Samantha is the Head of Product Management and Engineering at VNS Health, where she leads the organization’s IT Product and Engineering Transformation and guides the team toward a product-driven operating model. She specializes in mergers and acquisitions and enterprise transformations, bringing a unique perspective shaped by her experience navigating complex organizational change.

Prior to joining VNS Health, Sam led the merger and acquisition and client software portfolio for General Electric, where she honed her expertise in large-scale enterprise transformation. She also served as Head of Product for an e-commerce startup, successfully guiding the company through a merger and acquisition while building product capabilities from the ground up.

Sam is an accomplished product leader with over 13 years of experience driving agile and product transformations across both startup and enterprise environments. She has a proven track record of solving real user problems, driving operational efficiency, and building high-performing agile, engineering, and product teams.

Her passion for developing product talent and building inclusive product communities led her to found Product Girl, a mentorship initiative dedicated to empowering and elevating the next generation of product leaders. Through Product Girl, Samantha provides guidance, resources, and community support to aspiring and current product managers, helping them navigate their careers and develop the skills needed to excel in product leadership roles.

Samantha is also an aspiring author, with her first book set to be published in June 2026.

Anusha is on a lifelong mission to drive social change – from her teenage years, when she founded a youth group aimed at alleviating poverty, to her first job championing community justice while investigating white collar crime at the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, through law school, where she worked with destitute refugees to investigate and report human rights violations, and now in her practice, where she uses law for social good. Anusha is a Harvard Law School graduate and magna cum laude undergraduate honoree from the Elliot School of International Affairs of the George Washington University.  

She represents change makers including entrepreneurs, companies, investors, and nonprofits in the social impact and sustainability space. Her passion is to bring their vision to reality. Her experience covers diverse industries and transactions valued at over $50 billion in the aggregate. Anusha’s practice covers a broad range of general corporate and transactional matters, including venture capital financing, strategic transactions, public offerings, corporate and non-profit governance matters, and regulatory compliance. For her trailblazing pro bono efforts, Anusha was awarded the Pro Bono Publico Award from the Casa Cornelia Law Center, which provides legal services to victims of human and civil rights violations worldwide. 

Anusha is also a Member of the Board of Trustees, for Support Organization for Kids in Need (SOFKIN), a nonprofit in New Jersey and Hyderabad, India that cares for destitute children and women, and has assisted in operations and fundraising for over a decade. Prior to co-founding Radicle Law, Anusha was a corporate associate at Cooley LLP and Shearman & Sterling LLP.  

Anusha enjoys dancing, exploring the outdoors, traveling, reading and cooking.  

Bar Admissions: California and New York  

Shar Lawson brings experience from companies such as Microsoft, Apple, and NetApp where she held various roles in sales leadership, non-traditional talent recruitment programs, program management, and event planning. While serving on two non-profit boards, Shar had the opportunity to contribute to donor management, corporate gifts, volunteer matching, website and donor CRM system enhancements, and event planning. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from Oakland University and a master’s degree in administration with a concentration in leadership from Central Michigan University. I have also obtained certifications in change management and DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging). Her own non-traditional career path and personal challenges have fueled her passion for promoting Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging within the tech industry.

Dr. Lan Ma Nygren is the Associate Dean and a tenured professor in Management Sciences at Rider University’s Norm Brodsky College of Business. She joined Rider’s business faculty in 2003 and holds a Ph.D. in Statistics with a focus on quantitative finance from Stern School of Business, New York University, an M.A. in Economics from The Ohio State University, and an M.S. in Statistics from Renmin University of China. She served as the chairperson of the Information Systems, Analytics, and Supply Chain Management Department from 2012 to 2015 until she became the Associate Dean of Norm Brodsky College of Business.

In her role as Associate Dean, Lan spearheaded the creation and successful execution of several in-demand academic programs. These include the development of a Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics, the establishment of an undergraduate major and minor in Business Analytics, as well as the introduction of a Certificate in Risk Management and Insurance. Lan assumed a pivotal leadership role in supporting the Norm Brodsky College of Business in upholding its prestigious AACSB International accreditation through the last two reaccreditations.

She also has played a pivotal role as a core member of the University Assessment Committee, where she oversees the critical process of student learning assessment. This effort is integral to preserving Rider’s regional accreditation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

Niki Singh is Product Manager through and through. She is infatuated with the intersection of technology and creativity. She loves working in fast-paced environments that revolve around quick-thinking and decision making. She is focused on customer experience and is constantly striving to optimize adoption and sustainment. Niki is currently a Product Strategist at Moody’s Analytics where she manages two data delivery platforms.  

Previously, Niki worked at Synchronoss Technologies as a Technical Business Analyst where she was first exposed to the inner workings of Product Management. At Synchronoss, she not only helped define the business case for product features and development but influenced higher-level product strategy and vision. Additionally, she developed multiple models and metrics to help her team make data-driven decisions and measure the success of existing accounts.  

In her spare time, Niki sits on the Life After NYU Committee at NYU where she helps plan and execute events to help transition graduating seniors to post-graduate alumni life. She’s helped create “Life After NYU” week where students and recent graduates can attend sessions that cover important graduation and early adult career information. Through this committee, she is able to keep the alums from the most recent graduating years involved in the NYU Community.  

Niki is a graduate from NYU, with a degree in Computer Science and the Business of Entertainment, Media, and Technology. 

Dr. Chitra Dorai is a globally renowned AI Scientist and the Founder & CEO of Amicus Brain Innovations focused on bringing the power of AI to tackle some of the important societal problems in healthcare and financial services. Dr. Dorai, known as a “Force for Good” coined the term “ARTful AI”, to advance artificial intelligence (AI) research and practice with Accountability, Responsibility and Transparency for the benefit of humanity.

Dr. Dorai was at IBM as an IBM Fellow (first woman of Indian origin to receive this recognition in the globe) and her last role was Global CTO for cognitive services in IBM’s Global Business Services unit. During her tenure at IBM (in TJ Watson Research Center, GTS, and GBS), Dr. Dorai was a recipient of IBM’s highest honor in 2011 – the Gerstner Award for Client Excellence; she was recognized as an IBM Distinguished Engineer in 2012 and was appointed by the IBM CEO as an IBM Fellow, the company’s preeminent technical honor in 2015. Her ground-breaking work from 2009 until 2015 on customer focused analytics and AI solutions in mortgage servicing saved thousands of struggling home owners facing foreclosure with the right home ownership retention programs and alternative workout options during one of the most challenging times in the history of the U.S. housing market. In 2014, Dr. Dorai received the Tamil American Pioneer Award for Excellence in Finance and Business from the Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America. In 2016, she was profiled as a “Societal Innovator” in the IBM HQ. In 2018, she received “The Visionary” award from the National Association of Women in Real Estate Business.

Dr. Dorai graduated from IIT Madras with an undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering and received her Ph.D. in Computer Science at Michigan State University with the Distinguished Academic Achievement award. She is the co-inventor of 48 patents and has received multiple high-value patent awards, having been recognized as a Master Inventor thrice at IBM. She has co-authored 100+ technical papers in IEEE and ACMconferences and journals, edited a book and received 5 best paper awards at international conferences. She has presented keynote addresses and technical talks at academic research conferences, industry symposia and panels, and has served in many organizational roles on committees at the International Conferences over the past three decades. She is frequently interviewed or cited in press, news and blogs, and YouTube video on a wide variety of topics from AI, Machine Learning, Blockchain, Big Data and Analytics to human technology balance. With her passion for nurturing global talent in STEM, in addition to her mentoring and advocacy work at IBM, she mentored over 15 university students, served as a Co-Advisor for 5 Ph.D. students and was active on University Advisory Boards (Industrial Advisory Board of Univ. of Illinois, Univ. of Mysore).

Following two decades of a highly decorated career at IBM, Dr. Dorai is currently focused on her entrepreneurial ventures and her continued passion to make AI accessible to everyone with her conference presentations, webinars and podcasts.

Sheri Horwitz is an accomplished IT and Product Development Executive with more than 20 years of IT, global product management and product development experience managing small and large (180+) teams.

Sheri is heading up the ServiceNow practice and developing the Microsoft partnership at PamTen.  Prior to PamTen, Sheri worked at Synchronoss Technologies where she served as the Senior Vice President of IT.  In this role she had a broad range of responsibilities including delivery of IT Services, Global Information Security, Infrastructure, IT Service Management, Program Management and Performance Engineering across the company to a global population of more than 1800 employees. While in this role, Synchronoss expanded its ServiceNow deployment by rolling out the CMDB module, GRC and Vulnerability modules and migrating all customers to the Customer Service Portal. Sheri received the CIO Visionary Award from Infotech Research in December 2021.

Sheri has a proven track record of successfully managing the delivery of complex projects including smart phone applications, cloud computing, broadband solutions and activation services for mobile devices across multiple carriers.

Sheri joined the Synchronoss team in August of 2000 and was a key member in taking Synchronoss from a handful of people to a global company. In addition to her formal IT role, Sheri is active in the community and works with several nonprofit organizations including American Corporate Partners where she mentors US Veterans.

Sheri is also a dedicated advocate for women in business, actively encourages girls in IT and started Lean In circles at Synchronoss as a means to support and promote women in technology. She continues to mentor young professionals.

Sheri graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Business and Communications from Syracuse University.

Susan Liddie takes a business opportunity and brings it to reality through technology. She has an innate ability to see the “art of the possible”, mobilize teams to bring this to life, and achieve key business results. Susan is an inspirational leader who can motivate and drive a call to action, while staying grounded in the operational needs of the enterprise. Susan is a respected member of the leadership teams of which she is a member, earning her a seat at the table through consistent delivery on commitments, and sustained alignment with enterprise strategy and leadership.

Susan has most recently served as Chief Information Officer at Avon, leading the company’s Global Information Technology organization, enabling Avon’s 6+ million Representatives worldwide. Susan has led efforts associated with the development of Avon’s multi-year technology strategy plans, aligned with and enabling Avon’s business model, spanning the Digital Consumer facing experience, through back office operations including Supply Chain, Finance, and R&D. Much of the technology strategy at Avon which Susan put into practice, has been focused on emerging markets in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and Europe.

Susan directed the risk assessment, gap analysis, and implementation of a robust Cyber Security practice, protecting the global technology assets of the company. Susan led all aspects of the Information Technology plan and transition associated with the sale and separation of Avon’s North America business to private equity partner Cerberus. She has architected and led plans for multi-year sourcing efforts for key Information Technology services to global outsource providers. Additionally, with the advent of the Avon corporate headquarters move from the US to the UK, Susan spearheaded the transformation of Information Technology at Avon, driving the implementation of a new operating model, re-location and rebuilding of the technology leadership team, and location/hub strategy that enabled greater innovation, efficiency, and agility of the function.

In her role as CIO, Susan has led Digital and Technology strategy discussions as well as Cyber updates with the Avon Board of Directors several times each year. She has developed a keen sense of the role of the board member and how it differs from that of the operational leader.

Susan has more than 25 years of Information Technology experience spanning direct selling, beauty, telecommunications, brokerage, insurance, pharmaceutical, and electric utility industries. Prior to joining Avon, she served as Vice President at Bristol-Myers Squibb, within the Information Technology function, leading the management of Enterprise systems, outsource services, and technology-related deliverables associated with acquisitions and divestitures (Mead Johnson Nutritional, Convatec, Medarex). Earlier in her career she rose through the ranks at AT&T, moving into roles with increasing responsibility in the technology organization.

Susan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the College of Saint Elizabeth, and a Master’s Certification in Project Management from George Washington University.

Susan is a member of the Board of Directors for the Girl Scouts of Greater New York City where she serves on the Strategic Planning Committee. She has been a board member since 2015.

Kristin Malek serves as the Senior Manager of Supplier Diversity at CDW. In this capacity, she drives CDW’s strategies to achieve supplier diversity objectives. She is responsible for CDW’s $1.9+ Billion Dollar annual Supplier Diversity spend initiatives. Kristin is the architect of the CDW’s diverse supply chain which today is defined as more than 800+ suppliers that serve the needs and offers solutions to CDW and their customers.

Kristin brings more than 16 years of senior leadership experience making her a SME on diversity growth and development. As the Director of Field Projects for a Fortune 200 company, she was responsible for establishing and executing the organization’s diversity objectives, initiatives, and strategies, as well as focusing on the company’s optimization & localization initiatives.

Most recently Kristin served as the Chief Operating Officer for a National Non for Profit organization, where she created and led the vision and strategy for the organization in partnership with the National Board of Directors and other senior leaders. In her role as COO, Kristin placed a large focus on identifying, on boarding and managing strategic partnerships of all kinds. Kristin is a graduate of Western Illinois University for her undergrad and holds her MBA from WIU.

Maria has enjoyed an almost five decade career in the financial industry, mostly as an economist. She is President & Chief Executive Officer of Maria Fiorini Ramirez, Inc., (MFR) an independent global economic and financial consulting firm formed in August 1992. Before starting her own firm, Maria’s career included positions in many financial organizations including Drexel Burnham Lambert, where she became the first woman Managing Director and Chief Money Market Economist.

Maria is also the owner of MFR Securities, Inc., the Broker Dealer subsidiary of MFR. MFR Securities is a certified Woman-Owned Minority Broker Dealer. It participates in underwritings of equity and debt securities, and executes fixed income product transactions for its many institutional clients.

In the not-for-profit sector, Maria has been Director or Trustee for 25 entities currently including the Board of Brooklyn Hospital, Morris Museum and for several years was on the boards of The Brooklyn Community Foundation, Notre Dame Highs School, Lupus Research Foundation & More Project Brazil. Maria graduated from Pace University, and was honored as a distinguished alumna of the Pace University Lubin School of Business.

Judith A. Sheft is the Associate Vice President Strategic Relationships and External Affairs at New Jersey Innovation Institute at NJIT. She is involved with regional economic and cluster development having responsibilities for the HealthIT Connections entrepreneurial cluster development program, the NJIT I-Corps Site and the Procurement Technical Assistance Center. She is engaged with technology /IP innovation and commercialization efforts working with faculty and students to create startup companies and establishing licensing relationships with corporate partners. She advises external startups at NJIT’s high technology / life sciences business accelerator/incubator. She is on the Board of Advisors to the NJIT Murray Women’s Center and serves as a mentor and coach to students and faculty. She is a member of the NJ – Israel Commission and serves on the Board of Greater Newark Enterprise Corporation, StartUp Newark, Women’s Center for Entrepreneurship Corporation, Einstein’s Alley, SheTek and NJEDA Technology Advisory Board, working to assist early stage tech and life sciences entrepreneurs foster regional economic growth. She was a co-chair of Governor Murphy’s transition advisory committee for Technology Government and Innovation (2017).

Michele N. Siekerka, Esq., President and CEO of the New Jersey Business & Industry Association, leads the nation’s largest, most influential employers’ organization, advocating on behalf of New Jersey’s large and small businesses for policies that will make New Jersey more affordable and regionally competitive.

Under Siekerka’s leadership, NJBIA’s award-winning research on outmigration documented the loss of $20.7 billion in wealth from New Jersey over 11 years and set the agenda in Trenton for the enactment of a series of important pro-business reforms, including the recent repeal of the estate tax, and the adjustment of the state income tax threshold for taxing retirement income.

Siekerka has also been at the forefront of efforts to build more effective workforce development alliances in New Jersey between academia, business and government. The NJBIA Postsecondary Education Task Force’s yearlong study of New Jersey’s highest-in-the-nation millennial outmigration produced a 13-point action plan in 2018 that is driving policymakers’ discussions on how to retain our future workforce by enticing more young adults to pursue education and careers in New Jersey.

Siekerka came to NJBIA in 2014 from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, where she served in the critical position of Deputy Commissioner, following her service as Assistant Commissioner for Water Resources Management. During her time at DEP, Siekerka was a principal player in the state’s charge to restore New Jersey after Superstorm Sandy with the responsibility of coordinating funding, outreach and resources for rebuilding environmental infrastructure.

An attorney by trade, Siekerka’s background includes serving as the president and CEO of the Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce, senior legal counsel and vice president of human resources with the Automobile Association of America, and as a partner in a Mercer County law firm.

Siekerka is the co-founder and co-chair of Opportunity New Jersey. She also serves on the board of directors of Investors Bancorp; Choose New Jersey; the New Jersey Innovation Institute; Junior Achievement of New Jersey; Young Audiences of NJ; and Better Choices Better Care.

Siekerka’s leadership has been recognized through her inclusion in Power and Policymaker list rankings by Insider NJ, Politicker NJ and NJ BIZ, as well as being cited as one of the 17 People to Watch in 2017 by the Bergen Record. She was also among NJ Biz’s 2015 Best 50 Women in Business.

A Robbinsville resident, Siekerka earned a B.A. in Political Science and German from Rutgers University and a J.D. from Temple University School of Law.

Stacey brings 30 years of diverse strategic and operational experience in IT Management, Data Engineering & Analytics, and Supply Chain. Stacey has worked in many functions in technology enabling digital innovations, mergers and acquisitions, large scale ERP deployments and infrastructure modernization. She was previously the CIO at Bausch + Lomb and has held transformational roles at Johnson & Johnson, Bristol-Myers Squibb, American Standard and PWC. Stacey is a passionate advocate for women in technology and a frequent speaker in various forums to promote interest in STEM related careers. Stacey received a Bachelor of Science cum laude from the University of Delaware with a degree in Economics and Management Information Systems.

Chaya is President and CEO of PamTen. She is a technologist, philanthropist, visionary, mentor, entrepreneur and, above all, a passionate human being. She holds a MBA and an Executive Education Certificate from Harvard University.

PamTen Inc., founded in 2007 provides technology information services to a diverse set of clients, from small businesses to large corporations and has been ranked as an Inc. 5000 company, placing them among the fastest growing private companies in the U.S. PamTen is a certified Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprise (MWBE).

SheTek is a PamTen program spearheaded by Chaya to create opportunities for women and girls to have careers in IT. From education in the classroom, to decisions made within the boardroom, the mission of SheTek is to have women equally represented in the technology industry.

Chaya combined her business acumen and passion for charity to found SOFKIN (Support Organization For Kids In Need – sofkin.org) , a non-profit organization that creates loving and caring homes for destitute and under privileged children. SOFKIN operates in The United States and in India and supports over 100 beautiful children. SOFKIN children are given medical attention, cared for, fed, educated, and sheltered within a nurturing environment. Chaya remotely manages the operations of the NGO on a daily basis and the children are treated no different than her own. SOFKIN has youth groups established In New Jersey, Philadelphia, and India, where the students from local high schools and colleges volunteer for the organization.

In addition to her work at SOFKIN, Chaya serves as a trustee on the board of MAHER (maherashram.org), a non-profit organization aimed at supporting destitute women and children, and Satyana Institute (satyana.org)supporting communities through gender reconciliation and inter spiritual training and workshops.

Her support of other women inspired Chaya to found the Global Women’s League, a networking organization that creates a platform to inspire, influence, and empower women with leadership skills through affiliations with successful leaders and like-minded organizations. She mentors young high school and college graduates in pursuing their professional career. Chaya’s primary focus is to encourage women and girls to enter into the technology field where only 22% of IT jobs are filled by women.

Chaya is currently serving as a board member on many professional and women empowerment associations including the Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce, Gateway Regional Chamber of Commerce, Technology Committee of Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce; Women In Technology of NJTech Council; and Mentor at the Leading Women Entrepreneurs. She is also a member of the NJBIA and AICC. Chaya mentors young women aspiring to move into leadership positions in the corporate world through other partner organizations & universities such as ‘Wings For Growth’, ‘Robert Wood Johnson Hospital and Ration Valley Community College.

Her expertise has led her to be an honored speaker at programs across the world. Some of her engagements include: Commission on Status of Women – CSW, United Nations, USA; Inspiring Young Girls-Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, NJ; Bootstrapping for Success – StratAp, India; Access to Justice-India’s Unique Challenges – Harvard Business School, USA; Start Up Leadership – She-Tech, India; Cultivating Leadership Skill in For-Profit & Not-For-Profit Sectors – Harvard Law School, USA; Risk Management in the Global Era of Uncertainty -Humber Chapter, Canada; Money Vs Mysticism-Inter-spiritual Global Conference-Italy; Pursuing your passion & career-Gayathri Women’s Engineering College, India; and others.

Chaya’s personal and business awards include: Executive of the Year from NJBIA, Best 50 Business Women in Business from NJBIZ, Woman of Achievement Award – from Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce, Goldman Sachs 10K Small Business Program, New Jersey Smart CEO Future 50, 20 Most Promising Web Development & Design Service Providers by CIO Review Magazine, NJBIZ 50 Fastest Growing Companies 2015, Unstoppable Woman Entrepreneur Award from LWE (Leading Women Entrepreneurs), and E&Y Women Entrepreneurship Finalist.

Chaya is President and CEO of PamTen. She is a technologist, philanthropist, visionary, mentor, entrepreneur and, above all, a passionate human being. She holds a MBA and an Executive Education Certificate from Harvard University.

PamTen Inc., founded in 2007 provides technology information services to a diverse set of clients, from small businesses to large corporations and has been ranked as an Inc. 5000 company, placing them among the fastest growing private companies in the U.S. PamTen is a certified Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprise (MWBE).

SheTek is a PamTen program spearheaded by Chaya to create opportunities for women and girls to have careers in IT. From education in the classroom, to decisions made within the boardroom, the mission of SheTek is to have women equally represented in the technology industry.

Chaya combined her business acumen and passion for charity to found SOFKIN (Support Organization For Kids In Need – sofkin.org) , a non-profit organization that creates loving and caring homes for destitute and under privileged children. SOFKIN operates in The United States and in India and supports over 100 beautiful children. SOFKIN children are given medical attention, cared for, fed, educated, and sheltered within a nurturing environment. Chaya remotely manages the operations of the NGO on a daily basis and the children are treated no different than her own. SOFKIN has youth groups established In New Jersey, Philadelphia, and India, where the students from local high schools and colleges volunteer for the organization.

In addition to her work at SOFKIN, Chaya serves as a trustee on the board of MAHER (maherashram.org), a non-profit organization aimed at supporting destitute women and children, and Satyana Institute (satyana.org)supporting communities through gender reconciliation and inter spiritual training and workshops.

Her support of other women inspired Chaya to found the Global Women’s League, a networking organization that creates a platform to inspire, influence, and empower women with leadership skills through affiliations with successful leaders and like-minded organizations. She mentors young high school and college graduates in pursuing their professional career. Chaya’s primary focus is to encourage women and girls to enter into the technology field where only 22% of IT jobs are filled by women.

Chaya is currently serving as a board member on many professional and women empowerment associations including the Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce, Gateway Regional Chamber of Commerce, Technology Committee of Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce; Women In Technology of NJTech Council; and Mentor at the Leading Women Entrepreneurs. She is also a member of the NJBIA and AICC. Chaya mentors young women aspiring to move into leadership positions in the corporate world through other partner organizations & universities such as ‘Wings For Growth’, ‘Robert Wood Johnson Hospital and Ration Valley Community College.

Her expertise has led her to be an honored speaker at programs across the world. Some of her engagements include: Commission on Status of Women – CSW, United Nations, USA; Inspiring Young Girls-Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, NJ; Bootstrapping for Success – StratAp, India; Access to Justice-India’s Unique Challenges – Harvard Business School, USA; Start Up Leadership – She-Tech, India; Cultivating Leadership Skill in For-Profit & Not-For-Profit Sectors – Harvard Law School, USA; Risk Management in the Global Era of Uncertainty -Humber Chapter, Canada; Money Vs Mysticism-Inter-spiritual Global Conference-Italy; Pursuing your passion & career-Gayathri Women’s Engineering College, India; and others.

Chaya’s personal and business awards include: Executive of the Year from NJBIA, Best 50 Business Women in Business from NJBIZ, Woman of Achievement Award – from Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce, Goldman Sachs 10K Small Business Program, New Jersey Smart CEO Future 50, 20 Most Promising Web Development & Design Service Providers by CIO Review Magazine, NJBIZ 50 Fastest Growing Companies 2015, Unstoppable Woman Entrepreneur Award from LWE (Leading Women Entrepreneurs), and E&Y Women Entrepreneurship Finalist.

With a background that encompasses industries from manufacturing to frozen foods, major media to non-profit management, higher education to retail, Joanne adds a unique perspective as an Executive Administrative professional with PamTen. She particularly enjoys her active involvement with PamTen’s non-profit’s – SheTek and SOFKIN. She provides assistance with many aspects of the businesses, including Digital and Direct Marketing,  Office Administration, Event Coordination, and extensive Content Writing.  And she is usually the first voice you hear when you call the office.

Prasad Tenjerla is the Chief Operating Officer of PamTen, a company he co-founded with Chaya Pamula more than a decade ago. He is a Visionary Entrepreneur, with over 17 years of Information Technology experience. He has been providing IT solutions to the finance, telecom, insurance, and healthcare industries throughout his career. Prasad’s extensive experience in program and project management, business process outsourcing and offshore services, staffing & recruiting, data warehouse solutions, client management, cybersecurity, business operations, and resource management has been a guiding force in PamTen. With over 10 years of experience providing staffing solutions and experience in RPO (Recruiting Process Outsourcing), he looks to help build a better balance in the IT industry.

Prasad is proud to support several non-profit organizations, as well as serving on the board of SOFKIN (Support Organization for Kids In Need). This compassion for others, the desire to help them achieve greater things in their lives, feeds Prasad’s enthusiasm for SheTek.

Prasad Tenjerla is the Chief Operating Officer of PamTen, a company he co-founded with Chaya Pamula more than a decade ago. He is a Visionary Entrepreneur, with over 17 years of Information Technology experience. He has been providing IT solutions to the finance, telecom, insurance, and healthcare industries throughout his career. Prasad’s extensive experience in program and project management, business process outsourcing and offshore services, staffing & recruiting, data warehouse solutions, client management, cybersecurity, business operations, and resource management has been a guiding force in PamTen. With over 10 years of experience providing staffing solutions and experience in RPO (Recruiting Process Outsourcing), he looks to help build a better balance in the IT industry.

Prasad is proud to support several non-profit organizations, as well as serving on the board of SOFKIN (Support Organization for Kids In Need). This compassion for others, the desire to help them achieve greater things in their lives, feeds Prasad’s enthusiasm for SheTek.

Elaine is a highly skilled project manager (PMP) with over 25 years’ experience managing complex, multi-function, global projects. Prior to joining PamTen, Elaine worked extensively with a global human capital management company working in roles that utilized her project management, program management, and client service skills. She is on the Board of the Project Management Institute New Jersey Chapter where she leads the community, corporate, and education outreach efforts. She also has a passion for social responsibility and serves in a leadership position with the Dominican Sisters of Caldwell.

Dr. Monica Adya serves as the Dean of the Rutgers School of Business–Camden. A noted scholar in information systems, her research interests include participation and experiences of girls and women in information technology careers. She also conducts research on design and use of decision aids with an emphasis on forecasting systems. Dr. Adya has published in top journals in IS, human resources, and forecasting including Information Systems Research, Human Resource Management, and Decision Support Systems.

As Dean of RBSC, Dr. Adya brings a multi-disciplinary perspective of business education. She has deep experience with developing hybrid, online, and interdisciplinary programs that have highly experiential and applied foundations. Her commitment to developing ethical business professionals, who not only receive an excellent foundation in business education but are equally cognizant of their social responsibility, is reflected in her approach to teaching in graduate and undergraduate programs.

Dr. Adya has received international recognition for her pedagogical innovations. She has been recognized for her teaching innovations by the Decision Science Institute and received honorable mention by the American Council of Education. She was also the recipient of Marquette University’s teaching excellence award. She is a member of national honor societies including the Delta Sigma Pi and Alpha Sigma Iota which recognizes faculty for their innovative pedagogical practices. Dr. Adya has received grants to support her teaching and research from various organizations, such as 3M Foundation and Naval Surface Warfare Center. Dr. Adya consults with firms in areas such as IS disaster planning and recovery, technology strategy, IT workforce development, and innovation and creativity in the workplace.

Prior to serving as Dean, Dr. Adya served as Chair of the Management department at Marquette University’s College of Business, where she served on the faculty since 2002. Prior to Marquette, Dr. Adya served as faculty at DePaul University and at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She received her PhD in Management Information Systems from The Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University, an MS in Computer Systems Management from Creighton University, and a Bachelor’s in Commerce from Shri Ram University.

Sally is a well-respected energy industry and workforce development professional within the state of NJ with a broad range of both Corporate and Higher Education Talent Management and Workforce Development experience. She is a recognized leader and passionate advocate for gender equity and women in STEM.

From 2017-2019, Sally led the nationally recognized Douglass Project for Women in STEM as they implemented and expanded multiple gender equity initiatives at the undergraduate level in the Engineering, Computer Science and Technology, Public Health, Pre-Med, and Scientific Research areas.

Prior to her retirement from PSEG in 2016, she had over 35 years’ experience in a diverse range of operational, technical, and managerial positions for the company. As the Manager of Workforce Development, Sally was responsible for overseeing a cross section of talent acquisition pipeline initiatives for PSEG including the college relations and diversity outreach functions, which included the company’s recruitment initiatives for women, people of color, veterans and individuals with disabilities. During her tenure, she led the design and implementation of many award winning, best practice and industry recognized outreach and recruiting programs, as well as multiple internal Diversity, Equity and Inclusion trainings and initiatives.

In 2013, Sally was appointed by the governor to serve on the NJ State Employment and Training Commission (SETC), on which she still serves today, and was named the chair of the NJ State Energy Sector Partnership Council, SESP, where she oversaw the allocation of grant funding for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Training Programs. Sally was also appointed to serve on the NJ Council on Gender Parity in Labor and Education, of which she served as chair through 2019.

She holds an AAS degree in Business Management from Middlesex County College, a BS in Management from Rutgers Business School, a Master of Arts in Leadership from Bellevue University, as well as her SPHR Certification.

Dr. Voldase is currently an Associate Professor at Mercer County Community College and program coordinator for the Computer Information Systems Program. Her teaching specialties are Computer Science and Information Systems Technology.

Dr. Voldase worked in the computer science arena for more than 20 years with AT&T – Network Systems Division as a software developer and program manager. Her aspirations have always been to teach students and apply real-world applications in the classroom. This motivated her into becoming a full-time computer science professor at MCCC.

Some of Dr. Voldase’s responsibilities included: President of New Jersey Community College Computer Consortium, Chairperson of Curriculum Governance Committee at MCCC, Program Coordinator of the Computer Information Systems Program and Course Coordinator for various CIS courses at MCCC. She enjoys teaching computer science and information technology courses and her mission is to encourage more females to pursue a career in the computer science industry.

Yelena Bekker has been practicing law since 2007. Currently, she is Counsel at a large international law firm where she focuses her practice on complex civil litigation and product liability defense. She has experience auditing bankruptcy trusts, conducting compliance evaluations, working with financial experts in assessing future claims liability, and negotiating and implementing large-sum settlements.

Yelena is interested in business operations, business process development, project management and the use of technology to improve processes and drive progress within organizations. Before becoming a lawyer, Yelena was the Operations Manager for an import-export company. Even in her role as an attorney, Yelena frequently works at the crossroads of technology, operations and law. Yelena has managed multi-million-dollar technology projects involving the development of proprietary software and oversaw the work of information technology teams in addition to legal professionals.

Yelena graduated magna cum laude from New York Law School in 2006 and served as a member of the Law Review. She is admitted in New York.

Yelena has always been passionate about helping others. As a bilingual adolescent from an immigrant community, she volunteered with an organization offering free English lessons. During her college years, she volunteered as an assistant teacher at a day care for children with disabilities. Several years after graduating law school, Yelena worked at Amani, the Fair Trade and Microfinancing Consulting Project at the Gabelli School of Business at Fordham University. Yelena guided the business students in running the nonprofit business.

More recently, Yelena volunteered as a mentor for female students through the Student Sponsor Partners nonprofit organization. SSP’s goal is to harness the power of quality education and mentorship to help NYC youth escape the cycle of poverty and reach their highest potential.

Yelena is currently a member of the National Association for Women Lawyers and a member of the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance Philanthropy Working Group.

Yelena is married and has three children.

Dr. Kelly Bidle is the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at Rider University.  She received her undergraduate degree in Biology from Rutgers University, her Ph.D. in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of Maryland and was a National Science Foundation (NSF) post-doctoral fellow in microbial genetics at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography prior to joining the faculty in the Department of Biology, Behavioral Neuroscience & Health Sciences at Rider in 2001.

Kelly serves on the editorial boards of the journals Applied and Environmental Microbiology and Extremophiles.  She is a frequent scientific grant review panelist for the NSF, NASA and the American Society for Microbiology.  She has received over 20 years of external funding from the NSF to support undergraduate research in her campus laboratory.  Many of her former students have gone on to attend and graduate from prestigious Ph.D. and Master’s graduate programs.  A former division I student-athlete in cross-country and track & field, Bidle served as the NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative on campus for eight years and chaired the University’s promotion and tenure committee for three years. She was a co-chair of the University’s Strategic Planning process in 2016 and chaired Rider University’s Resolved and Ready planning during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Kelly has served as the President of the Board of Trustees for the Lawrence Township Education Foundation (2014-2016), a non-profit organization that raises funds to foster educational excellence and creativity, in the Lawrence Township public school system. A resident of Lawrenceville, she lives with her husband, Kay, a professor of Oceanography at Rutgers University and has three sons.

Nicole Calandra brings nearly a decade of experience in the global human capital sector. She’s currently an investor at Lumos Capital Growth, a growth-stage investment firm focused on tech-enabled education & human capital development. Prior to Lumos, Nicole was a Strategic Financial Senior Analyst at LinkedIn, where she drove performance management and long-term planning for LinkedIn’s Marketing Solutions business.  

Nicole was a Strategy & Operations Business Analyst at Deloitte Consulting and Finance Teacher at iXperience, an experiential education startup based in Cape Town, South Africa.  

For the past two years, Nicole served as a volunteer Executive Director of Brighter Children, a global venture philanthropy that raised over $1 million to fund the education of over 2,500 children across three continents. She remains actively involved with Brighter Children through her role on the Board Nominations Committee. Nicole also recently joined How Women Invests’ Disruption Committee to focus on making venture investing and funding more accessible to women.  

Nicole holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Virginia McIntire School of Commerce, where she graduated with distinction.