Our Team
Zoe Hinck, President
Zoe leads SB Women in STEM out of a love for community connection and continuous learning. SB Women in STEM has helped her provide opportunities to others in STEM industries and it has helped her own career - she has grown as an engineer and manager, developed a network of supportive people, and has improved her public speaking skills (still a little scary, but less scary). Zoe manages an engineering team at KARL STORZ Imaging, where they design and build camera systems for minimally invasive surgery. She is passionate about the medical device industry and loves that every day she gets to work alongside other engineers to bring new technology to surgeons and patients to improve and save lives. She has a BS in Biomedical Engineering from Cal Poly, SLO (go Mustangs!) and is currently pursuing an MBA at CSU Channel Islands (go Dolphins!). When she's not working, studying, or collaborating on event ideas, Zoe enjoys traveling, exercising, going to concerts, and cuddling her dog.
She founded SB Women in STEM in 2018 to create a community of folks interested in supporting womxn in spaces where they are typically the minority - fields like science, technology, engineering, and math. What started as a casual happy hour quickly grew as more passionate community members got involved, including all of our amazing board members!
Maygan Cline, Professional Development
Maygan is a licensed California-registered Professional Geologist. She obtained her B.S. in Geological Sciences from UCSB and has enjoyed a career as a Geologist and Environmental Consultant for more than 15-years. Maygan's early-career years were spent in the field, conducting site investigation efforts which led to her commitment to, and focus on, quality assurance and quality control. In her current role, she leads a team of 40+ Engineers, Geologists, and Scientists in two offices located in Santa Barbara and Ventura. Together, she and her team collaborate with their clients to solve their most complex environmental challenges.
As Maygan advanced in her career she began mentoring early-career folks, and coaching peers in her field. Those mentorship and coaching efforts connected her with Zoe (SBWiSTEM President) and the Professional Development workshops curated by SBWiSTEM were born. In those workshops, Maygan strives to create a warm and inclusive environment where folks can be their authentic selves and feel comfortable sharing their own career lessons-learned for the broad SBWiSTEM community benefit. Most workshops include a networking component, as SBWiSTEM believes in the power of local connections to support career goals. Professional Development workshops also focus on business basics so folks can more effectively grow, market and leverage their skills to advance their career.
When Maygan is not working as a Geologist, or collaborating on a Professional Development workshop, you can find her trail running in Santa Barbara. If you're interested in partnering on, or hosting, a Professional Development workshop with Maygan and SBWiSTEM, you can contact Maygan directly via LinkedIn or at profdev@sbwomeninstem.org.
Eloisa Chavez, Community Engagement
Eloisa Chavez (she/her/ella) grew up in the greater Los Angeles area, but she started calling the central coast her home when she attended UC Santa Barbara. She has 10+ years of experience managing public health related direct service programs and research to increase access to basic needs and essential health care on the central coast and across the nation. Along with serving as a Board Member with Santa Barbara Women in STEM, Eloisa also contributes to her community by volunteering with the Santa Barbara County Democratic Party and serves as the Vice Chair for a County of Santa Barbara Commission. When Eloisa is not giving back to her community, she's enjoying trivia night, backcountry backpacking, cycling, and enjoying sunsets.
Manasa Mannava, Educational Outreach
Manasa is a Sr. Software Engineer based in CA. She is a technology enthusiast and loves to add a touch of creativity to the work she does. She grew up in India for the first 20 years of her life and eventually moved to the USA to pursue Master's in Software Engineering at Arizona State University. She moved to Santa Barbara in 2021 and is so glad she found this group of highly motivated women helping each other grow. Being an integral part of SBWiSTEM lets her have a sense of community and belonging. She loves to spread the STEM word and see more women pursue STEM careers. She takes joy in organizing networking events and representing SBWiSTEM at local schools. In her free time you will find her developing Cosmo Millennial - a fun AI powered travel-living app, kayaking, exploring coastal towns or singing carnatic classical music. If you wish to have a chat with her, reach out on Manasa's LinkedIn or send her an email at outreach@sbwomeninstem.org
Jenna Crawford, Marketing
After obtaining a degree in Environmental Engineering from Cal Poly, Jenna returned to her beloved hometown to obtain her California Real Estate Salesperson License, and began her career in real estate. Immediately after obtaining her license, she was hired by the number one real estate team in Montecito. She was hired as their Marketing and Transaction Coordinator where she managed website content from all sites of which their listings syndicated, manage their SEO/SEM campaigns, and interpreted analytics of online marketing efforts to compile reports for clients. Later, she joined her family’s company, Shoreline Property Management, and now manages over 50 residential and commercial units in Santa Barbara County.
Elaina Rife, Treasurer
Elaina has a master’s degree in statistics from UCSB, and has been working in the Santa Barbara tech industry ever since. For the last 7 years she has held various roles at Sonos, and currently works there as Director, Business Operations Enablement and Analytics. A lifelong puzzle enthusiast, the problem solving nature of mathematics was always compelling. Originally applying to college as a math major, through the course of study found that the practical nature and usefulness of statistics was a magical blend of both.
Elaina joined the board of SB Women in STEM after attending a few of the events, where after spending time with the rest of the members she knew she had to get involved. She loves the opportunity to meet, mentor, and network with other women in the sciences.
When not working or volunteering with SBWiSTEM, Elaina enjoys spending time with her spouse Peter, and their two dogs, Thor and May. She is very involved in her dog agility club, in which she has been competing for the last 6 years. She also enjoys solving escape rooms, and the New York Times crossword puzzle.
Anisha Jain, Secretary
Coming Soon
Brina Aceves, Student Liaison
Brina, a dedicated graduate student at UCSB in the Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology department, is on the verge of completing her Masters of Science and embarking on the start of a career in biomedical research. She currently works in a research lab where she explores novel therapeutic avenues for polycystic kidney disease. In 2020, she enthusiastically became a member of SBWiSTEM to become involved in the local women in STEM community and facilitate connections between professionals and students. Beyond her lab work, she enjoys reading a good book in the park and the vibrant local music scene where she attends shows with friends.