Meet the Team!

Sandra, originally from New Mexico, moved to Colorado after college and loves traveling and spending time with her family and dogs. She earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Electrical Engineering and has spent her career in the energy industry holding various engineering and leadership positions. She currently leads Xcel Energy’s Wildfire Mitigation Program. With a passion for STEM,  Sandra hopes to see many more diverse young women entering and staying in technology fields, ultimately becoming leaders and decision makers. She is thrilled to serve as a Chapter Co-Director and further the ChickTech mission in Denver.

As the Director of Business Operations at Ibotta, a mobile technology company, Nicci is fortunate to work closely with many amazing women who are thriving in tech careers. She is passionate about building the pipeline of women pursuing careers in STEM, and she strives to help increase the confidence of as many girls and women as possible. Nicci is delighted to support the mission of ChickTech as a Chapter Director. When she’s not working or volunteering with ChickTech, she loves to salsa dance, draw, ski, and travel.

Samantha has spent her career in marketing & sales roles for various technology companies and currently works at Adobe in a marketing strategy role. Samantha has learned first-hand the impact great mentors can have on one’s career when they support women in the technology field. She is excited to share her passion and help the next generation of women get inspired and learn about technology through her work with ChickTech. As a Colorado-native, she enjoys exploring Colorado’s mountains by hiking, camping, skiing and snowboarding.

Jessica is originally from New Jersey and has lived in Colorado for the past 7 years. She loves traveling, hiking, running, and spending time with her partner, family, and friends. Jessica majored in business and marketing from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania.  She has a demonstrated history of working in the software industry as an experienced Technical Recruiting Manager and HR Generalist. She’s always had a passion for technology and marketing and is excited to introduce young women to a career path in STEM. Jessica is thrilled to serve as the Co-Director of Marketing and promote ChickTech throughout the community.

Megan has made her career as a senior leader in the real estate industry and as a result has worked with many underserved communities and families. She loves providing mentorship opportunities for females to reach their full potential in ANY industry or education setting. A native of Colorado, Megan loves the outdoors! In her spare time, she loves traveling, crafting and supporting various non-profits.

Gillian, a Colorado native, is a product manager at Ibotta. She majored in Computer Science at Colorado College and has always had a passion for technology. As one of three or four girls in Computer Science, Gillian recognized the importance of getting girls involved in Computer Science early and ChickTech was the perfect opportunity! She loves to hike, play tennis, and cook in her free time.

Anou Manavalan is a Managing Director of Software Applications Development at Charles Schwab. She has a Master’s in Electrical and Electronics Engineering and an MBA. Over the last 23 years, she has been helping multiple fortune 500 companies to strategically move towards the latest technology.

Having noticed that there are not many women in the technology world, she is passionate about helping other women and girls to find and pursue their own passions in the field of technology. As a mentor and high school program director for ChickTech, she’s very excited to help high school girls see how interesting and easy the technology world can be. She’s also an avid outdoor enthusiast and loves hiking with her family and friends.

Erica is a Colorado native who enjoys all of the different seasons that Colorado has to offer.  You can find her hiking with her pups or snowboarding with her friends throughout the year. Erica has worked in the tech industry for 10 years now as a SAP Software Specialist for several different business industries.  Erica has worked on many different SAP software implementation projects that has given her a great understanding of how versatile the tech industry is. As a Co-Director of Partnerships & Fundraising Erica has a passion for helping students get into tech careers and learn about the opportunities available for young people to get involved in.

Cyndie Chon is a Commercial Sales Director for Marketo, an Adobe Company that provides marketing automation solutions for the B2B space.  Cyndie has a Bachelors from the University of Texas at Austin (Hook ’em Horns!).  Cyndie is an Asian immigrant and first generation college graduate that is very passionate about leading, empowering and inspiring diverse females to continue their personal and professional development.  Being a mom to a young daughter, ChickTech is a wonderful platform for the little ones to grow up in and learn how to navigate in various industries, especially in technology to become strong leaders for the future.