Women in Tech Seminar
CareerSource Broward (CSBD) will host its first-ever Women in Tech Seminar on Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021. There will be attendance options in person at the CareerSource Broward South Career Center (7550 Davie Road Extension, Hollywood, FL 33024), as well as a virtual attendance option. The event is part of CSBD’s programming for Broward County customers. Women in Tech will feature presentations from prolific women that have excelled in technology sectors and made significant life changes, including Neptuno USA, Corp. CEO Leticia Latino, of Tech Hub South Florida Interim CEO Nikki Cabus and TEDx Speaker CeCe Espeut.
Over the past year, women left the workforce at much higher rates than men, and many reports show that women are not returning to the workforce at the same frequency as men. For many of these women, flexibility and working from home has gained importance – occupational retraining can provide a pathway to move into new careers and jobs in technology industries can offer this flexibility.
With over 25 Information Technology training programs that can be completed in under a year, there are opportunities to earn certifications in CompTIA A+, Amazon AWS Cloud, or become a Network Technician in a matter of months. Available scholarships can cover tuition, books and more, up to $12,000.
As part of the seminar, presenters from the School Board of Broward County, Broward College, The Academy of South Florida and New Horizons Computer Learning Centers of South Florida will join CSBD WIOA and WTP staff in explaining available programs, requirements and opportunities.
About the Seminar
What: CareerSource Broward's Women in Tech Seminar
When: Thursday, December 16, 2021, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Where: Attend in person at CareerSource Broward South Career Center (7550 Davie Road Extension, Hollywood, FL 33024)
OR: Attend Virtually on Zoom Webinar
There is NO COST to attend this event. However, seating is extremely LIMITED and pre-registration is REQUIRED.
Please complete the form below to attend the in-person event and a CareerSource Broward Success Coach will contact you to finalize your registration to attend.
In Person Pre-Registration Form
Virtual Attendance Registration
To attend the virtual event. Please complete the registration: Zoom Webinar
About the Featured Speakers
- With 25 years of telecom experience, Leticia Latino went from working for Merrill Lynch and telecom giant Nortel Networks to accepting the challenge of extending the legacy of establishing her family business in the U.S. back in 2002 - leading Neptuno USA, Corp. as the CEO. She was appointed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai as a full member of the Broadband Development Advisory Committee (BDAC) and the Job Skills Working Group Chair from 2019-21.
- Latino is the recipient of several notable honors, which include the Women in IoT Award by Connected Magazine, Revolutionary CEO’s by Aspioneer, and one of this year’s Most Admired Women Leaders in Business by CIO Look. She has recently received recognition as one of the Outstanding Business Leaders of 2021 by Business Stalwarts. Her commitment to innovation has led her company to be a finalist in the certified Women’s Business Enterprises National Council (WBENC) 2019 Weinnovate! Program for Neptuno’s Reality Capture and Artificial Intelligence solution. She served as a full member of the Federal Communications Commission’s Broadband Development Advisory Committee (BDAC) and as the Chaired the Job Skills and Training Working Group for a two-year term (2019-2021).
- She’s an Advisory Board Member to Smart Cities Miami and The Acceleration Program (TAP), a female-founded, female-led business advisory firm dedicated to keeping local economies vital and channeling talent into the economy while supporting underserved small businesses.
- Latino is a published author with Amazon Best Seller Women in Business, Leading the Way, motivational speaker and mentor to young women. A notable advocate of nurturing “Human Connections” through her Back2Basics Podcast, she has had the opportunity to interview numerous high-profile personalities. Guests include marketing guru Seth Godin, Sounds True founder Tami Simon, toy giant Melissa and Doug co-founder Melissa Bernstein, and former FCC Commissioner and Wireless Infrastructure Association CEO Jonathan Adelstein.
- Nikki Cabus is the Interim CEO at South Florida Tech Hub and is at the forefront of the South Florida community’s effort to become an innovation leader. She focuses on connecting companies with the resources to bring growth to the region and make it a place of sustainable economic and business development.
- Her efforts focus on closing the cultural and gender gap for all walks of life, and creating an ecosystem of innovative solutions and digital transformation for our community.
- Cabus is also the Founder of getITgirl, an initiative created for women in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) to bring diversity, equity, and inclusion to the workplace. She focuses support on women in industries with limited representation to expose students to science, technology, engineering, arts, and math opportunities. Among her efforts is her role as the Executive Director at Code Palm Beach, and she is a Board Member and Ambassador for the Society for Information Management (SIM). She previously served as a Board Member, Chief Marketing Strategist, and Co-Chair of the Marketing Committee for the South Florida Technology Alliance (SFTA).
- CeCe Espeut’s life centers on three core values: God, Family and Education. Though she may not be in the world of IT, her work runs adjacent to the primary technology industries as a well-seasoned photographer. Her journey has seen some twists and turns. Still, she gives back to the community through her story that delivers profound life lessons regarding reinventing ones-self after being in prison - that prison being a mindset, or a correctional facility.
- Espeut has served on the Board for the Broward County Reentry Coalition for ex-offenders, though perhaps not the most typical board member. By sharing her journey and perseverance, she restores hope to her audience, explaining how strategic planning and goal setting changed her life after a series of bad decisions led to a prison sentence for involvement in a drug conspiracy. Prior to the run-in with the law, Espeut was a Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps for ten years. After leaving prison and completing her probation, she applied for and was granted clemency in 2012 by then-Florida Governor Rick Scott.
- In 2016, she became a published author, penning The Florida Clemency Guide: Can your Criminal Record be Sealed, Expunged or Pardoned? A TEDx presentation speaker, Espeut uses her redemptive personal experience to deliver presentations and leads workshops on topics of second chances, overcoming adversity, and developing personal growth. She speaks several times a week in jails, prisons, and drug treatment centers, with intense passion from lived experience, explaining how inmates can create a new life for themselves.
- Deborah Berg - School Board of Broward County
- Geoffrey Vancol - Broward College
- Latika Maddox - The Academy of South Florida
- Rosa Marrero - New Horizons Computer Learning Centers of South Florida
- Kasia Kossak - CareerSource Broward (WIOA and ITA Assistance Programs)
The initiative referenced above is paid for by 100% federal funds through a grant totaling $7,413,331.