Tribute to Women Awards 2026 Honorees
Ally Award
The Ally Award is awarded to an individual (of any gender identity) whose sustained commitment, actions, and leadership have championed equity, opportunity, and inclusion for women - especially women of color - in spaces where they are historically underrepresented or undervalued..
Ginger Bryan, Director Non-Tech Project and Program Management, Applied Materials
WOMEN ON THE RISE
The Women on the Rise Award is presented to women who are new leaders, managers or directors who promote equity, uplift communities, and inspire others through their passion and dedication.
Sharon Chan MS CGC MPH, Director, Clinical Genetics and Pharmacy Services, Sutter Health-Palo Alto Medical Foundation
Ganga Devadas, Director, Hardware Engineering, Cisco
Randa Hinton, Head of AI Industry Thought Leadership, NVIDIA
Arlen McDaniel, VP. Sr. Market Development Manager, Technology Credit Union (Tech CU)
Hsinyu (Sidney) Tsai, PhD, Principal Research Scientist, IBM
Yan (Catherine) Wu, Program Director, Db2 for z/OS, IBM
EMERGING LEADERS
The Emerging Leader Award is awarded to women who are high achievers in the first five years of their career and who demonstrate strong potential for promotion and upward mobility.
Aliya Kassam, MEng, Mechanical Engineer, Applied Materials
Stella Landers, Flagship Events Keynote Production Coordinator, Cisco
Jennifer Nguyen, Physical Therapist Assistant, Sutter Health-Palo Alto Medical Foundation
Ranjani Ravindrabharathy, Data Scientist, Applied Materials
NONPROFIT EXCELLENCE
The Nonprofit Excellence Award is awarded to women in executive-level positions at 501c3 nonprofit organizations who embrace the spirit of women's empowerment, confront inequities, and serve as role models for the next generation of leaders.
Antoinette Renee Battiste, Chair, Board of Directors, YWCA of the Mid-Peninsula Donor Advised Fund
Keisha Browder, Chief Executive Officer, United Way Bay Area
Elise Lalor, Executive Director, Monkey Tail Ranch
Dr. Simone Lundquist, PhD, Founder and Executive Director, Open Doors to Future Possibilities
Lisa Mallette, Executive Artistic Director, City Lights Theater Company
TRIBUTE TO WOMEN
The Tribute to Women Award is awarded to women in executive level positions who exhibit exceptional leadership, uplift others, challenge inequities and inspire future generations to advocate for a more just future.
Janine Bruce, DrPH, MPH, Co-Director, Office of Child Health Equity, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford School of Medicine
Nancy Capelli, Senior Director, Software Monetization, NVIDIA
Nancy Darma, Senior Director, Strategic Communications and Engagements, Cisco
Heather Dickinson, VP, Corporate and Product Communications, Cisco
Amber Emery, Project Executive, Blach Construction Company
Mari Fuentes-Martin, Vice President for Student Affairs, San Jose State University
Kate Grasman, Chief Information Officer, Heffernan Insurance Brokers
Cristi Green, Vice President of Cloud Sales, Seagate Technology
Winnie Hsu, Engineering Director – Embedded System Software, NVIDIA
So Jung Kim, Director, Pricing Head, Product Marketing, Applied Materials
Natalie Komovich, Director, Performance Laboratory, NVIDIA
Mythili Kumar, Artistic Director, Abhinaya Dance Company
Kaitlin Lemei, MD, Medical Director, Pediatric Urgent Care, Sutter Palo Alto Foundation Medical Group
Tracey Lewis Taylor, MPH, FACHE, Chief Operating Officer, El Camino Health
Liana Louie, Director of Inclusion & Belonging, Sutter Health – Palo Alto Medical Foundation
Melina McLarty, VP-Product Experience, HashiCorp, IBM
Kate Nichols, Partner, Cooley, LLP
Meena Pai, MD, Physician in Chief, Kaiser Permanente
Christine Santiago, MD, MPH, Associate Chair, Community Partnership, Stanford Health Care
Annie Shain, Vice President, Americas Services & Software, Cisco
Kimberly Shiveley, Director of Development, Security, and Content, IBM
Arlene Spilker, Advanced Practice Clinician Manager, Pediatrics, Sutter Palo Alto Foundation Medical Group
Linda S Alexander, Vice President, Democratic Activists for Women Now (DAWN)
Sarah Wozny, Senior Director, Advanced Packaging Disruptive Technology, Applied Materials
