On Monday, May 18, 10:30 a.m. - Noon, APA will welcome Sylvia Acevedo to the mainstage at the Enlightened Voices: Shared Futures Plenary. Ms. Acevedo will give an address on her journey of leadership and then join APA President Theresa M. Miskimen Rivera, M.D., for a brief Q&A.

Sylvia Acevedo is a technology executive, board leader, and author whose career bridges engineering, business, and national impact. She began as a rocket scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and went on to hold senior executive roles at Apple, Autodesk, Dell, and IBM. Today she serves on the boards of Qualcomm and Credo Technology, helping guide companies at the forefront of AI infrastructure, advanced connectivity, and high-performance computing.

As CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA, Sylvia led the organization’s most significant modernization in its history, launching more than 140 new programs and expanding STEM education across the country. Earlier, as a White House Education Commissioner, she helped shape federal education initiatives that reached millions of families.

A bestselling author and sought-after global speaker, Sylvia wrote Path to the Stars and The Trailblazer’s Playbook, blending personal experience with practical leadership frameworks. She holds engineering degrees from New Mexico State University and Stanford University and has received multiple honorary doctorates, including an Honorary Doctorate of Science from Duke University.