Student Keynote Title: "Building Your Brand"
Graci Harkema
Graci Harkema is a Regional Inclusion & Diversity Manager at TEKsystems, leading global information technology and services firm. Her passion for inclusion and diversity grew at a young age after moving to the United States from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Her journey from the mud hut to the suburbs of the Midwest compelled her to make an impact in inclusion. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from Grand Valley State University. She is driven to help employees perform to their potential as their authentic selves and partner with clients to help them achieve successful business results by maximizing talent, inclusion, and diversity strategies.
PARENT KEYNOTE TITLE: "CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN TODAY'S CYBER WORKPLACE"
Valinda Kennedy
Valinda Kennedy has her Bachelor's degree in Applied Mathematics with a minor in computer science plus extensive experience working with IBM clients now into her 31st year. Her work has covered security across multiple enterprise platforms and environments. Her most recent industry badge credentials include the industry Security Intelligence badge issued via Acclaim.
In addition to technical, services sales and managerial / executive roles, Valinda is on several university advisory councils including: Northwestern University, Illinois Institute of Technology and University of Missouri, as part of her commitment for ongoing collaboration between industry and education outcomes. As part of maintaining relationships with academic, industry and government leaders, Valinda has a blog with a global reach to enable faculty and students with industry technologies and business use cases.
Valinda was acknowledged in the IBM Institute for Business Value paper, It's not where you start it's how you finish: Addressing the cybersecurity skills gap with a new collar approach, updated 09 May 2017.
Today, Valinda works on the IBM Global University programs team talking with academic, government and industry leaders to develop and implement programs to focus on reducing gaps in critical skills area with cyber security being a critical focus area.
In addition to technical, services sales and managerial / executive roles, Valinda is on several university advisory councils including: Northwestern University, Illinois Institute of Technology and University of Missouri, as part of her commitment for ongoing collaboration between industry and education outcomes. As part of maintaining relationships with academic, industry and government leaders, Valinda has a blog with a global reach to enable faculty and students with industry technologies and business use cases.
Valinda was acknowledged in the IBM Institute for Business Value paper, It's not where you start it's how you finish: Addressing the cybersecurity skills gap with a new collar approach, updated 09 May 2017.
Today, Valinda works on the IBM Global University programs team talking with academic, government and industry leaders to develop and implement programs to focus on reducing gaps in critical skills area with cyber security being a critical focus area.
Student / Parent Closing Session:
Dr. Sally Horne-Badovinac
Dr. Sally Horne-Badovinac is an Associate Professor in the Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology at the University of Chicago. Scientists in her laboratory investigate how cells migrate collectively, and how the collectively migrating cells modify their environment as they pass through it. Answering these questions is likely to shed light on diverse processes, such as embryonic development, wound healing, and cancer.