Every year, Silicon Valley Business Journal announces an annual list honoring and celebrating 100 influential women leaders from the private, public, and nonprofit sectors in Silicon Valley. The names of 25 women are shared at a time to the public. Included in this year’s Women of Influence honoree list is Santa Cruz County’s very own, Stephanie Jacobs, of SEJ Media Solutions.

Stephanie Jacobs graduated from Cornell University, had careers on the East Coast in television news (CBS News) and technology management and marketing (Sony Electronics). She emigrated to Santa Cruz in 2011 for the wine, weather, food, and of course adjacency to Silicon Valley. Since moving here, Stephanie has mentored dozens of companies through the PlugandPlay Tech Center and Digital Nest and is now actively engaged with her own start-up (PitchGradar.com) aimed at serving the entrepreneurial community.

Stephanie is also an eight time EMMY® award-winning TV producer who was recently honored with a technology award for pioneering work in the development of touchscreen technology to control real-time election graphics. Stephanie is also a Triangle speaker for Santa Cruz’s Diversity Center as well as a trustee at Santa Cruz’s Museum of Art and History. a mentor at Silicon Valley accelerators, and a frequent panelist on innovation.

Silicon Valley Business Journal will be hosting an in person event on June 16th at Hilton Signia Hotel in downtown San Jose to recognize and honor these women. Profiles of the honorees will be shared on June 17 in the Silicon Valley Business Journal newspaper and on their website.