Women in Tech
Leading by example.
Our speakers will discuss their experiences navigating the tech industry and propelling their careers as leaders in the field. They will also share how to build up career experience, maneuver a room of doubters, and discover your personal success story.
This program positions established or climbing women in the tech field to create effective and warranted disruption to their industry by addressing gender bias, pay inequality, and overcoming adversity.
This event is presented by Ann Arbor SPARK.
Shanley Carlton
CultureVerse
Biography
Shanley Carlton
CultureVerse
Shanley Carlton is interested in the way things work. From her background in the Big 3 as a Vehicle Engineer to her experience testing and improving the user experience of cutting edge 3D software to her volunteer work coaching youth robotics in her Detroit community, Shanley understands systems, and people, and how to make systems work for people.
As Digital Creative Lead and Solutions Architect at CultureVerse, Shanley manages projects end-to-end, through discovery, ideation, training, and implementation. She experiments with new immersive technology and actively listens to understand the needs of the community. Wherever you encounter her, you’ll find she’s learning, serving, and making things happen.
Rep. Debbie Dingell
Michigan’s 12th District
U.S. House of Representatives
Biography
Rep. Debbie Dingell
U.S. House of Representatives
Congresswoman Debbie Dingell represents Michigan’s 12th District in the U.S. House of Representatives, where she has made it a priority to be a voice for the Midwest on issues that matter most to working families.
A member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Debbie is a leader on efforts to grow manufacturing, improve access to quality affordable health care, support seniors and veterans and protect the Great Lakes. Recognized as one of the 25 hardest-working Members of Congress, Debbie is focused on forging bipartisan solutions that support Michigan’s families and economy, including improving long-term care and ushering in the future of the American auto industry.
Before being elected to Congress, Debbie worked in the auto industry for more than three decades, where she was President of the General Motors (GM) Foundation and a senior executive responsible for public affairs. She was also Chairman of the Wayne State University (WSU) Board of Governors, and continues to fight to make education more affordable and accessible in Congress
Christine Gibbons
Serial Entrepreneur
Biography
Christine Gibbons
Serial Entrepreneur &
Chief Administrative Officer of Fusion Coolant Systems
Christine Gibbons is a serial entrepreneur whose passion is partnering with inventors of transformative technology to drive innovation to the marketplace. She brings over twenty-seven years of operating and fundraising experience to early-stage opportunities, both as an investor and part of entrepreneurial management teams. Together with other founders, Chris has launched fourteen new ventures and raised over $85 million in start-up and early-stage capital.
Chris currently serves as Chief Administrative Officer of Fusion Coolant Systems, a company dedicated to bringing clean, sustainable machining processes to a variety of industries. Prior to her current role, Chris served as Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of HistoSonics, Inc., a medical device company developing a non-invasive, sonic beam therapy platform capable of destroying tissue at a sub-cellular level. She served the company in various roles including President, COO and Interim CEO. Prior to HistoSonics, she held various leadership roles in entrepreneurial ventures including Executive in Residence (EIR) for Venture Investors, LLC, CFO for Sensicore, a company with lab-on-a-chip sensor products (acquired by a division of GE), VP of Finance for Ardesta, an investor in “small-tech” opportunities, and Partner and CFO of Seaflower Ventures, a venture capital firm focused on early-stage biomedical opportunities.
Chris is a member of the Capital Community Angels, is an advisory board member of MSU’s Center for Venture Capital, Private Equity and Entrepreneurial Finance, UM’s Accelerate Blue Fund and the Pinkert Acceleration Fund at UM. She served on the Board of ONL Therapeutics from 2017-2020, was a member of the Technical Oversight Committee for the Coulter Program at the University of Michigan from 2008 to 2016 and was on the inaugural advisory board for MSU’s Masters in Healthcare Management program. Chris holds an MBA from Wayne State University and a BA from Michigan State University.
Priya Gogoi
Celsee
Biography
Priya Gogoi
Celsee
Priya Gogoi is an entrepreneur, social change-maker, and author with published work in national media. She co-founded Celsee, Inc., in 2010, a life-science tools company developing products for cancer research and single-cell sequencing. In April 2020, BioRad Laboratories acquired Celsee for $165MM. Priya recently graduated with an Executive MBA from Ross, UofM, adding to her Master’s degree in Molecular Biology. She specializes in due diligence on Biotech startups, which involves technical due diligence, IP and competitive landscape, operations, and team efficiency. She also mentors several Ann Arbor area startups in preparing their Business Plans. Currently, Priya serves as a Board member in several local and international nonprofits and a contributing author in the national publication: Entrepreneur media.
Jenn Cornell Queen
Ann Arbor SPARK
Biography
Jenn Cornell Queen
Ann Arbor SPARK
Jenn brings more than 20 years of experience to her role as senior vice president of marketing, communications, and events at Ann Arbor SPARK. Prior to joining SPARK’s marketing team, she was a marketing, communications, and PR consultant to not only SPARK, but also to a range of startups, non-profits, and established businesses, including the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, the United Dairy Industry of Michigan, the Detroit Lions, and the University of Michigan. In this role, Jenn executed a range of strategic communications activities including planning, media relations, media training, and creating talking points for these organizations. She also has extensive experience writing and editing marketing materials, articles, and annual reports. Jenn currently is vice-chair of the Ecology Center Board of Directors and also serves on the boards of the Main Street Area Association and the Family Learning Institute, and is a member of Ann Arbor’s Center of the City Council of the Commons commission.
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