Industry Mentors
Finance Lecturer, SJSU
Debbie Abbott has over thirty years of experience in marketing and finance with leading
Silicon Valley companies. She is currently a finance lecturer at SJSU and a board
member for the City of San Jose’s Retirement System. Her most recent marketing role
was as the Director of Content and Campaigns for Flex. She leveraged her social media
network to land that role. She believes networking through social media is an essential
tool for all job seekers. “It’s not just what you know, it’s who you know.”
After receiving her MBA in Finance from UCLA, Debbie worked as a financial manager
at Xerox for ten years where she was recognized for her financial forecasting and
planning. Then she made a career change into marketing and has held senior marketing
management at Flex, Cisco, Xerox and more. She also did marketing strategy consulting
for several leading Silicon Valley companies.
Professor of Marketing and Business Analytics, SJSU
Vivek Agarwal has a strong passion to help striving professionals develop into strong
product managers. Throughout his 27+ years in the high-tech industry, he has a proven
track record in the areas of marketing, business management and general management.
He has an MBA and Master’s in Computer Engineering. He has shared his personal insights
to provide guidance on career management and leadership development. He is also a
Professor of Marketing and Business Analytics at the School of Business & Management
at San Jose State University, California and is a recipient of the Distinguished Lecturer
and Master Teacher Awards.
Director, Food Safety & Regulatory Compliance, Weee!
Divya Aggarwal is a food safety and regulatory compliance leader with over 18 years
of global experience across the consumer packaged goods, retail, manufacturing, and
e-commerce industries. In her role at Weee!, she leads initiatives that protect public
health while enabling business growth, ensuring products meet rigorous safety, quality,
and regulatory standards. Her work focuses on building scalable systems that strengthen
supply chain integrity, consumer trust, and operational excellence. Prior to joining
Weee!, Divya held leadership roles at Albertsons Companies, where she developed enterprise-wide
compliance programs, and supported the successful launch of private-label products.
She has deep expertise in U.S. food regulations governed by agencies such as the FDA
and the USDA, and is known for translating complex regulatory requirements into practical,
business-enabling solutions. Divya holds a Master of Science in Food Science and Technology
from Texas Tech University. Passionate about leadership development and mentorship,
Divya is committed to empowering the next generation of professionals—especially women
pursuing careers in STEM, business, and public health. She actively shares her experience
navigating complex industries, leading cross-functional teams, and building resilient
systems that create both societal impact and business value.
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.
Director of Remarketing, Lucid Motors
Tia Battle is Director of Remarketing at Lucid Motors, where she leads the strategy
and operations behind Lucid’s pre-owned, trade-in, wholesale, and Certified Pre-Owned
businesses, with a focus on maximizing vehicle lifecycle value, improving operational
efficiency, and driving sustainable growth across the business. With more than 20
years of experience in the automotive industry, Tia has held leadership roles across
sales, aftersales, and retail network development. Prior to Lucid, she served as Director
and General Manager at Hyundai Motor America Central Region, overseeing 132 dealerships
across seven states. Throughout her career, she has been recognized for driving performance,
elevating the customer experience, and developing high-impact teams. A passionate
advocate for mentorship and creating pathways for emerging talent, Tia is known for
her ability to translate strategy into execution while inspiring others to lead with
confidence, authenticity, and purpose. She holds a Bachelor of Science from Michigan
State University and an MBA from the University of Redlands. Outside of work, Tia
is an avid cyclist and triathlete, a loyal Detroit Lions fan, and enjoys traveling
internationally with her husband and family. Tia is honored to share her journey and
insights, and is committed to helping others grow, lead, and thrive in their careers.
Gabrielle retired from Juniper Networks in October of 2025. During her time at Juniper
Networks, she worked for the Engineering CTO office and was responsible for providing
program management for the Junos Architecture Council and a network service provisioning
application project. She also started and managed 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.
Sr Director, Americas Enterprise Business Development (Inside Sales), Adobe
Elaine Chan is a senior sales and go-to-market leader with more than 25 years of experience
building high-performing teams and driving meaningful growth. As a Sr. Director at
Adobe, she leads the Americas Enterprise sales development organization of over 200
professionals, generating more than $1B in enterprise pipeline annually. Elaine is
passionate about developing early-career talent and is known for creating environments
where people build confidence, resilience, and a strong sense of ownership. She believes
great leaders do not just deliver results, they multiply them through others, and
she takes pride in helping individuals recognize their potential, often before they
see it themselves. A proud alumna of San José State University, Elaine holds a Bachelor
of Science in Business Marketing with a minor in Advertising. She remains deeply committed
to giving back and empowering the next generation of leaders to grow with clarity,
purpose, and confidence.
Sr. Director of Consumer Business, Trend Micro Inc.
Annie Chen is a senior technology and digital business leader with over 20 years of
experience across product marketing, digital growth, e-commerce, and business management.
Most recently, she served as Senior Director of Consumer Business at Trend Micro,
a global cybersecurity company, where she led the consumer business across North American
and European markets. Throughout her career, Annie has built and led high-performing
global teams and managed complex, multi-market operations. She is known for translating
strategy into execution—scaling digital products, strengthening customer lifecycle
performance, and driving sustainable subscription growth. Annie recently began a new
career chapter focused on advisory and consulting work in digital business and growth
strategy. She is committed to advancing women in business and technology and has supported
women-focused leadership initiatives. She holds a B.S. in International Business from
National Taiwan University and an MBA from the University of Washington.
Client Success Manager, Aon
Krista has worked at Aon for 7 years and currently serves as a Client Success Manager,
supporting more than 100 Life Sciences and Healthcare clients and partnering with
them to maximize the value of Aon’s Human Capital Analytics Platform. She earned her
MBA from San Jose State University in 2023.
She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration
in Human Resource Management and a minor in Science from SJSU. During her undergraduate
studies, Krista served as President of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
student chapter and now stays closely connected to the SJSU community by mentoring
current students.
Venture Advisor and Startup Advisor, YL Ventures
Lisa Hall is a cybersecurity executive with over 20 years of experience leading global
security organizations at some of today’s most innovative technology companies. But
beyond her executive roles, she is widely known as a connector, mentor, and advocate
within the security community. After serving as CISO at SafeBase and Color Health,
and leading security at PagerDuty, Twilio, and EY, Lisa shifted her focus toward investing
in people. Having guided companies through IPOs, acquisitions, and global expansion,
she now dedicates much of her time to advising founders, supporting emerging leaders,
and helping underrepresented professionals access opportunity in cybersecurity. Lisa
serves as a Venture Advisor and startup advisor, helping early-stage companies design
security as a strategic advantage from day one. She also serves on advisory boards
and actively champions mentorship, sponsorship, and community-building across the
industry. Now “mostly retired,” Lisa views this chapter as her most meaningful — focusing
less on titles and more on impact, connection, and lifting others as they rise.
MIS Lecturer, SJSU
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 an SJSU
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.
Cynthia Nicosia is a strategic and results oriented Human Resources leader with experience
in global, dynamic, high growth organizations. She’s known as a trusted partner to
senior executives and leaders, bringing business strategies to life through people.
Working from strategy to execution, Cynthia has achieved successful outcomes such
as building and implementing talent strategies, organizational design, leadership
development and coaching, M&A integration, and complex employee relations. Cynthia
was most recently at Equinix, in the role as Sr. Vice President Human Resources, responsible
for leading the HR Client Services organization. Prior to joining Equinix, she enjoyed
a long, progressive career at Symantec Corporation, where she held a variety of roles.
Currently, she is consulting, exploring fractional HR opportunities, and enjoying
the flexibility to travel and spend time with family and friends. Cynthia holds a
B.S. in Business Administration from CSU Fresno and a M.S. in Human Resources and
Industrial Relations from the University of Oregon.
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.
Director of Product Management, Cisco
Surbhi Paul is Director of Product Management at Cisco, leading AI business development
and the adoption of advanced 400G/800G networking platforms. With a proven track record
at industry leaders such as Arista, EMC, VMware, Pure Storage, and Gigamon, and previous
experience on Cisco’s Nexus 7K team, Surbhi brings deep expertise to transforming
enterprise solutions. Beyond her role at Cisco, she is passionate about giving back
and actively supports community initiatives.
Director Product Management, Cisco
Seasoned Professional and confident leader with 15+ years of progressive expertise
in building and executing product and go-to-market strategy, management consulting,
working with cross-functional teams and the ability to see the big picture while staying
on top of all details
Specialties:
• Product strategies, roadmaps, prioritization, portfolio management
• Sales, Channel and Partner GTM strategy and enablement
• Cloud, Software and buying models, Licensing agreement
• Routing, Switching, Optical and Cable
• Program/Project Management and Agile practitioner
• Business Operations consulting and process architecture
• Data warehouse and Business Intelligence Reporting
• Customer Data Management
Founder/CEO, Connext
René Siegel is a lifelong connector and communications leader who has spent her career
helping people find their voice—and their next opportunity. She is the founder and
former CEO of Connext, a Silicon Valley marketing consultancy that supported world-class
brands including Cisco, Google, Intuit, Kaiser, LinkedIn, Salesforce, and Tesla. After
leading Connext for more than two decades, René guided the company through its successful
acquisition by Armanino, where she continued her impact as a Growth Office Partner
for the Top 20 consulting firm.
René has taught Strategic Communications as an adjunct professor at San José State
and continues to champion students as a member of the Lucas College of Business Dean’s
Advisory Board. She is known for mentoring leaders, elevating women in business, and
helping professionals navigate their careers with clarity and confidence. Rene's work
and perspectives have been featured in Forbes, Inc., and The Wall Street Journal,
but her proudest achievement is raising three extraordinary humans.
VP of HR and Staff Development, PremierOne Credit Union
Aida is currently VP - HR and Staff Development at Premier One Credit Union with 13
years of experience in Head of Human Resources roles. Her career has taken her through
a multitude of industries and her experience covers a wide range of HR practices such
as talent acquisition, benefits, payroll and employee life cycle, and talent management.
Aida graduated from San Jose State University and she is a proud founder of leadtohappy,
an organization aimed at helping young professionals find their professional passions,
their purpose and ultimate joy in the work they do.
Hung is an experienced technology executive and advisor with more than 20 years of
leadership in global hardware and software engineering organizations serving leading
telecom carriers and multinational enterprises. Until January 2026, Hung led the worldwide
Engineering organization at Yubico, where he was responsible for the company’s global
engineering strategy and delivery across hardware, software, and cloud services supporting
the YubiKey authentication platform.
Prior to joining Yubico in February 2021, Hung served as VP of the Product organization
for the Information Security Business Unit at Utimaco. Before Utimaco, he was VP of
Engineering for the ArcSight business, the largest division within the Enterprise
Security Products segment at Hewlett Packard (HP). Earlier in his career, he held
various senior R&D and Product Management roles at Lucent Technologies and Nortel
Networks.
Hung currently serves as a member of the Advisory Board of BigLabs and IMT, and is
Co-Founder and a member of the Board of Directors of Atlas Strategy, where he focuses
on advising technology ventures on strategy, product development, and global scaling.
Hung holds a patent for Remote Wireless Network Management. He received his B.S. and
M.Sc. in Engineering from the University of Waterloo and his M.B.A. from the University
of Western Ontario in Canada. Hung is based in Santa Clara, California.
Senior Director of Data Center Networking, Cisco
Vimala Veerappan drives engagements with customers to implement AI-powered networks
and drive strategic outcomes as Senior Director of Data Center Networking at Cisco
She leads global teams to modernize, secure, and scale data center networks, delivering
impactful results for businesses. With a passion for turning innovation into action,
Vimala develops sales enablement and go-to-market strategies that empower customers
and partners to thrive. Focused on clarity and results, she helps organizations confidently
embrace the opportunities of an AI-driven world.
Dave retired in 2023 after a 38-year career with Hewlett-Packard and its spin-offs,
where he held various roles including software development, business leadership, marketing,
product management, strategy, and operations. He has also taught classes leadership
and innovation at the SJSU Lucas College of Business numerous times. Throughout his
career, Dave has been active in the community, supporting local schools and youth
sports. In retirement, he is pursuing interests at the intersection of human rights,
environmental justice, technology, agriculture, and finance.
Min Wang is a technology marketing executive with over 20 years of experience navigating
the evolution of the B2B tech industry, from hardware and software to SaaS and AI.
Min most recently served as Vice President of Digital Marketing at Smartsheet, where
she focused on growth and integrating AI to enhance productivity across multiple functions
and global teams. Min’s career is defined by a deep curiosity for how data and technology
can solve human problems. Her leadership path includes roles as CMO at Scalyr (now
SentinelOne) and Vice President positions at Cisco and Brocade, following foundational
years at NetApp and EMC. Min holds a master’s degree in computer science from Wayne
State University and a medical degree from Shandong University School of Medicine
in China. This blend of science and technology informs her approach to marketing —
balancing technical precision with a focus on the people behind the data.
VP of Customer Growth, Revenue Retention Advisors, LLC
Sandy Yu is the founder of Revenue Retention Advisors, a boutique consultancy that
helps B2B SaaS companies ($10–$100M ARR) drive predictable growth through retention,
upsell, and cross-sell. She partners with CROs and VP/SVPs of Sales to uncover the
silent, systemic breakdowns in the post-sales journey—what she calls revenue leaks—that
quietly erode expansion and create a ceiling on growth. With 20+ years of experience
across PwC, Cisco, WebEx, Oracle and high-growth startups, Sandy blends enterprise-grade
operating discipline with startup agility and a hands-on, pragmatic approach. Her
signature framework, the Farm to Scale OS™, helps cross-functional teams align Marketing,
Sales and Customer Success, close the gap between promised and delivered value, and
build early visibility into customer disengagement—so renewals become planned outcomes
and expansion becomes a repeatable motion. Sandy is a frequent speaker and workshop
facilitator for global revenue leaders on topics including customer growth operating
models, retention strategy, and building expansion systems that don’t depend on unpredictable
pipeline. She also volunteers with EchoHer and The Job Forum, supporting founders
and job seekers in the SF Bay Area. Sandy 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. Learn more (and connect) on LinkedIn.
Vice President, Deputy General Counsel - Product, IP, Privacy, and Procurement, Juniper
Networks
Tao is currently Vice President and Deputy General Counsel supporting HPE Networking.
She was previously Vice President and General Counsel at Juniper Networks, and HPE
acquired Juniper in 2025. 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 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".
Finance Lecturer, SJSU
Debbie Abbott has over thirty years of experience in marketing and finance with leading
Silicon Valley companies. She is currently a finance lecturer at SJSU and a board
member for the City of San Jose’s Retirement System. Her most recent marketing role
was as the Director of Content and Campaigns for Flex. She leveraged her social media
network to land that role. She believes networking through social media is an essential
tool for all job seekers. “It’s not just what you know, it’s who you know.”
After receiving her MBA in Finance from UCLA, Debbie worked as a financial manager
at Xerox for ten years where she was recognized for her financial forecasting and
planning. Then she made a career change into marketing and has held senior marketing
management at Flex, Cisco, Xerox and more. She also did marketing strategy consulting
for several leading Silicon Valley companies.
Professor of Marketing and Business Analytics, SJSU
Vivek Agarwal has a strong passion to help striving professionals develop into strong
product managers. Throughout his 27+ years in the high-tech industry, he has a proven
track record in the areas of marketing, business management and general management.
He has an MBA and Master’s in Computer Engineering. He has shared his personal insights
to provide guidance on career management and leadership development. He is also a
Professor of Marketing and Business Analytics at the School of Business & Management
at San Jose State University, California and is a recipient of the Distinguished Lecturer
and Master Teacher Awards.
Director, Food Safety & Regulatory Compliance, Weee!
Divya Aggarwal is a food safety and regulatory compliance leader with over 18 years
of global experience across the consumer packaged goods, retail, manufacturing, and
e-commerce industries. In her role at Weee!, she leads initiatives that protect public
health while enabling business growth, ensuring products meet rigorous safety, quality,
and regulatory standards. Her work focuses on building scalable systems that strengthen
supply chain integrity, consumer trust, and operational excellence. Prior to joining
Weee!, Divya held leadership roles at Albertsons Companies, where she developed enterprise-wide
compliance programs, and supported the successful launch of private-label products.
She has deep expertise in U.S. food regulations governed by agencies such as the FDA
and the USDA, and is known for translating complex regulatory requirements into practical,
business-enabling solutions. Divya holds a Master of Science in Food Science and Technology
from Texas Tech University. Passionate about leadership development and mentorship,
Divya is committed to empowering the next generation of professionals—especially women
pursuing careers in STEM, business, and public health. She actively shares her experience
navigating complex industries, leading cross-functional teams, and building resilient
systems that create both societal impact and business value.
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.
Director of Remarketing, Lucid Motors
Tia Battle is Director of Remarketing at Lucid Motors, where she leads the strategy
and operations behind Lucid’s pre-owned, trade-in, wholesale, and Certified Pre-Owned
businesses, with a focus on maximizing vehicle lifecycle value, improving operational
efficiency, and driving sustainable growth across the business. With more than 20
years of experience in the automotive industry, Tia has held leadership roles across
sales, aftersales, and retail network development. Prior to Lucid, she served as Director
and General Manager at Hyundai Motor America Central Region, overseeing 132 dealerships
across seven states. Throughout her career, she has been recognized for driving performance,
elevating the customer experience, and developing high-impact teams. A passionate
advocate for mentorship and creating pathways for emerging talent, Tia is known for
her ability to translate strategy into execution while inspiring others to lead with
confidence, authenticity, and purpose. She holds a Bachelor of Science from Michigan
State University and an MBA from the University of Redlands. Outside of work, Tia
is an avid cyclist and triathlete, a loyal Detroit Lions fan, and enjoys traveling
internationally with her husband and family. Tia is honored to share her journey and
insights, and is committed to helping others grow, lead, and thrive in their careers.
Gabrielle retired from Juniper Networks in October of 2025. During her time at Juniper
Networks, she worked for the Engineering CTO office and was responsible for providing
program management for the Junos Architecture Council and a network service provisioning
application project. She also started and managed 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.
Sr Director, Americas Enterprise Business Development (Inside Sales), Adobe
Elaine Chan is a senior sales and go-to-market leader with more than 25 years of experience
building high-performing teams and driving meaningful growth. As a Sr. Director at
Adobe, she leads the Americas Enterprise sales development organization of over 200
professionals, generating more than $1B in enterprise pipeline annually. Elaine is
passionate about developing early-career talent and is known for creating environments
where people build confidence, resilience, and a strong sense of ownership. She believes
great leaders do not just deliver results, they multiply them through others, and
she takes pride in helping individuals recognize their potential, often before they
see it themselves. A proud alumna of San José State University, Elaine holds a Bachelor
of Science in Business Marketing with a minor in Advertising. She remains deeply committed
to giving back and empowering the next generation of leaders to grow with clarity,
purpose, and confidence.
Sr. Director of Consumer Business, Trend Micro Inc.
Annie Chen is a senior technology and digital business leader with over 20 years of
experience across product marketing, digital growth, e-commerce, and business management.
Most recently, she served as Senior Director of Consumer Business at Trend Micro,
a global cybersecurity company, where she led the consumer business across North American
and European markets. Throughout her career, Annie has built and led high-performing
global teams and managed complex, multi-market operations. She is known for translating
strategy into execution—scaling digital products, strengthening customer lifecycle
performance, and driving sustainable subscription growth. Annie recently began a new
career chapter focused on advisory and consulting work in digital business and growth
strategy. She is committed to advancing women in business and technology and has supported
women-focused leadership initiatives. She holds a B.S. in International Business from
National Taiwan University and an MBA from the University of Washington.
Client Success Manager, Aon
Krista has worked at Aon for 7 years and currently serves as a Client Success Manager,
supporting more than 100 Life Sciences and Healthcare clients and partnering with
them to maximize the value of Aon’s Human Capital Analytics Platform. She earned her
MBA from San Jose State University in 2023.
She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration
in Human Resource Management and a minor in Science from SJSU. During her undergraduate
studies, Krista served as President of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
student chapter and now stays closely connected to the SJSU community by mentoring
current students.
Venture Advisor and Startup Advisor, YL Ventures
Lisa Hall is a cybersecurity executive with over 20 years of experience leading global
security organizations at some of today’s most innovative technology companies. But
beyond her executive roles, she is widely known as a connector, mentor, and advocate
within the security community. After serving as CISO at SafeBase and Color Health,
and leading security at PagerDuty, Twilio, and EY, Lisa shifted her focus toward investing
in people. Having guided companies through IPOs, acquisitions, and global expansion,
she now dedicates much of her time to advising founders, supporting emerging leaders,
and helping underrepresented professionals access opportunity in cybersecurity. Lisa
serves as a Venture Advisor and startup advisor, helping early-stage companies design
security as a strategic advantage from day one. She also serves on advisory boards
and actively champions mentorship, sponsorship, and community-building across the
industry. Now “mostly retired,” Lisa views this chapter as her most meaningful — focusing
less on titles and more on impact, connection, and lifting others as they rise.
MIS Lecturer, SJSU
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 an SJSU
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.
Cynthia Nicosia is a strategic and results oriented Human Resources leader with experience
in global, dynamic, high growth organizations. She’s known as a trusted partner to
senior executives and leaders, bringing business strategies to life through people.
Working from strategy to execution, Cynthia has achieved successful outcomes such
as building and implementing talent strategies, organizational design, leadership
development and coaching, M&A integration, and complex employee relations. Cynthia
was most recently at Equinix, in the role as Sr. Vice President Human Resources, responsible
for leading the HR Client Services organization. Prior to joining Equinix, she enjoyed
a long, progressive career at Symantec Corporation, where she held a variety of roles.
Currently, she is consulting, exploring fractional HR opportunities, and enjoying
the flexibility to travel and spend time with family and friends. Cynthia holds a
B.S. in Business Administration from CSU Fresno and a M.S. in Human Resources and
Industrial Relations from the University of Oregon.
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.
Director of Product Management, Cisco
Surbhi Paul is Director of Product Management at Cisco, leading AI business development
and the adoption of advanced 400G/800G networking platforms. With a proven track record
at industry leaders such as Arista, EMC, VMware, Pure Storage, and Gigamon, and previous
experience on Cisco’s Nexus 7K team, Surbhi brings deep expertise to transforming
enterprise solutions. Beyond her role at Cisco, she is passionate about giving back
and actively supports community initiatives.
Director Product Management, Cisco
Seasoned Professional and confident leader with 15+ years of progressive expertise
in building and executing product and go-to-market strategy, management consulting,
working with cross-functional teams and the ability to see the big picture while staying
on top of all details
Specialties:
• Product strategies, roadmaps, prioritization, portfolio management
• Sales, Channel and Partner GTM strategy and enablement
• Cloud, Software and buying models, Licensing agreement
• Routing, Switching, Optical and Cable
• Program/Project Management and Agile practitioner
• Business Operations consulting and process architecture
• Data warehouse and Business Intelligence Reporting
• Customer Data Management
Founder/CEO, Connext
René Siegel is a lifelong connector and communications leader who has spent her career
helping people find their voice—and their next opportunity. She is the founder and
former CEO of Connext, a Silicon Valley marketing consultancy that supported world-class
brands including Cisco, Google, Intuit, Kaiser, LinkedIn, Salesforce, and Tesla. After
leading Connext for more than two decades, René guided the company through its successful
acquisition by Armanino, where she continued her impact as a Growth Office Partner
for the Top 20 consulting firm.
René has taught Strategic Communications as an adjunct professor at San José State
and continues to champion students as a member of the Lucas College of Business Dean’s
Advisory Board. She is known for mentoring leaders, elevating women in business, and
helping professionals navigate their careers with clarity and confidence. Rene's work
and perspectives have been featured in Forbes, Inc., and The Wall Street Journal,
but her proudest achievement is raising three extraordinary humans.
VP of HR and Staff Development, PremierOne Credit Union
Aida is currently VP - HR and Staff Development at Premier One Credit Union with 13
years of experience in Head of Human Resources roles. Her career has taken her through
a multitude of industries and her experience covers a wide range of HR practices such
as talent acquisition, benefits, payroll and employee life cycle, and talent management.
Aida graduated from San Jose State University and she is a proud founder of leadtohappy,
an organization aimed at helping young professionals find their professional passions,
their purpose and ultimate joy in the work they do.
Hung is an experienced technology executive and advisor with more than 20 years of
leadership in global hardware and software engineering organizations serving leading
telecom carriers and multinational enterprises. Until January 2026, Hung led the worldwide
Engineering organization at Yubico, where he was responsible for the company’s global
engineering strategy and delivery across hardware, software, and cloud services supporting
the YubiKey authentication platform.
Prior to joining Yubico in February 2021, Hung served as VP of the Product organization
for the Information Security Business Unit at Utimaco. Before Utimaco, he was VP of
Engineering for the ArcSight business, the largest division within the Enterprise
Security Products segment at Hewlett Packard (HP). Earlier in his career, he held
various senior R&D and Product Management roles at Lucent Technologies and Nortel
Networks.
Hung currently serves as a member of the Advisory Board of BigLabs and IMT, and is
Co-Founder and a member of the Board of Directors of Atlas Strategy, where he focuses
on advising technology ventures on strategy, product development, and global scaling.
Hung holds a patent for Remote Wireless Network Management. He received his B.S. and
M.Sc. in Engineering from the University of Waterloo and his M.B.A. from the University
of Western Ontario in Canada. Hung is based in Santa Clara, California.
Senior Director of Data Center Networking, Cisco
Vimala Veerappan drives engagements with customers to implement AI-powered networks
and drive strategic outcomes as Senior Director of Data Center Networking at Cisco
She leads global teams to modernize, secure, and scale data center networks, delivering
impactful results for businesses. With a passion for turning innovation into action,
Vimala develops sales enablement and go-to-market strategies that empower customers
and partners to thrive. Focused on clarity and results, she helps organizations confidently
embrace the opportunities of an AI-driven world.
Dave retired in 2023 after a 38-year career with Hewlett-Packard and its spin-offs,
where he held various roles including software development, business leadership, marketing,
product management, strategy, and operations. He has also taught classes leadership
and innovation at the SJSU Lucas College of Business numerous times. Throughout his
career, Dave has been active in the community, supporting local schools and youth
sports. In retirement, he is pursuing interests at the intersection of human rights,
environmental justice, technology, agriculture, and finance.
Min Wang is a technology marketing executive with over 20 years of experience navigating
the evolution of the B2B tech industry, from hardware and software to SaaS and AI.
Min most recently served as Vice President of Digital Marketing at Smartsheet, where
she focused on growth and integrating AI to enhance productivity across multiple functions
and global teams. Min’s career is defined by a deep curiosity for how data and technology
can solve human problems. Her leadership path includes roles as CMO at Scalyr (now
SentinelOne) and Vice President positions at Cisco and Brocade, following foundational
years at NetApp and EMC. Min holds a master’s degree in computer science from Wayne
State University and a medical degree from Shandong University School of Medicine
in China. This blend of science and technology informs her approach to marketing —
balancing technical precision with a focus on the people behind the data.
VP of Customer Growth, Revenue Retention Advisors, LLC
Sandy Yu is the founder of Revenue Retention Advisors, a boutique consultancy that
helps B2B SaaS companies ($10–$100M ARR) drive predictable growth through retention,
upsell, and cross-sell. She partners with CROs and VP/SVPs of Sales to uncover the
silent, systemic breakdowns in the post-sales journey—what she calls revenue leaks—that
quietly erode expansion and create a ceiling on growth. With 20+ years of experience
across PwC, Cisco, WebEx, Oracle and high-growth startups, Sandy blends enterprise-grade
operating discipline with startup agility and a hands-on, pragmatic approach. Her
signature framework, the Farm to Scale OS™, helps cross-functional teams align Marketing,
Sales and Customer Success, close the gap between promised and delivered value, and
build early visibility into customer disengagement—so renewals become planned outcomes
and expansion becomes a repeatable motion. Sandy is a frequent speaker and workshop
facilitator for global revenue leaders on topics including customer growth operating
models, retention strategy, and building expansion systems that don’t depend on unpredictable
pipeline. She also volunteers with EchoHer and The Job Forum, supporting founders
and job seekers in the SF Bay Area. Sandy 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. Learn more (and connect) on LinkedIn.
Vice President, Deputy General Counsel - Product, IP, Privacy, and Procurement, Juniper Networks
Tao is currently Vice President and Deputy General Counsel supporting HPE Networking.
She was previously Vice President and General Counsel at Juniper Networks, and HPE
acquired Juniper in 2025. 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 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".
