Ascend NorCal February Networking Mixer
Leading Authentically to Fuel Business Growth: Building Inclusive Leadership through Intersectional Allyship
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Event Details
Date: Wednesday, February 19, 2025
Time: 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM PT
Venue: The Clorox Company 4900 Johnson Dr, Pleasanton, CA 94588
Admission: Members: $20 I Non-Members: $40
Attire: Business Casual
Description
Join us at the Ascend NorCal February Networking Mixer as we celebrate Black History Month with an inspiring panel discussion under the theme “Leading Authentically to Fuel Business Growth: Building Inclusive Leadership through Intersectional Allyship.” This conversation will explore how AAPI, Black, LGBTQ+, and other identities can thrive through authentic leadership and allyship—enabling engagement, productivity, innovation, and business growth. Featuring thought-provoking discussions on embracing identity, empowering voices across communities, and fostering collaboration, this session will provide actionable insights to help leaders create inclusive workplaces that drive success. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect, reflect, and lead authentically as we shape the future together.
Agenda
5:00 PM:
Registration Open / Happy Hour and Networking
6:00 PM:
Panel Discussion
7:00 PM:
Happy Hour and Networking
8:00 PM:
Event Concludes
Panelists
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Sean Chang
Director of Enterprise Data & Technology
The Clorox Company
Sean Chang is a Director of Enterprise Data & Technology at The Clorox Company, where he has worked on building business capabilities with Marketing, Sales and Supply Chain teams for the past 25 years. He is currently focused on enabling digital transformations across our International Business Units, and supporting our acquisition & divestiture initiatives. Sean is a NYC native who moved to the SF Bay Area for graduate work at UC Berkeley and DotCom startup work prior to joining Clorox. He spends his free time supporting the Oakland Museum of California, currently serving as Vice Chair in his 9th year on its Board of Trustees.
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Shanae Robinson
Associate Director, R&D
The Clorox Company
Shanae Robinson is the Associate Director of Kingsford® R&D at The Clorox Company, responsible for both innovation and base business initiatives. Over her ten-year tenure at Clorox, she has contributed to several brands, including Clorox Pro, Fresh Step®, Pine-Sol®, Liquid Plumr®, and Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes. Prior to joining Clorox, Shanae spent 12 years at Johnson & Johnson Consumer Products. Originally from Philadelphia, Shanae holds a bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. She is a proud military wife and a dedicated mother to one son, with two dogs that keep her busy in her free time.
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Perry Liu
Vice President - Chief Audit Executive
CSAA Insurance Group
Perry Liu is the Chief Audit Executive for CSAA Insurance Group, a AAA Insurer. The Insurance Group has over $6B in revenue and is a provider of AAA-branded insurance. It offers automobile, homeowners, and other personal lines of insurance to AAA members through partnerships with AAA clubs. Perry is responsible for operational & financial audit, IT audit, Model Audit Rule, and claims quality assurance. He reports functionally to the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors and administratively to the Chief Financial Officer. Perry has over 30 years of internal audit experience. Prior to joining CSAA Insurance Group, he managed the internal audit function at DHL Airways. He has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from San Francisco State University and is a certified internal auditor and a certified information systems auditor. Perry lives in San Ramon and enjoys hiking and exercising.
Moderator
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Anita Darden Gardyne
Chief Development Officer
Global Strategies
Anita Gardyne is Chief Development Officer at Global Strategies and responsible for fundraising and scaling NoviGuide, a clinical decision support system that helps clinicians bring better healthcare to patients. She also serves as a Board Advisor to Aspire2Steam whose mission is to create better outcomes for girls in STEAM through scholarships and recognition. Before joining Global Strategies, Anita founded Oneva, Inc, serving as its CEO, collaborating with Microsoft’s VP Global Benefits to create AI generated matches between employees and the trusted Elder, Infant Care, Mental Health care providers they needed. Anita also served as a Finance, Marketing and/or Technology Director at AT&T, Seagate, and UC Berkeley overseeing up to $3.5B in revenue, often building innovative tech. Anita holds a BA with Double Majors in Economics and "Economics in the Black Community" and an MBA, all from UC Berkeley. She was awarded a patent for “Trust in In-Home Care” in 2019.
Program Partner
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Safety of our guests is paramount to Ascend. Attendees are responsible for monitoring their own condition and agree to comply with the safety, hygiene and CDC identified pandemic level communicable illnesses (including COVID-19) guidelines established by relevant health authorities. We request that attendees not attend an event should they test positive or if they experience COVID symptoms prior to the event.