March 19, 2024
By Imani Finkley
On March 9, the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Cornell Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science collaborated with Women in Computing at Cornell (WICC) and Capital One to host Finnovation: Women and Non-Binary Contributions to Fintech. The event was open to all genders, and all Cornell Bowers CIS deans, faculty, and students were invited to celebrate women and non-binary innovators in technology.
The night began with a few words from Kavita Bala, dean of Cornell Bowers CIS, reminding participants of the importance of creating diverse, inclusive, and supportive spaces on campus. Whether students are part of WICC or other student organizations, mentorship programs, or student leadership, Dean Bala said she hopes they remember to “learn from each other, support each other, and then come back and help the next generation just as they were helped in this community.”
Students engaged with a panel of Capital One software engineers who each identify as a gender minority in technology, including Cornell Bowers CIS alum Emily Chen ‘19, M.Eng. ‘20.
As an undergraduate studying computer science and economics, Angella Jaden ‘26 said she was grateful for the opportunity to hear from a diverse group of engineers “working [on] fintech teams and leaders in designing fintech solutions.” Hearing the panelists’ journeys, receiving their advice, and asking questions about their experiences in industry, participants learned about what they can hope for and expect as they continue their careers in computing.
After the panel, participants and the panelists did an arts and crafts project together, laughing while they connected and shared stories. As the night wound down, students left with photos, Capital One swag, and a stronger sense of community. Kathleen Vignos, vice president of software engineering at Capital One, appreciates when students put on events like Finnovation and thanked students for showing up and “continuing to create spaces with different voices and people in tech.”
If you are interested in learning more about this or other events, please email the Cornell Bowers CIS Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at dei-office@cis.cornell.edu.
Imani Finkley '24 is a communications assistant for the Cornell Bowers CIS Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.