Innovating for a Sustainable Future: Leadership, Diversity, and Resilience

Today, we are honored to have three exceptional speakers: Elizabeth Scallon, Jennifer Savage, and Dr. Menzer Pehlivan. Join us as they share their valuable insights and experiences on driving innovation, fostering diversity, and creating sustainable solutions in technology and engineering.

Dress Code: White

Elizabeth Scallon

Elizabeth is the Director of Incubation at HP, where she helps internal founders build innovative businesses. She’s also the co-founder of Find Ventures, a nonprofit supporting under-resourced entrepreneurs in Washington State. In addition, Elizabeth teaches entrepreneurship at the University of Washington’s Foster Business School. Her past roles include leading Go To Market & Operations for Amazon’s Alexa Fund and Startups team, driving innovation at Amazon’s Grand Challenge, and launching WeWork Labs in the US West and LATAM. She also led CoMotion Labs at UW, fostering NW tech and biotech startups. Elizabeth holds a degree in Biochemistry, a Global Executive MBA from Georgetown, and is a member of Harvard Business School’s 2019 YALP cohort.

Jennifer Savage

Jennifer is a General Partner at Illuminate Ventures, a B2B seed-stage VC firm that has backed successes like Xactly, Coupang, and BrightEdge. Illuminate’s portfolio includes 2 IPOs, 8 strategic exits, and over $4B in follow-on funding, with a focus on diverse founders. With 25+ years in B2B software, Jennifer has held executive roles at companies like PlaceWare (acquired by Microsoft), DocuSign (IPO), and SmartSheet (IPO). She brings deep expertise in building categories and go-to-market strategies. Jennifer holds an MBA from UCLA and a bachelor’s in Computer Science from the University of Oregon.

Menzer Pehlivan

Dr. Menzer Pehlivan is the founder and president of MPERA Group, a woman-owned firm specializing in geotechnical and earthquake engineering. Renowned for her leadership and innovation, she has led groundbreaking projects to protect infrastructure and enhance community resilience. A strong advocate for ESG and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, Dr. Pehlivan’s work has been recognized among the top in North America. She is also featured in the IMAX film “Dream Big: Engineering Our World,” inspiring young women to pursue STEM careers. With numerous awards and leadership roles, Dr. Pehlivan is a sought-after speaker and a role model for women in engineering and entrepreneurship.

Whether you’re a female founder, looking for a female co-founder, a female professional with startup, M&A, or corporate strategy experience, or simply curious about the latest trends and developments in these fields, don’t miss this opportunity to gain insights into the latest innovations in business and entrepreneurs. Register now to reserve your spot!

Lastly, we invite you to wear white to the event as a symbol of your support for the advancements. We look forward to seeing you there!

Event Organizer:

• ​B.E.L.L.E (Previously GirlUp Entrepreneurs)

​Event Sponsor:

• Capital One Café

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