Sylvia Acevedo

Sylvia's early life experience with Girl Scouts helped to guide her own future," said McKay. "Decades later, as CEO, those experiences formed her vision of the immense impact the Girl Scout Movement could make, at scale, to open opportunities for girls and women in STEM.

Sylvia Acevedo is an entrepreneur, investor and space scientist. She is the author of Path to the Stars: My Journey from Girl Scout to Rocket Scientist, which details her personal journey from the streets of Las Cruces, New Mexico, to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and to the highest executive levels at Apple, Dell, IBM and other leading US technology companies. Acevedo was Executive Director of Girl Scouts USA, a non-profit organization that supports girls around the world and generates over $800 million annually through its iconic cookie program to support local Scouting. She was Chair of President Obama’s White House Initiative for Educational Excellence for Hispanics in Early Childhood Leadership and Policy Leader for Dual Language Early Childhood Education. Acevedo currently serves on Qualcomm’s Board of Directors.

Students gained a lot of wisdom and encouragement from Sylvia Acevedo, more than can be captured in one article. She talked about her accomplishments working for NASA and meeting President Obama, but the emphasis was on her passion for science and mathematics and entrepreneurial skills she gained as a child and how they carried over into her adult life. Overall, it was inspirational to hear her explain how anyone can create opportunities for themselves, pursue their passions, and help their community.

This week for The Power of Women, Lisa Gable chats with Sylvia Acevedo, former CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA, rocket scientist, and Corporate Director, to talk about optimism, resilience, and how women can apply and use both to achieve their goals.