Workshops

Our Workshops are hands-on & project-based so participants come out with a sense of accomplishment & a better understanding of how to solve problems and come up with effective solutions! We'll be updating this page as we get closer to the event!

Building Robots

Presented by Tracy Spade

Join us for a high-energy session where you'll design and program a robot car to conquer an obstacle course! Explore mechanical design, circuit building, and coding—all in one exciting experience. We will assemble a robot (Mechanical Engineering) discover the electronic components and how to put together components to build a circuit (Electrical Engineering) and look at some basic code to program the wireless robot (Programming) we built. No experience needed - just curiosity and creativity!

AI Prompt Engineering

Presented by Renee Smith

AI is increasingly shaping the way we learn, interact with businesses, and work. With the latest release of widely available generative AI models like ChatGPT, participants may already be familiar with basic prompting. This workshop is designed to peek under the hood and demystify generative AI, so students can shape it, not just use it.

Through hands-on activities, real-world examples, and guided experimentation, participants will explore how generative models work and build a simple AI model themselves.

By the end of the session, participants will:

Understand how generative AI models are trained and how they “think”
Identify ethical considerations and real-world applications
Train a basic model using images, sounds, or text
Test and refine their model, and share results with peer

Genetics of a Strawberry

Presented by Anna Widicus

Genetic testing such as 23andMe has made the previously complex world of DNA accessible and functional. This workshop will explore the basic structure and function of DNA through strawberries; and participants will get to see the effect gene inheritance plays in their own lives with an interactive lab. We hope to challenge your ideas about science and who can be a scientist.

Cybersecurity: Unlocking YOU and Your Behaviors

Presented by Julie Brown, JT Moore & Mojhgan (Mo) Fatoorehchi

Discover the critical importance of protecting personal information online through hands-on experiences and discussions. Learn how easily personal data can be gathered and how to safeguard yourself. Dive into how AI can impact your privacy based on what you share in social media, while gaining insights into managing your online presence. Delve into a case study on stalking and cyber-bullying, emphasizing the serious consequences of online behavior and the significance of being vigilant and supportive to peers. Join us to better understand the digital world you navigate daily!

The Chemistry of Bath Bombs

Presented by Nicole Stigler

Yes, an enjoyable bath only gets more enjoyable when you add that beautifully colored, lavender scented bath bomb to the water but what causes this surprisingly relaxing bomb to fizz? Explore the fun side of everyday science and learn how to get yourself started down the path of a science career! You also get to take home your own DIY bath bomb... so why not?!

Sustainability: Innovation and technology in the face of climate crisis

Presented by Jen Dowd & Maiana Nelson

This century is going to be really challenging and we need to be sharing knowledge of the issues and the skills to deal with problems caused by climate change. In this session we will identify key climate questions being asked today and how answers to those questions can lead to solutions to our current climate crisis. Learn how innovation and technology are being used, from creative ideas to clean our oceans to technology to build more climate resilient cities. This workshop includes hands-on activities addressing contamination from waste in landfills, and oil spills in the ocean.

Women In Medicine Escape Room

Presented by Jeanne Cuff

Join us as we explore the groundbreaking contributions of the women doctors and their transformative impact on medical field.

Based on Olivia Campbell's enlightening book "Women in White Coats," we'll delve into the journey of American women who defied societal norms to pursue careers in medicine, overcoming numerous challenges along the way. Participants will experience an interactive Escape Room featuring references to the vital roles women have played as herbalists, doctors and medical professionals throughout history. Don't miss this opportunity to celebrate the of women in medicine!

Speaker Biographies

Speaker Bios

Keynote Speaker

Coming soon!

speakers

Workshop Leaders

Julie Brown

In her role, Julie strategically partners with technology and cybersecurity leaders in various business functions to bridge business needs with cybersecurity capabilities to protect our people, customers, data, and the Brand. By building and maintaining strong relationships, active listening and understanding the needs, strategy and priorities of the departments, Julie advocates the adoption of services and solutions that will achieve results in the most secure fashion.

Julie is actively involved in volunteer work with Junior Achievement and Ronald McDonald's House Charities, as well a technology-sponsored event Grab-A-Byte which focuses on an immersive 1-day experience for Chicago Public School students to learn about STEM in use at McDonald's headquarters.

Jeanne Cuff

Jeanne is a Director in GovernX® Services-Managed Services at ISG, where she consults on process improvement, managed services, and vendor management. Known for her IT contract negotiation skills, Jeanne combines data analysis, networking, and ITIL methodologies to deliver client solutions.

She also leads ISG’s *Digital Dish* podcast as part of the Women in Digital initiative. Jeanne holds a Master’s in Technology Management from Columbia University, is ITIL certified, and is a member of ISG’s 2021 Chairman’s Club.

JT Moore

My name is JT and I am a proud Chicago native. My passion for infosec comes from my desire to both teach and solve interesting puzzles, with a healthy dose of hype from heist movies. By following through on this passion I've had the opportunity to build some really cool tools and break a few others. After working on projects involving development, threat hunting, forensics, and malware obfuscation, I am constantly on the search for what's next

Outside of security, I am also passionate about robotics and STEM education and work to develop curriculum and teach/mentor k-12 students as much as humanly possible. Some other ways I enjoy hacking away the day include video games, film, and most recently food. All of which I both love to create and consume.

Renee Smith

Renee Smith is a trusted leader in technology, transformation, and global innovation across pharmacy, healthcare & life sciences. Her 30+ year career journey began through a STEM pipeline program that opened doors for underrepresented students. It was a formative experience that continues to shape her commitment to equity, access, and empowering others. She is passionate about making complex systems accessible and helping the next generation see themselves as creators, not just consumers, of technology.

Tracy Spade

Tracy is the VP of Client Solutions at Systems Guild Inc, where she partners with clients to design and deliver enterprise software solutions to drive results. With a rich background in IT, Tracy brings over 30 years of experience spanning product management, project leadership, systems architecture, and hands-on software and database development. She’s known for leading cross-functional teams to success and translating complex tech into meaningful client outcomes.Tracy holds a Bachelor of Science in Management and Information Systems from the University of Illinois. Now in her fourth year leading our robotics workshop, she’s passionate about empowering the next generation—especially young women—to explore the exciting world of technology and engineering.

Nicole Stigler

Nicole is a senior undergraduate student majoring in Neurobiology and Psychology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She is very interested in researching the neural representations of psycholgocial dysfunction with the goal of contributing to the development of personalized therapies that can relieve suffering among diverse individuals. She also loves everything about coffee.

Anna Widicus

Anna is a research intern at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, having received her degree in Neurobiology this Spring. She is very interested in neurogenetics and molecular neurobiology, with a focus on how genetic variation shapes brain development and contributes to neurodevelopmental disorders.