Chicago Women in Tech Conference

Thru Shivakumar, a visionary tech leader in the real estate and data technology sectors, is the CEO of Cohesion. With over 20 years of experience in real estate, finance, strategy, and operations, she’s pioneered the transformation of buildings and the built environment into intelligent, connected spaces through Cohesion’s innovative software platform. Her leadership focuses on strategic vision alignment, operational execution, and delivering shareholder value, steering the company toward redefining human experiences in built spaces. Thru’s commitment to innovation is also evident in her role as a founding board member of Current, a water technology accelerator, and a position on the technology advisory board of the Green Buildings Initiative. A proud alumna of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, Thru earned her M.B.A. focusing on real estate, innovation, and finance. Her contributions to technology, business, and community service have earned her widespread recognition, including Crain’s Chicago Business 40 under 40 List 2021, Crain’s Notable Women in Stem 2023, and Crain’s 2024 Notable Sustainability Leaders 2024.

Pamela Coley, CHRP, CIR, is an accomplished Talent and Recruiting Executive who serves as the CEO and Founder of Geekfinders. With over 15 years of experience in consulting and IT staffing, Pamela has significantly impacted both start-ups and Fortune 1000 companies, facilitating their successful digital transformations. Her expertise has been vital in helping start-ups scale by creating effective talent frameworks and optimizing operations. With an in-depth understanding of technology and a strong commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives, she has been instrumental in staffing some of the largest global organizations.

Anita Malcolm is a seasoned software developer and technology leader with over two decades of experience architecting enterprise solutions that power transportation systems across the United States. Currently a Principal Software Developer at Parsons, Anita has led the design and development of cutting-edge systems, including iNET® Sidekick — an AI-powered virtual traffic operator that leverages Azure OpenAI to revolutionize traffic management and Asset Guardian – AI driven road maintenance system.

Throughout her career, Anita has delivered impactful solutions across diverse industries, from optimizing logistics operations to modernizing large-scale enterprise systems. Her expertise spans Java, Spring Boot, cloud architecture, and AI technologies, and she is deeply committed to mentoring teams and fostering innovation in complex, high-stakes environments.

A passionate advocate for continuous learning and community building, Anita founded and leads Thursday Tech Talk — a monthly lunch-and-learn series at Parsons that brings together developers to explore both software and traffic industry topics. The series features speakers from within and outside the team, creating a vibrant space for knowledge sharing and cross-disciplinary collaboration.

Anita is also deeply curious about the intersection of generative AI and real-world applications — a passion she nurtures through self-guided learning and hands-on experimentation. When she’s not coding or mentoring, she finds joy in gardening and spending evenings with her family playing board games. Known for taking her time to make the perfect move, she’s earned a reputation as the most deliberate player at the table — especially when playing her favorite game, Ticket to Ride.

Zimri is passionate about leveraging technology and innovation to advance equity within communities. With a strong belief in the power of diverse perspectives to fuel innovation, she actively fosters inclusive environments in the communities she engages with. Her focus is on improving engagement strategies and addressing the needs of both community members and startup founders. She thrives in fast-paced environments and enjoys collaborating with rapidly growing startups or teams. Her enthusiasm lies in discovering data-driven solutions to effectively launch community initiatives and solutions. Despite being a Community Engagement Manager, she shares commonalities with the startup and VC ecosystem, including meticulous attention to detail, adaptability, and a dedication to diversity and exceptional customer experience. She is eager to apply these skills to drive impactful, data-driven solutions within the VC and startup industry