Women in Industry 2022

Date: Wednesday, October 5, 2022
Time: 6:30 to 8:00 PM
Location: PYLUSD Performing Arts Center at El Dorado High School
1651 Valencia Ave, Placentia, CA 92870

Overview

The Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District (PYLUSD) is proud to present its annual Women in Industry event, an inspirational experience geared towards empowering the next generation of leaders through future-ready learning.

Families and students of all ages are encouraged to attend this event for the opportunity to learn from an esteemed panel of captains of industry who represent diverse professional sectors. This includes Head Softball Coach for the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Kelly Inouye-Perez, who will serve as keynote speaker.

PYLUSD Career Technical Education (CTE) Academy and CareerLink Pathway students will serve as hosts and moderators of the event in order to incorporate a student’s viewpoint with the professional perspectives of the panel members. A brief reception will take place afterward to give attendees the chance to meet panelists.

The PYLUSD Women in Industry event will take place Wednesday, October 5, 2022, from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm in the PYLUSD Performing Arts Center located at 1651 Valencia Ave, Placentia, CA 92870 and is free to the public.

For more information and to see the full list of Women in Industry panelists, please visit www.pylusd.org/wii.

Live Stream

Panelists

Kelly Inouye-Perez
Head Coach- UCLA Softball
National Champions x2
KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Kelly Inouye-Perez is an eight-time National Champion: 3 as a player, 3 as an assistant coach, and 2 as a head coach, amassing a winning percentage of .788 in her 15-year coaching tenure. Inouye-Perez, who is beginning her 16th season at the helm of the UCLA softball program, has developed two Honda Sport Award winners, four Bruin Olympians and generated 37 NFCA All-American selections as a head coach. Inouye-Perez’s .788 winning percentage ranks fifth amongst active head coaches in NCAA Division I Softball. As either a player, assistant coach and head coach, Inouye-Perez has made contributions to five decades of Bruin softball success with eight NCAA Championships. On October 7, 2022 Coach Inouye-Perez will be inducted into the UCLA Hall of Fame.

No stranger to the Bruin dugout, Inouye-Perez starts her 34th straight season in Westwood in 2022. During the 2020 abbreviated season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bruins posted a 25-1 record, with the .962 winning percentage ranking first in the nation. The Bruins were voted the No. 1 team in the nation in the final NFCA, USA Softball and D1 Softball polls. In 2019, Inouye-Perez guided the Bruins to their 13th National Championship and 12th NCAA title. The Bruins never trailed at the Women's College World Series, as Inouye-Perez won her 600th career game in the title-clinching victory over Oklahoma. During their 5-0 run in Oklahoma City, UCLA led the WCWS field in batting average (.310), earned run average (1.84), home runs (12), on-base percentage (.392), runs scored (37) and slugging (.574). The Bruins also led the entire NCAA Tournament in average (.317), runs (79), slugging (.548) and homers (18). The Bruins, who had 14 comeback victories, went 56-6 and tied for first in the Pac-12 Conference (20-4), UCLA's first league title since 2009. Inouye-Perez and her staff were named the 2019 NFCA National Coaching Staff of the Year, the second time in a decade they earned the award (2010), and NFCA Regional Coaching Staff of the Year (fifth time). In 2018, the Bruins again advanced to the WCWS, going 58-7 and placed second in the Pac-12 (20-4). The 58 victories, tied for the most in the nation in 2018, and were the most for a Bruin team since 2001.

In addition, nearly every UCLA pitching record has been set during the time Inouye-Perez has overseen the Bruin battery and the top five pitchers on UCLA's career wins list, Goerl, Selden, Carda, Freed and B'Ann Burns, were coached by her. As a player, Inouye-Perez was an exceptionally strong fielder behind the dish for the Bruins. Inouye-Perez and her husband, Gerardo Perez, currently reside in Cerritos.

Gisele Nguyen

Gisele Nguyen is the Co-Founder of the LifOpps Learning Labs ©, an International Speaker, and an Executive at two Educational Foundations. Her mission is to "Empower students to Communicate with Confidence."

For two decades, she held leadership roles at Fortune 500 companies, designing business strategies, building teams, and generating revenues for the Coca-Cola Company (TCCC), Colgate Palmolive, Sprint International, and Yum Brands. As the Director of National Retail Sales/Customer Solutions at TCCC for 16 years, she managed global customers, led multi-million dollar projects, and was accountable for a $600 million business plan with her team. In 2014 & 15, Gisele was honored with the Global Supply Chain Council Award for improving efficiencies in a $1 billion supply chain and the Global Customer & Commercial Leadership Award, respectively. With an MBA, and Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Gisele excelled at solving problems in customer management, product commercialization, marketing, sales, production, transportation, and global supply chain. While traveling on business, Gisele was blissfully immersed in her work until one day, her world came crashing down. A car accident caused severe spinal cord injuries, leaving her paralyzed in TX. After surgery and two years in recovery, Gisele discovered her true passion, redirected her focus, and took massive action.

In 2016, Gisele joined the REACH Foundation as a walk-in volunteer. Later, she became the Vice President of Academics, where she applied her skills to create innovative, student-centered programs in collaboration with the district, local businesses, community partners, and OCDE. Producing six (6) hands-on and experiential STEAM Club Programs: (1) Experience Your Environment, (2) From the Inside: Speakers Series, (3) Student Internship Program, (4) First Lego League Robotics, and (5) expanding coding classes, Gisele serves on the REACH Foundation Board and collaborates with partners to support and provide learning opportunities to PYLUSD students.

In 2018, Gisele and her husband formed the LifOpps Learning Labs (6) to fill an unmet need in support of their daughters. Their vision was to create a safe laboratory for students to communicate, collaborate, and inspire excellence through self-knowledge. After attending the Learning Labs, students are empowered to speak at special events, become club officers/leaders, and thrive as confident communicators. Last year, the Learning Labs empowered hundreds of students at six schools, and more offerings are available in 2022-23. She has inspired audiences at universities and global companies in the U.S., Europe, India, Turkey, and Taiwan.
Gisele has a daughter attending Travis Ranch MS and another daughter who graduated from Valencia High School. She is excited to support the community in which she lives, where her daughters grew up over the past 20 years.

Kelsi Kleinow

Kelsi Kleinow is a Cal Poly Pomona Alum where she earned her Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2016. Her number one goal was to use her degree to help people and she is so grateful to have that opportunity in her career path. She spent the first 3 years of her career as a Mechanical Designer in the aerospace industry, and currently works at Masimo where she has spent the past 2 years as a Process Engineer in the medical device industry. In aerospace, she worked for Leonardo DRS where she designed, prototyped, assembled and tested housings and infrastructure for cameras and sensors sent on satellites, ground vehicles, and air vehicles. You can even see imagery from some of those cameras on the weather channel. At Masimo, she develops and streamlines assembly processes for multiple home and hospital monitoring devices, and consults with the Mechanical group to maximize manufacturability. As a kid, Kelsi was always doing puzzles, building with Lincoln Logs and Tinker Toys, and playing soccer, including her 4 years at Esperanza. As an adult, Kelsi spends her time outside of Engineering by hiking and hitting the beach, painting and woodworking, and spending time with her dog, Optimus.

Ruchi Acharya

Ruchi Acharya currently works as a Physical Therapist at LAC-USC, dealing mostly with trauma patients, gunshot wounds and post-op care. She is originally from India, and graduated with a Bachelors in Physical Therapy in 2010. To obtain a higher degree and to achieve her goals, she was motivated to pursue a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Loma Linda University in 2014. She started her career in the United States in 2016 as a Physical Therapy Assistant in Neuro Pediatrics at Maxum Therapy in Placentia, CA, where she dealt with varied conditions amongst the younger population.
She has also dealt with neurological and orthopedic patients in the adult population which has definitely challenged her to learn more techniques for advanced and better application. This experience inspired her to excel at what she wanted to accomplish and prompted her to clear her PT license, henceforth the sky was the limit. Since then she has completed a few certifications focusing on vestibular and neuromuscular rehabilitation. She is aware that she will have numerous challenges to face and her journey has just started. However, she believes with a positive attitude any battle can be won.

Bonnie Saunders
SVP, Sales Support Leader Wells Fargo

Bonnie Saunders is the SVP, Sales Support Leader for Treasury Management at Wells Fargo providing support for teams within the entire Western Region. She oversees sales support to commercial clients who use Wells Fargo’s suite of treasury products. Saunders joined Wells Fargo in 1998. Saunders is responsible for fostering and maintaining a customer-centric holistic sales and onboarding experience for our Treasury Management banking customers. She is primarily focused on strategic process improvement and efficiency gains, all focused around the client experience.
In her previous role, she was head of servicing for commercial banking Treasury Management; leading teams nationally, focusing on the client experience to provide stellar support for all Treasury product-servicing needs. Prior to her time in treasury management, Saunders worked in retail banking sales, where her teams focused on growing customer relationships meeting their credit and deposit financial needs. Before this, she managed the Quality Monitoring compliance process. Her diverse background has helped her gain a keen understanding of the growing and dynamic needs of financial customers.
Saunders has been educated through extensive leadership, customer service, and sales training. She has an AA from Fullerton College and attended Cal State Fullerton. She is currently studying to obtain her certified treasury professional licensing and 200-hour Yoga teaching certification.
Saunders is based in Long Beach and has served as the leader of the El Monte chapter of the department’s Working Women’s Forum – an internal work group that meets monthly to discuss the challenges women face in the workplace and how to overcome them. She has also been an active leader for the Ronald McDonald pop tab collection program in nearby Pasadena.

Beth Nunn
COO of St. Joseph’s and St. Jude Heritage Medical Groups
Interim Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Providence Medical Foundation

Beth Nunn is the Regional Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Mission, St. Joseph, St. Jude, and St. Mary High Desert Heritage Medical Groups, award-winning physician practice groups with over 600 physicians and advanced practice clinicians, and 2,000 caregivers. Acknowledged as California’s top performers in quality and patient satisfaction by the Integrated Healthcare Association, Beth leads the daily operations and care delivery of Providence’s ambulatory network in Orange County and High Desert, California.

With over 20 years of experience in health care, Beth believes that care is best delivered when led by a group of inspired physicians, who are united by both ambulatory and acute care partners working closely together. Known for her ability to connect an organization and forecast community needs, Beth oversees 25 specialties including primary care services and nationally recognized specialists ranging from orthopedic and cancer treatment to cardiovascular care. As pillars in their communities, the Orange County and High Desert medical groups are known for providing compassionate, high-quality care to a diverse patient population including many underserved groups.

Prior to her time at Providence, Beth served as Director of Operations in an acute hospital for six years. She received her masters of business administration in executive management from the University of La Verne and her bachelor’s degree from California State Polytechnic University in Pomona, California. Beth is inspired daily in thanks to being part of an organization that is committed to its mission and values to serve its neighbors.

Cindy Caponera

Cindy Caponera, a native Chicagoan, is an Emmy and WGA nominated television writer, performer, and producer who began her career in theater at the famed Second City Mainstage, as well as The National Touring Company. An accomplished monologist, her first solo show Against the Grain, debuted in Chicago to rave reviews, followed by the critically-acclaimed, The Debutante Ball, which played to sold-out houses in Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles, and The Aspen Comedy Festival. Cindy began her television writing career at Saturday Night Live in 1995 and has been working non-stop ever since, writing, producing, and developing television. Some of her credits include Nurse Jackie, Shameless and, I’m Dying Up Here. Most recently she served as Executive Producer/writer on At Home with Amy Sedaris, and VOMO: Vote Or Miss Out, a comedy special that encouraged electoral participation for the 2020 election. Cindy enjoys a diverse career in comedy and drama and has developed shows for almost all networks/streamers including; HBO, FOX, Showtime, ABC, and CBS to name a few. Cindy is also a published essayist, her collection entitled I Triggered Her Bully… tiny memoirs is available on Amazon and Audible. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two dogs.

Asha Bhattacharya
Area Manager at Amazon Logistics
CSUF Wellness Room Founder
Miss Anaheim 2017

At just 23 years old, Asha currently serves as an Area Manager for Amazon’s 4th largest distribution center in the world. Asha manages a team of 250 delivery associates in delivering over 76.5k of volume per day, while also leading her team of associates in achieving key quality and cost metrics. Before joining Amazon, Asha earned a full-ride academic scholarship as a President’s Scholar to California State University, Fullerton where she graduated with honors and a 4.0 GPA. Asha conducted her Honors Senior Thesis with New York Times bestselling author Dr. Ryan Gottfredson on the correlation between mindset and leadership emergence. Asha’s research was selected for presentation at the National Competition of Undergraduate Research, and was selected as the top research project at CSUF’s College of Business and Economics.

Asha also has a deep passion for mental health. When she was crowned Miss Placentia’s Teen 2016 and Miss Anaheim 2017, Asha promoted her platform of destigmatizing mental illness all across Orange County. As a trained suicide prevention presenter for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Asha speaks to students across the county about the importance of mental health. Asha also represented CSUF at the American Council of Education’s Mental Health Summit, where she pitched her idea of creating a campus mental fitness center. Now in 2022, Asha’s brainchild has come to fruition, as the University’s first wellness room is set to open at the end of this year.

Michele Granger
USA Softball / Olympian
Valencia High School Alumnus

How do you summarize a lifetime of growth, change and adjustment? Michele Granger grew up in Placentia, California, and attended Valencia High School. She is one of three daughters to Mike and Mary Granger. Through hard work and determination, Michele became a stand out fast pitch softball pitcher whose reputation for throwing hard, throwing a rise ball and being a little wild was growing. At 14 she became a National Champion at the 18u ASA (USA) nationals for the first time. By 1985, at the tender age of 15, Michele was a member of the bronze medal 18u USA Junior World Championship team. That third-place finish became a source of inspiration to work towards being a stronger pitcher and help ensure that every time the USA uniform was worn, there would only be a gold medal finish. Through the years there were more World Championships, the Pan American games, and finally the Olympics in 1996 all resulting in Gold. While the Olympic gold medal was a wonderful cap to a long athletic career. In 1987 Michele had the chance to play in the Junior World Championship for the second time as a 17-year-old and this time won Gold. After playing softball for Cal Berkeley and being named a 4 time All-American, Four-time all PAC 10 , breaking numerous NCAA records, and graduating with degrees in History and Mass Communications it was time to train for the Olympics again. The 1996 Olympics was the first time Softball was played as an Olympic Sport, and Michele was honored to pitch that first game. Immediately following the Olympic games Michele started adding to her family with the birth of her first child Kady. Michele coached and represented softball players on the ASA board of directors, the USOC athletes advisory board, and the ISF Athlete commission. Michele then added to her family with the birth of John and Lindsay. Michele started working for ESPN as a color commentator. The opportunity to jump into coaching came at the University of Tennessee with the Weekly's. After a few years working in the SEC Michele had her fourth child, Nicholas. At this point, she decided to focus on raising kids. Coaching continued to be a part of her path through the years. Michele coached at the travel team level, high school, junior college, and eventually at the college level. While coaching and raising kids, Michele went to Pastry school and then opened a small baking business. After this, Michele spent three seasons coaching at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Michele is currently starting up a small private pitching lesson business.