Tara Lubbers (Van Dyken)

Here is a short piece about our work where Forest Frizzell, Monique DeSimone, and Keoni Lee share about how we expand energy benefits to chronically overlooked communities. We can not do our work without an ecosystem of similar mission-driven organizations like the ʻĀina Aloha Economy Fund developed by Hawaii Investment Ready and managed by Mission Driven Finance | Loans for Small Businesses & Nonprofits. Please take some time to get to know these organizations as you may find similar social ventures that could use project finance. Mahalo Hawaii News Now for the coverage https://lnkd.in/guBb7bp4 https://lnkd.in/g6xnhMys ʻĀina Aloha Economy Fund (via Hawai‘i Investment Ready) is Hawai‘i’s first catalytic capital fund aiming to reshape how investments serve local, sustainable economies. It provides flexible, patient debt capital (not grants) to bridge the gap between early-stage funding and conventional commercial capital. The Fund especially supports Native-led enterprises and food systems / regenerative economy efforts, offering both financial capital and technical support to help those ventures scale in a just, resilient way. https://lnkd.in/gume-f5z Mission Driven Finance is a firm that uses finance as a tool for social change. They offer lending and impact investing services aimed at closing capital gaps in underserved communities, for example, small businesses, nonprofits, inclusive real estate, and health-related ventures. Their goal is to help move money into places where it “doesn’t but should,” aligning financial returns with social impact.

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Engineering innovation isn’t just about having a great idea, it’s about having the right ecosystem to turn that idea into a viable reality. 🚀 Tonight, David Ochi gave me the honor of participating as a coach for the workshop for the 30 second pitch of the UCI Samueli School of Engineering Beall Butterworth Product Development Competition. As a proud Anteater, this event always hits incredibly close to home. My journey with this program started years ago when my team won during my very first year participating as a mentor. That experience hooked me, and I’ve been proud to serve as a judge for the last 13 years. Watching the pitches over the years, I am absolutely blown away. The engineering students at UC Irvine are taking their products further than I have ever seen. Thanks to the rapid advancement of technology, especially with the support of AI, these teams are building sophisticated hardware and software solutions at an unprecedented pace. 💡⚙️ This competition is an absolute masterclass for any engineering student. It teaches the most critical skill in product development: how to find a real-world problem and engineer a truly viable solution. The most beautiful part of this program is the outcome. Yes, we will be rewarding the winning teams with a big cash prize at the end, but more importantly, we are equipping them with the mentorship, support, and guidance they need to succeed as real-world founders. Always proud to give back to this amazing community. Zot Zot Zot! 🐜💙💛 #UCIrvine #Engineering #ZotZotZot #BeallButterworthCompetition #ProductDevelopment

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While on the California Intellectual Property Alliance (CAIPA) board call I was reminded of this phenomenal publication by Mary Fuller, Laura Lee Norris, Joy Baker Peacock, and Sidney Yazzolino — and it’s practical takeaways for organizations of any size looking to build a stronger culture around innovation and intellectual property. What stood out most: Many people don’t recognize when they’ve created something patentable — awareness is the first unlock. Simple, repeatable processes for capturing ideas matter just as much for small teams as they do for Fortune 500s. Diversity in who gets to “be an inventor” directly expands what gets invented. IP isn’t just a legal function — it’s a culture, and it has to be intentional. If you care about democratizing innovation, empowering more inventors, or building an internal IP mindset, this guide is well worth the read. 📄 Link to publication: https://lnkd.in/eQU93xi7 Happy to connect with anyone working on similar initiatives across academia, startups, law firms, or corporate IP teams.

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This Women’s History Month, we had the privilege of hosting three incredible leaders and dear friends for a meaningful Fireside Chat with the SOCi community. A huge thank you to Anna Frazzetto Sonny Patel Deepti Vyas. Check out anna's books "Together We Rise" and "Rising With Courage" Anna guided the discussion with insightful questions, and Sonny and Deepti brought depth and perspective through their candid and meaningful answers. The entire conversation was engaging and inspiring. From navigating careers in AI, to building responsibly with emerging technology, to driving innovation within teams, and exploring what the future of AI transformation holds, this was a powerful and thought provoking discussion. Grateful to SOCi’s Women’s ERG Team (tagging a few here Taylor Deaton Sara Levitt Miranda Rogers) for bringing this together and creating space for these important conversations. Women’s History Month is a reminder of the impact of the people around us. I’ve been fortunate to learn from and grow alongside strong women who challenge me, support me, and push me to be better. Thank you to my mom, my sister, Aisha Aslam Payal Parekh Elina Luthra Deepika Gosain McGleno Reenu Archana Singh Ruth Zive Lauren Nardoni (Aach) Rhonda Stinson Meier Kim Marks Sonal Chiranewala Katie Wendling, CPSR Brittany (Halberg) Monahan Molly Kane Snider Lindzi Cox Kelly Hall (Butler) Rachael Tinney Indu JayagopalPriya Sunil Allison Smith Yasmine F. Mansour Stephanie Wong Jennifer A. D. Sonny Patel Erin Belling Jenny H.Monica Ho Hagith Malul Melissa Arbet Loren Kile Bunche Simmi Bath-Hydzik Renée Chaplin Agnieszka May-Sadowska Isabel Y. #WomensHistoryMonth #WomenInAI #Leadership #Innovation #FiresideChat #AI #SOCi

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I'm seeing a lot of great AI tips in my feed today for #AIinWork day! My personal favorite this week: NotebookLM. I've been in several on-sites this month, and I'm using it to translate all of the pre-reads, slides and pages of notes into a thoughtful podcast or video – summarizing the most important details for me. It can even scan websites and videos. I'm also re-posting this article from Jen Fitzpatrick if you're curious about the other ways Googlers are using AI to get work done: https://lnkd.in/ef3suCHf

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I’m very happy to share that #Ceemingly has partnered with WorkSource Seattle-King County and the Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County to bring a video resume based hiring program to residents across King County. This partnership is especially meaningful to me because it brings hiring back to what it should be about people, relationships, and opportunity while thoughtfully using technology to help individuals be seen and heard. Beginning January 19, 2026, our #Ceemingly team will be on site daily at the WorkSource Seattle-King County #Rainier location, supporting the community with their hiring needs, including one-on-one assistance creating professional video resumes, with equipment available on site for anyone who needs it. As we learn from this pilot, we look forward to expanding this model to other communities and continuing to work alongside local employers who are committed to hiring not just locally but more human! More details including a Calendly link to book one-on-one appointments will be shared in the coming week. #Ceemingly #technology #videoresume #SeattleJobs #KingCounty #WorkforceDevelopment #WorkSource #WorkforceDevelopmentCouncil #CityOfSeattle #LocalHiring #EconomicOpportunity #FutureOfWork #loyalVC #HiringInnovation #CommunityImpact #GeekWire #videoresumeprogram https://lnkd.in/eBWU4pJn

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Resilience started for me as a solo "hustle" born of necessity. I define it as a practice: processing emotion, seeking support, generating ideas, acting without certainty, and making meaning. I recently tested these skills with senior executives at Kaiser Permanente. These high-performers are navigating a storm: political complexity, constant criticism, and AI threatening their relevancy. They’d played the "rock" for so long it became a liability. To maintain excellence under increasing pressure, they had to realizing they were "toughing it out." I was brought in to build a sustainable model for their high level output. We turned my personal pillars into their professional strategy: 1. From Armor to Agency. We used somatic resets to stabilize the nervous system, including recognizing and celebrating wins (so often overlooked in the pursuit of the next deadline) You can’t lead effectively if your body is in a permanent state of "threat." 2. Control Mapping. This shifts energy from passive endurance to active prioritization. When teams see stressors visually, the "weather" loses its power to paralyze or take up valuable mental or emotional space. They stop solving the unsolvable and reclaim bandwidth for high-stakes focus areas. 3. The Capacity Flag. High-performers often "silently absorb" work until they snap. We created a shared permission to name trade-offs early. This shifted the team from the potential for individual burnout to a collective performance strategy. 4. Making Meaning. We re-anchored in their core values. AI can’t build community or untangle a tough or toxic culture. Only humans, solving human problems in a room together, can do that. The result? They didn't leave with a map-the environment is too volatile-but they left with a filter and a reset. They now have a shared language to decide what to ignore and where to double down on, and an individual plan to strengthen their resilience muscle. There is a specific, measurable shift that happens when a team stops staring at their individual rectangles and starts looking at each other. That’s where the armor finally drops, the pace slows, and valuable connection happens. If your team is redlining, they don't need another training video or a "wellness" app. They need to reconnect to the human skills that make them irreplaceable. They need to be in the room. #Leadership #Resilience #KaiserPermanente #ExecutiveCoaching #HumanSustainability This is what high-performance under pressure looks like. Laptops open, focused, but often siloed.

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Ummmm, that was unexpected. The #USLaborMarket lost 92k jobs in February. #Healthcare has carried the market for several years and even they saw a decrease of 28k. While some of that can be attributed to the Kaiser Permanente strike, those numbers are still jarring. The #Information sector, where tech roles fall, remains in a funk losing 11k. That includes #AI hiring which we're all told is booming. #Unemployment ticks up slightly to 4.4% and the amount of individuals on the market for over 27 weeks increased by 500k. #JobHugging is real folks! Companies aren't firing as much. Those seeking employment are feeling the impact. Overall this was a surprise. Or as Mark Hamrick said, "Well that was ugly. February’s employment data misses the mark across the board." #Macroeconomy #USJobMarket https://lnkd.in/gQFYBm9W

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Leadership has many forms. The kind that stays with you is grounded in empathy, clarity, and quiet strength. Spending time with April Arnzen, EVP and Chief People Office (also President of the Micron Foundation), alongside Antara Lahiri and Jill Chris, was a reminder of what that looks like in practice. Women in leadership often hold space differently. They listen deeply. They invite diverse voices into the room. They create environments where people feel seen, heard, and valued, not as a gesture, but as a way of working. When leaders show up with openness and conviction, it shifts culture. It makes room for others especially young professionals to speak up, for new ideas to take shape, and for communities to trust that partnership is real. Across India and globally, the Foundation’s work reflects this belief. From expanding access to #STEM education, to investing in skilling pathways, to supporting community resilience, the focus remains consistent: empower girls and women to be independent, confident, and self-reliant. Not just to participate in the future, but to shape it. What this really means is enabling purpose. When a girl sees herself as an engineer, a designer, a technologist, or an entrepreneur, she begins to rewrite what’s possible for her family and her community. When women are equipped with skills and opportunity, they lead change that lasts. Grateful to work alongside leaders who combine sharp strategy with heart and who understand that impact is strongest when everyone has a voice.

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When technology serves a mission this meaningful — protecting endangered species, one animal at a time — it's a reminder of why this work matters. Proud to see ServiceNow.org partnering with San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance to make the extraordinary possible. Purpose meets platform. 🌿

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Resilience isn’t just grit or mindset. It’s something leaders design. In the latest episode of When Work Works, Julie Develin sits down with Sam Simmons, former Chief People and Internal Operations Officer of the LPGA, to reframe resilience as a cultural advantage built through trust, transparency, and bringing people into change, even when decisions are hard. 🎧 Take a listen: https://ukg.inc/49WW9y0 #UKGPodcast #Resilience #HR

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It keeps getting worse at Intel Oregon where a 3,100‐job reduction marks one of the state’s largest tech-sector contractions in years. The layoffs create immediate hardship for specialized workers and raise longer-term concerns about Oregon’s competitiveness as a semiconductor hub. While federal CHIPS incentives promise a national semiconductor resurgence, Oregon finds itself on the losing side of Intel’s global realignment as the company shifts investment to new, subsidized fabrication centers elsewhere.: https://lnkd.in/g_NAHjvG

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New #layoffs at #Meta will impact 331 workers in the #Seattle area and #Washingtonstate. The company is cutting employees at four facilities located in #Seattle and on the Eastside, as well as approximately 97 employees who work remotely in #Washington.  https://lnkd.in/ef_ynJRE

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Tech for good isn’t just a phrase. It’s a daily practice. Tech Exchange is an Oakland-based nonprofit that has supported digital equity across the Bay Area since 1995. Their work is rooted in sustainability, refurbishing donated computers and placing them with families, schools, and community organizations who need them most. Beyond technology access, Tech Exchange provides digital literacy training, promotes broadband adoption, and offers multilingual tech support, ensuring people aren’t just connected, but supported. This video features an intern sharing what it was like to contribute to the mission from the inside and how the experience shaped her career path while creating real community impact. 🤝 Partners, nonprofit colleagues, and community leaders: We invite you to share this story, explore partnership opportunities, and support this work through device donations, collaboration, or intern engagement. 🔗 Learn more or get involved at www.techexchange.org 📍 Visit the TecHub: 1716 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA #TechForGood #TechExchange #DigitalEquity #DigitalInclusion #CommunityImpact #NonprofitPartnership #CorporateSocialResponsibility #OaklandNonprofit #BayAreaNonprofit #TechAccess #Accessibility

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Companies are rethinking what they value most in today’s evolving workforce, and it’s not just technical skills, it's also human, interpersonal skills. As Megan Slabinski, Seattle District President at Robert Half, shared with the #PugetSoundBusinessJournal, employers are increasingly prioritizing communication, adaptability and lifelong learning alongside specialized experience. “No one’s going to come knocking on your door and offer you a job…The days of passively applying to positions are probably not here today. They may come again, but they’re not here today.” Great story by Nick Pasion and insights on how professionals can stay competitive in a changing job market driven by AI and evolving business needs. #RobertHalf #jobsearch #employmenttrends https://lnkd.in/gKiGX-4a

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I said yes to speaking at USC before I knew what I'd say. That's still how I operate. Nuria and I worked together at Twitter. She's now leading the first AI for Business undergraduate degree program in the country at USC — joint coursework in business, AI, computer science, data science, and ethics. These students are already ahead of most people in the workforce on the technical side. And they're navigating the same uncertainty the rest of us are. I was the first woman in my immediate and extended family to attend a four year college. No blueprint. No fallback. A high school counselor told me to lower my expectations. I didn't listen. Thought I'd be a public accountant. Wrong about that too. What carried me wasn't a plan. It was a growth mindset and a willingness to take risks before I knew where they'd lead. Comfort with uncertainty became the through line of my whole career. AI makes everything feel complicated right now. That's not wrong. But the fundamentals haven't changed. Curiosity. Risk taking. The belief that you can figure something out before you know how. Those still separate the people who perform from the people who plateau. I'm also a mom of a one and three year old sitting in that same discomfort. Wondering if the path I took is the one I'd hand them. I think it is. Bet on your fundamentals. The blueprint comes after.

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Clarity in Action   Clarity rarely arrives all at once. More often, it comes from slowing down long enough  to notice what matters most. Leaders hold a lot at the same time. Competing priorities, complex information, many voices asking for attention. Pausing before action creates space to choose with intention. When direction is clear, energy follows. People know where to focus. Work begins to move with less friction. Clarity isn’t about having every answer. It’s about offering steadiness when things feel scattered. Reflection: What decision could benefit from a moment of clarity today? #kindredleader #leadership #focus

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