2025 VU Women in Tech
Villanova University Women in Tech Conference
Saturday, January 25, 2025
Celebrating 10 Years
We celebrated our 10th VU Women in Tech Conference on Saturday, January 25, 2025. Over 160 attendees joined us in person at The Inn, and additional attendees joined virtually. We are thrilled to continue expanding our reach to a greater number of alumni, students, faculty, staff, and friends of Villanova year after year.
The conference featured two keynote sessions, six breakout sessions, 15 speakers & \V/ Chocolates made in a 3D printed mold!
At breakfast, keynote speaker Alana Hoskin, Global Audit and Chief Risk Officer at Nike, shared her inspiring life journey—from growing up in the Palisades to excelling as a student-athlete on the Villanova rowing team to the executive team at Nike. As a proud Villanova alumna, Alana reflected on how her time at the university prepared her for success, emphasizing key lessons such as differentiating yourself, embracing curiosity, and keeping doors open for unexpected career opportunities. She also highlighted the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance to unlock your full potential. Additionally, Alana shared her vision for using technology to help rebuild her hometown of the Palisades after the devastating wildfires.
Later in the day, keynote speaker Christy Hansen, a Villanova graduate and former student-athlete, who now serves as the Artemis Deputy Mission Manager for NASA's Moon to Mars Program, shared her experience using tech & tech skills to train astronauts for spacewalks on the International Space Station and the Hubble Space Telescope. She also discussed her more recent role, leading airborne science missions to study Earth's rapidly changing cryosphere at the North and South Poles. Hansen addressed the unique challenges of navigating a male-dominated industry, reflecting on how those experiences have shaped her into a resilient leader and mentor. She inspired the audience to embrace their own journeys—using their experiences, skills, and setbacks as powerful tools to carve their own paths to success.
The conference featured 15 other speakers that are leading in tech across six breakout sessions. These sessions covered a diverse range of topics, including disability tech, the expanding capabilities of AI, neuroinclusion in the workplace, private equity & robotics and wearables for older adults. Throughout the day, speakers explored how we can build on the past to empower today and shape the future. We celebrated 10 years of VU Women in Tech with custom chocolates made by Aurora Grace Chocolates, student research poster presentations, and had fun networking. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who made our 10-year celebration so special!
Select conference recorded sessions are available here.
Thank you to everyone who made this year’s VU Women in Tech conference possible!
The conference featured two keynote sessions, six breakout sessions, 15 speakers & \V/ Chocolates made in a 3D printed mold!
At breakfast, keynote speaker Alana Hoskin, Global Audit and Chief Risk Officer at Nike, shared her inspiring life journey—from growing up in the Palisades to excelling as a student-athlete on the Villanova rowing team to the executive team at Nike. As a proud Villanova alumna, Alana reflected on how her time at the university prepared her for success, emphasizing key lessons such as differentiating yourself, embracing curiosity, and keeping doors open for unexpected career opportunities. She also highlighted the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance to unlock your full potential. Additionally, Alana shared her vision for using technology to help rebuild her hometown of the Palisades after the devastating wildfires.
Later in the day, keynote speaker Christy Hansen, a Villanova graduate and former student-athlete, who now serves as the Artemis Deputy Mission Manager for NASA's Moon to Mars Program, shared her experience using tech & tech skills to train astronauts for spacewalks on the International Space Station and the Hubble Space Telescope. She also discussed her more recent role, leading airborne science missions to study Earth's rapidly changing cryosphere at the North and South Poles. Hansen addressed the unique challenges of navigating a male-dominated industry, reflecting on how those experiences have shaped her into a resilient leader and mentor. She inspired the audience to embrace their own journeys—using their experiences, skills, and setbacks as powerful tools to carve their own paths to success.
The conference featured 15 other speakers that are leading in tech across six breakout sessions. These sessions covered a diverse range of topics, including disability tech, the expanding capabilities of AI, neuroinclusion in the workplace, private equity & robotics and wearables for older adults. Throughout the day, speakers explored how we can build on the past to empower today and shape the future. We celebrated 10 years of VU Women in Tech with custom chocolates made by Aurora Grace Chocolates, student research poster presentations, and had fun networking. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who made our 10-year celebration so special!
Select conference recorded sessions are available here.
Thank you to everyone who made this year’s VU Women in Tech conference possible!
