WLI Newsletter | Designing The Difference | Q4 Edition (Volume 18)

Hi ,

The Women's Leadership Initiative (WLI) has had an amazing 2024, and we would like to thank you for being a part of it!

This year we've hosted several successful Lunch & Learns, including our first in the EMEA region, headed to universities all over the United States and Europe to inspire the next generation of leaders in semiconductor, and we held our biggest WISH conference yet!

We can't wait for 2025 and all of the exciting new opportunities it will bring, but we'd also like to take a moment to reflect on this year and celebrate. Thank you to our sponsors, partners, committee members and, of course, you for making this year possible and a smashing success.

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.

Read on for updates on what we've been up to, upcoming events, and insightful articles from industry experts! And from WLI to you, we wish you a warm holiday season and a Happy New Year!

-GSA WLI Team

WHM Kick-Off Event | February 2025 | San Jose, CA
Inclusive Semiconductor Entrepreneurship | February 5th | Santa Clara, CA
Navigate Your Way to a Career in Semiconductors | February 4th | NC State and NC A&T
Navigate Your Way to a Career in Semiconductors | February 25th | MIT
Navigate Your Way to a Career in Semiconductors | April 9th | Howard University

Inclusive Semiconductor Entrepreneurship header

We are thrilled to announce our new event launching in 2025!

Join us on February 5th for our Inclusive Semiconductor Entrepreneurship event. Our goal is to promote inclusivity at the leadership level by providing visibility and support to early-stage semiconductor and AI start-ups that prioritize equity and inclusion in their management approaches. We will connect innovators with top-tier strategic investors and venture capital firms, and the event will feature cutting-edge companies showcasing their groundbreaking technologies and strategies.

Attending start-ups must have leadership teams that include at least one woman, emphasizing the value of inclusive management.

A BIG thank you to NVIDIA for hosting the event!

Learn More and Register Today

This year's Women in Semiconductor Hardware (WISH) Conference, was our biggest yet with over 800 in attendance! We are beyond grateful for the incredible energy and support of our attendees, speakers and sponsors.

WISH was alive with inspiration, positivity, and hope. It’s truly powerful to witness how a gathering like this can spark real change. This is what community looks like, and it’s the very reason WLI was founded.

We got to see genuine connections be made, foster important conversations around allyship and leadership, and promote women in STEM. We can't wait to see you at WISH 2025!

We would like to give a big congratulations to our 2024 award winners!

Dr. Lisa Su Woman of Innovation Award

Dr. Ann B. Kelleher

EVP and GM, Technology Development at Intel Corporation

Female Up and Comer Award

Kamala Raghavan Sadagopan

Senior Engineer at Qualcomm Technologies

Rising Women in Semi Award

Lyndsi Parker

Senior Director Custom Compute and Storage at Marvell

Women of Influence Award

Dr. An Mei Chen
Vice President of Engineering at Qualcomm Technologies

Designing the Difference Award

AMD

Just last month, the WLI Women’s Leadership Council, alongside women leaders from the semiconductor industry, joined GSA CEO Jodi Shelton for a special Nasdaq bell-ringing ceremony to celebrate GSA’s 30th anniversary.

WLI’s University Programming collaborates with sponsor companies’ university relations and early talent teams to build programs, establish targeted partnerships, and explore innovative ways to connect with students. These initiatives provide students opportunities to engage with and learn from women leading the semiconductor industry.

The Navigate Your Way to a Career in Semiconductors event invites industry professionals to share their personal career journeys and highlight the importance of diversity of both thought and experience in driving innovation. Representatives from several companies are also invited to attend to provide students with information on the wide range of opportunities and careers they can explore.

Contribute to Strategic Planning or Talent Recruiting

If you would like to contribute to our ongoing strategic planning or share insights about your company’s early talent recruiting needs, please complete our brief survey HERE.

Roughly 20,000 years ago glaciers significantly changed the Earth's topography during the Ice Age, and in 2024 Lisa Su made history as the first woman to be named CEO of the Year by Time Magazine. Time also named Caitlin Clark as their 2024 Athlete of the year. Caitlin is elevating the WNBAs profile, while at the same time acknowledging that we need to continue recognize bias and privilege. I don’t think anyone can argue that both women have been agents of change.

The Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI)’s Allyship Program not only recognizes and celebrates men who champion the advancement of women, but it actively fosters a culture of inclusion and support within the semiconductor industry.

Our purpose is to highlight individuals who actively support, mentor, and advocate for women in the workplace, fostering an environment where every voice is heard, and every talent is recognized. Through our Allyship Program, we strive to inspire collaboration, break down barriers and pave the way for a more equitable and vibrant future in semiconductor technology.

Additionally, we were excited to feature an Allyship Panel at WISH this year featuring several of our WLI Allies!

Nominations are open for everyone. There is no deadline to submit, the only requirement is that the nomination be made by a woman. You can learn more about the program and submit a nomination here!

WLI Speaker’s Bureau – The Speaker’s Bureau serves as a database of women who can speak on business trends, market drivers, and technical topics. WLI is committed to promoting female leadership and welcomes any level of expertise to participate.

Visibility Campaign – WLI showcases inspirational women in the semiconductor industry on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook. We ask submitting companies for 1-2 photos of the selected woman, a brief explanation about why she was selected, and any other relevant information, such as why she loves working in the industry or a personal anecdote about her experience. Submissions can be sent to marketing@gsaglobal.org

Career Tips of the Week Campaign – Female leaders in the semiconductor industry are invited to explore and share their expertise to empower other women in the industry by offering tips and guidance.

Entrepreneur Spotlight – Female entrepreneurs and CEOs are invited to partake in a short interview and share their stories with our community. Our goal is to inspire women to pursue the avenue of entrepreneurship and ultimately increase the number of women CEOs in the semiconductor industry. If you want to share your story or know anyone that would be interested, please reach out to wli@gsaglobal.org.

We are excited to announce that we are expanding our Spotlight Series to female board-members. Please reach out to wli@gsaglobal.org if you would like to participate or know someone who would be interested in sharing their story.