The following is a guest post by Sylvia Acevedo―an engineer, a rocket scientist and lifelong Girl Scout. Sylvia credits her Girl Scout experience with propelling her to success within the corporate and philanthropic sectors. Her love of Girl Scouts and its mission eventually led her to the GSUSA Board of Directors, where she served as secretary and a member of the Executive Committee. Now, as interim CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA, Acevedo wants to continue to give back to a movement that has given her so much.
In this post, Sylvia offers her perspective on her experience at Dell World 2016.
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Sylvia Acevedo, interim CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA
When you have the opportunity to be immersed in an environment fueled by boundless innovation, and teeming with insightful and knowledgeable influencers, you simply don’t let it pass you by. I recently enjoyed such a privilege when I attended the recent Dell World Technology Conference.
Filtered through the lens of my experience as interim CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA, I was truly impressed by Dell’s focus on the professional development of women within the tech field, and its commitment to supporting their personal leadership goals. The Women in Technology programming at Dell World reflects the company’s desire and intention to make a meaningful difference, particularly in opening up the doors of technology and innovation as career opportunities.
Based on my observations during the event, and true to its reputation for visionary thinking, I was inspired by how Dell embraces and harnesses the power of data transformation with its customers― which mirrors our ambitious efforts at Girl Scouts. Through our productive and collaborative partnership, Dell has ensured that Girl Scouts are valued and supported, as we maximize the power of data to dramatically expand the pipeline of girls in STEM. Because we know many women in America’s tech workforce were once Girl Scouts, it is our ongoing mission to expand that pipeline of opportunity within the STEM arena to foster our next wave of talented tech innovators emerging within our Girl Scout ranks.
One final takeaway: Speaking as an avowed tech enthusiast, the Lonely Whale virtual reality experience was amazing!
As part of Dell’s Youth Learning program, Dell provides funding for two important programs with the Girl Scouts of the USA to promote entrepreneurship and STEM skills among girls, the Be The Video Game Developer online game and Digital Cookie, the web-based cookie sales platform that teaches girls entrepreneurial skills. You can learn more about Dell’s Corporate Social Responsibility and the Dell 2020 Legacy of Good Plan, here.
