De Anza Innovation Center
Fostering Creativity to Develop Social and Environmental Solutions
- Led by the Business, Computer Science and Applied Technologies Division
- Open to all currently registered De Anza students, in all majors
- Supported by generous donors via the Foothill-De Anza Foundation
Unless otherwise noted, all events will be held on campus in the Business and Finance Village Center (Advanced Technology Center, ATC 202).
For more information, please contact Dean Manisha Karia at kariamanisha@deanza.edu
Speaker Series: Women and Innovation
Join us for our winter speaker series, Women and Innovation, where we will invite world-renowned experts to speak about their work. This series is a collaboration with the Silicon Valley Laboratory and its CEO, instructor Rowland Chen.
AI, Art and Us
Speaker: Maya Ackerman, Ph.D.
Date and Time: Friday, March 20, 11 a.m.-noon
Format: Live Zoom Talk
Once the stuff of science fiction, creative machines are now reshaping culture and daily life. Can artificial intelligence (AI) really be creative? What does it mean for machines to engage in artistic expression? And how do we forge a human-centric future in this new era? Maya Ackerman, Ph.D., invites us to rethink the relationship between humans and machines, seeing it not as a path to replacement, but as an opportunity to amplify human imagination, self-expression and to create the future with intention.
About Maya Ackerman, Ph.D.
Maya Ackerman, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Santa Clara University and the
CEO and cofounder of WaveAI, one of the earliest generative AI startups. A pioneer
in the field, she has been advancing creative application of AI since 2015 and is
a leading voice for human-centered technology. Her work has been featured in Forbes,
Fortune, NBC News and NPR. She has spoken at venues including Google, IBM Research,
the United Nations, Stanford and Oxford. Her recent book, Creative Machines: AI, Art
& Us, explores how generative AI can profoundly elevate human creativity and redefine
our future with machines.
Past Speakers
Profiling Humans From Their Voice: A Journey From the Past to Future Generation Technologies
Speaker: Rita Singh, Ph.D., Carnegie Mellon University
Date and Time: Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, 9-10 a.m.
Format: Live Zoom talk
In this Zoom talk, Professor Singh discussed how artificial intelligence analyzes the human voice to reveal identity, state and behavior — including groundbreaking research such as using voice to detect COVID-19. Attendees learned how voice profiling is shaping the future of forensics, security and human-machine interaction.
About Rita Singh
Rita Singh, Ph.D., is a research professor at Carnegie Mellon University’s Language
Technologies Institute and the director of the Center for Voice and Intelligence and
Security. Her work has led to several breakthroughs, including the first live voice-based
profiling system in 2018, the first AI-generated reconstruction of a historical human
voice in 2019 and the first demonstration of COVID-19 detection from voice in 2020.
Singh continues to advance the frontiers of artificial intelligence, computational
forensics and quantum technologies through her teaching and innovation. She is the
author of the seminal book, Profiling Humans from their Voice.
Not a Straight Line: How I Built a Career Inside Tech Growth and Mergers and Acquisitions
Speaker: Susan Calderon, Salesforce Mergers and Acquisitions Executive
Date and Time: Friday, Feb. 20, 2026, 10-11 a.m.
Format: Live Zoom Talk
Susan Calderon shared her personal, honest story about building a career in tech and innovation without a straight line or a perfect plan. From leaving law school, to unexpectedly becoming a consultant, to leading complex mergers and acquisitions, Susan showed how curiosity, mentorship and a willingness to be uncomfortable can quietly shape meaningful careers.
In the talk, Susan demystified tech and explained mergers and acquisitions in simple language for students and early-career professionals. She also highlighted the importance of women's perspectives in spaces where growth and people-centered decisions are made. Susan wanted students to understand that they do not need clarity from day one — just a starting point and the courage to keep learning.
About Susan Calderon
Susan Calderon is a senior transformation and mergers and acquisitions integration
leader. She has deep experience helping global technology companies scale, grow and
evolve through complexity. Throughout her career, she has led integration strategy
and execution for multi-billion-dollar acquisitions, partnering closely with executive
teams to align business strategy, operations, go-to-market and people outcomes across
global organizations.
Susan has worked across North America; Europe, the Middle East, and Africa; Asia; and Latin America, bringing a practical, human-centered approach to navigating change in high-growth environments.
She is deeply committed to community leadership, serving as advisory board chair of Oasis for Girls and as a member of the board of directors at the Felton Institute, both focused on expanding opportunity and access for youth and families. She strongly believes in empowering the next generation of leaders through innovation, mentorship and access.
A proud San Francisco native, Susan is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, where she earned bachelor's degrees in Political Science and History.
Support the Innovation Center!
Your can make a donation to support the Innovation Center, and its activities for students, by using the Foothill-De Anza Foundation's online donation form.
See highlights of other recent events at the Innovation Center