Hi,
The Women's Leadership Initiative (WLI) has had a fantastic start to 2025, and we are looking forward to more great events ahead.
As we celebrate Women's History Month, we recognize the incredible contributions of women in semiconductor and beyond. This month is a powerful reminder of the progress we've made and the work still ahead in advancing leadership opportunities for women.
We are continuing to grow, and we are thrilled to announce the launch of our APAC Women's Leadership Council! Stay tuned for upcoming opportunities to get involved and grow the next generation of leaders in semiconductor.
This year, we are excited to connect with you at our Lunch & Learns, WISH 2025, and our new Executive Accelerator Program! Read on to learn more about what this year holds, upcoming events, and insightful articles from industry experts.
We'd also like to take this opportunity to give a heartfelt THANK YOU to Credo for their continued support as our WLI Newsletter Sponsor!
Don't forget to share this newsletter and encourage your colleagues to get involved. Subscribe now so you never miss a future edition of Designing the Difference.
-GSA WLI Team
APAC Lunch & Learn and Launch of APAC WLC
On January 17th, WLI hosted a Lunch and Learn, sponsored by MediaTek, at National Taiwan University in Taipei, officially launching the APAC branch of the Women's Leadership Council (APAC WLC).
The event showcased an inspiring keynote presentation by Debra Bell, VP DRAM Product Engineering at Micron, and a panel moderated by Mavis Ho, Imec and featuring, Shu-Wen Chang, Siemens; HH Wang, MediaTek; Peiti Yu, Cadence; and Stella Zhu, CXMT.
A BIG thank you to MediaTek for sponsoring the event and to our fantastic speakers for sharing their insightful perspectives and inspiring journeys.
Women in R&D
On January 27th, in collaboration with WLI, Infineon hosted a Women in R&D night at their offices in Munich. Around 50 women came together to discuss, network and plan the female future of R&D.
Margret Suckale (Member of the Supervisory Board), Alexander Rahm (Global Head of Infineon's R&D Organization) and Dr. Sophie Vandré (SVP Development Digital Security & Identity) delivered the keynote presentations, creating an ideal environment to build connections and inspire meaningful discussions.
Inclusive Semiconductor Entrepreneurship Event
The inaugural GSA-WLI Inclusive Semiconductor Entrepreneurship event emphasized the need for more inclusive leadership in the semiconductor industry. Designed to elevate semiconductor start-ups with at least one woman in upper management, the event provided a platform for companies to showcase their innovations and connect with investors and VCs.
Participating Companies:
AON Devices, Exergy, Coolstar Technology, ANAFLASH, d-Matrix, Crystal Sonic, Celestial AI, x-Light, Movandi, and Axiado
Howard Wright delivered a compelling keynote on the power of inclusive leadership in driving innovation. This was followed by a panel discussion on the future of semiconductors and the role of start-ups in shaping the industry. The panel was moderated by Sophia Marzouk, Executive Director, Technology Investment Banking at Morgan Stanley and featured Andrew Homan from Maverick Silicon, Mouna El Khatib from AONDevices, and Sydney Sykes from NVIDIA.
A BIG thank you to NVIDIA for hosting the event.
Women in Hardware Mentorship (WHM) Program
The Women in Hardware Mentorship (WHM) Program kicked off its 3rd year on the 4th of February 2025 at AMD's Santa Clara offices. Mentors and mentees connected through interactive activities and brand-building exercises, strengthening relationships and enhancing their professional presence.
Mydung Pham, Corporate VP of Silicon Design Engineering at AMD, delivered a keynote on her journey as a woman in the industry, discussing work-life balance and personal branding.
A BIG thank you to AMD for hosting the event!
Lunch and Learn Series
The GSA WLI Lunch and Learn series aims to bring together women from different companies in the industry to connect, network, and learn from others' stories of success. This is an opportunity to inspire, motivate and develop women, and provide them with the visibility they deserve. We're excited to announce that WLI be hosting a number of Lunch and Learn events this year in the US, EMEA, and APAC regions.
Stay tuned for more details on the upcoming WLI Lunch and Learn in Austin, TX – April 2025!
Women in Leadership Speaker Series – Accelerate Action through Equality
Join us on March 27th for a Fireside Chat, hosted by WLI and Renesas titled: Accelerate Action through Equality. Chandana Pairla, VP Connectivity Division at Renesas and Elif Balkas, Chief Technology Officer at Wolfspeed will share insights from their career in engineering and discuss why inclusion and gender equality are key to innovation in the workplace. During this panel you will learn how we can all Accelerate Action for gender equality and break the biases in the modern world.
Save the Date – WISH 2025 will take place on October 1st at the San Jose Convention Center.
WISH is WLI's largest technical conference, connecting industry leaders, entrepreneurs and university women in STEM.
Last year, WISH saw over 800 attendees, making it our most successful thus far. This year, we expect over 1,000 attendees!
WISH 2024 Survey – Did you attend WISH 2024? Share your feedback in our survey to help us make future events even better!
The deadline for our WISH awards is June 20th, 2025.
Dr. Lisa Su Women of Innovation Award: 2024 Recipient: Dr. Ann B. Kelleher, Intel
Rising Women in Semi Award: 2024 Recipient: Lyndsi Parker, Marvell
Female Up & Comer Award: 2024 Recipient: Kamala Raghavan Sadagopan, Qualcomm
Designing the Difference Award: 2024 Recipient: AMD
The deadline for the Women of Influence Award (presented at the GSA Awards Dinner) is August 8th, 2025.
Women of Influence Award 2024 Recipient: An Chen, Qualcomm
*Companies are only allowed to submit one nomination form per category
We are excited to offer sponsorship opportunities for the overall GSA Women's Leadership Initiative (WLI) and the upcoming Women in Semiconductor Hardware (WISH) Conference!
Partnering with WLI allows your company to showcase its commitment to unlocking the untapped potential of the semiconductor industry while engaging with top technologists and university STEM students.
Explore Sponsorship Opportunities for WISH 2025:
We invite you to explore our exclusive and non-exclusive sponsorship packages for WISH 2025. With over 1000 attendees expected, WISH offers a prime opportunity to elevate your company's presence, connect with industry leaders, and support the recognition of women's achievements in the semiconductor industry.
Join us in shaping a more inclusive future in the semiconductor industry! For more details on becoming a WLI and WISH sponsor, contact wli@gsaglobal.org.
WLI University Program Event Recap & Upcoming Opportunities
GSA's WLI University Programs kicked off 2025 with two impactful university events at NC State and MIT, bringing students and industry leaders together for discussions on the future of semiconductors and career opportunities in the field.
NC State: Navigating a Career in Semiconductors
On February 17, 2025, WLI partnered with NC State and North Carolina A&T to host an event focused on career pathways in the semiconductor industry. The event featured a keynote on emerging trends, a panel discussion on interdisciplinary innovation, and a networking session connecting students with industry professionals.
For a full list of participating companies and speakers, click HERE.
MIT: Shaping the Future of Semiconductors
On February 25, 2025, MIT students, along with those from surrounding universities, explored key industry challenges and advancements. Panels covered the future of semiconductor technologies and the role of diverse perspectives in driving innovation, followed by a networking session with industry leaders.
For a full list of participating companies and speakers, click HERE.
Join Us: Partner with WLI for Future University Events
Join WLI in shaping the next generation of semiconductor talent by participating in upcoming university events. Whether through keynotes, panels, networking, or sponsorship, your involvement helps engage students and strengthen the industry pipeline.
Upcoming WLI University Program events include
- The University of Cluj-Napoca – March 26, 2025
- Howard University (HBCU) – April 9, 2025
- UCLA – April 22, 2025
- UC Davis (Coffee Talk) – Spring 2025
- UT Austin – Early September 2025
- Georgia Tech – September 24, 2025
- UC Berkeley – October 7, 2025
- Texas A&M – October 28, 2025
- Purdue University – Fall 2025
If your company is interested in getting involved as a speaker, panelist, or networking participant, please email lraich@gsaglobal.org to discuss opportunities to engage with students and help build the future semiconductor workforce.
We look forward to partnering with you to inspire the next generation of semiconductor leaders!
I am coming to you from the jungle in the Yucatan. It's part of a vacation my spouse planned so I can be fresh for the whirlwind tradeshow and conference season that seems to go into full effect once Lunar New Year (LNY) celebrations are complete.
Credo's own celebrations for the year of the Wood Snake focused on transformation. Transformation seems like an appropriate theme for 2025 as the world seems to literally shift under our feet daily.
The Women's Leadership Initiative's (WLI) Allyship Program is dedicated to recognizing and celebrating individuals who actively support and advocate for the advancement of women in the semiconductor industry. Through their efforts, our allies help foster a workplace where every voice is valued, and every talent has the opportunity to thrive.
WLI's Allyship Program highlights men who champion the advancement of women, fostering a culture of inclusion and support within the semiconductor industry.
Nominations are open! There is no deadline to submit! You can learn more about the program and submit a nomination here!
We are thrilled to announce the launch of our Executive Accelerator Program on April 9th! This is a year-long educational initiative aimed at enhancing the leadership skills of senior executives in the semiconductor industry to empower them to excel at the highest levels. The program consists of monthly business modules designed to address critical topics such as Financial Literacy, Leadership Skills, Market Trends Analysis, Personal and Career Development, Strategy and Strategic Planning.
Through expert-led sessions, peer collaboration, and real-world case studies, participants will build the leadership competencies required to succeed in executive and C-suite roles. By advancing the professional development of its participants, the program ultimately unlocks untapped potential in the semiconductor industry and contributes to a broader, more-skilled workforce that strengthens the whole semiconductor ecosystem.
This pilot program is invitation-only. If you have any questions, please contact wli@gsaglobal.org.
Visibility Campaign – WLI showcases and shares the stories of inspirational women in the semiconductor industry on our social media.
Career Advice Campaign – The campaign will allow women in the industry to submit career advice / tips to be featured on WLI's social media and help others develop a skills inventory and reach their goals.
Entrepreneurial Blog – The entrepreneurial blog spotlights the career stories of accomplished women CEOs in the industry.
WLI Speaker's Bureau – WLI promotes female leadership and welcomes any level of expertise to join our database of women who can speak on business trends, market drivers, and technical topics.
WLI Women's Directory – This directory highlights key women in private and publicly held semiconductor industry companies – providing their biographies and links to their LinkedIn pages where available.
WLI Newsletter – The quarterly newsletter publishes the latest news and updates from WLI.
Please email marketing@gsaglobal.org to submit to any of our campaigns or to learn more about how you can contribute content!
