Meet The Team

Chairperson & President: Nicci Townsend

Nicci Townsend leads a high‑performing Enterprise Sales team at Microsoft, partnering with high‑growth customers to ensure they realize the full value of Microsoft’s products and services. With more than twenty years of experience guiding strategic client relationships, Nicci is known for cultivating trusted C‑suite partnerships and driving meaningful business outcomes.

Nicci began her career in the telecommunications industry and has held roles across several technology organizations, complementing her experience with a unique chapter as a QVC On‑Air guest. Her career has been anchored by a commitment to people development, empowering others to achieve their potential. She is a dedicated mentor to professionals seeking guidance in career growth, leadership, and navigating the tech industry. In 2018, Nicci co‑founded techaWare, a nonprofit organization focused on inspiring and educating women of all ages about careers in technology through hands‑on programs and community events.

Nicci holds a B.A. in Fine Arts and Psychology from St. Lawrence University. She resides in Vermont with her husband and is the proud mother of three daughters, ages 13 to 23. Outside of work, she enjoys music, gardening, reading, yoga, and skiing.

Vice President: Jill Alspach

Jill Alspach is Managing Director of Spock Logistics - a boutique consulting firm which focuses on PMO, training, communications, change management, large-scale software implementations and the Procure to Pay process. Check it out here: www.wearelogical.com.

Most recently, Jill was honored as Philadelphia Business Journal’s 2023 Women of Influence. She is also Executive Director for Women in Tech Leadership (www.witleadership.com), Adjunct Professor at Widener University and sits on Widener’s School of Business Advisory Board. Jill holds a B.A. in Business and Economics from Ursinus College and her MBA from Widener University.

Outreach Coordinator: Kristin Arnoldy

Kristin Arnoldy is a talent strategy leader with over 15 years of experience in IT staffing, workforce planning, and business development. As Founder of Spark & Scale Collective, she partners with executive teams to align hiring strategy with revenue goals, strengthen recruiting operations, and build high-performing teams. Throughout her career, Kristin has advised hiring leaders across industries on complex workforce challenges.

Kristin is deeply committed to advancing women in technology and supporting emerging professionals. She volunteers with multiple nonprofit organizations, leading career development workshops and mentoring young adults launching careers in tech.

Based in the Philadelphia area, Kristin enjoys networking, mentoring, and building communities that expand access and opportunity.

Partnership Coordinator: Kiley Surma

Kiley Surma is a Senior Customer Success Account Manager at Microsoft. Kiley enjoys change and learning, which is what has led to a successful track record across global human resources, marketing, communications, program management, and sales. In her current role, she partners with Big 4 customers to realize the value of their technology investments. As a first-generation college graduate and a non-technical woman in tech, she is passionate about supporting other women's advancement in the technology industry, particularly those who may never write a single line of code.

A Minneapolis native, Kiley has also lived in Miami, Chicago and Sydney, Australia, before settling into Fort Greene, Brooklyn, with her husband, Maxime, their toddler son Jules, and rescue cats Milou and Pepin. When not working, she enjoys practicing yoga, learning French, traveling, reading, and attending concerts in New York City, which she deems the greatest city in the world.

Events Coordinator: Lindsey Calabrese

Lindsey is a strategic business transformation leader with experience driving business intelligence, process improvement, and technology-enabled operations across nonprofit and corporate organizations. She currently serves as a Senior Manager at Breakwater Consulting Partners, where she helps organizations turn data into actionable insights, optimizes business processes, and leads change initiatives.

Previously, Lindsey was the Head of Business Intelligence at Springboard Collaborative, a nonprofit focused on improving student reading outcomes. She led enterprise reporting and analytics efforts, building executive dashboards and BI tools to measure performance and inform strategy. Earlier in her career, Lindsey worked as a Business Transformation Manager at LinkedIn, Director of Business Process at Aramark, and a Business Technology Consultant at Deloitte Consulting, where she supported large-scale system integration initiatives.

Lindsey holds a degree from the University of Delaware and lives in West Chester, Pennsylvania with her husband, two toddlers, and their goldendoodle, Maverick. In her free time, she enjoys baking, exploring the outdoors, and spending time with family and friends. Lindsey is passionate about lifelong learning and mentoring young professionals as they navigate their careers.

Membership Director: Gwen Smith

Gwendolyn Smith is the Director of Customer Success at Jamf. With twenty years of expertise in education, professional development and edtech, Gwen has a deep understanding of how technology can be used to support and improve teaching and learning. Her experience includes teaching, curriculum development and innovation, and building professional development certification programs from the ground up. She is a strong advocate for the seamless use of instructional technology to develop interoperable digital learning ecosystems where students of all ages can succeed.

Gwendolyn is passionate about the power of the individual and the value of professional relationships for both career and personal growth. As a non-technical woman in tech, she knows firsthand the challenges of navigating a career change into the tech space and is a strong believer in sharing that experience to help others. Prior to joining the techaWare board, she served as a mentor with techaWare and as a curriculum design volunteer for TechGirlz.

Gwen lives in the Philadelphia suburbs with her husband and their three furbabies: rescue pup, Luna Lovegood, and two persian cats, Gritty and Maki. In her free time she loves to cook, read, and hike. You'll also find her swapping out the laptop for a pitchfork when she volunteers at Special Equestrians — a therapeutic riding center in Warrington, PA that uses horses to transform lives for people with physical, cognitive, and emotional disabilities.

Marketing Director: Jasmine Baskin

Jasmine is a high-performing project and product manager in reshaping technology, software, commerce, and media sectors. She demonstrates proficiency in decoding market trends and crafting strategic product positions; specializing in streamlining operations through automation, resulting in significant efficiency gains. She is known for steering cross-functional teams through impactful campaigns and launches and is adept at leveraging her savvy business acumen to drive innovation. Jasmine currently works in Marketing Operations at Microsoft and has previously worked across Series B & C startups, Media Networks, and Fortune 500 companies. Jasmine has been recognized for achievements in Voyage Atlanta and nominated for Forbes 30 Under 30.

Jasmine holds a Bachelor's in Mass Media Communications, a Master's in Technology Entrepreneurship, and an Executive Certification from Cornell University.

Jasmine currently resides in Dallas, TX. In her free time, she loves horseback riding, trying new foods, and traveling the world to unlock new adventures.