Technology disruptions don’t just reshape industries—they reshape who gets to lead them. When entirely new paradigms emerge, like co-packaged optics (CPO), the rules are still being written. That creates space for people who are curious, adaptable, and ready to step into something new. This often opens doors that didn’t exist before.
At Ayar Labs, CPO is driving the next phase of scale for AI and hyperscale infrastructure. As the technology moves from innovation to deployment, it’s also creating new opportunities for collaboration, growth, and impact across disciplines.
In that spirit, we’re highlighting four women at Ayar Labs who are helping shape this transformation. Through their stories, they share the paths that brought them here, what inspires their work, and what continues to energize them as they build the future of this industry.
Lisa Cummins Dulchinos
CFO, Ayar Labs
1.Tell us about yourself
As CFO at Ayar Labs, I’m focused on building an organization that can support the company through its next phase of growth and public readiness. My career has centered on scaling companies, developing the financial infrastructure, teams, and discipline needed to move from innovation to commercial success and investor confidence. At Ayar Labs, I’ve helped guide the transition from R&D to production, scaling the team from 20 to 200 employees and supporting multiple funding rounds totaling nearly $1B over almost a decade. I’ve led organizations through pivotal moments, including public readiness, acquisitions, and sustained growth at companies such as Adept Technology and Penguin Computing. I bring financial rigor and a strong focus on people development to everything I do. Outside of work, I’m a proud mother of five, four boys and one girl, which has shaped how I think about leadership, resilience, and the importance of setting an example for the next generation.
2. What excites you most about your work?
I’m motivated by the impact of what we’re building. Our technology is foundational to enabling the next generation of AI, and it’s exciting to be part of something so critical at such a pivotal time. I’m also passionate about being a visible example for women in this industry. The more representation we have at the leadership level, the more we expand what the next generation believes is possible.
3. A woman or ally who has inspired you
I’ve had many strong male mentors throughout my career, but I’m especially inspired by leaders like Lisa Su and Jean Hu at AMD. Seeing two women at the highest levels of a top-tier semiconductor company is both powerful and motivating.
Nandita Aggarwal
Manager, Laser Product Development, Ayar Labs
1. Tell us about yourself
A woman with a ‘can-do’ attitude, core expertise in lasers, and an experienced product tech lead. I like to find the problem and then guide the team towards novel solutions. My strengths are cross-functional collaboration and driving progress. I love helping everyone see how they connect to company goals and what they gain individually.
2. What excites you most about your work?
People I work with excite me the most about my work. Witnessing the evolution of the teams and individuals is highly rewarding. Connecting the dots while solving problems also keeps me going.
3. A woman or ally who has inspired you
Actually, this is highly interesting. I have found every woman I’ve met inspiring. Inspiration comes from how women handle the day-to-day struggles of balancing personal life, family, and work. But if I were to name one, I would name one of my neighbors who currently works at AWS, Sabita Jasty, as the most inspiring. She has acted as my mentor, personal friend and someone to whom I can share my challenges with, and receive her honest input.
Ann Harren
Manager, Product Reliability Engineering
1. Tell us about yourself
I’m the manager of our laser module reliability group at Ayar Labs. I have a PhD from the electrical engineering department at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where I developed electronic beam-steering for vertical cavity surface emitting lasers. I have worked in engineering at Sandia National Laboratories in Livermore, Avago Technologies /Broadcom, and Lumentum. I met my husband at a summer internship at IBM Watson Research Center while we both were in graduate school. We now have two teenagers and a very busy life. Outside of work, I enjoy traveling, attending concerts, and hosting board game parties at our house. Most mornings, you can find me walking our slightly neurotic but generally loveable rescue dog.
2. What excites you most about your work?
What excites me most about reliability engineering is the combination of technical depth and real-world impact. I enjoy that the role spans everything from hands-on troubleshooting and failure analysis to modeling, automation, and cross-functional problem solving. It keeps the work dynamic and constantly challenging.
I’m especially motivated by the opportunity to dive deeply into how our modules perform across their entire lifecycle—understanding failure mechanisms, identifying risks early, and translating that into actionable improvements. A big part of the role I enjoy is working across teams—whether it’s partnering with design to influence decisions, educating stakeholders on data and risk, or supporting customers when issues arise.
Ultimately, what’s most rewarding is knowing that this work directly contributes to delivering a robust, reliable product. It’s a role where both technical rigor and collaboration really matter, and I find that combination energizing.
3. A woman or ally who has inspired you
I have been very fortunate to have many mentors and allies throughout my career. In middle school, a physicist from Fermilab, Regina Rameika, presented at a STEM career event, which really set me on the path of physics and engineering. My undergraduate advisor, Professor Kevin Kim, started encouraging me to pursue my PhD before I was convinced that I would survive the freshman EE introductory class, and later, he invited me to assist with a project in his lab. I am very grateful to the many mentors and hiring managers from my internship positions. Specifically, the Zurich IBM group with Thomas Morf and Martin Schmatz spent a lot of time talking me into graduate school. (And a shout-out to my officemate, Bert, at IBM Burlington who encouraged me to talk to the Zurich team about the possibility of an internship next summer!) My PhD advisor, Professor Kent Choquette, was always very supportive, and I felt like he and my entire graduate committee always had my back. This includes Professor Jennifer Bernhard and Professor Scott Carney who both gave me lots of great advice and support. More recently, my manager at Broadcom, Laura Giovane, acted as a gold standard for technical leads. Now at Ayar Labs, I feel very fortunate to have a chance to learn from many great women including Jie Xue who is always lifting-up those around her.
Annie Hsieh
Sr. Staff Engineer, Product and Test Engineering
1. Tell us about yourself
My name is Annie Hsieh. I was born and raised in Taiwan and came to the US for graduate school. Coming to the US and working alongside some of the most talented engineers in Silicon Valley has been a dream come true since my childhood. My professional career has been in semiconductors, from wafer process chemical R&D at DuPont, process engineering at Intel, to today, test engineering leadership at Ayar Labs. Across these roles, I have focused on building
and enabling robust process and test solutions that improve how we develop and validate advanced technologies in silicon photonics.
2. What excites you most about your work?
Pioneering technologies and continuous learning have always been my motivation at work. Equally meaningful is seeing the impact our work has on the industry, which brings a strong sense of accomplishment. Over my 2.5 years at Ayar Labs, I have been fortunate to experience both, which I recognize as a rare opportunity early in my career. I am also encouraged by the growing presence of talented young women engineers in the team, which contributes to a supportive and dynamic environment that strengthens both collaboration and innovation.
3. A woman or ally who has inspired you
My biggest inspiration in my life is my mother who is strong and determined from the outside but also kind and soft on the inside. She is truly a role model to me whether it’s in daily life or in a professional career. She taught me how to be a good person, a good friend, a good colleague or even a good leader. When I’m facing difficulties or having a bad day, she always holds my hands and leads me to the brightness by reframing my thoughts. She is someone who I wish I can become someday.
Author: By Priyanka Dobriyal, Director Program Management Office, Ayar Labs Ack: Jie Xue, Kristine Raabe