The conference will open with a stellar panel of women who hold technical roles at the various companies that sponsored WiCS Con. What enticed them to go into computing? What do they like most about their jobs now? What is the most unexpected obstacle they’ve had to face? What is a good thing to be afraid of? Come and hear their answers to these questions and your questions!
Location: DC 1351 and Online
Panelists:
Shela Qiu (Jane Street) is a Software Engineer. Shela graduated from Software Engineering at the University of Waterloo. She interned at LinkedIn, Tesla, Uber ATG, Cognite, and Jane Street before joining Jane Street's International ETFs team as a developer in 2021. She loves spending her free time playing soccer and hiking.
Sanja Frketich (Amazon) is a Software Development Manager. Sanja has more than 17 years of experience in the software industry. She started her career in product support helping customers solve challenging technical problems. She has held various technical and leadership roles within the industry and enhanced her software career working as a Software Testing Manager, Project Manager, Product Owner and Development Manager. Sanja is also a certified Coach who mentors Computer Science university students and helps them gain valuable insight on how to build a successful career and leadership skills. Outside of work, she loves to bake and spend time with her family, preferably outdoors, rain or shine.
Saranya Viswanathan (Rocket Innovation Studio) is a Data Analytics Professional with over 15 years of experience at the intersection of data, technology, and business strategy. Her career has spanned diverse roles in business and data analytics, big data engineering, and software product development—primarily within the FinTech, banking, insurance, and automotive industries. What truly drives Saranya is using data to tell compelling stories, uncover meaningful insights, and solve real-world problems. She's particularly passionate about areas like consumer behavior and digital marketing—spaces where data can directly fuel business growth and impact change. Originally from South India, Saranya is a strong advocate for mentorship and community. She believes in lifting others as she grows and actively supports efforts that create more space for women to lead in tech.
Christine Rodolfo (HOOPP) is a Sr. Information Security Architect in Security Operations with over 20 years of experience across a wide range of IT domains, including infrastructure, operations, cloud, and cybersecurity. Her broad technical background enables me to approach challenges with a strategic and well-rounded perspective. She is passionate about mentoring, sharing knowledge, and supporting women in their tech journeys.
Antonella Candido (Avanade) is a Senior Director of Client Solutions Development with over 25 years’ experience working with various Microsoft technologies. Antonella has been instrumental in driving innovative solutions and strategies for clients in multiple industries such as retail, manufacturing, and government. When not helping clients maximize their Microsoft technology investments, Antonella enjoys walking her dogs or reading a good book.
Nancy Li (OpenText) is a Senior QA Developer with over 20 years of experience across a diverse range of IT industries. Throughout her career, she has contributed to leading organizations including BlackBerry, Google (Motorola), Manulife, and OpenText, bringing a strong focus on quality assurance, software development processes, and cross-functional collaboration.Her extensive background spans both enterprise and consumer tech environments, where she has consistently driven high standards in software quality and product reliability. Nancy is known for her analytical mindset, attention to detail, and commitment to continuous improvement in QA methodologies. Outside of work, Nancy enjoys gardening and exploring nutritional science, blending her curiosity and care for well-being into both her personal and professional life.
Amy Qiu (Meta) is a Software Engineer and is a Waterloo CS co-op '20 alumni. During her co-op she interned at Microsoft, Google, Meta, Citadel and DeepMind. She is currently a backend engineer on the Facebook Metrics team where she is working on enforcing logging correctness and reliability. Ask her about leveraging your network to find interesting internships and opportunities, long-term career goals as well as the best cities to work in!
Chloe Cheung (PolicyMe) is a passionate Product Manager who has grown with PolicyMe, shaping digital insurance experiences from the ground up.Starting as an Operations Analyst and now leading key product initiatives, Chloe brings deep cross-functional knowledge and a strong user-centric mindset to every project. She has led the launch of several insurance products, including critical illness and health and dental coverage, and developed customer-facing platforms like the accounts portal—all while balancing execution with strategic thinking. Chloe is a trusted collaborator among engineers, designers, and leadership, known for her problem-solving abilities and ownership mentality. A graduate of the University of Waterloo’s Environment and Business program, she blends business acumen with product intuition to drive outcomes that matter. Outside of work, Chloe is an active mentor and creative thinker, often helping others break into product management.
Cindy Yang (HRT) has been an Algo Developer at HRT for three years, where she works on researching and deploying mid-frequency strategies. She grew up in Chicago but has also lived abroad in Shanghai. She graduated with a Bachelor's and MEng in Computer Science and Engineering from MIT. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, painting, skiing, and exploring NYC neighborhoods.
Melissa Dominguez (Google) is Director of Software Development out of the Google Kitchener-Waterloo engineering office. She has also spent time as an Executive in Residence, advising a VC fund, and served as interim CTO for a series B startup. While at Google, Melissa helped found a mentoring program that now boasts around 100 active mentorship pairs and is refreshed twice a year. Melissa holds a PhD in Artificial Intelligence and is the mother of 2 teen daughters, a former Girl Guides leader, a published knitting designer, and loves to make all kinds of things!
Ikran Aden (Manulife) is Director of Project Management & Portfolio Management. She is a technology leader with a strong track record of driving large-scale transformations. At Manulife, she drives global initiatives, aligning tech execution with business strategy to accelerate innovation and impact. Previously at Sobeys, Ikran led technical rollouts across regulatory compliance, loyalty rewards programs and retail automation—modernizing legacy systems and improving operational efficiency. She holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Waterloo and brings a sharp, data-driven approach to leading complex, high-value initiatives.
Iris Guo (Zynga) is a Product Manager on Zynga’s Machine Learning team. Previously, she’s worked at Scale AI, Arteria AI, and Studdy AI as a PM. She graduated from Waterloo AFM in 2022. Outside of work, she’s a career coach who helps students with job search and she’s passionate about community building, dancing and boardgames.
Sandra Loop (SAP) is a UX Design & User Research Lead in charge of a research operations team at SAP. Throughout her career, she has held multiple roles, primarily UX Designer & User Researcher, and also Product Manager, Tech Writer, Project Manager, and Developer, often juggling multiple positions at once. Her experiences span from small 100 person companies to large global corporations. Sandra holds a BMath in Computer Science and Psychology, as well as an MMath in Computer Science with a focus on User Interface, both from the University of Waterloo. Sandra is a mother to two university-aged daughters. She enjoys vegetable gardening, weight training, and traveling to Europe to visit her SAP colleagues.