PwC Joins the Festival as a Major Sponsor, Focusing on How Effective Business Solutions Fuel High-Tech Innovations of Tomorrow!
Behind each successful high-tech innovation are sound business strategies and practices. The Festival is proud to have PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) – one of the world’s leading professional services organizations that serves a wide range of STEM industries – demonstrating to students how increasingly important such business services are in supporting STEM innovations, and the exciting STEM career opportunities in professional services.
“At PwC, we believe that all students have the potential to be leaders,” says Colleen Kipfstuhl, Director, Responsible Business Leadership, at PwC. PwC provides professional services in a variety of STEM industries such as Aerospace, Defense, Pharmaceutical, Biotech, Health Services, and Technology. At the Festival, PwC is serving as a Nobelium Sponsor and as a sponsor for the 2018 X-STEM Symposium. “We want to inspire and encourage students to explore the various aspects of technology — to understand what it is, how it connects to their interests (for example, building things, solving puzzles, business skills and having an inquisitive nature) and ultimately, what technology careers draw on those skills and interests,” Kipfstuhl adds. “We’d like students to leave with an understanding of the vast array of careers that depend on technology skills — including auditing and consulting at a professional services firm like PwC!”
In its mission to motivate students in promising STEM-related fields, PwC emphasizes the importance of attracting minorities, women, veterans and other underrepresented groups to the firm. Says Colleen: “We encourage diversity because in diverse teams, each member has a distinct point of view and can offer a broad range of ideas — allowing us to stay innovative and helping us deliver the best solutions for our clients.”
Adding to the excitement of the Festival, PwC is especially enthusiastic about the launch of its most recent outreach initiative, Access Your Potential® — a five-year commitment to equip young people in underserved communities with the financial, technology and career-selection skills they need to change the trajectory of their lives. “Through this program,” says Kipfstuhl, “our goal is to help 10 million students in underserved communities learn critical financial capability and technology skills, while equipping 100,000 teachers and guidance counselors with tools to help students make sound financial choices and understand technology-based careers.” Access Your Potential will also connect students to PwC professionals as mentors who can share their experiences on selecting the right colleges and careers, she adds.
Stay tuned to the Festival Newsletter for further details on the engaging, hands-on activities that PwC is planning for Festival Expo weekend, April 7-8, 2018, and the PwC speakers scheduled for the X-STEM Symposium, April 5!
In the meantime, check out the exciting, groundbreaking work PwC professionals are doing in such areas as Cybersecurity and privacy; Data and analytics; and Technology.
Thank you to PwC for supporting the USA Science & Engineering Festival!
