Currently, as a Product Manager at Rightway, Saba supports the development and design for the pharmacy benefits member app and has spearheaded the development of a new product for clients from the ground up, delivering innovative solutions to meet client needs.
Guided by a passion for improving healthcare accessibility and outcomes through technology, Saba brings a distinctive perspective to every challenge she tackles.
3:15 - 4:15 PM
Intern/New Grad Job Search Panel
Featuring: Jaiden Price (Digital Strategy Analyst at Adobe), Zanele Mureverwi (Service Design Analyst at PepsiCo), Huma Hamid (PM at Cisco), and Toluwalope Bashua (SWE at Geico Tech)
This panel will explore the critical steps to launch a successful career in tech, focusing on the unique challenges and opportunities that recent graduates may face in today’s competitive job market. Panelists will share insights on how to stand out during the job search, navigate internship opportunities, and transition from school to industry. The panelists will share practical advice on how attendees can launch their careers in tech.
Solo Talk with Jenifer Shafer | Associate Director of Technology @ ARPA-E
Description: Dr. Jenifer Shafer is the the Associate Director of Technology and as a Program Director at the Advanced Research Program Agency – Energy, as well as a Professor at Colorado School of Mines. As the Associate Director of Technology, she oversaw the program development process for >$550M of R&D funding relevant to U.S. energy leadership. As a Program Director, she had direct oversight of a >$130M research portfolio supporting low-emission iron and steel, nuclear energy, and nuclear recycling. Of this portfolio, the nearly $50M CURIE program focused on improving the economics and the materials accountancy of nuclear fuel recycling. Dr. Shafer currently has ~80 technical manuscripts in the areas of nuclear recycling, non-proliferation, and forensics. She is a Fellow of the American Chemical Society.
Fireside Chat with Karin Ebbinghaus | CEO @ Elonroad
Tune into our inspiring fireside chat with Karin Ebbighaus, CEO and Co-Founder of Elonroad. As leaders in sustainable transportation, Karin and Elonroad are revolutionizing the transportation system with cutting-edge electric road systems. Discover her journey of building a trailblazing company from the ground up, learn from her leadership experience, and draw lessons from her personal stories and advice!
“Engineering the Future: Leadership, AI, and Entrepreneurship in the Digital Age”
Solo Talk with Dr. Lauren Goodwin | Co-Founder of Mission Ops & Former CIO of NASA's Johnson Space Center
Join us for an inspiring and practical discussion on technology leadership, entrepreneurship, and digital transformation, with a special focus on AI and digital engineering. This session will feature Dr. Lauren Goodwin, who began her career as an engineer at NASA and evolved into a leader in data and technology, ultimately founding her own company.
Dr. Goodwin will share her journey—from navigating the complexities of mission-critical systems to driving innovation in AI and digital transformation across industries. She will offer insights on:
The critical skills needed to lead in AI and digital engineering.
How to leverage technology to build and scale businesses.
Lessons in resilience, risk-taking, and navigating your career..
Strategies for breaking barriers and combining engineering with interdisciplinary fields such as AI, technology, and cybersecurity.
This talk will provide actionable insights and inspiration to help you chart your path forward with confidence and impact.
Solo Talk with Ariana Soto | Co-Founder and CEO @ Coding it Forward
Join us for an insightful fireside chat with Co-Founder and CEO of Coding it Forward, Ariana Soto. As a civic tech leader working to connect early technologists with mission-driven governmental opportunities, Ariana wil share Coding it Forward’s story, her personal experiences, and advice for technologists looking to make widespread impact. Don’t miss the chance to learn more about Ariana’s journey and the intersection between technology and advancing the public good!
4:30 - 5:30 PM
Keynote: “Behind the Pit Wall: Leadership and Innovation in Formula One” with Claire Williams
Claire Williams was the last ever Formula One team principal leading her family’s Formula One team for eight years. As one of the sport’s highest-profile females, this event will aim to capture some of Claire’s experiences and learnings operating at the highest level of sport.
5:30 - 6:00 PM
Closing Remarks
Presented by the WECode Board
Location: Coming Soon
6:00 - 8:00 PM
Company Social Events
Susquehanna Wizard Tournament
More Coming Soon!
Sunday - February 23, 2025
8:00 - 9:30 AM
Breakfast & Mentorship Circles
9:30 - 10:30 AM
Keynote: "Building a Meaningful Career in Tech / What to Think About as You Build Your Future in Tech” with Ellen Pao
CEO @ Project Include
Join us for an insightful keynote fireside chat and Q&A session with Ellen Pao, former CEO of Reddit and co-founder of Project Include. Dedicated to tackling bias and advocating for diversity, Ellen is a powerful voice in shaping a more inclusive tech industry. In this conversation, she will share her journey, strategies for navigating and overcoming bias in tech, and the importance of mentorship. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from someone who didn’t just shape the industry, but also changed the industry for the better.
10:45 - 11:45 AM
Artificial Intelligence & Ethics Panel
Featuring: Shelby Tallent (Head of AI Governance at Alaska Airlines), Laura G. Quatela (Chief Legal Officer at Lenovo), and Erin Reddick (Co-founder and CEO of ChatBlackGPT)
In this panel, the panelists will discuss the policymaking side of AI. Specifically, they will share how we can incorporate ethical thinking into the education process and government regulations, ensuring responsible AI ethics.
“Inventing a Bright Future”
Innovation Panel with Stephanie Couch and Jamie Renee
Join us for an inspiring discussion featuring distinguished leaders in innovation and entrepreneurship. With perspectives ranging from expertise in fostering invention education, knowledge of the intersection of AI and invention, and advocating for the accessibility of innovation, this panel will empower the next generation of innovators.
“Leveling Up: Engineering Leadership and Innovation in Gaming”
Fireside Chat with Gina Hope | Senior Director of Engineering @ Riot Games
During a fireside chat with Gina Hope, Senior Director of Engineering at Riot Games, learn about her journey from small teams to leading large-scale engineering projects at some of the biggest names in gaming, including Riot Games and Activision. Our discussion with Gina will delve into the critical role engineering plays as an equal partner to product and design in creating groundbreaking gaming experiences. Join us to hear how engineers can drive innovation by thinking outside the box, leveraging player behavior, and using cutting-edge technology to enhance gameplay.
“What they don’t tell you about technical interviews”
Workshop with Fatima Taj | Senior Software Engineer @ Yelp
Having experienced the technical interview process as both an interviewer and an interviewee, this session centers on preparing for software engineering interviews, particularly focusing on often-overlooked details that can help candidates stand out. Interview preparation tends to focus heavily on perfecting knowledge of data structures and algorithms, but rarely on the subtleties that differentiate standout candidates. After all, while multiple candidates might solve the same problem, only a select few receive offers.
So, what are these candidates doing differently? How does their approach set them apart? This session will explore those unique strategies, examining the techniques and insights that can make all the difference in a competitive hiring process.
“Building a Theory for Distributed Systems”
Solo Talk with Nancy Lynch | Professor of Software Science and Engineering at MIT
In this talk Professor Lynch will overview her work on developing a Theory for Distributed Systems---work that has involved many students and other collaborators, at MIT and elsewhere. This effort started at Georgia Tech in the late 1970s, and has continued at MIT since 1981.
Professor Lynch will emphasize the earlier contributions, and their impact on the directions of the field. These include abstract models for problems to be solved by distributed systems and for algorithms that solve them; new algorithms; lower bounds and other “impossibility results” expressing inherent limitations on the power of distributed systems; general mathematical foundations for modeling and analyzing distributed systems; and applications of these methods to understanding a variety of practical distributed systems.
11:45 - 12:45 PM
Lunch
Location: Coming Soon
12:45 - 1:45 PM
Mentorship Circles
Description: Attendees will have the opportunity to get to know mentors from our sponsors, the Harvard community, and additional STEM companies in small-group conversations. There will be two rounds of mentorship circles, each lasting around 30 minutes. This is an amazing opportunity to get to know inspiring leaders in the spaces that you are interested in, while getting to know fellow attendees.
Code Jam Sessions
Description: Coming Soon
Tech Demos & Project Exhibition
Description: Interested in showcasing a project or research that you have been working on? Apply by February 4th for the opportunity to showcase your work. More information coming soon…
Documentary Screening
Description: Coming Soon
1:45 - 2:45 PM
“A Journey Through Tech: Lessons, Laughs, and Banter”
Fireside Chat with Jen Felch and Beth Beninato
Join us for a fun and candid fireside chat with Jen Felch, former CIO and CTO of Dell Technologies, and her friend Beth Beninato, Director of Hardware System Engineering at Clover. Tune into Jen and Beth’s valuable lessons from their careers in tech, personal stories, and practical advice. As they reflect on their journeys, enjoy the company and humor of these two inspiring tech leaders and friends.
“Navigating a Winding Career Path in Tech”
Solo Talk with Suzanne Plummer | Fellow and CVP of Technical Diversity and Development @ AMD
Career Path Advice from a 36-year veteran of the semiconductor industry who has been in a wide range of roles from technical individual contributor to leader of a large multinational team, to a role in HR.
Suzanne Plummer is a Fellow and Corporate Vice President of Technical Diversity and Development at AMD. In this role, she is responsible for improving the technical talent pipeline for females within AMD.
Prior to this role, she spent 33-years as a technical individual contributor and engineering leader. She worked for Motorola and a start-up called Alchemy Semiconductor before joining AMD. After joining AMD in 2002, she led design teams behind AMD’s most innovative technologies, including the low power x86 microprocessor used in the world's first APU and the x86 microprocessor powering all of AMD’s game console wins. Suzanne also directed the teams that designed the Zen architecture – which power AMD’s new microprocessors and drove the company’s re-entry into the high-performance x86 market. She then transferred to the semi-custom group, driving all game console products for Microsoft. Her last four years on technical work were in the Radeon Technologies Group, leading all SOC programs for discrete and data center graphics.
“Path to Career Zen”
Solo Talk with Lily Gassner | VP of Transformation @ Hewlett Packard Enterprise
Description: Lily Gassner is the Chief of Staff to the Executive Vice President and GM of HPE’s Aruba Networking. Lily leads Aruba’s Transformation and Program Office, driving large-scale operational transformation to accelerate business growth. Lily leads Aruba’s Data & Systems Office, acquisition integrations, business continuity and enterprise risk management, sustainability PMO, and other shorter-term transformational initiatives.
Lily joined Hewlett Packard (now HPE) in 2005 and held variety of roles spanning across business analytics, strategy, operations, and customer experience. In 2012, Lily shifted her career into Human Resources, where she spent nearly 10 years, leading HR for global business units and functions. Before joining HPE Aruba Networking, Lily was the Head of HR for HPE’s Communications Technology Group.
“A social impact journey: making voices for the rural waters”
Solo Talk with Charlene Ren | Non-Profit Founder & Board Member @ MyH2O Water Information Network
A story session by Charlene, the founder of MyH2O, a non-profit dedicated to connect clean water resources to rural China. During this talk, Charlene will share her adventurous entrepreneurial journey to understand water needs and provide water solutions to villagers across China, as well as how to add the “social” component to these engineering solutions to ensure they are truly community-focused. This talk highlights the power of collaboration, innovation, and dedication to creating lasting impact in underserved communities.
“From Google to the White House: A Musician’s Path Through Tech”
Solo Talk with Jenn Chang | Chief of Staff and White House Liaison @ National Endowment for the Arts
Jenn Chang recently served in the Biden Administration as the Liaison to the White House and Chief of Staff at the National Endowment for the Arts. She also spent a decade at Google. She also studied viola at Juilliard. What do these 3 experiences have in common, how do they differ, and how does this story make any sense? Join Jenn to hear about her journey through some of the country’s major institutions, and why she thinks we need more artists in Tech today.
3:00 - 3:30 PM
Closing Remarks
Presented by the WECode Board
3:30 - 5:30 PM
Career Fair
Featuring: To be announced!