Meet our Staff

Hazel Valdez (she/her)

Hazel Valdez is the Executive Director of PDXWIT. Prior to her current role, Hazel was the Associate Director for the Oregon Bioscience Incubator(OBI) & OTRADI. Hazel worked with the executive director on various initiatives including working with entrepreneurs and early-stage bioscience and digital health organizations on their facility and resource needs (equipment, mentors, events, education, funding, etc.) as well as OBI's DEI initiatives.

Prior to joining OBI, Hazel was the Operations Manager at PDXWIT and has been part of the tech community for over 11 years. Hazel studied English at UC Irvine and holds a BA in Culinary Management from Le Cordon Blue College of Culinary Arts. Hazel sits on the board of directors as the board secretary for Saturday Academy.

In her free time, she loves spending time with her wife Crystal, traveling, trying out new food items from around the world, cooking, boxing (she’s a USA Boxing official), and spending time with their cat Maple.

YOLANDA JONES (she/her)

Yolanda Jones is an experienced practitioner in grassroots organization, strategic planning, and organizational development, having worked with them for the past two decades. In more recent years she has also brought her operations acumen to the digital marketing space.

She is devoted to increasing inclusion and strives to bridge the existing disparities in the technology space so that all people are equipped and represented in an industry that's at the forefront of humanity.

Yolanda holds a Bachelor's degree in Science and spent time as a volunteer at PDXWIT before taking on her current role as Operational Specialist. Yolanda strives towards furthering outreach initiatives and having a larger impact on our world through technology.

Yolanda is an avid learner dedicated to self-improvement. When she's not occupied with this, she can be found reading, taking in the sights of nature on a walk, or watching cooking shows for inspiration.

Emily Whitacre (she/they)

Before they joined the PDXWIT team, Emily worked in the STEM-based education nonprofit world where she honed her skills in communications and advocated for the dismantling of barriers to entry into STEM. They have a passion for working with organizations, like PDXWIT, that make a positive impact in the community and that foster belonging.

As the Social Media & Community Outreach Specialist, Emily brings creative energy and a passion for strengthening the mission through communications. In her downtime, you can find Emily creating art, playing a variety of trading card games, watching horror movies, or spending time with her partner and their cat, Frisk.

Isabel Rodriguez (They/them)

Isabel is a Master’s graduate of Oregon State University where they studied the forces that govern physical systems in our universe, as well as the social forces that shape our social world. An analyst and storyteller they are passionate about making STEM a place where people from marginalized communities can thrive.

As PDXWIT’s Research and Data Analytics Manager, Isabel brings a data-driven approach and an anti-oppression lens that emphasizes the need for systemic change. Isabel is a lover of cephalopods, horror films, and visionary science fiction.

Miki Demeter

Miki serves on PDXWIT's Finance Committee and is an organizer and speaker for quarterly LGBTQ events. When Miki first started attending tech networking events, including PDXWIT ones, she was concerned there was no one in the community representing her interests. Since then, she has watched this community grow into a space for all people to feel connected, represented and empowered. Miki shared “I’m so glad to join a team that is looking to better all underrepresented individuals, and has provided a platform for me to advocate in a much larger way.” Miki is a Security Researcher at Intel, where she is the Vice President of the Network of Intel African Ancestry Employee Resource Group (ERG) and a Board Member at large for IGlobe, the LGBTQ ERG. A dog lover, Miki has been raising and showing Irish Wolfhounds for nearly 30 years, and at one point in her life she had nine Irish Wolfhounds.

Florence z. Mao

Florence Z. Mao is an employment lawyer at Ogletree Deakins, one of the largest labor and employment law firms in the U.S. Flo provides employment litigation and counseling services to employers of all sizes. She values proactive risk management to promote a healthy workplace that grows the enterprise, retains top talent, and minimizes the chance of litigation in the first place. Flo advises employers on all aspects of the employment relationship, including hiring, performance management, workplace investigations, EEO issues, leaves and accommodations, meal and rest breaks, and separations. She is well-versed on issues that often arise for fast-paced companies with multi-state workforces, such as independent contractors, remote work, and the enforcement of restrictive covenants and arbitration agreements. Flo understands that, at the end of the day, positive employee relations correlate with business success, and she strives to help her clients succeed.

Natalie Ruiz

Natalie is the Board Treasurer at PDXWIT and CEO at AnswerConnect.

In many ways, Natalie’s professional path has been unconventional — and that’s one of the aspects that fuels her to continue to challenge assumptions about what work, success, and the concept of balance in life look like. She shared, “I still remember attending my first PDXWIT event. It was one of the first times I had felt a true sense of belonging among people in tech. The commitment to community and inclusion rocked my world, and the rest is history!”

You can find Natalie camping off the grid, kayaking, and pulling her car over to snap pictures of flowers and great sunsets. She is passionate about lifelong learning, and usually has an audiobook playing in her ear while she MacGyver’s dinner for her family or trains for her next race.

Crystal Sincoff

Deeply committed to PDXWIT's mission, Crystal co-facilitates and builds content for the PDXWIT LGBTQ+ in Tech event series, and helps to lead the Diversity Dinner conversations. Crystal is passionate about growing belonging in the community by creating a safe space to have open dialogue on matters to do with race, gender, LGBTQ+ issues, and more. When she is not fighting for justice she is fighting alongside her wife at McConnell’s Boxing Academy. She loves plants, the rain, and hanging out with her cat, Maple.