Friday Sessions

In the fast-paced world of technology, technical expertise is only half the equation. For women in tech, the path to leadership often involves navigating unique hurdles, from "glue work" that goes unnoticed to the pressure of perfectionism.

Maren Gosman is the Chief of Staff at Five Star Technology Solutions, where she drives organizational priorities through culture, strategy, and operational excellence. With a background in high-performance retail leadership (lululemon, Athleta) and a rapid ascent from Senior Director to VP of People & Culture, Maren specializes in building scalable systems that allow teams to thrive.

Her purpose is to create impact by allowing herself and others to shine bright and joyously. At Five Star, she champions talent development, bridging the gap between technical execution and adaptive leadership. Maren combines her expertise in leveraging talent to help women in tech transition from "glue work" to high-impact leadership.

Ready to lead the future? Join this virtual deep-dive into AI Product Management. Bridge human needs and machine intelligence with a toolkit for managing uncertainty, ethics, and innovation in 2026. Move beyond the prompt and build the vision!

Misha Sheth is a Product Manager at Google Cloud, where she focuses on the intersection of Cloud infrastructure and AI innovation. A proud alumna of Indiana University‚ Kelley School of Business (MSIS), Misha bridges the gap between complex engineering and strategic product management.

A passionate advocate for women in technology, Misha has represented Google at the Grace Hopper Celebration, served as a mentor for GenHERation Connection, and was a panelist judge for GirlCon. She is a returning speaker to the IU summit community, having previously presented in 2020 & 2023. Today, she is dedicated to helping the next generation of leaders‚ from undergrads to faculty‚ Äîmaster the tools of the AI era to build ethical, high-impact products.

Build your next move in tech at the Career Mosaic Lab. Join us for an interactive conversation with women leaders across AI, robotics, engineering, and tech. Get inspired by rapid fire career stories, join micro clinics brainstorming session, and leave with a 30 day action plan for your path.

Daniela Rus is the MIT Panasonic Professor of Computer Science and the Director of MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL). Her research focuses on robotics, artificial intelligence, and data science, with an emphasis on autonomy and real world applications of intelligent systems. Tayllor Lloyd is a tech focused creator and consultant who documents building and problem solving at the intersection of technology and everyday life, with a focus on making technical concepts more accessible through content and community engagement.

Tiffany Janzen is a software developer and tech consultant known for creating TiffinTech, a platform that shares practical guidance on technology careers and trends through short form explainers and interviews, including as host of the “Talk Tech with Tiff” podcast.

Angie Jones is the Vice President of Engineering, AI Tools and Enablement at Block, Inc. She is an award winning educator and international keynote speaker recognized for developer education and advocacy, including work supporting learning in software testing and automation.

Castelline Tilus is the Founder and CEO of Akademi, an edtech organization focused on building digital skills pipelines through bootcamps and career support in the Caribbean, including Haiti.

Lentz Civil is the Founder and Executive Director of HART’S Haiti Inc., a nonprofit focused on inclusive education and innovation in Haiti, and the Founder of Mobile Maker Lab Inc., a STEM as a service initiative that brings hands on robotics and applied technology learning to schools through a mobile model.

Join us for a panel discussion on how women can engage more with entrepreneurship and build confidence in their ideas. Each panelist will describe their role in the entrepreneurial community at IU, providing information on resources and opportunities for people across diverse career stages.

Julie Heath is the inaugural Executive Director of IU Innovates, a university-wide initiative to support and accelerate entrepreneurship through student-led startup hubs, sponsorship of IU entrepreneurship resources, and impact storytelling. Julie serves on the leadership council of ESHIP Alliance, a national network seed-funded by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation to develop entrepreneurship ecosystems as model to drive economic health and community wellbeing in the United States. Between 2021 and 2023, Julie developed the state of Indiana's first entrepreneurship ecosystem strategy, which included new economic impact data and a statewide system of resource navigation. She has held leadership roles in two tech startups, a regional entrepreneur support organization, and in advanced manufacturing. She began her career at the Smithsonian Institution, launching innovation initiatives such as the Lunder Conservation Center.

Susan Batchelder, Ph.D. is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. Susan has been teaching at the Kelley School of Business for over 15 years. She teaches entrepreneurship and corporate innovation to undergraduate students and graduate students in the full-time and online MBA and MSM programs. In addition, Susan is the Director of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Workshop, the advisor for the Kelley Direct MBA Women in Business Chapter and she serves on the board of USASBE’s Minority and Women Entrepreneur SIG. Susan was inducted into the Faculty Academy of Excellence in Teaching at Indiana University in 2022. She earned an MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University and a Ph.D. from Indiana University in Instructional Systems Technology where she studied case-based instruction in entrepreneurship education. She is a licensed real estate broker and was the co-owner of a residential real estate firm for 17 years and is the current owner of Venture Lane Properties.

Ansley Fender, Founder-in-Residence at IU Innovates, supporting faculty entrepreneurs in launching and scaling startups, and Founder & CEO of Grantcycle, a platform for managing grant funding, outcomes, and reporting. She brings a decade of experience across software, financial consulting, and services.

This session demonstrates how AI can enhance the accessibility of text and multimedia. It also introduces how to create adaptive experiences for diverse learners and users. Participants will practice hands-on strategies and receive a QR code with session highlights and step-by-step instructions.

Ayman S. Elbarbary is an associate instructor at the Learning, Design, and Adult Education Department at Indiana University. He holds an M.S.Ed. in Instructional Systems Technology from Indiana University and an M.A. in Applied Linguistics from Ohio University. He has been a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant at the University of North Georgia. Ayman taught Arabic at Ohio University and English at the American University in Cairo and Ahram Canadian University. Ayman is a double-major Ph.D. student in the Instructional Systems Technology and Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures departments at Indiana University.

Ever wondered how video games are designed to feel intuitive and fun?
Learn how designers work on behind the scenes in the gaming industry, and how it can be applied to everyday digital products.

Preiyal Bhalla is a product designer, who most recently designed UX systems for a live-service console game at Amazon. She started her career in UX research and has worked across consumer apps, gaming, and emerging tech. Preiyal is passionate about inclusive design, creative problem-solving, and helping others break into the UX field.

Fidelity Investment presents: A women’s guide to building a financial plan:
Start reducing your debt with four clear steps
Organize your budget and identify how much you may need for retirement
Confidently design a financial plan to help meet your unique goals

Lori Matthews, a Fidelity Workplace Financial Consultant, has been with the company since 2020 and in the financial industry since 2008. Her role is dedicated to work exclusively with faculty and staff of Indiana University. Lori has her Series 7 and 66 as well as her Life & Health insurance license. Her passion is helping individuals become more confident with their financial plan.

A hands-on workshop that breaks down branding into meaning and impact. Participants explore how visual decisions shape perception and walk away with practical insights they can apply to personal, academic, and professional branding.

Sophie Wang is the Founder and CEO of Humanize, where she helps organizations build more human workplaces through storytelling, design, and culture strategy. She has worked across brand, marketing, and leadership development, and is passionate about helping people create authentic, values-driven brands.

Do you need a website to help you get a job/hold portfolio/write a blog? No problem! Margaret Lion will lead you through the steps of making your own website. You will leave this session with a live website and the tools to maintain it.

Margaret Lion is a Technology Educator and member of the Leadership Team for Indiana University Women in Technology (IUWIT). She has been teaching website development since 2018, and she loves watching her students grow in confidence as they build skills. Margaret is passionate about helping people feel empowered by technology and making web design approachable for beginners.

Explore the legal, organizational, and governance impacts of a large-scale cybersecurity breach through an engaging, real-world case review. Then, participate in an interactive simulation to practice incident response, breach management, communication, and privacy protection strategies.

Uduak Ekott is an international lawyer and cybersecurity and data privacy analyst. He has authored papers exploring regulatory and governance approaches to cybersecurity and data protection. His work focuses on bridging legal frameworks with practical incident response, organizational accountability, and risk management.

Explore Business to People (B2P) marketing – a human-first approach that puts real people at the center of every strategy. With AI dominating headlines (and fears of bland content), learn how AI can support empathy and personalization. Build personas and use AI tools to craft tailored messaging.

Natalie Dollinger is a strategic marketing leader and technology enthusiast with over 15 years of experience driving innovation at top tech companies. She is a Product Marketing Manager focused on human-centered storytelling and practical AI adoption for marketing teams.

In an ever-evolving landscape, the journey to a successful career in technology is rarely a straight line. Join a dynamic panel of women and allies from Allegion—a global leader in security and access solutions—as they share the unlocked stories of their professional journeys.

Learn to confidently advocate for yourself and help close the pay gap for women everywhere. Discover how to research your target salary, showcase your accomplishments, and master the right words (and the confidence) to negotiate for better pay and benefits.

Lisa is the Associate Director for Exploratory Career Coaching for the Career Exploration and Student Employment office on campus. She specializes in working with exploratory students, self-assessments, and experiential learning practices.

Explore how technology, information, and innovation shape the world. Learn about programs spanning computer science, informatics, data science, intelligent systems engineering, and information and library science.

Luddy faculty and ambassadors will share insights about academic programs, research opportunities, and career pathways.

Championing women is a vital step toward closing the gender gap in pay, equity, and opportunity across technology, business, and other fields where women remain underrepresented. In this interactive workshop, three of CEW&T’s Faculty Champions will share their experiences serving as champions and mentors to their Center Alliance Teams.

Through a moderated panel discussion, they will explore the importance of mentorship and why championing women at IU is both impactful and necessary. Panelists will offer practical tips and advice on how anyone—regardless of role, gender, or level of experience—can support and mentor women effectively. The session will include time for questions and shared experiences.

Join us to learn how you can play this essential role at IU and beyond, helping women thrive.

Leanne Nay (she/her) is IU's Creative Technologies Librarian and the faculty champion for the CEW&T 3D Printing & Design Team. Her research interests include gender imbalance in makerspaces and creativity and play in libraries. She recently developed the Creator Commons Makerspace in Wells Library with colleagues from UITS. She received her Master of Library Science from IU in 2014, and also holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film Production from Chapman University.

Stephanie M. H. Moore is a Senior Lecturer of Business Law and Ethics at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. She also serves as the Kelley Student Ombudsperson and as the Champion for the Center for Women & Technology's Ethical AI Alliance team. Professor Moore graduated first in her class from Indiana University’s Robert H. McKinney School of Law and is a Registered Domestic Relations Mediator. Professor Moore has won numerous teaching awards and is deeply engaged in service throughout Kelley School, Indiana University, the community, and the profession. Prior to joining Kelley School of Business, Professor Moore served for four years as a Federal Law Clerk for the Honorable Monroe G. McKay, United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.

Jenny El-Shamy is a visual designer and design educator with over 25 years of experience. After earning her MFA in graphic design, she worked in publishing and at design firms in Cincinnati and Chicago. In 1996, she founded Jenny El-Shamy Design, LLC, a woman-owned Indiana business, working with clients such as the Eskenazi Museum of Art, Cook Medical Inc, and the IU Foundation. She is also a Senior Lecturer in the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering at Indiana University, where she teaches Visual Design, Human-Computer Interaction Design, and Multimedia Arts and Technology.

Moderator(s):

Dr. Tiana Iruoje is a higher education scholar-practitioner with more than 20 years of experience advancing student success, engagement, and inclusive excellence in research university settings. She serves as Director of Student Engagement and Success in the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering at Indiana University Bloomington, where she provides strategic leadership for student engagement initiatives, assessment, and program evaluation. Her professional experience spans training and development, student success, transformational leadership, recruiting, teaching and course design, international engagement, K–12 education, web development, writing, and grant writing. Dr. Iruoje’s scholarship includes peer-reviewed publications and national presentations focused on experiential learning, culturally responsive teaching, peer interaction, and high-impact practices. Her research and professional interests center on student engagement, sense of belonging, experiential learning, and equity-driven practices that promote student persistence, retention, and graduation.