Joy Dixon (she/her)
Founder & CEO | Mosaic Presence

Joy Dixon has worked in the tech industry for 20+ years as an engineering leader, software engineer, technical trainer, and even as a network administrator. Currently, Joy is on her venture capital journey and working with start up founders: advising, investing, and developing their MVPs.

Joy holds a Bachelor’s degree in African-American Studies, a Master’s degree in Software Engineering, and several professional certifications. In the course of a diverse career, Joy has lead development teams, designed and developed applications using several languages including Java, Python, SQL, JavaScript, HTML, and Swift. In addition, she has configured and administered networks for global companies.

Joy loves learning new technologies and has a great deal of passion for training. In 2008, Joy decided to move into technical training in order to assist people with successfully utilizing technology. Joy has designed and delivered online and in-person, web and game development, courses for the University of Virginia, the Art Institute of California-San Francisco, Academy of Art University as well as AcademyX (professional training center).

JEDI, technology, coaching, and investing are Joy’s bliss!

Robert Barrios (he/him)
Chief Information Officer | E & J Gallo Winery

Robert Barrios is Chief Information Officer at E&J Gallo Winery. Robert has been with the Winery since 2014 and prior to being the CIO had responsibility for Enterprise Architecture, Quality Assurance, Application Development, Project Management, End User Services, Infrastructure Technology, Information Security, IT Business Office, Data Services, and Business Intelligence. Robert also serves on E&J Gallo Winery’s Diversity and Inclusion Council.

Robert serves on several Customer Advisory Boards which includes Optiv and UI Path.

Prior to joining E&J Gallo Winery, Robert spent 15 years with Oracle Corporation, with his last role as Vice-President, Software Engineering for Oracle Cloud Services where he ran Fusion Application Hosting, Exadata Hosting, Network/Security Operations, Business Office, Project Management, and the Automation/DevOps group.

Robert graduated from California Polytechnic University, Pomona with a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration, majoring in Computer Information Systems. Robert enjoys spending time with his family as well as outdoor activities, such as camping, backpacking, fishing, kayaking, and off-roading.

Aniedi Udo-Obong (pronouns)
Program Manager | Google Developer Programs

Experienced Program Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the technology industry. Skilled in Management, Networking, Software Development, Start-ups, and Project Management. Strong program and project management professional with a Bachelor of Engineering focused in Electrical/Electronics Engineering.

Theresa E. Gonzales (she/her)
CEO | Latinasb2b.Marketing

Theresa E. Gonzales has worked for companies such as, Facebook, Google, Oracle, Dell and managed strategic partnerships, such as Salesforce.com. She has launched new market business initiatives for technology products, strategic partnerships and product research initiatives for a better customer experience.

Theresa is a graduate of San Francisco State University in Business Administration, Product Management and Innovative Business Models from Berkeley’s Haas School of Business-Executive Education and certificates in Business, Brand & Product Strategy.

Theresa started her own business consulting, 5-E Leadership & Marketing and Podcasting Platform, Latinasb2b.com, as a digital marketing and sales consulting organization to bridge small businesses with marketing and technology business models, specifically for women of color and community organizations, to stay competitive and relevant within the global tech environments.

Theresa has served on the Board of Girls Inc. of the Island City and The Calculus RoundTable, located in the Bay Area.

Taryn Borba (she/her)
Aspiring Web Developer
Bitwise Workforce Training Alum

Taryn is an aspiring web developer. She started her tech journey in February 2022 by taking a Bitwise Workforce Training course. Since then she has completed all four courses they offer: Websites for Beginners (HTML, CSS); Mobile-Friendly Websites (HTML, CSS, Bootstrap); JavaScript; React.

With the skills she learned from the Bitwise courses, Taryn created this DevFest website. Check out her portfolio!

Prior to starting her tech journey, Taryn was an Accounting Manager with a focus on Grower Accounting and Accounts Payable. She has a demonstrated history of working in the food & beverages industry. She spent 7 years with Diamond Foods, LLC and 5 years with Bronco Wine Company.

Taryn graduated from California State University, Stanislaus with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and Accounting concentration.

Taryn is a lesbian-mother, wife, and puzzle enthusiast. She is currently a full-time parent to twin toddlers and motivated to make the world a better place for her kids and the next generation.

Nic Raboy
Staff Developer Advocate | MongoDB

Nic Raboy is an advocate of modern web and mobile development technologies. He has hands on experience with several different programming technologies such as JavaScript, Golang, and C#, as well as a variety of frameworks such as React, Vue.js, NativeScript and Unity. He spends a lot of his time writing about his development experiences related to making web and mobile development easier to understand.

If you're interested in learning about his technical adventures, check them out on his blog, The Polyglot Developer (https://www.thepolyglotdeveloper.com).

Nic is also active in the local community as the organizer of the Tracy Developer Meetup (https://www.tracydevs.com) in Tracy, CA. His goal with the group is to bring technical opportunities outside of the Bay Area and help people of all ages to be successful with modern technology.

Outside of the technology scene, Nic is a gamer and Pokémon fan. He operates the Poké Trainer Nic (https://www.poketrainernic.com) brand where he streams and publishes videos around the Pokémon TCG, video games, and general Pokémon merchandise with his family.

Floyd Muñoz (he/him)
Events Coordinator | Bitwise Workforce Training

As the Events Coordinator of Bitwise Workforce Training, Floyd Muñoz manages the events and opportunities for potential students. Floyd works closely in collaboration with leaders of community organizations, recruitment partners, and our internal team of community outreach coordinators to reach as many underserved and underrepresented future students as possible.

Floyd joined Bitwise in April of 2020 and enjoys working closely with communities that serve diverse untapped talent, as well as Bitwise’s city-specific team members, who are able to best understand the dynamics of the communities Bitwise hopes to serve.

Floyd’s passion is to provide opportunities for folks traditionally left out of tech. His passion is derived from his upbringing in a small community in Northern California, Redding, CA., which is surrounded by a minimal opportunity for growth and upward mobility. He has spent much of his life falling through the cracks of the public school system and spent many years in his youth, in and out of juvenile hall and prison. Floyd is self-taught in reading and writing and understands better than anyone, what it means to first, contribute to the success of others and overcome obstacles, show grit and determination, and find gainful employment in tech.

Amy Pezzoni (she/her)
Computer Science Teacher | Modesto City Schools

Amy Pezzoni founded the Enochs Software and Systems Development pathway four years ago when she came to Modesto City Schools. Amy has her Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering and her Master of Education in Career and Technical Education. Amy brings to the classroom award-winning computer science industry experience from both private and government organizations, including systems programming, web development, technical support, and database administration. Amy supports fellow teachers through conference presentations and as a mentor.

Amy also works with the local community through Bay Valley Tech, Google Developer Groups, Delta Kappa Gamma, and Women Techmakers, and was Stanislaus County Woman of the Year for 2020.

Amy is excited to continue growing the Enochs SSD pathway to increase course offerings, dedicated staff, and industry opportunities for our incredible students.

Vikram Tiwari (he/him)
Co-Founder, Tech | Omni Labs, Inc.

Co-Founder, Tech @OmniLabsInc where I help build the future of work. @GoogleDevExpert for @GoogleCloud and #MachineLearning helping others learn, build and excel.

Kirsten Villa (she/her)
ICS System Admin | TekSynap

Kirsten Villa is an ICS System Administrator with a variety of industry recognized certifications for Information Security.

Kirsten is a successful career changer, having previously worked as an electrician before returning to school for a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science.

Post-graduation, she worked as a desktop technician and was promoted numerous times, eventually earning the Regional Lead Technician role. With no more room to grow with that employer, she shifted into Information System Security Officer for Industrial Controls. From there Industrial Controls took center stage, where she combined her IT and ICS knowledge for her current role.

Now she is transitioning to her next adventure as a Network Security Engineer.

Jeremy Wilken (he/him)
Sr. Engineering Manager | NVIDIA

Jeremy is an experienced technical and organizational leader with an emphasis on aligning on future facing outcomes. Specialized in strategic foresight for ensuring that teams focus on the right problems with an understanding of the forces that are shaping the future.

Jeremy is a leader in voice design and development, an engineer leader at NVIDIA, and international speaker and trainer. He is a Google Developer Expert in Web Technologies, Angular, and the Google Assistant and regularly speaks at conferences and does hands on training and workshops at events such as UX Strat, Fluent, NgConf, VoiceCon, Voice Summit, and OSCON. Having written two books, Angular in Action and Ionic in Action, he focuses heavily on providing education to others.

Crystal Maldonado (she/her)
Project Manager | Bitwise Industries

Chances are you have something in common with Crystal. She's a Fresno native, third generation Mexican-American, a woman of color, sci-fi fan, and a web developer. Previously she had a fulfilling career as a Production Artist. But (most likely) thanks to the movie Hackers, she took a leap of faith, quit her job, and attended a coding bootcamp in Provo, Utah. Afterwards she had several internships, and in 2018 joined Bitwise Industries where she is currently a Project Manager.

Fallon Ferris (she/her)
Equity and Intervention Specialist | Modesto City Schools

Virgginnia Buccioni-Hillmann (she/her)
Tech Recruiter | Diversity Strategist

Hello! I am Virgginnia. I’m a Bay Area-based talent acquisition professional with a passion for consulting with companies to build incredible teams and operational strategies with a DEI lens. I specialize in tech recruiting (Engineering, Product, Design, Data), and have built solid sales teams in various startups.

My journey as a DEI and Talent Acquisition professional has given me a well-rounded background in acquiring diverse and inclusive talent across many industries including tech startups, non-profits, government contracting, and international organizations. So, not only do I understand the intricacies of a wide breadth of position requirements, but I am also extremely committed to building and improving the processes that help find companies the right talent when they need it by understanding their individual needs. One could say that consulting and strategizing with different companies is what gets me up in the morning.

I truly believe very day brings an opportunity to improve, support, and build community in the workplace—in English, Spanish, and conversational Italian and German, I might add. So, how can I help your company grow and thrive? Schedule some time with me to learn more about partnering with me as your next talent and diversity strategist.

Chris Mitchell
Manager - Software Engineering | E & J Gallo Winery

Chris is all about online and web. Hence the name ChrisMitchellOnline. A developer turned dev ops engineer, Chris likes to blog about all things online. 20 years expertise in all aspects of the web, Amazon Web Services, Javascript, PHP, backend anything, front end anything.

When not programming Chris enjoys playing and collecting guitars, gaming as well as dreaming about game creation.