Girlstart Announces 2016 Game Changers Keynote Speaker, Pinterest Head of Diversity Candice Morgan

AND WOMEN IN STEM AWARD HONOREES TO BE RECOGNIZED AT ANNUAL LUNCHEON ON OCT. 26

GIRLSTART ANNOUNCES 2016 GAME CHANGERS KEYNOTE SPEAKER, PINTEREST HEAD OF DIVERSITY CANDICE MORGAN, AND WOMEN IN STEM AWARD HONOREES TO BE RECOGNIZED AT ANNUAL LUNCHEON ON OCT. 26

(AUSTIN) – Girlstart has announced that Candice Morgan, Head of Diversity at Pinterest, will be the keynote speaker for the 2016 edition of Game Changers, the organization’s annual fundraising luncheon.

Morgan leads strategy and programs to enhance a diverse and inclusive Pinterest, the world’s catalog of ideas. Prior, Candice spent nearly 10 years at Catalyst, the leading nonprofit for research, advisory, and practices on women in business, where she was a recognized expert in change management/organizational transformation in the areas of inclusion, diversity, and talent management.

“We’re thrilled to be bringing Candice Morgan to Austin to speak at Game Changers,” said Tamara Hudgins, Girlstart’s Executive Director. “She continues in the growing tradition of STEM innovators and thinkers who we’ve involved with Game Changers, starting with Sally Ride at the first Game Changers luncheon in 2010, and she brings a particularly important perspective on the ongoing issue of diversity within the STEM work world.”

Girlstart had also announced its 2016 Women in STEM Awards, honoring women who have distinguished themselves in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) careers and have been inspirational to girls seeking to pursue STEM education and STEM careers.

The award recipients will be honored as part of Game Changers, Girlstart’s annual luncheon, which takes place this year on Wednesday, October 26, 11 am-1 pm, at the JW Marriott Hotel (110 E. 2nd).

Honorees include:

Ellen Barker, Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Texas Instruments Inc., who leads TI’s Information Technology Services organization and is responsible for IT strategies and operational management of IT applications and infrastructure worldwide.

Jennifer Chayes, Distinguished Scientist, Managing Director and Cofounder of Microsoft Research New England and Microsoft Research New York City, who is also one of the inventors of the theory of graph limits, which is widely used for machine learning of massive networks.

Diana Albarrán Chicas, currently the In-Orbit Test Director at Space Systems Loral (SSL) in Palo Alto, California, where she is the first Latina and only the second woman to be a test section manager at the company, overseeing a team of 10 who design and build satellites and space systems for a wide variety of government and commercial customers, including DirectTV and DishNetwork.

Katharine Forth, a neuroscientist and founder and CEO of iShoe, an empowering health device that monitors balance and helps reduce fall-related accidents. Forth completed post-doctoral work at NASA and during that time invented technology, originally invented for the moon, to start her company.

Hope Shimabuku, Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Texas Regional Office, ensures the directives of the Undersecretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and the Director of the USPTO’s initiatives and programs are tailored to the unique ecosystem of Texas. She has served as Counsel for Xerox Business Services, LLC and Blackberry Corporation, and worked as an engineer for Procter & Gamble and Dell Computer Corporation.

Sponsorships are still available for Game Changers, and individual tickets (if available) will go on sale in August. More information on the event, including more on the award honorees and a list of current sponsors, is online at www.girlstart.org/game-changers.

ABOUT GIRLSTART

Girlstart, founded in Austin in 1997, is the only community-based informal STEM education nonprofit in the nation specifically dedicated to empowering and equipping girls in STEM, through year-round programming that promotes girls’ early engagement and academic success in STEM, encourages girls’ aspirations and persistence in STEM education and careers, and incubates a talented and diverse STEM workforce. Its innovative, nationally-recognized programs include after-school and summer camps for students, professional development for teachers, and community and online STEM education outreach programs. Girlstart cultivates a culture where risk is rewarded, curiosity is encouraged, and creativity is expected. As a result, Girlstart girls are connected, brave, and resilient. Girlstart makes girls more successful and inspires them to take on the world’s greatest challenges.